Welder advice

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ChrisJC
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Welder advice

Post by ChrisJC »

Chaps,
I have a trusty Clarke MIG 90 welder:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clarke-Pro-90 ... ScS1CmGeEA
But I need to do a load of Land Rover chassis welding, and I don't think it's quite up to the job.
So I need a new welder.
I quite like MIG, but I rather think it's a bit obsolete nowadays. And sometimes I try to do aluminium.....
What should I buy?
Thanks,
Chris.


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katanaman
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Post by katanaman »

Mig isn't obsolete. If you are thinking TIG forget it on old metal such as patching chassis. For that type of work MIG is still the welder of choice or on thicker metal maybe even a stick welder, especially if your outside where there is any breeze. MIG will weld aluminium by the way.

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Post by gelmonkey »

Hi Chris
I have a Sealey 180 set up here at home and it is a great bit of kit and I especially like the gun as the trigger is built into the handle.
A buddy of mine has a Cebora which is also a great bit of kit but the trigger is pooh and very flimsy
Both Lincoln and Miller do dual purpose ie mig and tig units but they are pricey.

Have a little look on some welding forums and see what the opinions are on them then go check out Ebay.

cheers
P

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Post by stevieturbo »

Most dual units will be DC only...ie no aluminium.

So really it's a case of buying a machine for the specific job in hand. I've had an old Murex 140A machine for over 25 years and it's been superb. Had a few minor niggles over the years, but it's still working well.

I've an R-Tech TIG for the alloy stuff, had it a few years too and no complaints. A few friends have used their MIG units too and always had good reports.
Their pricing isnt bad. 180A would easily cover anything you'd ever do on a car.

http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/mig-weld ... -i-mig180/


But there is no way you'd be TIG'ing anything rusty at all, and it would be very awkward on car bodywork, as well as very slow. MIG is the best way.

Something with a good spread of power, and wire speeds.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/equipment.htm

Always worth searching here too, might even find a good used unit. The Volkzone deal via BOC also makes gas affordable, although places like Hobbyweld do no contract bottles too. Again, I wouldnt f**k about with CO2, get proper gas.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/

Lots on that forum seem to like the PortaMIG stuff....Weldequip seem to run the forum and sell these and claim they're very good at low outputs, ie for thin metal which is handy for bodywork.

http://www.weldequip.com/portamig-165-mig.htm

Dont be under an illusion you need a welder with lots of nobs, flashy lights or stuff like that. I'm sure they have their place, but simple is good !
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Post by unstable load »

I have a Matweld MIG and it is Ally capable. It requires reconnecting the leads with a jumper to reverse the polarity of the gun/earth clamp.
Cheers,
John

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Post by stevieturbo »

unstable load wrote:I have a Matweld MIG and it is Ally capable. It requires reconnecting the leads with a jumper to reverse the polarity of the gun/earth clamp.
All MIG's are capable of alloy, but most will require a spool gun and a competent user. It aint for the faint hearted.

TIG ( AC ) is a much slower and for average user easier process as it gives the user far more control.
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ChrisJC
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Post by ChrisJC »

Thanks for the info chaps. I have done ally with my current MIG, with pretty good results, and although I don't do it often, it is handy. As is stainless.

I think I might put my hand in my pocket and get that PORTAMIG 165. Looks good.

Chris.
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Post by chodjinn »

I have a Lincoln electric, awesome welder. Never had any issues with it, used it to restore my skyline shell and now using it to make intercooler brackets etc.
RIP MGB V8 .... served me well as a learning curve.

R32 Skyline V8 .... this one is gonna be a monster!

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