Complete starter - what to go for

[alanjonesbath]

I've never welded before, so don't have any experience of what's good and what's not, but from talking to a friend and reading threads on this forum it seems spending a decent amount of money will make learning a lot easier. I'm not planning to weld once and give up, so don't mind making the investment.

It seems the Portamig 185 gets great reviews, so would it be a wise move buying one of those, rather than spending say half that much money on a Clarke welder from Machine Mart? Happy to spend the money on the Portamig if it's going to serve me well.

Obviously, I'll be starting welding on offcuts to practice, but in the end I'll want to be welding the chassis on my Land Rover 90 (the bulkhead outriggers need replacing). I'm under no illusions that I'll want a fair bit of practice before I get to that stage, but I want to make sure that the kit I buy will be up to the challenge when my skill level matches the project skill requirements!

Other than the welder and relevant safety gear, I assume all I need to buy in addition to the rig itself is welding wire and gas? I don't really want to start a rental contract for gas, so if I went for one of the "Adams Gas" Argon mix (presumably the 5% mix?) 9L cylinders, realistically how long will that last me (i.e. would one cylinder be enough to use for practice, and then the jobs on the Land Rover)?

Probably loads more to ask, and loads more I should be asking, but I'd really appreciate some pointers to get me on my way with above queries! Lot's of reading up for me to do!

Thanks in advance!

 

[shenion]

9L will be about 3 hours of torch on time (9L * 200bar / 10LPM). That should be enough to get you going.

The PortaMIG will do the work on the LR; so would a Clarke. The PortaMIG will be easier to use, more durable and be able to weld thinner and thicker stuff easier. I started with a CLarke and it was fine for light use.

Gauntlets and mask are most of the safety gear. Gas and wire is the main consumables but pick up some more tips.

Follow the tutorials, they got me going way back when I started (they were simpler then.) They are good. Practice on the bench and be sure to practice positional work. Welding flat is easy, vertical takes practice. You will not be as good lying under a vehicle

Welcome to the forums

 

[cumbriasteve]

Welcome to the forum and your research is about right, the Portamig is excellent, ideal for the Land Rover and capable of some heavier stuff if required.

It's always a good idea to get the best you can afford, works out cheaper in the long run, the Clarkes are good but the Portamig is in another league.

Gas lasts longer then expected I find, it's only flowing during the welding obviously and a days work of cleaning, cutting shapes, tacking and welding actually results in very little weld time.

 

[alanjonesbath]

Thanks for the tips. I think I might just go straight in at the deep end and go for the Portamig - if it makes my life easier, I'm more likely to get do a decent job of things, and do more jobs with it.