good first mig set?

[Richman711]

Hi guys

I'm looking to buy my first set, iv been doing dabs of mig and stick welding, but only on heavy stuff that doesnt have to look pretty like old skips and trailers at work but I'm planning to attempt to weld new outer sills and rear arches on my mk 2 polo, it will be my first attempt at welding thin material so fingers crossed lol

This is what ive been looking at:
http://www.weldequip.com/clarke-130en.htm

It's lowest setting is 30 amps what tbh I'm don't if its low enough for doing this kind work, at I'm told that in places ill be welding 0.8 sheet metal. Also what are every ones experiences of the disposable bottles, heard that they dont last that long could this kit be used to run off a refilleable bottle that you can get from the likes of boc?

Also if any one has any advice of doing this kind of work that would be great

Cheers

 

[FranV8]

My understanding is that the Clarke will (and many do) thin stuff, you may have to use the "thin metal technique."

Gas wise, any MIG can be connected to big or small refillable cylinders, but do budget around £30 for a regulator to suit.

Unless you've got 1m of weld to do ever, going for the bigger refillable cylinders is the right financial decision (even smaller rent free for infrequent use)

 

[chunkolini]

I had one of those and it was just the ticket, did work ranging from thin sheet steel up to quite large sections and a lot of 'surface welding' a technique I use in sculpting where you crank the welder right up and cover whole structures with a thick layer of weld to give a textured effect. Never set off the thermal cut out even though i was exceeding the Duty cycle which I ad never heard of.
A good welder to start with and surprisingly versatile.
Gas, chuck out eh cheapies and buy a regulator and rent a bigger bottle of Agon mix. I made up my own adaptor for the regulator out of bits of stuff from the blue tool box.

 

[mike 109444]

If you are welding at work, why not tap the boss to stick another bottle on an order or even lend one from work, boss allowing.

 

[Burdekin]

I use this Clarke mig: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/150te-turbo-mig-welder
It's used mainly for automotive work and I've had it 3 years now without a glitch. I weld 1mm no problem with it and 0.8mm would be doable as well. Don't bother with the small DIY bottles they cost too much if you use it a lot, I use a BOC small big bottle (not sure of the size). Also I'd recommend you get the 5kg roll of 0.6mm wire and it will last ages.

My Tig is an R tech one, I'm very happy also with my Tig but it doesn't get used as much as the mig.

 

[antoon]

make a descent investment or none at all, really!

Do believe the recommendations in the buying guide. If you buy too cheap, you are wasting money. I invested 1000 euro for a Contimac MIG (made in Germany)(would have preferred something manufactured in the UK but couldn't find in Belgium), gas bottle, automatic helmet etc. and I'm very glad I did.

to the moderator: thanks for this excellent MIG webpage. I'm learning a lot. Thanks for mentioning the 150 amp minimum for Land Rovers - I'm a Land Rover enthousiast.

brgds

 

[Leedsutd]

Go bigger

IMHO the 130 which i had until recently is too small and dependant on money the 30 amp minimum may be ok for the pros on here "stitching" but unless you are very experienced I would spend more and go for something that has a lower minimum say 20 amps. I borrowed an oxford migmaker 170 to do the wings/sills/other bits on a herald and found this very easy to use so am thinking of opting for a portamig just for the lower end (as well as being a far superior machine all round). Also you would not be limited to 3mm which in the long run may not be enough (whats under the sills)?

 

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

It's hard to provide definitive advice on buying a welder because so much depends on how it's going to end up being used.

There's certainly nothing wrong with the Clarke welders but they do have limitations, particularly in terms of minimum and maximum current.

If you can afford it and you know you're going to do a reasonable amount of welding then it is definitely worthwhile looking at the likes of R-Tech and Portamig. But if its just for getting odd jobs done the Clarke machines are perfectly adequate.

The disposable cylinders are a very expensive way to buy gas unless you only do a couple of (very) small jobs a year. Even for quite occasional use the rent free bottles are much better value. I'd say get a rent free bottle to start with and if you get through it fairly quickly think about getting a rental one.