hi all, could use some help

[haywire]

I only had a few of the 1.6s fortunately, all slag and a tiny bit of filler. found the sweet spot for them was about 60a, learning with them has made using the 2.5s a dream :-) so easy by comparison.

so anyway, I've got the bug! I'm planning lots of new projects. all of them have to be welded outdoor in the wide open and I'm using 3mm thick steel. so I've decided to treat myself to a better welder. I have 150 to spend and an inverter seems to be the best choice for my purpose, but I keep hearing that they are unreliable, and when they break they are full of SM components, so if they go wrong you might as well scrap them? I did see a video on YouTube (photonicinductions arc welders, at the end) and he gave a good look inside. it was mainly through hole components which would suggest they are diy repairable? I would like to hear anyones thoughts and advice before I decide :-)

the other option is a fcaw, I've heard bad things about those too. gas just isn't practical for what I'm doing and the gauge may be on the heavy side, but from what I've read I can expect all spatter and no weld? I like the idea of mig because its quick and easy, but if its not going to work it would be better to look at an inverter.

the projects I'm looking at are a heavy duty gate, a car trailer, some work benches and a steel frame for a garden shed.

 

[Jan]

Stick welders are usually much cheaper than a MIG box of a similar quality. Unless you expect to be doing a lot of welding in a short period of time then any machine of 150-200 amps should be more than adequate for any reasonable gauge of steel. As you say: the inverter machines are smaller and lighter, but transformer machines aren't much heavier for a given amperage. With MIG/TIG machines you will have to take into consideration the need for shielding gas cylinders which can be a PITA to move around or the need for a loooong gas feed hose. Gasless is workable, but the flux cored wires can give rise to a lot of spatter and you will need a gas/gasless machine.

For recommendations of specific makes/models check out 'Buying a Welder' and 'Welders and Welding Machines' areas further down the front page of the forum.

 

[PTvor]

You could get a big old oil-filled Oxford for £150 easily. Very reliable, good duty cycle, nice to use, very big and very heavy.

For just over £150 you can get one of these with a two year collect and return warranty

http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/welding_equipment/Arc_MMA_Welder/Arc_Welder_R-Tech_Pro-Arc135

but I think they may have short (1.5m) leads.

For £200-£250, you can get a several inverters which are well thought of such as

http://www.weldequip.com/mma-welders.htm


The industry has mainly moved over to inverter technology these past ten years. The reliability seems to have improved a lot, apart from the very cheapest. Considering what a buzz box would cost new (£75 to £100) and what a reasonable inverter costs new (£200-£250) I think the money is better spent on the inverter with a much better duty cycle, fewer problems striking and running rods and a wider range of rods you can run.

Many inverters are DIY repairable but it can be difficult to find service manuals and circuit diagrams, and they are a lot more complicated than the PCBs in the average MIG.

 

[haywire]

so much for my budget limit :-) treated myself to this
www.weldequip.com/tecarc-206i-dc.htm
had a ponder round the local shop and blew twice my budget. picking it up on Wednesday :-)

 

[Jan]

Nice!

 

[norlander]

love dinze plug kit-makes life easier-5mm sticks-blimey thats going for it-enjoy the kit happy welding.