Help choosing mig

[Ben88]

I'm starting to look for a mig welder that will run on a 13 amp plug most of my work is 1mm-6mm m/s it will get used a few times a week and it will need to be portable. Budget wise i'm thinking around £200 cash or i could put that cash down for a deposit on - http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/mig-welder-r-tech-i-mig180/ what are peoples thoughts is the r-tech any good? Is there any welder around £200 that will be good enough to cope with regular use?

 

[gaz1]

just to point out that you need 16A for most mig welders once goes over 160amp migs

16A 240v input required for welding at 180amps , 160 amp MIG output at 13A input

and at 200 you would be looking more at diy mig machines

rtech is rated well on here

 

[rikrobson]

its a +1 forr r-tech for me.

re the 13A plug.

Any single phase welder will run on a 13A supply, you will only be able to run it up to about a max of 160A though. If its a bigger welder then it will just blow the fuse or breaker if its turned up fully.

 

[Ben88]

Once i'm up an running an making some cash i'll be having the 16A sockets fitted, just at the minute i'm starting up so i have jobs all over the place and not enough money so will need it on the 13 Amp plug. I have a tig welder already that should be on a 16 Amp socket but using 13 A. So if i need to i can always deep root with the tig an fill with the mig. I think i'll go for the R-tech unless any 2nd hand bargains come up, has anyone got the r-tech 180? Be nice to see some beads so i know what i can expect to achieve from it.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

...has anyone got the r-tech 180? Be nice to see some beads so i know what i can expect to achieve from it.

Here you go, this was from my earliest efforts on a corner joint

And a couple of plug welds, fixing a chain to the frame

Hope this helps.

 

[Ben88]

Cheers slim just what i was after looks like it puts a good bead down is that 6mm?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

.....is that 6mm

No, 3mm.

 

[Kent]

The issue is the budget. Esab caddy etc are ideal but so far out your price range. Gas bottles etc.
If you already have a tig I should just muddle on
Zero percent interest loans cost more than interest bearing it's just the fees are paid by the seller and the stuff priced accordingly

 

[cumbriasteve]

Be nice to see some beads so i know what i can expect to achieve from it.

As long as any machine, even £50 used SIP's are working correctly they will lay perfect beads, the best machine in the world will lay rubbish welds if the operator has not reached the skill level required, so photo's of beads mean nothing really.

If you are a competent TIG guy then I am sure the R-Tech will serve you well.

 

[Kent]

I have used a cheap brand new mig once that certainly wouldn't lay a decent bead
It was super cheap you didn't even have a wire feed speed just a few settings high low medium if I remember

It was truly awful

 

[cumbriasteve]

I have used a cheap brand new mig once that certainly wouldn't lay a decent bead
It was super cheap you didn't even have a wire feed speed just a few settings high low medium if I remember

It was truly awful

What was it?

 

[Kent]

Some rubbish from halfords FIL bought it for bits n bobs on impulse. Seriously you would be as well with a tube of glue

 

[Ben88]

Cheers guys I really would prefer not to be getting it on finance but it has a warranty of 2 years on it for a start, which give me some comfort an i'm losing jobs not having a mig welder. If i could get the cash to £450 is there anything decent that would suit what i need?. I really need jobs to be able to expand my tools an machines an most of work I get is for mig at the moment so if i get 2 years out of it i'm pretty sure i can make it pay for its self. I have no doubt that the cheap brands can make a good weld but can it take the work load this will be more than a hobby hopefully an will it be reliable?. Maybe in 2 years i'll of made the money to afford a esab or miller cheers for input

 

[Kent]

450 will get you a reasonable second hand mig of worth no real questions
Remember the bottle regulator and rental

 

[Chris Stevens]

Cheers guys I really would prefer not to be getting it on finance but it has a warranty of 2 years on it for a start, which give me some comfort an i'm losing jobs not having a mig welder. If i could get the cash to £450 is there anything decent that would suit what i need?. I really need jobs to be able to expand my tools an machines an most of work I get is for mig at the moment so if i get 2 years out of it i'm pretty sure i can make it pay for its self. I have no doubt that the cheap brands can make a good weld but can it take the work load this will be more than a hobby hopefully an will it be reliable?. Maybe in 2 years i'll of made the money to afford a esab or miller cheers for input

If you have an AC/DC tig and know how to use it, you should be able to make the money to afford a reasonable MIG pretty quickly.

 

[Kent]

As most tig sets support mma - what the heck can't you weld? OK it's not up to serious production of things or rusty cars but if it's mobile?
It's hard setting up without large amounts of up front spend but trust me it can be done. I did it to prove a point but I 100% believe it builds a stronger foundation to a company to have such as start. Way too easy to fix problems with cash rather than guile

 

[gaz1]

for your budget of 200.00 id have started off with the clarke or even sip mig welder even with its faults id have sorted those out when and when needed

the clarke i know has both gas and gasless at your price range

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/mig...GS-010110151&gclid=CO_igsbG1ssCFdYy0wodWLsNDA

will weld up to 4mm with prep first

plus boc account 90.00, regulator 20.00 welding mask 20.00, gloves and extra wire 20.00 gas less wire also can be bought, new liner as you will need one after 2nd 5kg roll

of you cant afford the machine and you cant get credit you go with what you can

 

[Kent]

Strange I can run a mig a lot lot longer than two full size rolls without a new liner
Mind you I change tips just for the heck of it coz they are cheap and quick to do and some make them last more than a reel

 

[Ben88]

My tig welder is D.C only and as for the stick welding I've just started learning on it (self teaching so could take some time), plus a lot of the jobs to begin with will be rusty cars I could do it with tig but the extra time it'll take means it'll cost more so not gonna be able to compete with someone with a mig. I have money for the gas an consumables separate so no worries on that note.

 

[PTvor]

If you get the R-Tech, they give excellent support with prompt collect and return for two years. This is a definite consideration if you are depending on the machine. Using a MIG a few times a week to weld cars isn't the same as production welding so I think it should do. It might be worth asking whether their warranty covers the sort of use you'd be giving it.

It weighs 19kg with a 5kg roll of wire, so it's luggable and can be put in a van easily enough. A 20 litre gas bottle is much heavier and harder to cart around.

I don't think you'd find a new MIG which would suit you for £200 or anything like it. You might find a second hand machine for about that much which was designed as a quality unit in the first place. It could go wrong and take time to fix or spares might be hard to come by - all worth checking before buying. It almost certainly wouldn't be a machine you could pick up with one hand and put in the van - unless you were built like Arnold Schwarznegger.