Mobile welding

[Mid Wales welder]

I'm thinking of starting a mobile welding business. Not sure whether to get a big generator i.e 20-25Kva then individual welders (Mig,TIG & Arc) or wether to get a welder generator with Mig, TIG & Arc facility? any suggestions? That would be if I just went all out, but I might just start a bit smaller & get 200amp welder generator with a smaller TIG that will run off it & just forget about the Mig! again any suggestions would be great, thanks!

 

[Robotstar5]

If you get a mig, tig & arc in one unit type it's all the "eggs in one basket" so if one fails, you've lost the lot which if it's your livelyhood could be expensive.
I would get a mig before tig for mobile welding as it would be used more?

 

[Mid Wales welder]

Yeh I see what u mean about having all yr eggs in 1 basket, I wz thinking just a 200amp stick as anything bigger just gets multiple passes but not sure what size Mig to get, as a big Mig such as 400amps uses so much juice, I could just use the Mig for smaller stuff maybe a 250amp & that way I don't need as bigger generator! I have seen a Tecarc Multi process inverter (Mig,TIG & stick) for £1050 that's 240amp Mig, 200amp TIG & 170 amp stick that would run off a 6.5Kva generator so all in all about £2000, wich is majorly cheep, but I not sure if it would be up2 big stuff? I'd also want a 12mm clean cut plasma but that would need an 8Kva genny!

 

[wyn]

I'd have thought it all depends on what you think you will be welding.

Any ideas on what you will be sticking together?

 

[Mid Wales welder]

I'm really just in the thinking stage at the moment, I'll probably just start out with light fabrication, general repairs, work for farmers maybe builders and small machine shops & generally any1 that needs a welder! But hopefully want to start getting contract work & anything where welding companies don't have mobile facility's like where I work at the moment. Then when i'v built it up abit I'll hopefully have a good bit of 'word of mouth business'. Soz it's taking so long to reply!!!

 

[thestig]

only stick would do for outside welding mate!

 

[Mid Wales welder]

Yeh that's why I was thinking of a bigger stick, can use flux cored wire outside, never used it before tho & not sure what sizes they do!

 

[wyn]

The agricultural stuff i have done all tended to be with stick welding.
If it was around buildings i used an inverter mig or stick off their power supply and extension leads.
If it was gate posts and things out in the wilds i used a cheap chinese welder/generator of around 200 amps.

 

[Mid Wales welder]

Also, I'm qualified in Mig, TIG & stick NVQ and a couple of different city & guilds and got over five years experience (mainly workshop but a good bit of site) I know all about insurance & public liability etc. but do I need to get a proper coding & if so where do I go to get one?

 

[Mid Wales welder]

The agricultural stuff i have done all tended to be with stick welding.
If it was around buildings i used an inverter mig or stick off their power supply and extension leads.
If it was gate posts and things out in the wilds i used a cheap chinese welder/generator of around 200 amps.

Yeah I thought about just using the customers electric, but then how much do u take off the bill for the privalage? posts a stuff in the sticks, yeh 200amp welder generator but what about the bigger stuff in the sticks, do u just use the same stick & do multiple passes or do u have a bigger genny for that stuff?

 

[Welderpaul]

If i was you i would probably look at the viability of such a business, competition, markets, longevity of the business, running costs etc before worrying too much about what welder you need. Think long and hard, things are still tough.

A couple of lads i know have a mobile welding business together, struggling like hell to make money, there just isnt the work; plant companies generally have their own fitters, farmers do the welding themselves, and builders usually ring their fabricators. Light fabrication generally requires a shed load of gear that won't fit in a van.

They have a Lincoln Ranger 305D, does stick, mig and tig by all accounts.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[wyn]

Multiple passes with 3.2 rods unless youre getting into stuff like earthmoving plant.
I work in quarry static plant and we very rarely get onto 4mm rods just stick it all together with 3.2's
We have a Lincoln ranger 305D that does mig with a wire feeder and also tig but we only ever get up to about 120-150 amps with it just on stick.

 

[blenkie1]

I do part time work for farmers and also juggle work full time. I have a Lincoln 305d which is great stick and tig (dc only). Mig is an extra and I got quoted £2000 for it (kemppi). Cheaper option was to buy a 240 mig and just haul it about in van if needed. I kitted a farmers shed out gates, barriers, etc just using the stick just slow. If you are leaving a job to do it it will be extremely hard that's why I am still working. I hope to go down the route one day but I am trying to build contacts up and my tools. It's easy at work with folders and stuff and frustrating and time consuming when you have'nt. Farmers can be bad at paying but can pay over the odds for stuff at auction. Anything to do with sheep at the minute they seem to go crazy for. Are you mainly hill farmers or diary around your area?

 

[dannyp]

i do a bit of mobile welding for extra beer tokens and TBH i don't think there is much more in it than extra beer tokens.

you don't want or need an all in one bit of kit ether.

the TIG welder is for the workshop it stays in the workshop and if they want anything tiging they bring it to the workshop.

a small 250 or so amp mig is usefull to have to put in the van, if there is a LOT of welding to do or needs a bigger machene it'll ether be dome with sticks or brought to the workshop. as they are to heavy to get out the van and use to much space also if there is no power on site youd need a 20kva 3 ph genny to to run it they arn't cheep or light.

genny welders are a PITA have to go back to it to adjust it, cabels are ether getting tangels or not long enough ect ect ect.
a nice litte 175 A inverter is a much better bet with some decent extension leads. for jobs you need a genny get a decent one you'll want 7 - 10 Kw. if there is power on site you use that, and you don't knock anything off the bill. you try to use gennys as littel as possible tbh .

GAS - haveing gas is bloody usefull most mobile fixing ive done involves, grinder, gas, various hammers and stick welding

 

[gavuk]

Not sure what industries are local to you ,but most of the companies I have worked for have employed contract welders/fabricators ,......pipe welding and fitting both steam and stainless , has been popular, and stainless fabrication seems to be what local companies are happy to pay for on site, it is normally agreed they will use our welders ,gas,and power.....depends on where you work as to how much you will need to supply ...

 

[stuvy]

as mentioned above by all the other chaps. Its a seriously tough market at the moment. If you can offer MOT welding aswell as site then its one extra to keep the pennies coming in. Im not sure if youv flicked through the whole forum as for one instance chunkolini' not only does sculpture work but makes custom shelving, whereas autocare has recently sold up due to the market being so tough. If you have a sideline you can split between the welding and what else you choose. Full time work with beer tokens or a few days here and there with welding thrown in too. Hope it helps mate

 

[Mid Wales welder]

Thanks for all the info guys! I didn't realise this had gone onto a second page so only just read these posts. Yeh I'm defo thinking that just keeping my own work for pocket money & not going self employed! I work as a welder fabricator for a company in mid Wales but its just general custom production stuff which all though interesting is not the best pay! I want to go more into just the welding side, coded TIG work but not sure how to make the switch as I havnt got much expieriance in that area. Does any1 have any info on the subject? Thanks!