9 replies to this topic

[scaffers]

It's been a while since I've needed to weld anything, but I'm back in the game now.

I'm going to buy a mig (gave mine away years ago) I see there are gas and no gas migs now, which would be better, I'd be welding outside mainly.

Also does anyone recommend a not too expensive mig welder for use on a mini.

Anyone know about these welders

http://www.amazon.co...235596&sr=1-150


http://www.amazon.co...235596&sr=1-152


http://www.amazon.co...235596&sr=1-146


Any help appreciated.



Scaff

[Mini addict]

Hi there, not sure whether this will be much help to you but I'm a welding apprentice and I've done 2 years in college doing welding aswell, over the last couple of months I've looked at hundreds of little hobby welders to do work on my mini, the main hobby welders being Clarke, they cope okay with the low amperage needed for thin sheet metal on cars, I know sealey are a quite well known make of welder for auto repairs, mostly cause you can get higher amp welders in 240v and you can get industrial size mig welders which run on 240v too, silver line is also quite a known make, they do quite a few welders ranging from mig to tig and arc inverters, not to sure on how they run and cope though so couldn't be much help there, now the other make I haven't heard of and the only thing I can advise is researching on the internet what other people have said about them, I find though that sealey look to be quite expensive so it all depends of how much of a price bracket you have, now to the point of gas and gas less, I would personally go for a gas welder, simply because you can run both normal mig wire and gas less, with just gas less welders you can't have the option of using gas, if your going to be outside welding then it may be better to use gas less wire, it's generally a flux core mig wire, which uses the same principle as stick welding other than the flux is inside the wire, I hope this hasn't baffled you too much and has helped a bit, regards, Matthew

[scaffers]

Hi there, not sure whether this will be much help to you but I'm a welding apprentice and I've done 2 years in college doing welding aswell, over the last couple of months I've looked at hundreds of little hobby welders to do work on my mini, the main hobby welders being Clarke, they cope okay with the low amperage needed for thin sheet metal on cars, I know sealey are a quite well known make of welder for auto repairs, mostly cause you can get higher amp welders in 240v and you can get industrial size mig welders which run on 240v too, silver line is also quite a known make, they do quite a few welders ranging from mig to tig and arc inverters, not to sure on how they run and cope though so couldn't be much help there, now the other make I haven't heard of and the only thing I can advise is researching on the internet what other people have said about them, I find though that sealey look to be quite expensive so it all depends of how much of a price bracket you have, now to the point of gas and gas less, I would personally go for a gas welder, simply because you can run both normal mig wire and gas less, with just gas less welders you can't have the option of using gas, if your going to be outside welding then it may be better to use gas less wire, it's generally a flux core mig wire, which uses the same principle as stick welding other than the flux is inside the wire, I hope this hasn't baffled you too much and has helped a bit, regards, Matthew

Thanks Mathew,

It's all a help, I'm tempted to buy the sealey, I have a mask and tools etc, gas/ no gas will give me the option for future use etc i understand that....... There will always be minis and rust as I can see.

Thanks


Scaff

[mattbeddow]

Id personally go gas for the added flexibility but then you do have the additional expense of the gas.

Slightly unrelated but if its gassles then how can it be called a mig welder when mig stands for metal inert gas?

[Old Bob]

Gas shielding is essential for a clean weld. Also, if you have been 'out of the game' for a while, your helmet might not be auto dim. Prices of these are now truly affordable and really do make the job easier.

Bob

[scaffers]

Ok

Will look at my helmet..........


Insert joke here


.........



Thanks



Scaff

[scaffers]

ordered this






nowm just gotta get the rain to stop

[Carlos W]

If you're looking for a gas supplier, I use www.adamsgas.co.uk 50 quid deposit and no rental on the bottle. I did see that BOC are doing a hobbyist size bottle now too with cheaper rentals

[scaffers]

Gas,

Yes I was going to go to B.O.C. I did ask in the pub and they said I could have a bottle of theirs if needed.



Scaff

[Bravo_Zulu]

I have had this one for a couple of years now, it runs both gas and gas-less but i have only used it with gas. It's a cracking mig!

Draper 08165 230 Volt Gas and Gasless Mig Welder

Edited by Bravo_Zulu, 27 January 2013 - 02:30 PM.