Which Mig

[Wozza]

Hey guys

I am brand new to the welding world and wondered if anybody could give some advice on an appropriate Mig welder for a beginner. Any other pointers for a newbie like me would also be appreciated.

All the best

 

[Wozza]

Oops just noticed that my browser has auto filled my username with the wifes name, could an admin change it to Wozza for me

 

[gaz1]

Oops just noticed that my browser has auto filled my username with the wifes name, could an admin change it to Wozza for me

roflmao

welcome to the forum

always check before sending

answer to your question how much are you willing to spend on a mig welder as they are not a cheap way to do things

a mig setup alone with everything is about 350.00 as i found this out myself

so for a good mig welder id class a clarke 151en it will weld car panels with practice and also 5mm steel so a good range to go from when using it above this id suggest looking at an arc welder

people do buy below this 150 model so its up to you but a 130 will only weld up to 3mm steel

 

[pedrobedro]

Oops just noticed that my browser has auto filled my username with the wifes name, could an admin change it to Wozza for me

Too many Wozzas spoil the broth Welcome to the forum and as always, what is your intended use, budget etc so you can get an idea what others are using for the job you intend to do.

 

[Wozza]

Well as for usage I will only be working on fairly light materials to start with, would love to make my own Argentine Grill/BBQ for example.
As for budget I could probably go to about £700.

It would be hobbyist rather than trying to make any money out of it.

 

[Bigjoe]

Do you want a portable inverter unit or a bigger transformer machine on wheels? With that sort of budget there is a great deal of choice

 

[Wozza]

Doesn't need to be portable as such, just need to move it around the garage.

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Plenty of choices then really, a few to have a look at -

GYS EasyMIG 160
Oxford 180-1 MIG Maker or 200-1 MIG Maker
Thermal Arc 181i Fabricator

All very good machines within your budget

 

[Wozza]

Oxford 180-1 MIG Maker

The Oxford 180 seems about right )And its British)

Thank you

 

[EAZEE]

That's a good healthy budget there. You should be able to get something a little better than the clarks for that. I'd go for the Thermal Arc or GYS

 

[gaz1]

Well as for usage I will only be working on fairly light materials to start with, would love to make my own Argentine Grill/BBQ for example.
As for budget I could probably go to about £700.

It would be hobbyist rather than trying to make any money out of it.

id disagree with many but its my opinion its your choice and your money in end

a clarke for a hobbyist is fine machine it will do what you need it to do

however if you dont get to grips with it you havent lost much

buying a better machine heavy and double the price yes you will get good welds but also depends on the user

an expensive buy comes to mind if you dont get the bug to weld many a thing or have a workshop to do so some do buy better machines from day one though

 

[Tom Orrow L]

The Oxford 180 seems about right )And its British)

Thank you

Only issue with the Oxfords is they're a usually a little bit of a wait time.
If you don't mind waiting they're worth the little bit of extra time, and they hold their re-sale value well if you decide it isn't for you

 

[daleyd]

Oops just noticed that my browser has auto filled my username with the wifes name, could an admin change it to Wozza for me

Don’t do it - you will now forever be known as Michelle

 

[Cobbler]

Don’t do it - you will now forever be known as Michelle

And you might even end up getting chatted up ......... By some poor unsuspecting person

 

[Wozzaaah]

And you might even end up getting chatted up ......... By some poor unsuspecting person

And you'll definitely get FAR more replies to every thread you start than any bloke on here ever has.......

 

[Joe45]

If you go with the termal arc 181i you can allso stick weld with it . One thing I have learned is mig welders can be very fussy the steel has to be clean and if you buy a cheap cheap machine the wire feed can be a right pain . With your budget you will have no problem getting a decent one

 

[Wozza]

If you go with the termal arc 181i you can allso stick weld with it . One thing I have learned is mig welders can be very fussy the steel has to be clean and if you buy a cheap cheap machine the wire feed can be a right pain . With your budget you will have no problem getting a decent one

I like the idea of being able to try Mig / ARC & TIG

 

[Joe45]

If you have the budget you might as well get a machine that will give you the option of all 3 prossess. It be cheaper thanot buying 3 separate machines