Welder for a Newbie

[SamO]

Hi Guys

So we've been hunting around for a while trying to find a decent welder to get started on. We've mainly been looking at the Clarke range as we have used there stuff before and know its decent quality, but after doing some Googleing, I have found that there may be some better brands to go for. We were also thinking that MIG is probably the type to go for as , in terms of cost and weld quality, its seems like the mid way point between ARC and TIG. Just wanting to know what welders people have used with success with Hardox (around 4mm) that doesn't cost a gazillion pounds.

Cheers

[Max]

Personally I would go for an arc welder, with some practice it works well and you don't need to faf around with welding gas and there's much less to go wrong so tend to be more reliable. There also cheaper so you could probably get a high quality arc welder for the same price as a poor quality cheap Chinese mig welder.

But saying that MIG is so much easier so I can't understand your choice. I'm not so sure in brands though.

[plargen]

I have a Clark 160e arc welder used it for 12years now, they still sell them at machinemart but a good mig will be easier to use, BOC brand are good I used them on collage but there probably £500 ish

[shakesc]

I have a Clarke 160 arc welder. Practice is the key word

[plargen]

Lol it also give you a rough amp to electrode size

[SamO]

Exactly Max, I think MIG is often thought to give a better weld because it is easier to use. Based on this I think I'll stick with MIG as opposed to arc. When ever I see people arc welding it looks a bit of an art, where as MIG looks a tad easier

[plargen]

Mig is a low penetration high volume weld so as long as you don't grind the world back to far then its fine, stick and tig give better weld penetion

[typhoon_driver]

MIG will only give a good weld if you are a good welder.

Get a cheap arc welder. I bought a dirt cheap one from macro for around £30. Did me well for a good few years then it went on to Jamie. Arc will do hardox fine.

Don't bother with MIG or TIG unless you go for a gas setup as the gasless stuff is crap. If you can get a decent weld with a cheap arc welder then it will set you up well to spend a bit more on a decent setup down the line.

Your other option is to look on gumtree for a cheap second hand one.

[Liftoff]

You might want to have a look at a combined welding/cutting unit (plasma/tig/arc) get the benefit of cutting as well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-3in1-5...item43c92d76cb

I'm tempted myself to get one!

[maddox10]

www.lasexpert.nl

Cheap MIG and TIG, as well plasmacutters.
I'm not unpleased with the stuff. My Youli AC/DC TIG does the job good enough.
Of course, it's no Kemppi or Oerlikon, but for the money, not a bad deal.

[Gaseraki]

I feel bad to recommending it but I would go for a stick welder. (arc)
They are cheap and usually reliable.
It is definitely harder to learn and I would highly suggest getting an automatic shielding helmet but produces good quality welds.

I bought a thermal arc last year and love it. Its portable and easier to use than I expected.
My first experience welding was a gas less mig sip welder which worked well at first but became useless after about 2 years.

[Rapidrory]

I would personally recommend MIG welding for ease of use, as it's not really much harder than using a glue gun! That being said, the MIG welder I use is a huge industrial grade one that we use to weld agricultural machinery back together with, so I couldn't comment on the quality of cheap ones.

I've used a stick welder before, and it was pretty easy to use and I'm sure wasn't very expensive (though having not bought it myself I couldn't say for sure).

It all depends what you can find; our big MIG welder was bought second hand relatively cheaply from an old factory that was closing down, and after a few quick repairs has been very reliable .. Worth keeping an eye out on ebay and the like to see what comes up cheap.

[PJ-27]

I'm in the same boat as Sam. BBQ needs fixing, and I figured for the price of a new BBQ I could get a welder. Then use that to make/fix.

Is TIG welding the sort that will do Ti/Ali?

My thinking right now is to go the Arc route assuming you can do Stainless with it?

[plargen]

You can do ti/Ali with tig and you can weld stainless steel arc
Also I've tried a cheap sip mig welder and its rubbish if you can anyone can find a large 200+ amp set that takes the 15kg spools of wire the I would get to it

[PJ-27]

Tempted by one of these Arc/Tig/Plasma Cutter ones.