Best Mig for under £500

[Gareth_T]

Hi all,


I have spent a while reading and feel like I have had info overload so I thought probably best just asking.


I have done a bit of mig welding when I worked in a garage some years ago but it was only ever on exhaust hangers and it was always set up for me so I am saying I am a complete newbie.


I have £500 to spend on a mig welder that I want to use restoring my triumph spitfire. So I want something that will be happy at 25-30 amps it must also run on a standard house plug supply 13amp


Weld equip have the GYS SmartMIG 162 for £369 plus £37.95 for the gas bits


Other than that I am not sure.


I want something that is easy to setup and with a little practice with give me nice looking welds, I like quality tools and would like it to last.


So what do you recommend?

 

[harryb94]

Are you including the cost of gas, regulator, mask etc in that 500 quid?

 

[Perry Owens]

I considered the GYS SmartMig but in the end I went for the R-Tech I Mig 180, mainly because I had their stuff before and their service level was excellent but also because it had MMA as well. I have never used it at the low end of the scale but flat out it makes really good welds, both with mig and stick. The auto settings of the GYS make it attractive to beginners like me but the R-Tech is so easy to set up that I don't have any problems.I's a little dearer than the GYS but comes complete with regulator, although you have to buy the MMA lead and holder separately.
I just noticed that R-Tech have an IMig 180 in their "Special Offer " section at £325+VAT. It's shop soiled but my experience of their shop soiled stuff is that it's hard to find any "soiling" on it

 

[Gareth_T]

I have a mask, gloves and what not but yes £500 with regulator and what not i will buy gas from a local supplier once i have the welder

 

[Richard.]

I'm a fan of the inverter migs especially for thin metal. Step less current control, lighter and more friendly on power consumption. Down side is they ain't known to be as reliable or repairable as transformers. RTech do a 180 amp inverter that people seem to like with in your price range. I actually think it's a multiprocess machine with mma and DC lift tig.

 

[rikrobson]

There at quite a few inverters for that price range. There are a couple of recent threads about them.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I've been looking at one of these http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/ifl-i-tech-170-mig-inverter.43986/ - might have to start saving the pennies, although it'd be much more capable than I'd need.

 

[langy]

A good used Cebora stag 196

 

[Bill Edwards]

I'd have thought that as it's for thin metal and ideally a machine that will last a long time a transformer unit such as the GYS might be a better bet than inverters?
Fuses aren't going to be popping at the low power settings, and how long should you expect an (any) inverter to work before it packs up and isn't economical to repair?

 

[Richard.]

I personally prefer inverter migs for thin metal. The fine step less adjustment is a god send when welding 0.5 mm steel and a few amps could be the real difference. Transformers are good and yes as I said in my last post more reliable , repairable but they IMO don't match up to modern inverters for thin metal mig. Step less control is better.

 

[Bill Edwards]

I can well believe that (I've never used an inverter MIG, and it's been some time since I did much with any MIG), it was just a thought that as transformer MIG's do work OK on car panels the reliability might be more important.

 

[Richard.]

I can well believe that (I've never used an inverter MIG, and it's been some time since I did much with any MIG), it was just a thought that as transformer MIG's do work OK on car panels the reliability might be more important.

Transformer migs are very good on car panels and have been for years. Since using more and more inverters nowadays I'm really warming to there benefits.

 

[Country Joe]

Transformer migs are very good on car panels and have been for years. Since using more and more inverters nowadays I'm really warming to there benefits.

I agree - I've only got inverters at present, and they both seem to work much better than the ones they replaced.
One of them is 8 or 9 years old, and so far works fine.

All the Best,
CJ

 

[KemppiFrog]

My old Kemppi is transformer/thyristers, so stepless and goes down to 15amp. Joy to use on thin stuff. Next set will be inverter for more power plus portability and MMA.