best place to buy

[b20wnx]

hi guys, well it seems from the feedback i have had about the repair of my welder that i should purchase another one. So where would you say is the best place to buy a used one? I have already tried ebay and gotten bitten, i would love to be able to go get a good high powered new one but that aint going to happen.
does anyone have any recommendations, good or bad of shops etc where they have bought one from?
i would be needing one that is easy to use and to learn on, then i would be using it on my landrover restoration and hopefully to make an Oil druum BBQ and a fire basket and log burner, then who knows what.

 

[b20wnx]

sorry i have placed this in the wrong area of the forum, could a moderator please either delete or move to the correct place, sorry .....

 

[Paul.]

sorry i have placed this in the wrong area of the forum, could a moderator please either delete or move to the correct place, sorry .....

Done

 

[cumbriasteve]

Sounds like you have a need for a 150 amp absolute minimum but probably a 200amp or greater and afraid they don't come cheap no matter where you buy them, they are in big demand.

If you wish give us some idea of your max spends and we may be able to advise better.

 

[b20wnx]

thank you paul....
hi steve, well its a chicken and egg situation, didnt spend much on one to start with hoping to find out the cheap way if welding is for me, but like everything you get what you pay for. saying that i dont have hundreds and hundreds of pounds to spend and i would have to put a limit on it. but back to chicken and egg - spend £300 on a welder that i only use a couple of times to practise and find its not for me or that i am that bad at it its not worth carrying on - maybe a chance i should take, or risk another ebay cheap purchase before going into the big money....

 

[cumbriasteve]

Afraid there is no easy answer, even £300 is still at the upper range of hobby welders such as the Clarke range, good machines and enjoyed by many but certainly not the big powerful machine you initially mention.

An option is an arc set, 2nd hand from £20 and new about £40 ish, no good for car work really but could be a cheap option to 'see what you think', they won't be great machines and on some the thermal cut out will kick in now and again but you could make the log burner and weld anything else over 2mm thick.

It then becomes a spare set if you decide to go down the MIG route.

I should mention the Arc sets I talk about will work but are like cheap MIG sets, not as good as a more pro set obviously, even so mine welded a lot up in its 30 odd year life and was still going good when I sold it.

 

[b20wnx]

i had/have a clarke 100e at present (the one from ebay), which i thought would be good enough for the main reason i wanted one (car repair) but have since been told that this would not be sufficient for my chassis... hence the request for info/help etc.
I believe that arc welding is a lot different to mig so wouldnt want to try that has its a mig thats been drilled into me.

 

[keith19]

Just throwing this in for consideration, but quite a number of hard-up restorers and patchers-up of vehicles on here have two cheap sets, one being a decent Clarke or similar 90A or 100A mig set, good for body panels and thin metal repairs (some go down to 25A output, a bonus), and then 'make do' with an hobby arc welder, or 'buzz box' for the heavier stuff.

Doing this, most of your money will go on the mig, and the arc set you can pick up as the opportunity arises; as Steve says, they're cheap enough. Don't be shy of the buzz box, they aren't ideal by any stretch, but come in very handy for the heavier metal repair. And it's a new skill, and fun to learn, so long as you stick at it. If you can get someone to help you learn, it becomes a lot easier.

 

[DuncanM]

If you decide you need another MIG, it might be worth searching online for welding suppliers nearby and calling them to see if they have any quality secondhand units. I'm not convinced of the benefit of having 2 MIGs, but then I haven't got one yet!

 

[b20wnx]

thanks for that keith but i not sure i could handle one welder let alone two. it maybe something to consider should the mig struggle with other bits of welding i may wish to undertake.
i dont have two yet duncan - i have one broken one which i was trying to find out if it could be fixed easily and cheaply or if i should just bite the bullet and buy another one.
I dont know anyone around my area who welds (arc, tig mig etc etc) and i offered my services to a welding place near me for free (ie tidying yard, shop, makeing cuppas etc for payment of teaching me basics and letting me practice, but he wasnt interested) who knows i may find somewhere else or put advert in supermarket.

 

[keith19]

Have you thought of asking on here if there is anyone near your area who would be willing to help you get in a bit of practice with a mig? That way you could at least get a bit of experience before choosing a welder. You might even find someone willing to look at your Clarke 100E.

Re prices, you can get lucky and pick up a small s/h pro machine for under £300, but it doesn't happen very often. I waited about six months for something like that to turn up before I went and bought a new Clarke 151EN with the cash I'd saved up while waiting. It has been a decent enough welder, and I have an old s/h £25 buzz-box to take care of heavy stuff.

I know that's not as powerful a mig as you might prefer, but it's either wait a while longer to try to save enough for a pro-quality m/c, or look for a way of using whatever is in your budget to best advantage. I can't remember if you said you'd done much mig welding before, but if not the important thing is to try and get some practice somewhere just to see if you take to it okay.
The more people you know locally in welding circles, the better chance there is of something interesting turning up.

 

[b20wnx]

hi keith
i havent done any welding before and didnt know too much about them before i purchased (not that i know much more now) - i just knew i needed one and didnt think about if it was suitable etc. i have a contact number for someone who deals with welders etc so will be giving him a call to see about mine fixing or seeing what he has to offer. I would love to do some work for someone to learn how to weld properly rather than just hitting some metal and hoping for the best... maybe i should offer my services on here and see what turns up.