Unsure on which welder to buy!

[Marrt]

Hello, Ive just bought a mk1 fiesta now i need to buy a welder. But which welder do i buy? I need it to be low enough amps for the body work but i also want to be able to weld 6-8mm too.. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

[rtbcomp]

Welcome to the forum, I've moved this to the correct section.

If you have a limited budget then general consensus would be go for a MIG welder, and have a look at the Clarke range.

The Portamig range have a good reputation if you can afford a more professional machine.

Steer clear of some of the very cheap imports.

 

[Craig-95-]

Hi marrt bit of advice don't get tempted to buy a Clarke 145 turbo mig just because it's cheap like I did as the lowest setting is 35 amps and blows holes through thin metal very easily it's worth spending a bit more for a better machine with lower amp setting.

 

[Marrt]

What about a snap on 2135?

 

[MoreWellie]

but i also want to be able to weld 6-8mm too

the snap on is 130amp max and wouldn't do anything at this level

My Clarke 150 wouldn't weld it satisfactorily either, I was still able to break the joints fairly easily despite them looking ok

I ended up using an oxford migmaker 240-1 to weld at this size and that was pretty much flat out and using 1mm wire but the resulting test joints stood up well in my destructive tests

 

[Marrt]

Ahh its looking like a portamig then. Do you think 235 will make enough penetration to hold engine mounts?

 

[Rig Pig]

Cheaper lower output mig for car / sheet work and a nice big stick set for everything else?

 

[Jim Davey]

A decent 180 amp mig will be more than adequate for any thickness of metal you'll find in a Fiesta, or just about any other car come to think of it.

 

[MoreWellie]

Do you think 235 will make enough penetration to hold engine mounts?

that, and other decent machines, would all be capable of doing the job. It mostly depends on the person using the welder as to how good the resulting weld actually is. It is worthwhile taking time to get to know the machine and running test joints and then analysing them (with a hammer and a saw) to see how good they really are

It is often suggested that you use stick for welding thicker pieces. I haven't tried that enough to get proficient at it but the suggestion comes up so regularly that it would be worth consideration. My decision was that I would rather have one set/process and use it more often rather than dividing my time between the two different processes

 

[Rig Pig]

But if you go for stick its so versatile & cheap - cast iron, stainless, hard facing etc. Just don't buy a crap buzz box!