There's a frustrating array of types & sizes of MIGs out there so, quality & make aside, which size to go for??
Malcolm has put a lot of time & effort into creating a superb site & his mig calculator and guides are excellent but, in laymans terms...
Occassional weekend welder
Your motor may need the odd sill welding to get it through it's MOT & you could repair that barbeque without going down to B&Q to buy a new one:-
90 Amps is fine
That "Good Runner" needs more welding than I thought
If the welding required extends to more than the odd patch up on bodywork, and some chassis welding is needed I would recommended a larger 130, 150 Amp MIG to give you a little more ummphh on the thicker chassis sections.
Full ground up restoration
Whilst a 130 or 150amp Mini-Mig is capable of doing this I would recommend a larger, wheel mounted version; still might only be 150amp but will have a better Duty Cycle (ie.weld for longer) & will accept the refillable type gas cylinders as standard = money saving over the long term.
Full time garage repairs
A popular missconception in the garage trade is that they must have a "180 MIG". NOT true. A really nice quality 150amp machine will do more than a low quality 180.
Wrought Iron work
If you wanna be doing a bit of wrought iron work to make a few extra bucks 180 Amps is the minimum I would recommended. 130's & 150's will do it but to set your stall out properly get at least a 180.
Professional Wrought Iron work/Fabrication
A common pitfall, usually by tight-wads! but also through relating to the old benchmark of 180amp stick welders, is that a 180amp MIG is good for welding 1/4" steel, and so suitable for general fabrication work. A 180amp MIG will weld 6mm steel but only when used on it's top setting all the time which = very short life span. I would recommended at least 200amps & above for Wrought Iron work.
Heavy work but no 3 phase supply
Very common. People want to do heavy welding on a single phase supply. Buy as big as you can afford (they can be 300amps upwards even on 240v) but bear in mind you must have a 32amp supply (electric cooker style) & a bolt in the 13amp fuse holder is NOT acceptable!
Obviously, different tasks require different equipment but I think that covers more or less everything users of this site are likely to want?
weldequip
Malcolm has put a lot of time & effort into creating a superb site & his mig calculator and guides are excellent but, in laymans terms...
Occassional weekend welder
Your motor may need the odd sill welding to get it through it's MOT & you could repair that barbeque without going down to B&Q to buy a new one:-
90 Amps is fine
That "Good Runner" needs more welding than I thought
If the welding required extends to more than the odd patch up on bodywork, and some chassis welding is needed I would recommended a larger 130, 150 Amp MIG to give you a little more ummphh on the thicker chassis sections.
Full ground up restoration
Whilst a 130 or 150amp Mini-Mig is capable of doing this I would recommend a larger, wheel mounted version; still might only be 150amp but will have a better Duty Cycle (ie.weld for longer) & will accept the refillable type gas cylinders as standard = money saving over the long term.
Full time garage repairs
A popular missconception in the garage trade is that they must have a "180 MIG". NOT true. A really nice quality 150amp machine will do more than a low quality 180.
Wrought Iron work
If you wanna be doing a bit of wrought iron work to make a few extra bucks 180 Amps is the minimum I would recommended. 130's & 150's will do it but to set your stall out properly get at least a 180.
Professional Wrought Iron work/Fabrication
A common pitfall, usually by tight-wads! but also through relating to the old benchmark of 180amp stick welders, is that a 180amp MIG is good for welding 1/4" steel, and so suitable for general fabrication work. A 180amp MIG will weld 6mm steel but only when used on it's top setting all the time which = very short life span. I would recommended at least 200amps & above for Wrought Iron work.
Heavy work but no 3 phase supply
Very common. People want to do heavy welding on a single phase supply. Buy as big as you can afford (they can be 300amps upwards even on 240v) but bear in mind you must have a 32amp supply (electric cooker style) & a bolt in the 13amp fuse holder is NOT acceptable!
Obviously, different tasks require different equipment but I think that covers more or less everything users of this site are likely to want?
weldequip