Beginner mig, spend the money or buy cheap first?

[Mercmad]

Hi all,

Newbie here, I would like to buy a mig and learn, mostly car restoration.

My question is am I better buying a good welder such as the Esab rebel 215ic or the kemppi miniarcmig 200 or is it better to buy a cheap one.

From reading and watching some videos on the above two machines they seem to be easy to setup and achieve good welds.

Thanks in advance

 

[Madforwelding45]

Hello welcome to the forum. I'd go with the kemppi minarcmig 200. And if you want to stick weld after buy a little stick welder

 

[Yamhon]

If you're totally new to welding, I would try and book a class somewhere or have a go on someone eases machine before buying a machine. Once you've had a go and perhaps some tutelage, then I'd buy the best machine you can afford for your own needs and circumstances.

 

[northwest]

Spend the money. Buy cheap, buy twice.
Any decent tool or machine or car or watch or whatever, has a resale value. Any spurious built to a price whatever is just landfill.

 

[northwest]

After reading my post above I need to qualify it. Not ALL cheap tools are rubbish and it very much depends on the tool and the circumstance. By and large I try to buy good kit, preferably second hand but new is good too if I can afford it. In the case of some tools though you need to buy good gear to get good results, welders fall into this category. Mig welders do and certainly Tig welders so buy the best you can. If it doesn't work out for you there is a ready market for good used stuff so if you buy cannily you can get most if not all your money back.

 

[Munkul]

You can buy a decent cheap stick welder, but you can't buy a decent cheap MIG welder. That's just a plain and simple fact. If you really need to save money then consider a used machine, something like a caddymig or Minarcmig that's been lightly used is a good bet.

 

[Mercmad]

Thanks for the replies, I don’t mind spending on quality tools as they last well.
Seems that the way to go is buy right first and if I can’t learn the skill sell the lightly used machine for decent money.

At least then I can’t blame the machine lol.

 

[Wedg1e]

The only corollary to buying a used machine 'cheap' is that if the seller can demonstrate to you that it can produce quality welds, even if you can't, then it could still be a good deal. It's when you buy a dusty, rusty and bent box with perished wires from the corner of a shed and the seller claims to know nothing about it that you have to worry.
Of course it helps if you know what a quality weld looks like

A mate of mine bought a used 'baby' Lincoln from a forum member a year or two back: although he could have got a Machine Mart special for less, once he'd seen it demo'ed and had a quick crack himself there was no going back - and I've seen the quality of his welding go up as a result of not having to struggle with the ancient pile of poo he had previously.