What Welder to Buy

[Lew05]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum and welding. I completed a welding course about eleven years ago when I left school, but I have not welded since.

I am planning a new project of building a Go Kart but I have no idea on what kind of welder to use.

I don't want to throw my money away on a welder that won't be right for the job or one that I will quickly outgrow.

Any advice will be very much appreciated.

Thanks, Lewis

 

[Lew05]

My budget is around the 350 mark, and the frequency at the moment will be to just build the kart.

Once I've got the kit, I will probably think of more projects but the frequency of use will probably still be low.

Thanks for your advice

 

[Lew05]

Thanks again for all your help, you have gone above and beyond to help me out with this.

I'm in work right now so I will have to check the links when I am at home.

As far as PPE I have ovies from my college days, I will buy the rest the following month from buying the welder as I am going to take my time to make sure I can buy the best equipment that I can afford.

Again thank you for all your help it is much appreciated.

 

[oddbob]

I've just ordered one of these CWS BestMig. It's bang on your budget and has been mentioned favourably on here a few times... link

 

[Richard.]

Thanks again for all your help, you have gone above and beyond to help me out with this.

I'm in work right now so I will have to check the links when I am at home.

As far as PPE I have ovies from my college days, I will buy the rest the following month from buying the welder as I am going to take my time to make sure I can buy the best equipment that I can afford.

Again thank you for all your help it is much appreciated.

Hi Lew. Welcome. Nice idea with the go kart. I've had a bit of involvement a while ago with a build. It was mental to say the least as an old 97 cbr600f engine was the selected lump for the one we built. Are you building the frame out of steel. (Advised if your building a fast one to keep some wieght down.) we toyed with the idea of an Alu frame but I'm glad we went with steel. I'm sure you'll get a suitable mig with in budget but there are other tools you'll need. We went down the box section route as round requires a good tube notcher. (Which we didn't have at the time). Fit up is crucial with something like that for strong joints. You'll need a drill, and I'd recommend a good saw that cuts good 45's. If your going to make out of tube you'll need a notcher. (Good one).
Building a go Kart requires a lot more than a mig plant. If you go ahead it would be great to see some progress Piccys.

 

[Kent]

the biggest capacity single phase plants will handle 12mm black steel and 1mm wire. What you will need for box and tube is a mig about 180 with 0.8 wire . If its something special with chrome moly tube etc and fast then send it out to a pro with the right experience and TIG.
To be fair its the sort of thing someone like me would button up for you for way less than the gear cost if it was all cut and prepped

 

[Richard.]

He could probably buy a pre built frame for less than the gear needed to build it. I think it's more of a fact he wants to build his own little project.

 

[Kent]

He could probably buy a pre built frame for less than the gear needed to build it. I think it's more of a fact he wants to build his own little project.

I don't know next to nothing about carts. I know a lad at my local welding gear supplier has one of their engineers that does a load of fames as foreigners - I get the doing it yourself thing and am certainly not shopping for work ( I might have more than I can handle following quotes last week and am 70 miles from the OP anyhow) .
Just I know a lot of fabrication shops will send guys packing and so they think they MUST do it themselves rather than they WANT to do it just checking

 

[addjunkie]

Never built a cart, but a couple of trikes, buy the biggest machine you can afford, you really want to be using it in the middle of its range, not right at the top.

I have a 180 amp machine, 5 power settings, a great machine on all settings, but on the top one its not quite so happy.

To use tube, yes you need good fit up, but you dont need a notcher, cut a 45 degree angle on the tube and the a half round file, takes a bit longer but works fine. A good tube bender helps too, the cheapie push through benders will work if you pad out the dies with sheet ali, as they are normally pipe dies, pipe and tube though the same thing in essence, but are not the same when it comes to tube bender dies.

Id suggest a mig machine, much easier for tacking up, with .8 wire. When buying factor in the cost of gas, mask etc.

Selection of the correct diameter and wall thickness will be crucial. Smaller the diameter the heavier wall you need. Triangulation will help with strength and also rigidity.

Do it all yourself, nothing quite like the satisfaction of the first drive of a self build.