My first welder decisions decisions

[SWraymond]

Hey guys, after lurking around and watching all sorts of videos, I've decided to finally get a welder. Someone I speak to has kindly offered to help me learn the basics if I buy a welder. Their advice is MIG as its easier. Id love a Oxford 180-200, bit more than i wanted to spend for my first welder and I need a portable welder. Was looking at a Clarke 151EN but it needs to be hardwired and I need to use a standard plug. Been looking at the GYS easymigs, Parweld XTM 161i, a few Drapers and Hyundai from the local shops.

Around £300-500 to spend on a welder. Plus the other bits.

Uses would just be general hobby stuff. I have planned for years to make a BBQ from a gas bottle, a fire pit from a car wheel, bits from horseshoes.

thanks

 

[Mark 2]

With that budget, arc.

 

[a111r]

Clarke 151EN but it needs to be hardwired

They say that but plenty of these are used on 13 amp supplys. The top voltage setting 6 may trip your breaker.

 

[bourbon]

All the stuff you mention is fairly thick stuff, Get a cheap arc welder for that . Yes it is more difficult to pick up, But remember the army saying. 'train hard, fight easy'. In other words pick up arc, Mig will be relatively easy if you get one. Have a look at the videos posted on here, they are really useful, Then. Practice, Practice, Practice. Then practice some more. And don't forget your PPE.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Double the budget and buy the Kemppi minarc mig evo 200....you will not regret it....synergetic mode means it basically sets itself up and all you have to do is dial in the thickness you want to weld.

For £500 budget I've heard that the autostar 160 is a nice machine (it's a Jasic clone basically)....but haven't actually welded with one (a few people on here have them and seem to be happy with them)....160 might not have enough grunt though for what you want.

....or go for ARC instead?

 

[SWraymond]

The kemppi looks lovely but unfortunately out of my budget for couple of years. Autostar a possible and not bad spec. I understand going arc but for me I have to think long term and cost of machine. Maybe could up the budget. I have been looking at second hand but haven't seen anything local.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

With the Kemppi you get their synergetic weld system....basically means all the setup is within the machine so you'd get a massive leg up because all the settings will be done for you and you can just focus on technique.

Agree it is expensive though.

My first welder was a migmate....I gave up welding for 15 years! But that was a long time ago...I think these days the machines at the budget end of the market are a lot better. The blackline 200a machine also looks pretty good for the money...a few people have bought them and been very happy although I would say if you are experienced at mig already you can probably mig weld with almost any machine.

 

[Country Joe]

With the Kemppi you get their synergetic weld system....basically means all the setup is within the machine so you'd get a massive leg up because all the settings will be done for you and you can just focus on technique.

Agree it is expensive though.

My first welder was a migmate....I gave up welding for 15 years! But that was a long time ago...I think these days the machines at the budget end of the market are a lot better. The blackline 200a machine also looks pretty good for the money...a few people have bought them and been very happy although I would say if you are experienced at mig already you can probably mig weld with almost any machine.

I would second all of that - having made a very similar journey, via the same welders.
The Kemppi does make you feel a bit spoilt, but having done the SIP thing along the way, you feel you've already put the "hard yards" behind you!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[Benterrier]

The kemppi looks lovely but unfortunately out of my budget for couple of years. Autostar a possible and not bad spec. I understand going arc but for me I have to think long term and cost of machine. Maybe could up the budget. I have been looking at second hand but haven't seen anything local.

I needed a new arc welder back last summer. Had only previously used stick throughout my life. I was very pleased with the Jasic 180 PFC I purchased. I built a log splitter with it using a lot of 8mm steel, it handled 3mm rods easily without having to max out the welder.
Having to fabricate some barriers and grills which have taken off recently I decided to go mig. I tried a Autostar 160 out at an welding supplies trader. Very pleased with the results and very satisfied. Mig is so versatile, clean and easy. No chipping slag out of hard to get at corners using stick. With the Autostar l have put 3 plus reels of wire through it, used 1 0.8 tip and still on the original shroud.
Jasic and Autostar come out of the same Chinese factory, are sold in the UK by Wilkinson Star. You pay extra for 2 more years warranty on the Jasic brands. The Auto Star's come with 3.
I would love Kemppi but achieve good results with a machine probably half the price.

 

[SWraymond]

After speaking to few people, to welding supplies and a local company I have upped my budget from £500 to £700 to now final £1000 give or take.I think my options that have been recommenced so far are Parweld XTM 161i , Jasic Pro Mig 160 and Kemppi MinarcMig Evo 200.

Ive seen other for around the £1000 mark ESAB Caddy Mig C200i, Jasic PRO 200 Synergic , GYS Multi Pearl 200-2 Compact Synergic.

What are the thoughts now? Im tempted to to spend on a £1000 machine but will i really be learning anything if i just set to auto and set dial to thickness im welding?

​

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

will i really be learning anything if i just set to auto and set dial to thickness im welding?

Depends what you want I guess....for me I just want to get the job done.

My gut feeling is the auto setup will speed up your learning if you are new to mig...it's far easier to begin with roughly the right settings and focus on your torch control, listening to the weld and looking at the penetration etc in my view.

The Kemppi can be run in manual mode too of course...I've never used that mode but there is a button to turn off all the auto stuff.

@duncans just bought the Kemppi...maybe ask what he things as he's also used other welders (I only used the MigMate before I got the Kemppi so thats my only basis for comparison)

 

[Mark 2]

Not a fan of the synergic machines myself, even in a production environment. You get used to a machine, any machine, after a while.

 

[Country Joe]

Depends what you want I guess....for me I just want to get the job done.

My gut feeling is the auto setup will speed up your learning if you are new to mig...it's far easier to begin with roughly the right settings and focus on your torch control, listening to the weld and looking at the penetration etc in my view.

The Kemppi can be run in manual mode too of course...I've never used that mode but there is a button to turn off all the auto stuff.

@duncans just bought the Kemppi...maybe ask what he things as he's also used other welders (I only used the MigMate before I got the Kemppi so thats my only basis for comparison)

Yes, you can use it in manual mode, but I've only ever done it to see if I could get the settings any better than the auto-setting.
I couldn't, so I left it alone after that.
Another time was to force it into spray transfer, just because I could, not for any reason.

I've used a fair few welders, but still wouldn't change the Kemppi for any of them.

Not a fan of the synergic machines myself, even in a production environment. You get used to a machine, any machine, after a while.

That's also true - if it hadn't had the synergic settings, I'd be so used to it by now, that it wouldn't make any difference.
Which really suggests synergics were partly designed for the lazy!
But it is handy!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[Country Joe]

I see you're in the "South West".
If you're anywhere in the Bristol, Bath & Wells triangle, feel free to PM me and you can have a try on the Kemppi Evo 200.
It'd be a chilly one because of the virus - garage open at both ends - might even have to use gasless wire!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[Munkul]

After speaking to few people, to welding supplies and a local company I have upped my budget from £500 to £700 to now final £1000 give or take.I think my options that have been recommenced so far are Parweld XTM 161i , Jasic Pro Mig 160 and Kemppi MinarcMig Evo 200.

Ive seen other for around the £1000 mark ESAB Caddy Mig C200i, Jasic PRO 200 Synergic , GYS Multi Pearl 200-2 Compact Synergic.

What are the thoughts now? Im tempted to to spend on a £1000 machine but will i really be learning anything if i just set to auto and set dial to thickness im welding?

Only you can say, but personally after having used both cheap and expensive MIG welders, I'll go with expensive every time.

The Kemppi minarcmig 200 or the Esab Caddymig 200 would both get my vote. Or the GYS multipearl 200 (in white if possible cos it looks 1million times better than the yellow!). The rest of the ones mentioned - would have to be significantly cheaper to get my vote.
Those three, at least, have proper inverters with CV output, reportedly very smooth arcs, and the values on the screen should correspond with any quality welding plant anywhere in the world.

Not convinced on the others, especially the Jasic, hearsay of them, even if their CC stick/TIG units are quite good to use.

But then, only YOU can say if it's going to be worth spending £1000 on a welder.

 

[duncans]

Double the budget and buy the Kemppi minarc mig evo 200....you will not regret it....synergetic mode means it basically sets itself up and all you have to do is dial in the thickness you want to weld.

For £500 budget I've heard that the autostar 160 is a nice machine (it's a Jasic clone basically)....but haven't actually welded with one (a few people on here have them and seem to be happy with them)....160 might not have enough grunt though for what you want.

....or go for ARC instead?

100percent agree with pigeon_Droppings2 on that they are a brilliant machine im glad i bought mine expensive but they well worth the money with back to base guarantee saying that pigeon_Droppings2 as had his 6 yrs i think with no problems at all

 

[Country Joe]

100percent agree with pigeon_Droppings2 on that they are a brilliant machine im glad i bought mine expensive but they well worth the money with back to base guarantee saying that pigeon_Droppings2 as had his 6 yrs i think with no problems at all

Yeah, had mine for 6 years, and the only change it's had is the "Kemppi's own" euro-torch conversion.

All the Best,
CJ

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

8 years and onto my 3rd car restoration....no problems so far

I do a lot of butt welding....jap cars are 0.5mm-0.8mm ....and that can be on the same patch repair. Just handy being able to reach over and notch up/down as needed.

When I sold my old MigMate I was interested to see if I could use it (after learning on the Kemppi)....and I could. Mig is more about sight and sound I think....does it sound right....does it look hot/cold (is the gas turned on ). What I noticed about the MigMate is the "welding settings band" was quite tight for the correct setup.....which is why it was a difficult machine to learn with. Part of the problem was power buttons instead of continuous power settings...made it difficult to hit that sweet spot to weld nicely.

 

[duncans]

thats 2 people had theres for years with no problems so it speaks for its self instead of buying some think cheap then you end up buying twice for the welder you want pay more and your buying once thats what i think any way

 

[Country Joe]

8 years and onto my 3rd car restoration....no problems so far

I do a lot of butt welding....jap cars are 0.5mm-0.8mm ....and that can be on the same patch repair. Just handy being able to reach over and notch up/down as needed.

When I sold my old MigMate I was interested to see if I could use it (after learning on the Kemppi)....and I could. Mig is more about sight and sound I think....does it sound right....does it look hot/cold (is the gas turned on!!!!!!). What I noticed about the MigMate is the "welding settings band" was quite tight for the correct setup.....which is why it was a difficult machine to learn with. Part of the problem was power buttons instead of continuous power settings.

Oh, God! I'd nearly forgotten about those "High, Low, Min, Max" switches - what a nightmare they were!
And having to adjust the wire-feed with almost molecular precision didn't help at all, either!

All the Best,
CJ