comparison of wires

[BrokenBiker]

how does flux core gasless wire compare to normal solid wire with shielding?

I am aware there is a greater variety of solid wire, various sizes and you can get stainless and ally wires too,

but how does a weld using flux core compare to a solid wire weld?

structurally and aesthetically?

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

With good quality wire a decent machine and all parameters right then gasless can just about get a decent weld down, if a little sooty. Gas mig you can lay almost perfect welds time after time that look nice. You have to be careful with mig as a weld can look nice yet have very little penetration.

 

[BrokenBiker]

cheers, I am aware of the penetration issues, I did an nvq 2 mma welding course and we were told to spend a day on mig just sticking bits of scrap together and a lot of the welds looked perfect but had very little penetration.

I still only have the mightymig 100amp gasless mig but am about to start a new job for more money so would like to save for a decent mig with around 160amps, I cant see me needing much more than that as I only really make gates and do body repairs.

the Clarke 160TM claims to have a low enough setting for body work and 150amps up top so will probably go for something like that

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Yeah it's a good all round machine by the looks of it. anything will be better than a SIP!!

 

[BrokenBiker]

haha yeah. I have a little SIP 85amp buzz box of some vintage. it was second hand when my grandfather bought it, he burnt it out trying to repair an Anglia, then it was given to my dad, who burnt it out trying to repair a crane arm on his morris minor tow truck, and then it was given to me, an I burnt it out just having a play on some 3mm steel laying beads.

I must say, my sealey is a lovely machine, nice crisp arc, never gone wrong and has never jammed wire up or needed a new liner. I do think it could have benefited form a gas option though. but it has served me well and I would still keep using it for gate repairs and so on as it is brilliant in the wind. I even repaired a tooth on a jcb bucket with it, although it took a hell of a long time and more runs than I can remember, but it held until it could be repaired with the proper filler wire and some decent amps