13 replies to this topic

[tino]

Hi,

I am eventually ( after a long time of it being in storage... ) looking to buy a MIG Welder to work on my mini.

I am not sure to go for either http://www.machinema...urbo-mig-welder or this one http://www.machinema...-gas-mig-welder

I *think* the 135te despite being slightly cheaper is the better option as it is a gas welder , whereas the 160en appears to be gasless.

I will be welding outside, so I am not sure if a gas welder will actually help here , although it is covered on all four sides by either fence , gate , shed or garage. There is just no roof.

Any advice / help would be appreciated.

Also this will be run of a single 16A socket , so I really require a 13A or less from the mains.

Edited by tino, 10 August 2012 - 05:34 PM.

[Skortchio]

The 160EN is gas/gasless, so you can use either. Gas welding is easier to pick up off the bat but the slightest breeze will render is unstable. If you're welding outside, gasless is the way to go.

The 160 does give both options though as well as 6 power settings compared to 4 on the 135.

You only need 30amps for bodywork panels etc. but if you're tackling crossmembers then the higher amps will come in handy.

I'd go 160 myself.

[AVV IT]

If your new to welding, then the general consensus here seems to be that you can't go too far wrong with the Clarke 135 turbo. Especially with a decent auto dimming helmet and refillable argosheild gas bottle and regulator. I'd steer clear of gasless machines personally, even if you are welding outside. You can always buy a marquee, or welding screen to shield your welding from the wind, or just not weld on windy days. Besides, I do all my welding outside using a gas mig and I've never had any problems.

Edited by AVV IT, 10 August 2012 - 05:40 PM.

[sonikk4]

I would second the 135TE having used it inside and outside. Be sensible with screening and you won't have any problems using a gas MIG outside. A 160 would give you that extra power if you are welding 3/8" plate but the 135TE at max power will quite happily weld 1/4" plate not that you have anything that thick on a mini shell.

[tino]

Thanks for all the replies so far, it is fairly secluded so I will go with the slightly cheaper 135TE I think.

Especially with a decent auto dimming helmet

Did you mean something like this one?

http://www.machinema...ding-headshield

Although that says NO GAS , so not sure if that is suitable? I can't see anything else similar on the Machine Mart website.

Edited by tino, 10 August 2012 - 06:24 PM.

[sonikk4]

Its fine for the MIG just not oxy acetylene

[AVV IT]

Yup that sort of thing!!

I actually went with this one: http://www.amazon.co...44623412&sr=8-1 from amazon in the end though. At just £46.95 it was on sale at 77% off!! Okay I'm not sure it was actually ever worth the original RRP of over £200, but at less than £50 (+ free delivery) for this sort of quality helmet, that's still a bit of a bargain!!

Edited by AVV IT, 10 August 2012 - 06:36 PM.

[alex-95]

I too would go for the 135te and Also the helmet above is good, I've never had a problem with mine.

[GlynC]

I bought the 151en added the gas gear for the big bottles as the stuff supplied for the small ones is a waste of money, so I bought the one without and added my own

Been a cracking bit of kit to be honest and machine Mart are doing vat free for a week so even better if your on their mailing list
Don't mess about with the small gas bottles if you have a fair bit to do get a full sized set from day one
I did try the gas less but found it hard work and messy
Cheers glyn

[Bob Green]

I agree with Glyn on all counts. I have yet to see a good gasless weld, splatter everywhere and so on.

Regarding gas, I put a £50 returnable deposit on a 9-litre gas bottle, I think the Argon mix was £30 something, a regulator for maybe £25 ( I cannot remember) and away I went.

The link below may be of some assistance for gas.

http://adamsgas.co.u...CFcIPfAod0GIAmg

Hope this helps.

[tiger99]

I agree with not using gasless. It is entirely inappropriate for welding car bodyshells, and more difficult too. The welds are frequently of poor quality.

By the way, it is fraudulent to advertise such a thing as "Gassless MIG", because by definition MIG is Metal Inert Gas. A gassless welder is NOT a MIG welder,although many,including the Clarke, can do both. Any gas generated by the flux core in gasless wire is definitely not inert. and is mostly CO2. Using CO2 in a MIG is not actually MIG welding either, it is properly termed MAG welding (Metal Active Gas), which is why CO2 does not produce such a clean weld as Argon.

[R1mini]

It is entirely possible to do good welds with CO2, gassless using positive or negative feeds, argon mix light or heavy, left or right handed, using a conventional mask, using a auto dimming mask, using a welder with a minimun amps of 60 doesn't matter. I have never in my life in 30 years of welding using 30 amps ie lowest setting to weld thin metal. typically 50-60, these people that say a welder that has 40 amps as it's lowest setting is no good for welding thin metal, are just reading what's on the web, what's more important is that it is a decent quality welder.

A good welder will make a good job from any combination of the above, for beginners, use argon mix gas, with an auto dimming mask

Cheers
David

[tino]

Woah! , Thanks for all the replies, an advice.

I think I will still stick with a Gas Welder as by what I have read and been told its easier to use for a beginner.

[tiger99]

R1mini,

You are of course correct. Several restorers here are doing a great job with CO2, but they tend to be rather more experienced than most. But you can tell by the colour of their welds that they used CO2, which causes blue/grey colouring, whereas argon tends to give a more silvery metallic colour. That is what I meant by the welds being cleaner, it has no major significance. Oxy-acetylene results in a deeper colour than CO2. You can often tell at a glance what gas was used.