I'm on the lookout for a new welder, I plan on welding alluminium and stainless steel. I'm not a welder by trade and it'll get very light hobby use. What would you recommend given a budget of around £500?
New Chinese or decent secondhand?
To be honest with £500 budget you will be looking at used Chinese.
Decent Chinese with warranty new starts at about £1000.
Decent European new starts at about £2k.
Second hand you can occasionally pick up an Stel, Sanrex, Cebora, Etc up for £800, not everyday something like that comes along.
For Kempi, ESAB, Lorch, EWM, Lincoln, Miller used you’re looking at £1500 or so.
Well if you get away from inverters and specially if you have 3 phase there can be good deals in old European made transformer base machines.
That might match your price.
But consider edtta budgtbfor argon and so on
Throw a couple of hundred quid more in the deal and get a thermal Arc or parweld acdc welder. I am using one of nearly 4 years and its really, really good!
£500 is possible to secure something badly listed or from a Devorced/widowed other half who hasn’t much idea of the kit in the garage but it’s a waiting game and chances on eBay are next to nothing due to the size of the audience looking at those search results. Sites like Gumtree or preloved is more likely to turn up a bargain but again it’s a very low budget and not something that’s gonna provide an instant result.
I’d say the same as the other guys. 500 notes is a nice little start. Pop it to one side and continue to save up till you’ve got another 500. This will get you in the starting money for something AC/DC then you have a choice to make. Hobby set new or keep your eyes open for something better used. I’d be looking for something better used personally with £1k on the hip but not every body is willing to risk dropping a grand on used kit so do what feels right for you.
Throw a couple of hundred quid more in the deal and get a thermal Arc or parweld acdc welder. I am using one of nearly 4 years and its really, really good!