Buying my first Arc Stick Welder

[richard8356]

I like to think that I can weld say 6mm plate together. Just in case I ever need to.

I think then I ought to be buying something like a Clarke 190N or a Clarke CW190TEN.

Not sure whether as a DIYer, I'd need a turbo-cooled model.

P.S. Actually, I think I'd need from 240A-250A to weld 6mm. And to weld 4mm 140A-180A.

So, looks like 190N and 190TEN would do up to 4mm.

 

[jonjoe]

it might do okay but its a ac current which means it harder to learn on and its hard to strike up a rod and the rod sticks alot. Also running flat out at 180amps which means you might not get to do much welding before it over heats. a oil cooled welder might be better as they have very good welds and are hard to over heat. also a inverter welder can be got in 180 amps and are very easy used and don't stick very often.

 

[Wozzaaah]

I've got a 190TN and it's a horrible thing to use.
If I was you I'd save a bit more money up and get a DC inverter one, far nicer to use.

 

[jonjoe]

agreed

 

[rich r]

I learnt on an Aldi 160A ac buzzbox with Aldi rods - it is possible. The Aldi one does have a very powerful cooling fan, so actually has a reasonable duty cycle for it's type.
But it depends a lot on how well you naturally pick up the techniques and control of the electrode. I have however been soldering and brazing for years, so had some idea of how metals behave when they melt.

If I was doing it again, I'd go for a dc inverter, as it'd probably be faster to learn if you've never done any welding before. Initially you'll struggle to get consistent welds, so anything that helps reduce the number of variables will be an advantage.

You won't weld with 4mm rods from a 13A socket, you know that don't you? - you'll need a dedicated 16A (or ideally 32A) circuit for anything over 120A. You can just about run 3.2mm rods from a 13A socket, but you'll still be popping fuses occasionally.

 

[jonjoe]

well it depends my sif 140 good thick cable and a good 13amp supply and at 140 amps only blew one fuse in year

 

[richard8356]

Do people tend to use the cooker circuit for diy welders?

I was looking around and I saw those inverter welders. Nice. Relatively pricey.

 

[richard8356]

I've got a 190TN and it's a horrible thing to use.
If I was you I'd save a bit more money up and get a DC inverter one, far nicer to use.

Noted.

 

[jonjoe]

you can use a cooker circuit if you want but you can run them on a 13 amp plug.

trust me buy a good inverter you wont regret it very versatile cant fault them just don't abuse it to much worth every penny

buy a good a good brand look at weldequip and see theirs

 

[PTvor]

Most buzz boxes have a fan to assist cooling. It doesn't cost a lot to add one and it's better than the heat finding its own way out They like to blow it up as turbo cooling as if it was more than a fan.

Usually, DIYers don't have to weld a lot of 6mm plate and don't need full strength welds when they do.

If you want to make full strength welds on 6mm plate and you only have a machine which handles 3.2mm rods, you can make several runs with 3.2mm rods to build up the weld to any thickness you want. It's more fiddly and takes more time, but you can do it with a machine which runs off a 13 amp plug and haven't got to mess about with heavy current supplies or wiring things into a cooker point (which needs a little thought).

I agree that you'd be better off with a decent inverter - £200 to £300 - rather than spending your money on that Clarke new. Another option is to put the money towards an old oil cooled welder, big, heavy, ugly, reliable, better duty cycle, and if you wanted to sell it, you could probably get about what you paid for it, unlike the Clarke or any other new buzz box.

 

[jonjoe]

inverters more portable put it over your shoulder and go up ladders stick it in the boot with out the help of a fork lift