Mig for car repairs (thin gauge)

[bluepurple]

Hi, i have a few repairs that need doing on my Jap project car.

Mainly small patches on the outer body sill area (0.8mm?) then spot welding a new boot pan panel on.

I know low amps are better for thin steel, is there a machine that you guys can recommend?

I know Rtech are rated highly, but wasn't sure if the 180 goes low enough for my requirements, and its pushing £1K all in which is a bit more than i wanted to spend.

Unless anyone based near Reading/Basingstoke with a mobile machine can help out (of course for a fee)

 

[AdventuresInMetal]

I wouldn't say it was pushing 1k? an R-tech 180 is £594 with 12 months 0% available. Might make it a bit more justifiable?

I use an Autostar MIG 160 for automotive and love it (10-160A) and thats just under £500.

 

[bluepurple]

Thanks, sorry more like £600 for the Rtech, but will need gloves, mask and consumables.

Mainly just wondered if it was the best tool for thin gauge stuff.

The Autostar looks decent, will take a look, presumably this would be better for my needs as it has lower amperage

 

[tom2207]

Some bargains can be had for second hand stuff from time to time and although probably heavier being transformer instead of inverter a second hand machine will easily do your job . Just something to keep in mind.

 

[eddie49]

Mainly just wondered if it was the best tool for thin gauge stuff.
The Autostar looks decent, will take a look, presumably this would be better for my needs as it has lower amperage

Both the Rtech 180 and the Autostar 160 are inverter welders. They have simple basic controls for MIG welding, with separate and fully-variable control knobs for output voltage and wirespeed ( -which on some machines is labelled or digitally displayed as "Amps" because that is what it affects ). As such, I am sure that they can both be set to voltage and current minimums that are suitable for 0.8mm thick sheet metal, or even less.
The control knobs that are labelled "Amps" on these two machines are for use when set to the MMA ( Arc ) function.

[ Some inverters with more modern or menu-driven front panel controls may have limited ranges of adjustment for the welding parameters, or a single control for a pre-programmed "synergic" wirespeed-to-voltage ratio.]

 

[keithski122]

My clarke 90 welder work great on thin car metalwork and secondhand cost less than £100.

 

[badabec]

My Sealey Supermig 170 is still up for sale at a bargain £75, complete with 4 metre euro torch. Just needs gas and wire.
M11, junction 7

 

[oxxexterior]

Will this **** job pass the mot. You can smack the life out of it with a hammer

Thanks

 

[keithski122]

If you had ground the flange back on the seam and bent a flange on the repair section you could have plug welded the bottom bit.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I use the R-Tech 180 and it is perfect for the job. It improved my welding quality considerably, that I had been blaming on my incompetence.

 

[Chippie]

My clarke 90 welder work great on thin car metalwork and secondhand cost less than £100.

Good machine wish I hadn’t sold mine….