Welding

[Robbievanguy]

Hi all how good or bad are no gas mig welders ,and what is the best one to buy ,dog leg on bus are getting a bit ropey so goba give it a bash myself.

[Vwstu]

Hi mate, I’ve tried a couple of smaller DIY Type mig machines both gas and gasless. Not a fan of gasless, have only used gasless a few times. never seem to get a nice smooth weld. Don’t know how much you know about it but basically the metal you put down as you weld needs to be shielded from the oxygen/atmosphere, the gas is there to create the shield until the weld pool cools and basically the metal sets. With a gasless machine the weld still has to be protected but this is done by a flux in the wire creating the shield. Not saying that a decent weld can’t be achieved as I’m a coded stick welder and weld industrial boilers and pressure vessels/ pipe work etc and in the industry I’m in flux cored mig is used for some pretty serious stuff, just on the small DIY type garage machines I’ve never found gasless very successful.
The gas you use can also make a massive difference. I’ve got a small Sealey DIY 130amp mig at home for VW welding mainly. I use 0.8wire and used co2 in the past but more recently been using co2 with 5%argon in it. (Burns hotter and gives a smoother weld) your local welding supplier can probably give a you advice. Maybe some on here have used gasless successfully But I’m not a fan. Hope this makes sense and is of some help.

[Robbievanguy]

Thanks for that I'm just toying with the idea seeing what's out there,will probably do them next winter so got plenty of time,cheers.

[tman]

A really good site for MIG buying advice is https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/ - they're a decent friendly bunch too!

[Robbievanguy]

The internet is a great thing but sometimes it can be bewildering ,some say this that ,headscratching springs to mind ,think that no gas is a no go ,what welder do you guys recommend, got a budget of around 250 cheers.

[58splitty]

Just go to boc and set an account up and get argoshield light, the difference is amazing
Just get a clarke hobby welder, theyre good

[Robbievanguy]

What model of Clarke you got cheers.

[vwJim]

Personally if you're on a budget, I'd get a used welder. A bigger used welder in good condition will be nicer to use than a small new unit.

Jen picked up a MIG including wire, helmet and gloves. Its been brilliant.

Oh, and BOC gas is expensive unless you use a lot of gas, as you pay yearly for the bottle no matter how much gas you use.

I got contractless bottles. Slightly more initially, but zero yearly costs. Jen's farm moved from BOC to Hobbygas supplier. Saving loads.

[Vwstu]

I started off years ago with a 130 amp Clarke, got it used for about £30 from a mate, at home now I have a small 130 amp sealey machine cost around £200 brand new. Both will do the job, sometimes a bit of a pain to get them running smoothly, once they are set up they are fine for welding campers etc but Jim is right, you may get more for your money buying used and bigger/ higher amps in good working order. The difference in the little 240volt DIY machine I have at home and the 415volt industrial machines where I work is massive. Obviously the machines at work are a few thousand pounds worth I think they are 400 to 600 amp migs and for industrial use, wire is too thick and really too big and heavy duty for welding thin panels on campers. If I was to buy another one for home use I would buy a bigger machine, Higher amps and I would look at used, I’d probably look at around 200amps plus and obviously 240volt for home use. Yes BOC is expensive and if you’re only using every now and then you probably don’t want to be setting up accounts either, I use a local cutting and welding supplies shop for gas, small bottle cost around £60 up front but then the refills don’t cost a lot, ages since I’ve been so no idea what they charge now as I’ve used works gas.

[rikkisk]

As far as gas go, another vote for hobby weld. Its just like getting camping gas. More initially as you rent the bottle but cheaper re-fills as and when you need.