Welder?

[zook123]

Morning All,

Spoken to Dan already but wanted to get some suggestions on getting myself a welder.

There's a few spots that need to be welded up before the MOT, nothing structural, but I need to do a few small panels behind the rear bumper - where it meets the wheelarch, so nothing too thick!

My father has an ARC welder, but I don't think it would be much good to weld with!

So, I need suggestions on a cheap welder, i'm looking at a MIG, the cheaper ones are gasless, as below:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-MIGHTY ... Sw6dNWSgn9

Any more suggestions?

Cheers

[Anton]

I know people who can weld bodywork with an ARC welder, but no-one recommends it (including the people who do it). MIG is the accepted standard for bodywork, although I'm sure you could TIG it just lovely if you had skill with a TIG welder.

Don't get a gasless MIG, it's basically an ARC welder with no need to change rods. For bodywork, you need the gas flow to cool the metal so you don't blow holes through it, although you can get away with a line of very fast tack welds one after the other in a pinch.

For bodywork, you want a gas MIG really. My suggestion would be to see if you can borrow a good one. I have a cheap gasless MIG and it's barely acceptable - I can lay down gorgeous welds with my mate's £700 MIG, I can lay down pidgeon poop welds with mine.

Well, I say that, but I made some decent welds when I made my new front bumper/bullbar combo. But that's relatively thick metal I was working with. Gasless likes thicker metal.

[twiss]

I would avoid gasless like the plague.
I've been welding gasless for almost a year since I got to malta and it makes it much more difficult!

Spend a bit of extra money and get a gas one, 100% worth it!!!

[zook123]

Can you suggest any cheaper ones? I can only find £300+!

[Tramp]

I can't speak as a welding expert, but I can speak as a home welder, I have a Siegen mini mig 130, I think they do a sealy version which is exactly the same just rebadged. when I was looking for my first mig I was looking for something cheap that I could do thin stuff with (bodywork) I didn't want to spend a lot as I didn't even know if I would be cut out for welding! So in the end I opted for the sealy /siegen mini mig 130 and I paid around £200



As new migs go they are pretty cheap, and I have been more than happy with the results I have been getting, I've been using 0.6 wire with 1mm sheet steel (as advised here by Scottie) As I said, I'm a novice and certainly do not know my way around all singing all dancing migs, but For what I'm using it for, it's great! I imagine if you want to weld bigger things you may have to get a more expensive one or one rated higher than 130amps. I started out with the little gas bottles but now have a pub gas bottle with a regulator, it is much better than the disposable bottles, when I'm welding body work my settings are usually minimum/1 with wire feed of around 2 or 3 and I'm pretty satisfied with my results,



A quick Google and this looks to be the sealy version of mine,

https://www.bodyshop-tools-supplies.co. ... wwodkOIEZQ

[ROBBIE]

I got this https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/151te-t ... AhJm8P8HAQ but was only £200 when I bought it

[r-nottz]

Buy a used one off ebay and ask the owner to show you it working. If you take to it buy a new one

[twiss]

Mine was £300 but I got it on special offer at £200
Siegen 150a

[zook123]

Would something like this do the job?

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/010110125/

It's gas/gasless, so I take it you can get some adaptors and it would work with gas.

Tbh, I'm thinking of just finding someone with a hobby welder, going to theirs, and just weld the panels on!

[twiss]

This looks like a pretty good deal on the MightyMig 150

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-MIGHTYMI ... 311&sr=1-3

I would honestly go for gas... 100%
and it IS a good idea to get your own welder... you may pay £250 inc the gas and bottle deposit, but you do a few bits of welding and its paid for itself already!

I would usually suggest Adams Gas for the Mig gas as they do deposit on a bottle with no yearly rent, but their nearest outlets are Chard or Bristol.. which is a bit of a trek.