Greetings, Anddddd Happy New Year to you all. SWMBO asked what I want for my B'day next week; I couldn't answer. However, I do need a welder. Any suggestions? I can't go 3ph though...Any half decent beginners unit would do but to be honest I know next to nothing on the subject so any assistance or guidance would be appreciated. I can weld, just! But obviously the Fortress of Solitude NEEDS a welder that's a given! Thanks in advance BTD
Tig is more versatile bit also more difficult. I can't recommend a specific machine but as ever, you get what you pay for. I would want something that can do 150 amps or more so you can do some thick ish Aluminium. Foot pedal is a must in my opinion.
ESAB Buddy tig 160 inverter welder. Will work on 240V with a 16A plug (16A to 13A plug converter cable required) The buddy will handle Tig and stick, not the cheapest but top quality. Disposable Argon bottles are easy to find. To do aluminium as well you’ll need an AC/DC rig which will cost £££
If you want a skill, get TIG and be prepared for years of learning. If you want sizzle, spatter and fully joined pieces of metal by the afternoon, get MIG. For TIG, look at an R-tech 200A AC/DC, and the biggest bottle of inerting gas you can fit in your workspace specced to the material you want to weld. Plus- good auto visor, good gloves, good fire extinguisher an endless supply of scrap pieces... And tea.
Machine Mart currently have a sale. That said, I bought my MIG from another well known machine tools stockist. Mine is 240v13A supply which has variable current output and can be used with or without gas. The gas comes in a small, aerosol style bottle. Something like this, https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/135te-turbo-mig-welder/. Although my old apprentice master would hold his head in horror, it is actually quite easy to use and get reasonably right after a bit of practice. Andy
A cheap TIG or MIG will just frustrate and annoy you when you can't get a good looking weld with consistent penetration because of fluctuation in Arc and Gas flow. And on a MIG set wire feed speed. It won't help you learn or improve your technique. Better to wait and invest in something a bit better when you can. This for example is a great TIG set, that's AC/DC and right on the limit of being run from a standard 13A plug. https://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/tig-welder-ac-dc-170a-digital-tig-170ext/ It is however still at the cheap end of the market, but not a £600 set of Ebay with dodgy electronics and component quality. Oh, and any wife prepared to spend welder type cash on your birthday is worth keeping. Nasher
i used to be a coded welder in a previous life and I have had my mig welder for about 20 plus years. as above tig is more versatile, and a footpedal is a must. if you go for mig get one where you can replace the liner and these wear from the wire running through them. Mine is very similar to this,
Thanks for all that peeps, much appreciated. Whilst a £1000 all singing and dancing unit would be nice SWMBO would reattach my testicles just for the pleasure of whipping them off again. Since I bought the 848 a few months ago I can't be spending too much. I did a 10 wk course t the local college last year and got the basics, but I am no master. Their set up was top notch, only a few years old with the best of kit; so in some respects I was spoiled. Funnily enough the question was posed in the light of the Machinemart sale...
Whatever set up you go for don't forget to budget for the inert gas and bottle rental. Not sure if its the only way to do it but I had to get a BOC account and rent the bottle which is about £100 a year then theres an exchange fee when you need a top up. Its been so long since I’ve used it I cant remember the cost.
I gave up my CO2 bottle rental a few years ago as it just wasn't worth it for the amount of welding I was doing, and I was using CO2 and CO2/Argon mix with my MIG for MS and SS. So, like @Andy800 I use disposable bottles, but keep an eye on prices at the likes of Screwfix, Toolstation, and even Halfords, buying a couple when they have a sale or clearance. I plan to carry on using them with the TIG I purchased recently, particularly as I'll be swapping gasses for MS, SS and Aluminium. I can also dispose of them properly in the scrap metal bins at work. Nasher.
Maybe I should look into this, are they suitable for ‘proper’ mig welders or are they hobbyist type things? I suppose a supply of gas is a supply of gas.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Argon-ga...603673?hash=item281dcc0c99:g:~h4AAMXQDnpTX5Kg This is what I use
Drinky, you'll possibly need a different regulator that screws on the top of the bottle, but they are available from the likes of machinemart.
For gas, I uses SGS Gases. They have stockists all over the place. You pay a deposit on the bottle, but keep it as long as you like. When you swap, you pay for the gas only. When you're done, give them the bottle back and deposit is returned. You get a proper industrial bottle and it's far better value than disposables and you get no flow restrictions.
Yep, been having a look about, I’ll need another regulator but its a fair price to save on BOC charges.
This is a great thread Bonkers. I have been struggling with a cheap (Lidl) stick welder for a couple of years but it's frustrating because the thermal switch cuts it out every 5 minutes and then it takes 15 mins to cool down. I was advised to get a MIG machine as it's easier to use than TIG - but of course it won't weld aluminium. I like the look of the Machine Mart welders so that's what I'll be getting when I get back to UK.
