Hello folks? Always wanted to learn how to weld (done some oxy acetylene in the past mind) and the time is finally right for me to buy my first machine, so is there one out there you could recommend for a newbie? I want to eventually be able to repair car bodywork so it had to have enough guts to do that. From what I've read on here so far it seems gas is the way to go, unless you do a lot out doors where perhaps gasless may be a little better. And it seems that something for car bodywork needs 150+ amps, and I would just like to mention, I don't have a snap on type budget, and don't think I would require one for occasional use anyway, maybe if I were welding 9 to 5 then that would be different

Thanks in advance

 

I bought this over 20 years ago. It was one of the first ever no-gas migs and suits me fine for DIY stuff. Sure you can pay ŁŁŁ's for a super dooper pro unit but you have to ask yourself if you really need that.



I've done all sorts with that, a complete resto on an old Mini, a couple and Landrover rear 3/4 chassis and countless DIY jobs here and there. I dusted it off last autumn and put a new sill on the Focus, first time it had been used for about 5 years, off it went with no bother. Most of the work done outside where a gas unit would struggle.

Besides I love brushing off the SLAG after some good penetration You don't get to do that with a posh one.

Power wise for car panels you need very little, if anything you will be turning it down to quite a low setting to avoid burning holes everywhere.

My advice, cheapish welder but invest in a good auto dimming mask. You can always sell the welder on if you want to upgrade. The mask will help you more than the welder if you are a beginner.

 

Thanks for your help, I see clarks do seem to be popular, and machine mart seems to do quite good prices on them, think I should look with them?

 

Ive got one of these migs i converted it to gas.I use 100% C02 and it works mint.

 

I'm not sure if they still do them, I bought that one in either 1991 or 1992.

 

Looks like Clarke comes recommended then. Are sealey ones any good?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIP-25034-...item2ec6871dd5

i have one of these but in 170amp instead of the 130. bit pricier than the clarke ones but it's been spot on for around four years now. even done a few heavy duty jobs in 5/6mm steel and it never grumbles or fails to work. I honestly cannot fault it.

regards

Tom

 

I just bought a miller mpi 180, awesome bit of Kit! not cheap but does mig tig mma

 

I've always liked the MiG 28 - no match for an F-14 Tomcat though!

 

Haha!! Cheeky bastard!!

 

Boom boom!

 

Cheers. Does look like a good welder, is it ok running off a 13 amp supply or does it require more?

 

Well it looks ok but parking it will be a nightmare.

 

no mine just plugs straight into the mains. i believe it has a 13 amp fuze in the plug.

 

I have a Clarke too, the best advice I can give is get a decent gas bottle and not the hobby ones the size of a bottle of coke. As soon as I got a proper bottle the welding really improved. You don't need a contract etc now either.

 

Thanks everyone!!! Will hopefully be getting one before the end of the week.

 

Thats why you want a Harrier Jump jet.

Will have to be a yank AV8B Harrier II as the UK govt mongaloids scraped all ours!!



they even let women "park" them so how hard can it be??

(actually from personal experience, very hard!)

 

Ha ha, can you imagine me turning up to a tools suppliers etc and requesting fighter jet? Have you taken your medication today sir?

 

Yeah but it would be cool as fuck if you need to pop out for some welding wire and you just do a VTOL landing in the car park outside Toolstation.

Plus youd so want to do this at your local shell garage:


See if you get some kid walk up saying "my dad had one of those when they first came out" or "is it a replica?"

 

What is that helicopter above?

 

Fuck ye!!! How cool is that helicopter??

 

I think it is shit.

That bloke must must have wheeled it in like a wheelbarrow otherwise the blades would have smashed up, cut the fuel lines, petrol would have pissed all over the place and there would have been a massive fireball.

That would have been cool and then I would have mended everything with my 20+ year old mig welder right at the start of this thread.