What mig welder?

[Brushcutter]

In the field I used a stick welder for agricultural stuff so am only used to MIG for steel sheet up to 3mm. In fact the little 162A parwelld inverter was good down to 2mm using rods.

 

Given that I'd plump for a MIG welder inverter and one with 4 drive wheels.

 

I notice Parweld also do an all in one MIG, Tig and stick welder for under a grand.

 

With the cost of keeping oxy-acetylene being so high I wonder if it would be worth having TIG for sheet work but have never used it. It would mean keeping a bottle of pure argon for MIG and TIG but there are a number of firms offering gas sales with no rental charges.

 

If you can oxy weld then tig isn't a massive jump. You ruin the electrode if you get too close. Then you have to grind it back nicely. There is a lot of fafing about with more setting. I do intend to teach myself at some point. Again it's one of these things where you need to spend about 700 quid to get a good tig.

 

Tig does think stuff well - but as with all welding the prep is more important that the actual welding.

[Bustergasket]

Oxford are a good make. Murex too.

 

I can vouch for murex, i run a transmig murex 450, bought used with all new parr torch 250 amp (more manageable than a larger torch but just watch how hot it gets), wire, helmet, bags of tips and shrouds for £800 from a dealer appreciative of the fact it's a 3 phase machine, but you really can weld anything from 0.5mm sheet upto inch plate, the welds can look like tig and iam not a pro welder, i do like to get it turned up on some nice clean thick stuff, hope this helps

[aspenarb]

Chris if you dont have a three phase supply get a diesel/petrol arc welding set for a few hundred quid and buy a remote wire feeder. Best of both worlds because you can then mobile stick and mig weld. Just plug the leads into the remote wire feeder from the welder and connect the gas, should do all you want.

 

Wire feed is inside the unit, one on the right is for on site , left hand one wont do rain

 

Bob

 

 

[openspaceman]

If you can oxy weld then tig isn't a massive jump. You ruin the electrode if you get too close. Then you have to grind it back nicely. There is a lot of fafing about with more setting. I do intend to teach myself at some point. Again it's one of these things where you need to spend about 700 quid to get a good tig.

 

Tig does think stuff well - but as with all welding the prep is more important that the actual welding.

 

I was ok with gas welding steel, I also used it for brazing and cutting. Cutting is easier done with an angle grinder nowadays.

 

I mentioned this

 

XTM 252I Synergic MIG Inverter - Parweld

 

which is only a couple of hundred more than a simple MIG but you have to by the TIG torch.

 

I don't know enough about TIG, like you need to use pure argon but can pure argon do mig as I use an argon CO2 mix for preference over CO2.

 

Also I'm told you need a current ramp up start and ramp down for TIG as well as DC and AC for aluminium. I'd like to try it but lack the opportunity now and no big projects to justify buying any more kit.

[peatff]

If you can oxy weld then tig isn't a massive jump.

 

I've welded with oxy acetylene, mig, mma arc and tig and tig is nothing like gas welding. The fit up has to be good, everything needs to be scrupulously clean and the coordination is a lot more critical. I have a Kemppi inverter mig at the moment and a Stel tig which hasn't been touched in ages and I still have my Portapak oxy set but it is only used for warming stuck nuts and bolts these days or if I have some really thin rusty stuff to repair as it is a fairly tolerant process like stick welding. The mig gets used most and the gas is not a problem working outside just put a board up to deflect draught if you need to. You will not mig with pure argon you need an active element, co2 in the mix.

[openspaceman]

I've welded with oxy acetylene, mig, mma arc and tig and tig is nothing like gas welding. The fit up has to be good, everything needs to be scrupulously clean and the coordination is a lot more critical. I have a Kemppi inverter mig at the moment and a Stel tig which hasn't been touched in ages and I still have my Portapak oxy set but it is only used for warming stuck nuts and bolts these days or if I have some really thin rusty stuff to repair as it is a fairly tolerant process like stick welding. The mig gets used most and the gas is not a problem working outside just put a board up to deflect draught if you need to. You will not mig with pure argon you need an active element, co2 in the mix.

 

Well that sorts out the idea of just having one gas bottle to hold then.

 

I'm intrigued with Bob's idea of having a wire feed to go with my 200 amp welding genset for heavier stuff.

 

Any idea why the MIG gas has to have an "active " ingredient or why COOGAR seems to weld much smoother than plain CO2?

 

For work on cars I find a 0.6 mm wire is necessary plus a very smooth wire feed which the cheap MIGs don't seem to have.

[Woodworks]

Also looking for a similar sized MIG. Just been to local supplier and these were their two recommends. Any views on these machines?

 

https://www.jasic.co.uk/mig160

 

http://www.migatronic.com/Files/Files/PDF/Welding_Machines/Brochures/RallyMIG/52173043_RallyMIG.pdf

[fonzy]

https://www.weldequip.com/portamig-mig-welders.htm

 

I have a portamig 216 and it's great, very handy.

[swinny]

Roght so in the running is the rtec 180 inverter mig and the clarke 205te turbo welder

 

Clarke is 580 but no euro torch. Can take a 15kg roll. Built in stand and wheels etc for bottle to sit on.

 

Rtec is 480. Euro torch etc but no stand so add approx 60-70.00

 

Quite a bit of fabrication to do and welding up to 8mm

 

My friend has the clarke and really likes it.

 

Are they both man enough and where would you put your brass?

 

Rtec looks nice and portable in ita favour

[tcfengineering]

I would buy a welder from Technical Arc (Tecarc). They are Made in Britain, friendly helpful company, they support their products for 20 years with parts backup.

 

I have a Tecarc plasma cutter and when I need a new welder I will be going to them without doubt.

 

Support our British economy and jobs and buy British where you can !