Cheap Arc welder, which one?

[chewy]

I'm looking at getting an Arc welder, it'll be used for doing bits of welding on Land Rovers and light projects at home.
Any one recommend one?

[doggypaddle]

Dont bother! get a MIG welder. I used to struggle with an arc welder for allsorts, they are perfectly useable for some jobs if your good at welding, however to be good you need to be doing it every day.

IMO Mig is far easier to use, neater weld and more versatile. I Have a 160 amp sealey one which was cheap and OK for most stuff up to around 5-6mm thick when used with 0.6mm wire. You must use argoshield or cougarshield gas though CO2 is a total waste of time, the weld goes in cold and lumpy with poor penetration.
you can even weld some cast irons with a mig, and you can get brazing wire too, also stainless and aluminium with pure argon.
I dont think i have used my arc welder in the last 5 years!
You can get high pressure disposable argoshield cylinders now too which last a hell of a lot longer than the small low pressure disposable ones you used to get.
Best option is a hookey full size cylinder with no rental if you can get one of a geezer, the big L size will last me literally 10 years!

[tinker]

Unless you have a 3 phase electrical supply then I would forget Arc welding.

[chewy]

Any links for a MIG welder then?
I did want a MIG but then I was told Arc was easier.

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by chewy

I did want a MIG but then I was told Arc was easier.

Chewy, whoever told you than can't have tried both.

The Mig will be more expensive, but not a lot these days.

I use a Clarke 150A Mig from MachineMart for welding MS, and SS.
For the price it's a great machine, but you couldn't expect to use it every day for too long.

One tip is to junk the small gas bottles and get yourself set up with the larger 'Pub Size' bottle after building yourself a trolley. (I'll post a pic of what I built later).

I'm trying to get my hands on a TIG set next, but a full AC/DC set to weld Ali, not an inverter.

Nasher

[Nasher]

Terrible quality pictures of the trolley that will make life so much easier.

They also show the size of CO2 bottle you should move up to.
I currently still use the small bottles of Argon for welding SS and swap the feed pipe over.

Note my 150A is an EN version that was originally intended to use flux cored wire, and Not Gas, but I got it really cheap and converted it to use Gas.

Nasher

[mdt]

Originally Posted by chewy

Any links for a MIG welder then?

Machine Mart good back up and normaly hold stock of the bits and bobs you need

Originally Posted by chewy

I did want a MIG but then I was told Arc was easier.

only if you are welding big stuff like scafolding poles etc. MIG you can be acceptable good at in an afternoon… ARC is a whole other skill set.

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by Nasher

Terrible quality pictures of the trolley that will make life so much easier.


Nasher

I would have expected to see a trolly made from metal, showing off your welding skills!

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

I would have expected to see a trolly made from metal, showing off your welding skills!

Very true, but I had the ply in the garage and was being lazy not wanting to have to paint steel to stop it rusting.

Plus I quite like working with wood, makes a change.

Nasher

[chewy]

Originally Posted by mdt

Machine Mart good back up and normaly hold stock of the bits and bobs you need


only if you are welding big stuff like scafolding poles etc. MIG you can be acceptable good at in an afternoon… ARC is a whole other skill set.

That will be why, he's only used it for relatively heavy stuff. I always thought MIG was the better of the two.

How do you find the co2 Si, is it ok or do I need the special gas that DG suggested?

Whats your name again DG, its bugging me now!