Hi everyone, would you be so kind to give a begginers advice?

[TiagoFigueiredo]

Hi good forum people , and thanks for visiting my topic, new complete begginner in the soldering world here and trying to buy my first machine. and wondering if good people here could help me choose on the below models.
I have had some chats with some friends about it, living in Europe, so in a nutshell, a 220v machine, and looking to try to use it for cast iron, galvanized, stainless steel and of course aluminum, thin and thick.

Tons of info out there so easy to get confused, so please pardon if any mistakes are written here. Got some spares parts of iron bar to start and a soldering table already set, looking for something around 200amps, if possible an lighter weigh inverter with ARC MMA, MIG (and flux) and AC / DC Tig, and if possible a plasma cutter, would be a plus.

My budget is around 400 but i dont mind saving a bit more for a better machine.

Some extra specs and miriads, like acessories are appreciated, eurotorch, synergic mode and induction. Here are some models i first had looked into:

1-DECAPOWER FUSION PMCT-205
2- hzxvogen hvm270
3- STAHLWERK CTM-250

After found about the forum some models came up (not sure on which are chinese or european, just trying to get a reliable machine)

4-Bester by LINCOLN 190C Multi or BESTER 200S multi
5- Cros Arc Titan 160 Multi Function MIG Welder (SYN)
6- Bohler Uranos 2000
7- R-Tech 181
8- GYS Multipearl 210-4 XL Multiprocess (a bit out of budget)


Sorry for the long post, but there is a lot of info around to dive into. Any opinions are appreciated and very welcomed !
cheers

 

[Shedendman]

400 what?
my guess euros,correct?
with what you've listed there you're well short,in fact about 50% short
if your a complete beginner,go with something far far cheaper 1st,ie an older transformer mig etc
Theres an old saying ,dont run before you can walk

 

[TiagoFigueiredo]

Thanks for the reply! 100% agree on the saying, but i dont mind saving a bit more, like i mentioned and i do prefer an inverter to a transformer.

Im really looking for opinions on those or similar ones...

 

[angellonewolf]

Thanks for the reply! 100% agree on the saying, but i dont mind saving a bit more, like i mentioned and i do prefer an inverter to a transformer.

Im really looking for opinions on those or similar ones...

transformers are eassy to repair less to go wrong and generaly better built and as older bertter quality

 

[Shedendman]

Thanks for the reply! 100% agree on the saying, but i dont mind saving a bit more, like i mentioned and i do prefer an inverter to a transformer.

Im really looking for opinions on those or similar ones...

if your a total beginner how would you know the difference between the both?
As i said your options are limited with your budget,this just for a welder? What about gas? Other tools etc?

 

[eddie49]

Hello and welcome!
Your ideas and requirements are going to be really tough to achieve unless you can at least triple your 400 Euro budget, and progress from a beginner to an expert at a rapid pace.
The materials you want to weld - cast iron, galvanized ( ! ), stainless steel and aluminium, and the "6-in-1" welder capability, including AC/DC TIG and a Plasma cutter, are just unrealistic.

 

[Kram]

There are some chinese multi process welders that include stick, mig, dc lift tig for a similar price.

Quite a risk if it goes wrong, you loose alll your machines and not to say they are any good

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HITBOX-Semi-Automatic-Programming-Aluminum-Inverter/dp/B09XQQHFK8/

Stick, HF DC tig and plasma for £200

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plasmargon-CT418P-Welding-Machine-consumables/dp/B0CF964VWF/

 

[TiagoFigueiredo]

Thank you for welcoming me, I do get the point, id sure rather get a reliable machine above all.

I do live in a small space, i do know a transformer is heavy and bulky to move, hence my decision, also i do plan on getting a gas bottle, what other tools would i need ?

I've seen some on the machines i listed in no particular order go around 600, so none of the above would be recommended ?

And what realiable transformer would you recommend ?


Cheers

 

[angellonewolf]

you can try one of those multi mechines but as said they could last years more than lighty last under a year and you will have problems even getting it sorted


could you split your work a stick welder will most heavy stuff and a mig will do the thinner but wont do ally

 

[MikeBs]

Hi,
I am no expert and have an inverter MIG which serves its purpose for me.
It is heavy at about 35kg but I could move it if I need to. If I needed to move it from room to room then a trolley would be the answer.
As it is I don't need to move it. My solution was to fit a long earth cable and torch cable. I can now get to most of my workshop without the MIG needing to be moved.
It seemed a better answer than replacing the machine for a lighter one.
I think that 400Euro is unlikely to get anywhere near you wish list, unless you go for used and even then AC/DC TIG is an expensive thing.

 

[roblane65]

look out for a s/h stick /arc welder and mig , make sure you see them working before you part with cash . you might not even like welding ! leave the AC/DC tig for now as that's another whole world of bemusement just waiting to suck you in forgot to add you'll soon get peed off swapping stuff around on a MP machine some are an absolute faff !

 

[Hopefuldave]

Not that I'm much of a welder, but... I think it's wise to have more than one machine to cover that many different needs, a cheap plasma cutter (the ones from Lidl are very good value, I bought one a couple of years ago and it's excellent, I already had a compressor but there are now ones with compressors built in), a cheap used MIG can deal with cast iron if you use bronze wire, or steel/stainless with the right roll of wire, and it's a lot cheaper to buy a roll than another machine... Aluminium is going to be the difficult one, you're really looking at an AC/DC TIG, new that's going to be a big investment! It WILL do all the metals you can point it at, though, but will be a much slower process than arc/MIG.
I have a "selection" - an old oil-cooled arc welder, a small MIG I got for free but needed some parts making, and an old but very posh AC/DC TIG that I had to a) get a torch for and b) build a water-cooler once i had the torch and c) use on my rotary phase-converter as it's 415v 3-phase (used industrial TIGs are generally cheaper than "domestic", there's not the demains from hobbyists etc).

 

[TiagoFigueiredo]

Thank you all for all the comments, pretty much appreciated on this end.


I have welded before, and its not boring at all to me, its more like a necessity at this point if you know what i mean.

I probably will follow the advice on the separate plasma cutter, and a separate AC-DC TIG, however i'm pretty inclined to an inverter at least for ARC and MIG, anyone could recommend a good option, if not any of the list ?




happy weekend

 

[Dozzer]

Thank you for welcoming me, I do get the point, id sure rather get a reliable machine above all.

I do live in a small space, i do know a transformer is heavy and bulky to move, hence my decision, also i do plan on getting a gas bottle, what other tools would i need ?

Cheers

You are going to need
1. a good helmet.
2. gloves & overalls or something to stop your normal clothes getting burnt. (its UV it will burn your skin)
3. Grinder and other metal prep tools (half the trick to good welding is good preparation)
4. Decent set of side cutters/welding pliers.
5. Consumables (tips, nozzles etc) wire for each type of welding, just a 5kg roll of Silicon bronze if around 40 Euro.

Budget around 100 euros min for the above.
Plus a gas contract, if you really want to learn and do a lot of welding, disposable bottles are a good way to dispose of money

 

[TiagoFigueiredo]

Sure, thanks alot for the good info very much appreciated indeed, i can say like in fishing they preparation is all, so i do have a grinder and a gas contract, (and planning for a gas bottle too, and i do have some metal plyers and cutters around here)

And for sure i will go for the helmet, gloves and overalls triplet but i still havent found a suggestion for a reliable inverter machine beforehand.....

 

[aesmith]

i still havent found a suggestion for a reliable inverter machine beforehand.....

R-Tech 180 is widely recommended on here for MIG (also does arc).

 

[angellonewolf]

if your cheap like me ive used co2 pub gas for years and done ok with it its harder to use but very cheap £30 a bottle

if your doing paid work then grab the good stuff

 

[TiagoFigueiredo]

Sure will have that in mind.





Hey one vote for the Rtech 180, any other opinions are very welcomed !

 

[tom2207]

I have a Rohr , or however its spelt , it does mig and stick , and with a mask would come in under your budget ,,, worthy of a look.
The other names you have listed will be out of the price range your thinking about when you add a mask and a bottle of gas , and a reg ,,, gas and a reg will be the bit that tips you over budget ,,, a second hand machine would just about be doable but it will be transformer , so heavy to move ,,, what do you intend to weld first , or most of , as your original post is only missing titanium and you could build the space shuttle ,,, lol

 

[TiagoFigueiredo]

And copper unsure if it welds copper


i might get a mask as a birthday gift and ill invest in a gas bottle to begin with, and gloves and a suit
so im missing the welder....

Apart of the list i hear lincoln machines are very good too, but more expensive