Best type of welder for me? Gym kit

[skyline]

Hi all first post here!

I'm totally new to welding. My only experience that comes close to welding is welding lead as part of my plumbing qualification a few years back....

I've been told to find an arc welder from one friend who said it would better welds, and another friend said go for a mig because it's easier to learn?

The things I want to use the welder for will be to make some Exercise equipment, things like squat rack, and farmers walk log presses and other bits they use in strongman competitions on tv, think its mainly box sections about 3-6mm thickness.

It will also be a bonus to be able to weld a few of my aluminium kegs! I read somewhere a tig/arc can do this?

Can I have some recommendations on welders that are under £250 new if possible? I thought of buying second hand but worried that the welder might be ruined or if it's been knocked around etc I would be stuffed. Feel safer with a warranty.

I was looking at these, any better ones you can recommend?

http://www.wilstar.co.uk/welding-equipment/arc-welding/parweld-xti161dv-110230v-arctig-inverter

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-at161-160amp-arctig-inverter/

Thanks

William

 

[the snooper]

you wont get an ac tig for 250 which is what you need for aluminium, mig is the way to go for the gym equipment

 

[NickyEng]

Hi William, welcome mate.
Right your budget is gonna limit you from doing tig aluminium for your beer kegs. Ac/dc inverter too expensive.
Stay away from the Clarke and go towards the parweld inverter IMO.
They are both DC machines so you will only be able to tig weld steel.
You might be better with a mig welder then, then you can both mig weld your aluminium beer kegs and weld your steel exercise equipment. Gys smartmig would be my choice but that's a over 300 quid but they are very good machines.

 

[skyline]

Thanks for the response guys!

Just site searching the Gys smartmig at the mo, are there any other worth considering to compare? I think I would stretch to £350 if it means it will do the job better.

Also can you explain why Mig is better then arc for heavy gym kit or share a link? 2 friends suggested Mig to me both of them ex welders, the other guy used to weld industrial barrel pipe for water mains, said that they make the strongest welds...

Thanks

 

[rikrobson]

Beer kegs are stainless now. They haven't been Ali for a while

 

[skyline]

Would the mig welder I buy need to be operational with gas?

 

[rikrobson]

Mig needs gas.
Metal Inert Gas.
Kinda in the name. Sorry.

 

[skyline]

lol, I'm getting on the right track now!

Would this be any good?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/impax-im-mig-150-20-150-150a-mig-welder-240v/17499

This has a regulator mask etc with it plus a 2 year warranty?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sw58905-130a-mig-welder-240v/2288f


I'm never gonna be a pro just need something thats user friendly and half decent to get me started with a few projects that will weld strong for safety.

Sorry if i'm coming off as a donut with all the questions just want to make the right choice so I can practice well

 

[Kent]

Thing is some gym kit needs to be welded well. If a weld gives it can hurt someone ok so you can learn but with a little budget mig running off 13 amp plugs?
There is something to be said for a mig a plant like the esab 200 caddy will do all you ask as long as you don't push it into a production line environment ( which it wasn't designed for) even ali though in fairness the ali welding is way better done with an ac capable high frequency tig and the requisite skills
BTW the esab is above a grand plus your bottles. Visor ppe and other tools if it's just for your own gear it's way cheaper to have made than make your own. I think once you figure in all the kit you need besides a plant your looking at a grand even if you buy the cheapest in everything
A small inverter mma plant is well capable of doing this work for less cash but requires a higher skill level.

 

[daleyd]

Well, to get this back on track and at least within spitting distance of your budget, I'd add another vote for the gys smartmig. A few people on here have written reviews on these and they are generally pretty favourable. With some pure argon you'd be able to weld ally as well (not as pretty as tig but perfectly do able and a sight cheaper than splashing out for an acdc tig).

You need some extra cash for gas and PPE, as well as grinders etc if you don't have these already.

 

[Tom Orrow L]

3rd vote for GYS Smartmig 162. Will weld up to about 5MM and has a really simple to use front panel which takes away a bit of the edge of learning because you ain't gotta worry about getting your settings right

 

[NickyEng]

If this is going o/t then someone delete it...



Just a question just in case someone who knows sees it.

What's the difference between these two other than price?

I have the previous model clarke and it even uses the same case as the parweld - it'd be interesting to see inside one...

Pdg I am not sure on inside stuff but my advice is based on better aftercare and support for the parweld.
Machine Mart are industrial equipment retailers not a weld dealer like Tom or Jim.
If the guy has a problem people on this thread will be fault finding for the guy not a shop assistant in machine mart. All they will do is exchange or refund. You will get first class support from WSD (tom) or Jim Davey as they are welding specialists who care about selling their customers the correct welder and have the knowledge and ability to support it.

 

[NickyEng]

Maybe mate, I think it has been said before many are generic but likes of blue ones they open up here and check over - QA as such before sending it out.
Right said to much, stop before a certain persons sees this and another battle of the blue boxes commences

 

[Jim Davey]

For the metal thickness he wants to weld and the budget he has I'd go straight to a stick set. Powerful, cheap, simple.
The welds will be stronger than anything a hobby mig puts out, neater too more than likely and he can even weld ally with the right rods. A decent stick inverter can be had for £200. You won't get a mig worth owning for less than £350, then you have gas to add to the costs. Go with stick, don't entertain mig unless you go used and find a 180+ amp set, as said, you don't want weight lifting kit failing in use.

 

[rikrobson]

Check out weldingdirect.co.uk
They do an inverter mig in you price range for about 280 quid.
It was on my list but I ended up with a big blue one from r tech.
One of the lads on here got one.
It will also do stick welding too.

 

[NickyEng]

Guys a point - some gym equipment is made of light gauge box and tube section so it dosn't weigh in at 3tonnes. It is the frame structure design which gives it rigidy. As a novice he is going to struggle to control the arc and stick weld light stuff. Still think he is better with the GYS Smartmig as myself, Dale and Tom all recommended.

 

[Gareth0123]

It will also do stick welding too.

That is a very good point; not only will an inverter MIG push Mild Steel wire, but it will also push Stainless Steel, Aluminium, and MIG brazing wire, and with most brands of them you would also be able to use various different grades and types of electrodes (stick).

Ask 100 welders what welder they prefer and you will probably get 100 or more different answers, as for me I'm currently an R-Tech man having a single phase R-Tech 250-1 inverter mig welder and a P30c plasma cutter that I use commercially almost every day, and I also have the the R-Tech 200 amp DC digital dual voltage TIG welder which I really should be using a lot more of than I do.

 

[daleyd]

Probably the best idea is to have a try with both processes and see which one you get on with best? As you can see from the above both would be capable of doing the job, both have their pros and cons but it's going to be you holding the torch at the end of the day.

 

[rockweasel]

Hi all first post here!

I'm totally new to welding. My only experience that comes close to welding is welding lead as part of my plumbing qualification a few years back....

I've been told to find an arc welder from one friend who said it would better welds, and another friend said go for a mig because it's easier to learn?

The things I want to use the welder for will be to make some Exercise equipment, things like squat rack, and farmers walk log presses and other bits they use in strongman competitions on tv, think its mainly box sections about 3-6mm thickness.

It will also be a bonus to be able to weld a few of my aluminium kegs! I read somewhere a tig/arc can do this?

Can I have some recommendations on welders that are under £250 new if possible? I thought of buying second hand but worried that the welder might be ruined or if it's been knocked around etc I would be stuffed. Feel safer with a warranty.

I was looking at these, any better ones you can recommend?

http://www.wilstar.co.uk/welding-equipment/arc-welding/parweld-xti161dv-110230v-arctig-inverter

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-at161-160amp-arctig-inverter/

Thanks

William

I am not a welder, but I bought a welding machine for the same purpose you are: to build my own gym equipment. It's amazing the amount of money you can save by buying the tools & materials and doing the job yourself. I bought a stick welder as it seemed the simplest machine to just get on with learning to weld. I'll leave the real welders on here to argue the pros and cons. My first project was a power rack (complete with leg press, two parallel chin up bars, safety pins).

I'll fall apart before it does.

 

[skyline]

Thanks,
looks like I'm stretching for the gys, are the online shops ok to orde from in terms of customer care etc?

I have a grinder I can use to cut for now.

I'll get some gloves and a mask aswell.

What size/type of gas should I get to start with just the box section?