Advice on buying a welder

[feralbass]

The machine you are looking at looks good, however, it is 15 amp.
From what I read it does not have HF, so TIG aluminium will be bloody hard.
Don't go gas less! Only time I go gas less is when I cannot get the big bottle to where I need to weld and the pony bottle is empty.
TIGS are expensive to run, gas, filler wire, nozzle shields, tungstuns (thoriated for SS and MS, Ziconiated for aluminium or the new duel purpose tungstun which can do both, something to sharpen the tungstuns with, pickling paste.
When you buy electrodes to stick weld, buy 4113 grade, Satincraft is a good easy rod to start with, stainless electrodes are expensive, (practice on MS 1st)
Why not buy 2 machines, a small dedicated stick / TIG and a dedicated MIG, so both of you can play at the same time.
You can buy a small stick tig for under $300 and a small MIG for under $700 easy. TIGS get expensive when you add HF to it for aluminium.
My preference on brand is Lincoln, however, I have 2 CIG machines and a Lincoln at the moment.
Practice and you will get there, buy a auto shading helmet, (mid range price) you will love that.

 

[breakbeer]

Far out, a lot more to consider than I thought.

I'll definitely do heaps more research before I make a purchase.

Thanks for all your posts & advice

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

If your not going to do Tig and Ally, then a cheap stick will more than do the job

You want a good mig with a good feeding mech that can take various spool sizes.

From what i have been told, it is the wire feed mechanism that is the biggest prob with MIGS. Nothing worse than welding away and the wire stops coming out

 

[Grott]

You want a good mig with a good feeding mech that can take various spool sizes.

From what i have been told, it is the wire feed mechanism that is the biggest prob with MIGS. Nothing worse than welding away and the wire stops coming out

So true and cheap wire is the other cause of wire flow problems. A quality welder, stick or mig will give top results with skilled operation. Remember a good looking weld is not necessarily a strong weld, a lot has to be considered like preparation, penetration, undercut, porosity and so on. The one thing that has always concerned me about "home handyman" welder operators is when they make things like trailers, car ramps and structural works with limited welding knowledge and skill, can be so dangerous. Be careful in what you do.
Cheers

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Exactly grott, as the above post (preparation, penetration, undercut, porosity and so on) with my welder I can carry out jobs at the top of the garden without losing power and if I want to use gas with it I can, if you are a tradie there is no reason why you cannot learn the skills of metal fabrication and pick it up easily whether it be stick, mig, tig or gas. As wiggy says one of the hardest things to weld with a mig is aluminium, when the wire comes out of the nozzle it is all over the place like a mad woman's ****.

 

[sp0rk]

I'll probably get told I'm a fool for this, but I'm about to buy one of these
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130810235087?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I used to weld as part of my job so I've got experience with GOOD gear, and I've used a mate's one of these, can't fault it for the price
looking at buying an argon bottle from Gasweld to go with it

 

[breakbeer]

I tried welding aluminum once, epic fail

I told my old boss in the job interview that I don't know how to weld, on my first day in the job he gives me a 5 minute lesson then leaves me to it. Needless to say I blew a massive hole in the extruded Ali & ruined the lightbox

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Aluminium will actually burn which makes it difficult

 

[Grott]

Aluminium can be a real prick, have only welded with oxy and tig. The manipulation of the aluminium filler rod is the key.

 

[S.E]

Here’s my welder that has served me well for about 20 years. Not posting this as a serious option but thought it may be of interest.

I had to buy it in a hurry when renovating a flat at Discovery Bay on Lantau Island, Hong Kong after drilling through a water pipe.
Had to catch a ferry to the tool shop in Wan Chai. Then after a quick pint and lunch at the Old China Hand on Lockhart Rd, ferry back.

Luckily one of the guys working for me at the flat was a welder by trade but was helping out re-tiling the kitchen to make a bit of money before returning to the UK. At that time if you had a UK passport you were entitled to work in HK so young travellers would often head there to top up funds.

 

[Mardoo]

Wow that's terrifying in a weird way. Like something out of Saw.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Actually, thats basically what is in a stick welder, bloody great big coils

You can actually use 3-4 car batteries in series to weld.

Its just electricity. 50v at LOTS of amps

But the little invertors are much better and lighter


I remember growing up using one of these

 

[wide eyed and legless]

What did it cost Sean, and what does it say in the Chinese symbols.

The trick to getting (as good as possible weld) with a mig on aluminium, don't over tighten the rollers have a size bigger liner, and try to keep the torch lead straight.

 

[superstock]

If you want to weld aluminium have a separate torch lead liner just for that purpose. When you are welding steel the copper coat from the wire smears onto the liner and is picked up on the ally wire contaminating the weld.
A point to remember with aluminium is that the oxide coating has a higher melting point than the ally underneath and the oxide forms almost immediatly the raw ally is exposed after cleaning.

 

[Dave70]

I'd only add, if you go for a stick, stretch to a DC unit. AC can suck balls if you're still getting your chops together. Birdshit everywhere.
Smoothest welder I've ever used was our million year old Lincon SAE 300. You could use rods roughly the size of drumsticks if need be, then chip off the slag and reveal that sexy blue / silver bead.

 

[pcmfisher]

A good looking weld is a beautiful thing.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

 

[sp0rk]

Walkin' dat cup