Looking for advice for new mig choice

[arther dailey]

Yes. A disadvantage of step-switched MIG welders is the absence of continuously-variable welding power. This is especially noticeable in lower-spec machines, with maybe just 4 coarse steps; professional machines can have 8 or 12 steps.
To avoid this issue, you need to consider that this is one of the advantages of inverter MIG welders, which have fully-variable power output.

eddies 100% right there are a few of the imported inverters that guys on here have bought and done reviews so worth checking out , the benefit is they are also way more easily portable

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

also way more easily portable

Yup...seems some manufacturers think portable means its got wheels!

 

[eddie49]

a few of the imported inverters that guys on here have bought and done reviews so worth checking out

Such as this one ( !!! ) :

£99 Inverter Mig Welder Display4top Mig-130Plus + MMA

So Brought this Welder from Amazon For a friend and hes let me do a review on it links Here user manual states "MIG 40-140A / MMA 20-120A but it feels like 20a on the mig low setting but i can't test this my clamp meters not working. it has two push buttons one you can select mig or mma...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[arther dailey]

the blackline 200(?) comes to mind

 

[James01]

Nice, yeah I like the Clarke and looks like a good machine and is tempting but feeling an inverter may be more what im looking for. I do worry about some of these cheaper ones though as often mixed opinions around these

 

[Cobbler]

Only thought with the machine is it seems there is only 4 possible options for power, can this make it harder in certain situations

6 power options on the 151 I think you will find.

 

[gaz1]

on low/ medium/ high
high/ low/ medium/ high

for the clarke and adjust wire speed to suit

 

[James01]

Ah so more play than I thought, tbh it probably said if I checked the manual thought it was just 2 options either way

 

[gaz1]

from the pic view

orange button off/on

set min switch

switches 1/2/3 low/ medium/ high

set high
1 low
a/2/3 medium/ high

top red dial sets your wire speed

 

[Munkul]

6 power options on the 151 I think you will find.

People!
It's a VOLTAGE setting, NOT power!
You don't need continuous voltage control!
You need continuous AMPERAGE control, which is effectively the wire speed knob.

Just so people don't get the wrong idea!

Good mig sets have lots of voltage taps and more importantly they deliver the voltage without too much drop under load. Cheap machines will drop, that's why those 4 setting machines usually only work properly on the higher two settings

 

[tom 748]

thats where the kemppi 200 comes in,set and play

 

[Cobbler]

6 power options on the 151 I think you will find.

Badly worded on my part, yes voltage! Sorry about that.

 

[Nick DV]

I'm not sure what your budget is and if you need portability, but if the welder is going to remain in the workshop, I would go for something transformer based such as Oxford Migmaker 180-1 MIG Welder | Buy Online | Welding Supplies Direct or Technical Arc Prof-MIG universal C181 MIG Welder (weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk) I am biased to the Oxford as I can only speak from experience, but with these you get a UK made machine, can get down to 20 amps and would easily cope with 5mm.
Give @Tom Orrow L a shout and he'll sort you out and he's got plenty of other welders to choose from.

 

[James01]

Thanks i will give those a look over, being portable isn't a major issue i can't see many circumstances it will be moving far. I was looking at GYS easymig 160 inverter. Seems like a solid machine. Ideally I don't want to go above £600/£700 but may have room to and if I can come down in price losing bells and whistles but getting a solid machine then winning.

 

[James01]

Also the GSY easy mig 140 and just saw this on welding supplies direct https://www.weldingsuppliesdirect.c...te-171c-mig-welder-ready-to-weld-package.html could be worth a shout

 

[Nick DV]

Like I said, give @Tom Orrow L at WSD, a shout on this forum, and he’ll sort you a good price

 

[James01]

Ahhh generator req for the parweld,, shame

 

[James01]

Nice i will surely do that thanks

 

[arther dailey]

People!
It's a VOLTAGE setting, NOT power!
You don't need continuous voltage control!
You need continuous AMPERAGE control, which is effectively the wire speed knob.

Just so people don't get the wrong idea!

Good mig sets have lots of voltage taps and more importantly they deliver the voltage without too much drop under load. Cheap machines will drop, that's why those 4 setting machines usually only work properly on the higher two

Ahhh generator req for the parweld,, shame

Ahhh No, if you run it from a generator on site that just tell s you minimum requirement of power required to use it, of course it can be run on mains power.

 

[James01]

Nice thanks, just spoke to a sparky at work and they said a 16A to normal socket should be fine, I realised when I went back and had a proper look I had just skimmed initially