Another buying a mig thread

[Oldmerc]

New poster here. I’ve been using an old Oxford oil cooled arc welder for a few years, and can make reasonably thick bits of mild steel stay stuck together, occasionally neatly. However, my old mercedes estate is going to need a bit of welding of thinner parts and I’ve concluded that it will be more cost-effective to invest in a mig, practice on various old bits of it that I have and do the repairs myself rather than keep paying others to do it for me.

While the threads here are an amazing resource, I am left almost as confused after a day of reading threads as I was before I started.

In essence, should I spend £300 on something like a rohr 200, or around £500 on a r-tech 180 or parweld xte17 which is offered through the shop on this site? I am also open to spending only £150 on the sort of thing that people have recently reviewed here but I expect I will be happier something a bit more sophisticated. If the parweld, should I be bothered that it is transformer rather than inverter?
Many thanks.

 

[Barking Mat]

Well, evening and welcome to the forum.

You currently can't buy nowt on the forum, as ex sponsor is departed.

Frankly, contact @Tom Orrow L , I think that's him, could be wrong.

I like transformers, less to go wrong.

 

[Robert Weaver]

Well, evening and welcome to the forum.

You currently can't buy nowt on the forum, as ex sponsor is departed.

Frankly, contact @Tom Orrow L , I think that's him, could be wrong.

I like transformers, less to go wrong.

+1

Will you want to venture into MMA or basic TIG? Some more spendy machines are multi process, so you can grow into its more features. Otherwise, spending little for a transformer or inverter box isn't a problem if you're sure that's the machine you need now and in the future.

Buy whatever best suits your needs. Low penetration on thin car panels will need low volts/current and smaller diameter solid wire, so gas and regulator.

The decision over transformer and inverter is a personal choice; light weight Vs heavy, robust Vs complex and delicate/fragile, etc.

This doesn't really help answer the question. There's no right answer.

 

[Oldmerc]

Thanks for the reply. I don’t need mma as I will keep the Oxford for heavy duty work, but it seems most MIGs offer it anyway. TIG is probably for another time.

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Drop me a message and i'll sort something out on a Paton PSI 160 for you

 

[Tangledfeet]

Is it still available?

I'm sure @Tom Orrow L will have a few more...!

 

[northwest]

I'm sure @Tom Orrow L will have a few more...!

Shipping might be an issue though.

There was a really cheap in good order Clarke 150 in the for sale section (not trying to take Toms sale away) and I couldn't believe it didn't sell, would be perfect and the right money. Though it may be gone now.

 

[Tangledfeet]

Shipping might be an issue though.

Ah, didn't see where that forum member was from - on mobile phone and it doesn't show unless you rotate screen - both post and member now gone?!

 

[a111r]

There was a really cheap in good order Clarke 150 in the for sale section (not trying to take Toms sale away) and I couldn't believe it didn't sell, would be perfect and the right money. Though it may be gone now.

I think that was mine? There was zero interest on here, so I sold it on FB, for more money.

 

[Barking Mat]

I see the site has a new sponsor today.

 

[northwest]

I think that was mine? There was zero interest on here, so I sold it on FB, for more money.

I do believe it was, it was a cracking deal and I agonised about having a third Mig "just in case" but sanity prevailed. No idea how as it doesn't usually.