advice on a new MMA welder?

[BrokenBiker]

so basic ie standard run of the mill inverters generally can use only standard run of the mill rods, which is all I would use anyways, thanks

you will be able to run 6013 and 7018 no problem with a bog standard inverter, may need a bit more punch for 6011 but i think 6010 are ok to run, or possibly the other way round.

to be fair, as you werent sure what a cellulose rod was, i doubt you will need to run them, they arent cheap to buy and quite specific rods really with fast freezing slag.

i tend not to weld downhill if i can avoid it but if i have to i find 6013 will do it ok with a bit more rod angle to force the slag back a bit, maybe its me being crap though and not traveling fast enough

 

[eSCHEn]

Thats what makes this forum so good, the willingness of others to educate.and the crack of course!Arther

Well said Arthur

 

[arther dailey]

great thanks, put a bid on one on the net as its local, otherwise will probably go for same as yours, when the new models come out and "old" ones heavily discounted.....I am tight through having to be ! thanks, Arther

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Here is a review of the Gys MMA 200amp that I bought, I've certainly put it through its paces on generators and mains power upto 160amps using 4mm rods only blowing the 13amp fuse once.
Very happy with it.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/bought-myself-a-gys-gysmi-e200-fv-mma-welder.53987/
It has an OCV of 96V.

 

[arther dailey]

read it through, welds look strong to me and I think thats the point, all that on a 13 amp plug !! unreal.thanks Arther

 

[douchecalamondaes]

well, nice thread hijack (joking its fine),

I have gone for a product like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INVERTER-...eaec416&pid=100043&rk=1&rkt=1&so=lastwatched&

2 year warranty, in the bulrb it talks about good origins or modules such as german IGBT US diodes etc,

the spec, is, 40A input, 35% at 25 amps 60% at 200, and 100% at 130. which aint bad at all for a cheapy, I paid £227 for mine,, comes with basic equipment, euro-torch, and electrode holder. it has voltage-wire speed-and amp dials,

I intend to use it for mostly up to 3.2mm, and whatever equivilent is in MIG, (I haven't started learning mig yet, but from what I have heard its a doddle if your good at stick) but will spend most of my time with 2-2.5mm rods, so really no stressing my machine,

as said before I have a 200amp petrol welder that turns 5mm rods into glowing lightsabers if you let it, so I plan to still use that for the heavy-er stuff, of which I do a fair amount. nothing much over 10mm.


in theory then this little machine would be able to give a higher penetration stick weld than my petrol? from a 40A supply? (I am thinking of running some 6mm cable and a 32A breaker.)

this sounds a little nuts to me, but if its can do it, then, hey why not..

I might do a comparison with my ancient DC transformer 130 aswell as the petrol, and that could be an interesting read.

also recently brought a new helmet, my old auto-darkening was good, I thought, its what I learnt on, but this new £35 tool station special, ! its a transformation.. hopefully the new welder will be the same..

 

[Kent]

Again you don't put a little inverter on a whopping great big breaker - it achieves nothing and most won't pop 16 amp. Too big a breaker can be like replacing a plug fuse with a nail
Seek advice of a qualified electrician before you go wiring it in

 

[HughF]

I guarantee that you won't like the arc on the inverter if you are used to the volt/amp curve from the mighty midget engine drive you have.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Again you don't put a little inverter on a whopping great big breaker - it achieves nothing and most won't pop 16 amp. Too big a breaker can be like replacing a plug fuse with a nail
Seek advice of a qualified electrician before you go wiring it in

It says the maximum input current is 40 amps which sounds about right for a 250 amp MIG.

 

[Kent]

Aye, I thought he was talking about a small inverter stick / tig plant - just re read it

Put in the correct breaker from the details given

40 amp breaker still sounds big for an inverter mig. I run a 250 transformer on 32

 

[123hotchef]

how long is the cable run Id be inclined to use 10mm/2 cable

 

[douchecalamondaes]

HughF, I will be comparing it to my electrics rather than the petrol, the electrics are DC transformer type, so that is closer to inverter style?

its about 5M of cable length Chef..

 

[douchecalamondaes]

I will follow the guide on here and im sure ill pick it up, I had no tuition for stick

 

[Kent]

Some do just get mma for some reason they progress through the early stages quite quick, while some never seem to get it much at all
Don't know why, it took me longer to learn mig and I was constantly shouted at for doing stuff with stick instead of the mig early days
There ain't no telling get in there and get lit up imo!