Tips on welder purchase

Having just spent a £100 getting a new battery box fitted and some patches done to the outriggers and as it's my birthday soon I've decided Iwant/need a welder that would be suitable for use for general repairs etc - i'm looking for something of a reasonable capacity that could cope with most things that could crop up.

I've seen a few in Halfords for less than £100 - are they any good and what sort should i be looking for? - am i right to think an arc welder is the right type and one that can handle upto 5-6mm steel?

seanmoore2006 said:

Having just spent a £100 getting a new battery box fitted and some patches done to the outriggers and as it's my birthday soon I've decided Iwant/need a welder that would be suitable for use for general repairs etc - i'm looking for something of a reasonable capacity that could cope with most things that could crop up.

I've seen a few in Halfords for less than £100 - are they any good and what sort should i be looking for? - am i right to think an arc welder is the right type and one that can handle upto 5-6mm steel?

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First thing to remember is that you pay for what you get !!!!!!.
Owt under £100 I personally wouldn't entertain. For private and Landy use I wouldn't use anything less than 160a. An arc welder (stick) aren't very versatile for the beginner, you would be better with a mig welder and through personal prefference I don't like the gasless type, invest in a half size bottle and it will pay for itself eventually.

Regards WP.

Are the bottles easy to get hold of - i assumed you'd have to have some form of "credentials" before you could buy them - having now read some more on the interweb i'm coming to the conclusion that a mig would be more usefull. - any particular makes you'd recomend?

On the basis that it's a birthday present and i'm not paying the cost isnt that much of an issue.

the best place to buy a mig for a beginner is either screwfix or machine mart, but bear in mind MM charge for delivery, screwfix don't. then get loads of scrap steel plate around the thickness you want and practice, practice, practice. you can normally get scrap bits from a local engineering place, or even go to your local scrappy and buy an old bonnet or something. remember practice does make perfect. hope this helps

seanmoore2006 said:

Are the bottles easy to get hold of - i assumed you'd have to have some form of "credentials" before you could buy them - having now read some more on the interweb i'm coming to the conclusion that a mig would be more usefull. - any particular makes you'd recomend?

On the basis that it's a birthday present and i'm not paying the cost isnt that much of an issue.

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The bottles can be purchased (a deposit for the actual bottle and pay for the contents and just swap for a full 'un when needed) from any welding consumables supplier. My local supplier is Weld UK in Pinxton. No credentials as far as I'm aware are required, and I weld and fab for a living. I can't honestly reccomend any particular brand as we all have different preferences.
All I can advise is that once you have your mig welder then practice. Keep the wire in a warm dry environment when not in use and keep the drive/feed wheel clean, this in turn will look after the liner.

Regards WP.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=010110135

This seems to be a popular item - is there going to be any benefit from getting a higher capacity one, i notice they have a range going upto 150 Amps.

This (link below) one could be within my budget but would i get any benefit from it as opposed to the 130Amp one ?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=010110152&r=2029&g=105

seanmoore2006 said:

..I've decided Iwant/need a welder that would be suitable for use for general repairs etc - i'm looking for something of a reasonable capacity that could cope with most things that could crop up.

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</p>As an amateur you don't need to worry much about duty cycle. Welding is fairly fast, so the unit will most likely have more than enough time to cool down while you think about your next seam. Wire-feed MIG are IMHO the far easiest ones to work with. Even a small one (like the 135) will allow you to tackle 5-6 mm steel or more if you prep the edges correctly and do an X, or a K-weld. I don't know if I'd trust the marketing on the 151 (also aluminum and stainless). To get those right you're supposed to use another protective gas than for mild steel, and over here that gas isn't available in consumer bottles. You need to use the stuff fairly frequently to get the cost-per-usage down to a reasonable level if you're using the rental bottles. The gas for mild steel OTOH is available as an outright purchase, which is far better economy for an occasional user.I'd also recommend am arc activated headshield like speedglas, specially for a newbie this will make things ever so much easier.Also watch out for the flux-core, gasless wire-feeds. It might seem like a good idea to be able to do without the gas, but the fumes are nasty and can be dangerous if used indoors.Finally, welding is an accuired skill. You need to give it some time before it will come out right, particularly if you're doing sheet metal or pneumatically tight seams.

Sean,
befriend your local pub landlord/lady, they use large bottles of Co2 in the cellar, if you can get hold of one they might let you swap them when you need a refill, at a price obviously
Thats if you go for a mig welder

mondo

135 TE is good for a beginner. I was offered one from a mate for &#163;100 the other week as he'd just bought a 255. Should've gone for it but nowhere to store it at the moment - Landy keeps getting in the way of finishing off the downstairs utility room, putting that shed up, clearing out the yard...

I can highly recommend getting an electronically switched welding mask as suggested above. I am still learning mig and it really helps to have 2 hands to hold the torch under proper control as well as see whats going on with no distraction. The nicest masks are well over £150 but I got a Parweld mask for £65 and have had no bother with it. I am careful with it though because it is a bit bendy. Get want you pay 4 again. It may sound like cash you dont have to spend but I wouldnt be without it now. AndyC

An arc re-active shield is a wise move, mines an air fed Optrel and I can't fault it.

Regards WP.

Certainly Agree With The Last 2 Posts, Ive Had The Dreaded Flash More Times Than I Care To Remember, There Is Nothing Worse Than Waking Up At 3 Am With Both Eyes Full Of Sand

mondo said:

Sean,
befriend your local pub landlord/lady, they use large bottles of Co2 in the cellar, if you can get hold of one they might let you swap them when you need a refill, at a price obviously
Thats if you go for a mig welder

mondo

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pub gas wont give you half as good a weld as the proper stuff (argoshield)

its ok for light stuff like sheet steel but you dont seem to get good penetration with it on heavier gauge

I have a stick welder, I can lay nicer welds with this than a MIG, however the MIG really is the way to go, I recently replaced my rear of tank outriggers, so I borrowed a MIG, and it made the job much easier, no having to get a stick into cramped places, just point and shoot, and less chance of blowing holes in things.

However, I have since used a stick welder on my landrover, and I am happier with the results I get with the stick, but then again thats what I am used to.

I used to get scrap steel from the local steel suppliers, they will give you off cuts of plate and sell you pieces of angle and very reasonable prices.