"Best" welder for heavy hobby use?

[openspaceman]

4 hours ago, Muddy42 said:

Its the other end of the welding spectrum but a handy feature is the ability to switch the polarity, this is better for gasless welding which is ideal for quick/rough/dirtier/occasional welding or outside or if you run out if gas. I got stung with my cheap MIG, which is a fiddle to switch over. 

Normally done by swapping the earth and gun leads

[difflock]

I am tickled that an inverter MIG like the r-tech 181 can also weld stainless and aluminium, with the appropriate wire/ gas and a spool at the gun for the aluminium. Wow.

btw, the son in law, who lent me his mig also supplied a cutting of .6mm thick shiney bright non rusting looks like SS but it is mild steel. Well confused I am. I can mostly weld this .6mm stuff without blowing holes.

But if I am keeping the Black Bollix, she will defo need replacement cills.

cheers

[Drifter2406]

I've used Lincoln for years, a multi process 200c welder, the best welder by far I have ever used and I've been welding for the best part of 40 years.

[Muddy42]

13 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Normally done by swapping the earth and gun leads

Yes the best have the same socket so its a case of switching them over externally. I have to take the cover off and swap wires over internally which is a pain. Or I plan to make new leads.

[Peasgood]

I used to do a lot of turning this sort of shite

 

 

 

Into this kind of stuff.

 

 

Clarke 205TE is what I used. Still have it and still use it but for much more agricultural type of welding these days.

.6 wire and Argoshield Lite gas from BOC. 

I think if I was doing much these days I would be looking at R-tech welders but a good used 205TE would not be a bad choice.

[doobin]

9 hours ago, Muddy42 said:

Yes the best have the same socket so its a case of switching them over externally. I have to take the cover off and swap wires over internally which is a pain. Or I plan to make new leads.

 

14 hours ago, Muddy42 said:

Its the other end of the welding spectrum but a handy feature is the ability to switch the polarity, this is better for gasless welding which is ideal for quick/rough/dirtier/occasional welding or outside or if you run out if gas. I got stung with my cheap MIG, which is a fiddle to switch over. 

 

IMHO if you want to use a gasless mig then just get an arc welder and learn that instead. Going hassles removes all the benefits of mig over arc. 
 

I’d have thought with a euro torch you’d always need to change the wires over internally?

[Muddy42]

14 hours ago, doobin said:

 

 

IMHO if you want to use a gasless mig then just get an arc welder and learn that instead. Going hassles removes all the benefits of mig over arc. 
 

I’d have thought with a euro torch you’d always need to change the wires over internally?

 

I have used arc in the past but dont own one anymore. Currently its either MIG with argon mix or gassless. I am a rookie and only get marginally better welds with gas but I quite like the simplicity of gassless with the same setup.

[difflock]

On 18/07/2024 at 21:31, Drifter2406 said:

I've used Lincoln for years, a multi process 200c welder, the best welder by far I have ever used and I've been welding for the best part of 40 years.

Drifter,

First off I am still using the Polish son in laws transformer SIP 196 turbo welder.

2nd off.

He informs me that a lot(all?) of the Lincon MIG welders sold on Europe, come out of a Polish factory that were building and selling  so many highly respected MIG welders under their own Polish brand.

That Lincoln simply bought the Polish factory and rebranded the welders as Lincoln!

 

[Drifter2406]

6 hours ago, difflock said:

Drifter,

First off I am still using the Polish son in laws transformer SIP 196 turbo welder.

2nd off.

He informs me that a lot(all?) of the Lincon MIG welders sold on Europe, come out of a Polish factory that were building and selling  so many highly respected MIG welders under their own Polish brand.

That Lincoln simply bought the Polish factory and rebranded the welders as Lincoln!

 

As far as I know SIP are made in Italy and England. Lincoln are made in deferent parts of the world, Poland, Italy, China and the States If memory serves, but just like anything, parts are made from the cheapest suppliers and assembled somewhere else, don't particularly care as long as it is reliable and works well which these have.  

[Muddy42]

I use a cheap 200amp MIG made by Rohr. I'm an infrequent user so I stick to flux core.  I've achieved much better results since I switched the polarity and had some time to practice. Any feedback welcomed