I have an Clarke 90EN mig, bought back in the 80s that has been very reliable, even if it's been picky with its settings and a bit under powered for some of the stuff I've welded. Originally bought for classic car bodywork, it's also made barbecues and various other bits and pieces over the years.
I'm about to make some mobile machine bases for my table saw and planer which are in the 300KG range so the material will probably be 5mm mild steel angle. Future uses could include welding stainless, and anything from thin sheet up to 6-7mm max. I probably won't ever be welding up water cooling pipes on a nuclear reactor.
Now I've got a bit more spare cash than I had 30 years ago, I'd like a decent welder to replace the Clarke but I'm finding it hard to see the wood for the trees.
My first requirement is for a welder that will be reliable and will be supported for a decent amount of time - I'm happy with a complicated inverter machine, if I know that it's come from a reliable source that will support it 5 years down the line.
The next thing is to choose between Tig or Mig - I know there are Mig machines that do scratch Tig, but I suspect I'd never get round to putting a Tig torch on. I've never done any Tig welding, but I did learn to gas weld in ancient times. I like the simplicity of Mig but Tig looks good.
Any advice welcome. Budget - I started looking around the £400+ mark, but I can't really work out what you're getting for the money when you get closer to a grand.
I'm about to make some mobile machine bases for my table saw and planer which are in the 300KG range so the material will probably be 5mm mild steel angle. Future uses could include welding stainless, and anything from thin sheet up to 6-7mm max. I probably won't ever be welding up water cooling pipes on a nuclear reactor.
Now I've got a bit more spare cash than I had 30 years ago, I'd like a decent welder to replace the Clarke but I'm finding it hard to see the wood for the trees.
My first requirement is for a welder that will be reliable and will be supported for a decent amount of time - I'm happy with a complicated inverter machine, if I know that it's come from a reliable source that will support it 5 years down the line.
The next thing is to choose between Tig or Mig - I know there are Mig machines that do scratch Tig, but I suspect I'd never get round to putting a Tig torch on. I've never done any Tig welding, but I did learn to gas weld in ancient times. I like the simplicity of Mig but Tig looks good.
Any advice welcome. Budget - I started looking around the £400+ mark, but I can't really work out what you're getting for the money when you get closer to a grand.