Thinking about a Draper / SIP Mig welder

[bhorth]

Hello,

I've just registered to this forum, it seems to be the go to place for advice after spending weeks savaging the internet for information... Thinking about buying a MIG welder to mainly work on car bodywork, would like the option for welding 5/6mm steel and also the possibility of aluminium as eventually in the future once I get on top of life again I would like to fabricate some aluminium parts for the project car..... maybe I'm just dreaming lol but think I've narrowed it down to these welders.....

Draper 160A, AC/DC - although it has that in the name it doesn't mention again in the specs, also seems to have pulse welding function when u look at specs on Drapers official website, so although this is a lower power welder it does look attractive due to it features, if they're worth it...

Draper 70048 MWA160A Gas/Gasless 160A AC/DC MIG Inverter Aluminium Welder

Multi-function welder (MIG/MAG/MMA/TIG-Lift) that can be used as a gas and no gas welder. . Powerful IGBT inverter technology that is optimised for improved productivity and synergic operation. . Pulse welding and MIG torch for aluminium welding. . Features the latest digital technology (DTi) to...

www.lawson-his.co.uk

Draper 200A - Seems to be a bit more powerful version of the above but looses the pulse welding function?

Draper 70046 MI200A Gas/Gasless 200A MIG Inverter Multi Welder

Highly versatile multi-process welder (MIG/MAG/Flux-cored/MMA) that can be used as a gas/gasless welder. . Compact design features powerful IGBT inverter technology and digital display to create a very efficient machine that is optimised for improved productivity and ease of use. . Lightweight...

www.lawson-his.co.uk

SIP 200A Weldmate - From what I've manage to find out on the internet SIP seems to do decent welds, but have heard of problems with the spools in the past, not sure if they have fixed this problem with the newer models...

https://www.halfords.com/tools/garage-workshop/welding-and-metal-work/sip-weldmate%C2%AE-autoplus-200a-mig%2Farc%2Ftig-synergic-welder-334787.html

Any advice on the above or any other suggestions would be most welcome. My max budget is probably £360-£380....


Many thanks and really looking forward to learning this new skill

Bruce

 

[julianf]

Your time will be so much smoother with a 2nd hand portamig (etc)

Your price point is on the border between budget new, much nicer machines on the used market.

Whilst its possible to mig alloy, i fear its mention in the first advert is more a sales pitch than a reality.


Remember to budget for gas also. Realistically you wont get much change from £200 for a sensible option. The little disposable ones are, again, pretty much a sales pitch - they may be "possible" but theyre no way "sensible"

 

[JOEPRO]

Hello,

I've just registered to this forum, it seems to be the go to place for advice after spending weeks savaging the internet for information... Thinking about buying a MIG welder to mainly work on car bodywork, would like the option for welding 5/6mm steel and also the possibility of aluminium as eventually in the future once I get on top of life again I would like to fabricate some aluminium parts for the project car..... maybe I'm just dreaming lol but think I've narrowed it down to these welders.....

Draper 160A, AC/DC - although it has that in the name it doesn't mention again in the specs, also seems to have pulse welding function when u look at specs on Drapers official website, so although this is a lower power welder it does look attractive due to it features, if they're worth it...

Draper 70048 MWA160A Gas/Gasless 160A AC/DC MIG Inverter Aluminium Welder

Multi-function welder (MIG/MAG/MMA/TIG-Lift) that can be used as a gas and no gas welder. . Powerful IGBT inverter technology that is optimised for improved productivity and synergic operation. . Pulse welding and MIG torch for aluminium welding. . Features the latest digital technology (DTi) to...

www.lawson-his.co.uk

Draper 200A - Seems to be a bit more powerful version of the above but looses the pulse welding function?

Draper 70046 MI200A Gas/Gasless 200A MIG Inverter Multi Welder

Highly versatile multi-process welder (MIG/MAG/Flux-cored/MMA) that can be used as a gas/gasless welder. . Compact design features powerful IGBT inverter technology and digital display to create a very efficient machine that is optimised for improved productivity and ease of use. . Lightweight...

www.lawson-his.co.uk

SIP 200A Weldmate - From what I've manage to find out on the internet SIP seems to do decent welds, but have heard of problems with the spools in the past, not sure if they have fixed this problem with the newer models...

https://www.halfords.com/tools/garage-workshop/welding-and-metal-work/sip-weldmate%C2%AE-autoplus-200a-mig%2Farc%2Ftig-synergic-welder-334787.html

Any advice on the above or any other suggestions would be most welcome. My max budget is probably £360-£380....


Many thanks and really looking forward to learning this new skill

Bruce

My vote would be for the SIP there. Great welders and great parts support. I was able to order parts for a 10 year old SIP AC DC Tig I have easily at the time and repaired it myself.

 

[addjunkie]

Both those welders look have large diameter wire rollers, probably for gasless use. For car body work you want to be down at 30 amps, with gas, much better experience than gasless. For your 6mm you need roughly 30 amps per millimeter. Again you want a proper gas bottle and regulator not the daft little ones from Machine Mart etc, they only last a few minutes. You will also want to budget for a proper mask not the daft ones you hold in your hand they chuck in with cheap welders.

 

[winchman]

If you could afford a better machine say Rtec etc then any residual value would be more, but on the other hadn't I only had a SIP / Draper mig for years as its all I could afford, it not only rebuilt a few of my cars ir was often lent out. I used a Pub bottle of CO2 as it's all I could afford. We now have a Rtech with the correct gas and its great but a much bigger investment.

 

[Dragnet]

I recommend a used transformer welder, if robustness trumps portability. Repairable (often by an amateur) and sturdier. For your budget, you can get an old high-end machine rather than a newer one with more bells and whistles but with more cut corners.

I just got an Eland 200, probably from the '70s-'80s, for £120 through Gumtree. My previous welder was a Sealey 130XT Turbo which has done almost half an MGB and the whole of a 3mm-steel-clad house extension. I got that from a local ad for £50. I got the larger 'better' one because of the higher-quality Euro-torch fittings, 24 voltage steps for much finer control, and generally better hardware. And now I know I like welding so am willing to allow more room for associated gear.

A £150 pallet from eBay yielded an oil-filled 180A arc (or 'Ark' since it's so old...) welder and an industrial BOC TIG stack of boxes I have yet to investigate.

My point is that you'll need to spend money on gas, grinder, consumables, PPE anyway, so you could be better off getting a good mask and still be able to afford a cheaper older machine rather than having to reduce your budget and buy a lower specification new one. From personal experience, better tools make one feel a much more skilled worker!

 

[JOEPRO]

Modern inverter welders are much smoother and will shorten the learning curve to get the results you want. My pennies worth, I had a transformer one for years then "woah" when I tried my first inverter welder.

 

[addjunkie]

Modern inverter welders are much smoother and will shorten the learning curve to get the results you want. My pennies worth, I had a transformer one for years then "woah" when I tried my first inverter welder.

Id agree with an inverter been better than a budget transformer machine. And definitely easier to learn with. But an industrial quality transformer machine is a pleasure to use though they lack bells and whistles.

 

[bhorth]

Wow I check back to see if anyone’s replied and see all this!!! What a great community, I can see a lot of knowledge here… so for going for a second hand welder I wouldn’t know where to start of what was good and what was bad, and feel like I need these bells and whistles as complete beginner and would like to make it rather than break it. I really don’t have much more budget but I had already looked at the SIP 8000 helmet on top of the original budget. Don’t realise has setup was so essential so now thinking maybe the 160A version of the SIP Mig welder might be the way forward, that’s going for £260 at Halfords atm but completely out of stock everywhere. That would give me some space for some gas setup and bits and pieces….

Here’s the link of what I’m thinking, going in the 30A per mm rough calculation I should get away with 5mm weld? Maybe 6mm but on structural as it wouldn’t be anything vehicle related at that just maybe one of those diy welding tables….

https://www.halfords.com/tools/garage-workshop/welding-and-metal-work/sip-weldmate%C2%AE-autoplus-160a-mig%252Farc%252Ftig-synergic-welder-334747.html

I like the idea of having access to parts if anything goes wrong with it, I don’t think the Draper ones are as good for that as far as I read…

Many thanks everyone