newbie to welding with buying advice needed

[B19JUB]

hi everyone im looking for some advice as i would like to get into mig welding as ive been a mechanic for some years and thought its about time i cared for my cars bodywork aswell as engines and mechanicals lol.
anyway im looking to buy my first mig welder which will be purely for repair of body panels due to usual rusting syndrom.im looking for a welder than i can use with or without gas and been looking at the sealey mightmig 150.i see its got a poor duty cycle flat out but would i be needing that for arches etc?
my budget is about £250 but could poss stretch to £300.

your opinions and views welcomed on this and any other welder you recommend

 

[keith19]

Welcome to the Forum. Just to start it off, I'd say the well-established 151EN model would do you nicely. It's one of the cheapest Clarke 150 amp welders, does gas and flux core, but comes supplied to run with flux-core wire so you will need to buy a regulator etc to do gas welding. Plus arrange a bottle, of course. The good-quality kit is here: http://www.weldequip.com/argonmix-conversion-kit.htm

Check if you will be using argon/CO2 mix or plain CO2 gas before ordering, as the kit is different.
The 151EN goes down to 30 amps, so okay for bodywork, and up to 150 amps should you need it.
If working mostly on cars you won't need to go anywhere near 150 amps most of the time, but it's nice to have it available, and good for welding brackets, jigs, and anything else you didn't think you be doing when you started. Plus odd jobs for friends relatives and neighbours.

I bought mine here, helpful people, and the price has not gone up much since I bought mine about 18 months ago:
http://www.wilstar.co.uk/products/2/118/clarke_151en_mig_the_welding_centre_surbiton/

 

[B19JUB]

hi keith and thanks for the reply.what gas is better?the mix or plain co2?

 

[cumbriasteve]

Agree with Keith re the clarke and argon/co2 mix is best, co2 is cheaper and welcome to the forum

 

[B19JUB]

thanks steve for the welcome and advice too.i guess ive always been afraid of welding incase it goes horribly wrong lol.will def look at getting the clarke one.

next advice is about welding masks.anything i should look for?

 

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

A basic automatic mask is fine for MIG welding you can get perfectly good ones for under £50 and even better bargains are common, but it does make sense to go for a reputable brand as it is critical safety kit. Variable shade (9-12) is useful, especially for welding cars where you're likely to be welding in poor light.

It's always worth having some spare outer and inner lenses, which are cheap and replacing them when they get scratched and dirty makes a huge difference to visibility.

 

[B19JUB]

excellent thanks chris.friend of mine put me onto this forum so i can look at basics and advice.glad he did cos youve all been very helpful thank you

btw sorry to be a pain but what makes should i be looking for when it comes to masks?

 

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

All the masks on the weldequip shop are fine, you should be able to get something similar form wherever you buy your welder.

I would also say that it is well worth spending a bit extra on decent gloves, the EASB ones on the weldequip shop are good http://www.weldequip.com/professional-gauntlets.htm

Gloves aren't so critical as they are with TIG but the extra feel that decent ones give you definitely makes life easier.

Obviously it makes sense to get all the bits and pieces from the same place if possible to save on postage.

 

[cumbriasteve]

At the moment I am using an auto mask I bought from Ebay for £25, it's been a good mask and is only getting replaced soon due to 2 years workshop abuse and through no fault of the mask.

Because crimbo is getting near and I will get the usual 'what do you want' questions, I will probably get one of the £50 ones from Weldequip..which is where I get my gloves...heavy red ones that last for ages, they do feel like boxing gloves for a couple of days though until they wear in a bit.... and cheap as chips.

 

[B19JUB]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTO-DARK...iveGear_RL&hash=item2570d8fe6d#ht_3145wt_1344

this looks ok to me.does it matter if solar powered?

 

[the snooper]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTO-DARK...iveGear_RL&hash=item2570d8fe6d#ht_3145wt_1344

this looks ok to me.does it matter if solar powered?

the welding light provides the solar energy

 

[B19JUB]

ah right ok thanks.

 

[keith19]

That cheapy is almost the same as the one I've had for a couple of years, except mine is the red one. I've had no problems with it for hobby welding,and its comfortable to wear, but I'd advise something a bit stronger for everyday pro workshop use.

If you store it out of the light for a long period, say a couple of months or so, it's a good idea to stick it in a window or in the sunlight to charge up for an hour or so before welding. This ensures it has enough charge to start operating the first time you strike up. As Snooper says, once you get welding the arc glare charges it in no time.
Oh, and don't forget to peel the plastic protective film off the lens, inside and out, otherwise it can look a bit foggy. Don't ask...

 

[wellyweld]

Solar powered is fine, it usually means they pick up energy from the arc as well. Don't know this particular helmet but it is cheap, we did look at some cheap helmets a while back that were not great in terms of optics. It was like viewing through a muddy pond, not saying this would be but would be nice to find someone who had one & could vouch for it. Might pay you to pay a bit more for one from a reputable i.e. known supplier.

 

[B19JUB]

thanks all for great opinions and views.all been really helpful.im def gonna buy that clarke 151en welder and will look at different masks around.ive purchased those gauntlets from weldquip and should be here tomorrow.just need a welder and mask to use them with hehehe

 

[B19JUB]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIF-lite-...tiveGear_RL&hash=item3f1c032e0f#ht_500wt_1128

this is on the weldquip website but found it cheaper on ebay

 

[cumbriasteve]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIF-lite-...tiveGear_RL&hash=item3f1c032e0f#ht_500wt_1128

this is on the weldquip website but found it cheaper on ebay

It probably is the same helmet and I don't suggest this item is dodgy ..BUT.. you have to be very aware of the Chinese counterfeit industry on Ebay purchases and yes they are just about making anything these days, so I see no reason why helmets won't be one of their targets.

You also have to consider the after sales service you will get if a problem arises during the guarantee process.

 

[B19JUB]

well couple of weeks ago i went out and bought a clarke 151en welder,sif lite helmet and gas conversion kit with gas.gonna attempt some practise runs on some metal tomorrow.cheers for comments and advice people

 

[Robotstar5]

Try and start with a decent thickness metal to learn on, saves the frustration of blowing through body panel thickness.

 

[B19JUB]

prob a silly question but whats the average thickness of wings etc?ive got a 1984 nissan silvia turbo?