What mig welder?

[swinny]

Looking for a new welder soon.

 

Want something that can weld 6-8 maybe 10mm

 

Currently have a little clarke 150turbo but is only really any good for up to 6mm

 

Back in my days at a garage i used to do all the welding with either a 245 or 275 amp welder though cant remember the make.

 

Can i get anything reasonable for 500.00?

 

Any reccomendations? Cheers

[Tom D]

Oxford are a good make. Murex too.

[treequip]

Cebora make mig good welders for a lot of big names as well as their own brand, the snap on 130 is a cebora.

 

Have a look at the wire feed assembly, some are plastic which flex and give no end of trouble, like the SIP I used to own

[tractorboy1]

R-tec have a good reputation.

 

MIG Welder | MIG Welding Equipment. R-Tech MIG Welders 240V and 415V

[swinny]

Will 500.00 be a good enough budget? Ideally new

[Brushcutter]

I use a SIP 181DP which will kick out 180 amps on 16amp. I run it 13amp so it maxes out around the 130-140 amp range. The duty cycle isn't very good. But being dual polarity it does give you a range of options.

 

My favourite one in the workshop is the BOC transmig 180 but that is from the 1970s i expect. When it dies it will be a sad day because spares are very rare. The 250amp quasiarc company welder died recently:thumbdown:

 

For a new one I'd get an Rtech one decent price duty cycle and quality.

 

180amp range will do 10mm but you will have to V prep it and do multiple passes.

[swinny]

Hi Brush cutter, you mean the 180 inverter?

 

What does the inverter do?

[swinny]

Also seen some sealer supermig 200 etc at 329 plus vat at shop the other day. Wondered if these were just cheapo's though.

 

Cheers

[aspenarb]

Chris I would sooner spend the £500 on a quality secondhand machine ,as Tom suggests a decent Murex or if the budget would stretch to it get an Esab.

 

Bob

[Brushcutter]

Hi Brush cutter, you mean the 180 inverter?

 

What does the inverter do?

 

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

 

150amp ish from a 13amp socket. If you have a 16amp socket then even better you'll get the most from it. Unless you want to do serious big welding and lots of it then it's not worth the hassle of running a 32amp socket from the board to where you want to weld which would let you run 180amp plus.

 

The inverter first changes the current from AC to DC and then transforms it to desired welding current. Technically the transforming bit is inverting and the AC/DC bit is rectification.

 

If a supermig 200 is a 200amp machine for around about 300 quid i doubt the duty cycle is very long and a i expect it's not very good.