First MIG - Rtech180?

[Suffolk-Matt]

Need to pop my cherry and learn, set a budget of 4-450£ for a MIG.

 

Asked on a landy board last night and these seemed well rated -

 

MIG Welder | 240v Portable Inverter MIG Welding Equipment I-MIG180

 

Fits the budget spot on also, any thoughts people?

 

 

Go second hand instead?

Edited November 1, 2015 by Suffolk-Matt

[agrimog]

r-tech have a very good reputation for all there kit, you wont go far wrong with one of there's, plus really good back up

[Brushcutter]

SIP Autoplus 181DP Dual Purpose MIG Welder - SIP04791 | SIP UK

 

I have that one. I've found it very good for the money. The Rtech stuff looks very good, I'm tempted by their plasma cutters.

 

I'd use argon rather than CO2. I use to use W size bottles but it broke the wheels on the 181 so i now use a Y bottle. If your not going to use a lot buy a bottle and get it refilled as a BOC rental is expensive.

[peatff]

I'd use argon rather than CO2.

 

Argon + co2 ? I just bought a 20 litre SGS cylinder 5% mix for £147 no rental but refills are dearer. I used neat co2 with my little Kemppi mig for the last 3 years no problem but ar/co2 does give a neater weld. RTech do a good back up, you should be alright with them. Whatever you get check it will run from your electricity supply. A friend of mine tried a Miller and it tripped his supply, needed 32 amp.

Edited November 1, 2015 by peatff

[Brushcutter]

Argon + co2 ? I just bought a 20 litre SGS cylinder 5% mix for £147 no rental but refills are dearer. I used neat co2 with my little Kemppi mig for the last 3 years no problem but ar/co2 does give a neater weld.

 

Ar+C02 is good. I must admit i forgot they did a mix. Its very good bit cleaner than pure co2 but not as smart as full argon. If your only doing ferrous metals then the Ar+C02 will be super, if you want to do anything more exotic then you'll need Ar.

 

You can get fluxed wire now but i've not got the hang of it yet. Splatters all over the shop.

[Suffolk-Matt]

Whatever you get check it will run from your electricity supply. A friend of mine tried a Miller and it tripped his supply, needed 32 amp.

 

This is major factor that i hadnt mentioned in the first post. Must be happy running of a 13amp household socket, I assumed the on listed above would be good?

[Brushcutter]

This is major factor that i hadnt mentioned in the first post. Must be happy running of a 13amp household socket, I assumed the on listed above would be good?

 

It will. Much like the SIP one it will run on a 13amp socket but only at 160amps. For the full 180 amps you need a 16amp supply.

[Peter]

I have an R Tech tig, excellent machine.

 

Look at the Albee gas bottles, you buy the bottle outright then just pay for refills, no rental and you get a proper sized bottle. You want the ArMix for mig on steel, pure argon will shield the weld pool but will leave tall beads and give you some other problems too.

 

If you need the full power output, get an 32 amp socket put in, all you need is a 32 amp mcb in your consumer unit, then a run of heavy cable to wherever you want the socket. Exact cable size depends on the length of the run. Ideally an industrial spec mcb, the domestic ones trip too easily, you should be able to set that up for £50-60 in materials, well worth it in the long run.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Peter

[peatff]

Ar+C02 is good. I must admit i forgot they did a mix. Its very good bit cleaner than pure co2 but not as smart as full argon. If your only doing ferrous metals then the Ar+C02 will be super, if you want to do anything more exotic then you'll need Ar.

 

You can get fluxed wire now but i've not got the hang of it yet. Splatters all over the shop.

 

You only use pure argon for aluminium or for tig welding. Don't waste money on it when you don't need it. Stainless is weldable with ar/co2, pure argon gives no penetration and a tall weld profile on steel as it is inert gas and Mig (actually MAG) needs an active gas co2 (metal active gas hence the correct name) Albee gas cylinders are from Air Products and have an integrated regulator and are a good solution if you don't use a lot of gas.

[wills-mill]

Breakers have an amp rating and a trip speed rating (for want of a more technical term) for sensitivity to a current/amp spike. So there'll be 32A, 32B, 32C, 32D.

 

A and B generally are generally recommended for domestic use, then C's for big motor start up (workshop) then D's for grumpy welders and things with a large start up load.

 

If you're looking for rental free welding gases, also have a look at Adams Gas and Hobbyweld. I'm on pure CO2 in a MIG, but will head to an argon mix when the current bottle is emptied. It looks like our local motor factor are Hobbyweld supplier, which saves hiking round the country or paying BOC.

 

Hobbyweld also do Oxygen, so you could run an Oxy-Propane setup for making things red and floppy with no rental....