Another which welder thread.

[cutter1]

Evening all. After the demise of my old sealey mig welder. I'm looking for a new welder I've seen a few i like the look of which are around my budget of £500
The lincoln bester 200s
The paton 160
And a gys (can't remember the model exactly.
What's people's thoughts on them.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Memmeddu]

The lincoln bester 200s

I'd personally go with this one but only because I'm a Lincoln products enthusiast.

 

[premmington]

I'd personally go with this one but only because I'm a Lincoln products enthusiast.

Lincoln BesterMIG 200-S Multi Process Synergic MIG & MMA Inverter Welder Package - 230v, 1ph - Welding Supplies from Rapid Welding

Looking for...... B18264-1, Lincoln BesterMIG 200-S Multi Process Synergic MIG & MMA Inverter Welder Package - 230v, 1ph

www.bester.rapidwelding.com

I not got a GYS welder - but I got loads of GYS battery chargers and GYSFLASH battery support units in my workshop - they have taken allot of abuse - been better than more expensive Bosch ones I owned previously.

 

[cutter1]

That's the one of the one's I'm looking at. It seems ok and can go down to 0.6mm steel.

 

[premmington]

That's the one of the one's I'm looking at. It seems ok and can go down to 0.6mm steel.

Think that means 0.6mm wire...

Will take 5kg mig spool - can do lift TIG (which I like).

At £480 inc vat - it comes with short MMA stinger lead.

 

[cutter1]

No it's 0.6mm steel in mig welding. I questioned it myself.

 

[premmington]

0.6mm - 24 gauge sheet is thin.

What this does suggest for a constant voltage welder - the voltage and wire speed will adjust down low.

I not got a MIG set that will go this low with A18 wire.

I would be TIG welding this in my workshop.

(Are you sure this Lincoln will MIG down to 24 gauge - it has a lift TIG function on it - this might be how it does it?)

 

[Mart63]

Check the duty cycle on the Lincoln Bester, I heard it's not that impressive.

 

[premmington]

Check the duty cycle on the Lincoln Bester, I heard it's not that impressive.

None of these little welders are gonna have a huge duty cycle - that is where it gets spendy

 

[chunkytfg]

Check the duty cycle on the Lincoln Bester, I heard it's not that impressive.

100% @ 64A
60% @ 82A
10% @ 200A

Not great if youre welding at its Max rating but if youre welding under 3mm or so it would be fine to run all day long.

If you compare it to a SIP weld mate 200A @£450 the specs are pretty similar.

An Rtech 180 will do 35% at 180A but its £600 with the current discount and cant do stick or Tig.

The fact the OP makes a point of mentioning 0.6mm thickness capabilities would suggest they wont be trying to weld RSJ's together and more like to be doing stuff like thin sheet metalwork.

 

[iNf]

An Rtech 180 will do 35% at 180A but its £600 with the current discount and cant do stick or Tig.

Rtech 180 will do stick and scratch tig.
A possibly better option at the moment is discussed on this thread..
Thread 'Refurbished Paton 160 MIGs' https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/refurbished-paton-160-migs.143675/

 

[chunkytfg]

Rtech 180 will do stick and scratch tig.
A possibly better option at the moment is discussed on this thread..
Thread 'Refurbished Paton 160 MIGs' https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/refurbished-paton-160-migs.143675/

So it can. As can my 181! My mistake.

 

[Talk]

I'd personally go with this one but only because I'm a Lincoln products enthusiast.

Couldn't be any worse than a lincolin, all they make these days is scrap.
The older ones, they were good.

 

[cutter1]

0.6mm - 24 gauge sheet is thin.

What this does suggest for a constant voltage welder - the voltage and wire speed will adjust down low.

I not got a MIG set that will go this low with A18 wire.

I would be TIG welding this in my workshop.

(Are you sure this Lincoln will MIG down to 24 gauge - it has a lift TIG function on it - this might be how it does it?)

This is what is in the advertising pic regarding material thickness.

 

[premmington]

This is what is in the advertising pic regarding material thickness.

Single phase 50/60hz
Constant current (TIG MMA) Constant voltage (MIG)
DC
1.0 mm MIG max wire
0.6mm minimum metal thickness
Max 5KG MIG spool wire

 

[chunkytfg]

It's got a 30A minimum with 0.6mm wire would be about right for that thickness I guess.

Are you actually likely to be welding that thin material or is it more of a 'good the have' type option?