Buying a CHEAP welder.

[troylux]

Hey guys,

I am looking at buying a welder
it will just be for basic repairs etc like
welding stuff to my chassis like shock hoops maybe some tube work, tabs for mounts for lights etc
i have access to a whole metal shop on most weekends
but i just want a welder that can do the easy stuff at home.
i am not after some a expensive welder.
i am looking at something under 500 dollars
what do you guys reckon
is a arc welder ok for thick chassis steel?
i do not know much about welders.
recommend any placed to buy from in Brisbane Australia
i don't mind 2nd hand
it is not going to get used a whole lot.
your feedback will be appreciated
Thanks

Troy

[Patroler]

yea an arc welder is fine for chassis steel and heavy stuff, plenty of arc welders fall into you price range, i'd go for one of the ebay inverter arc welders

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MINIARC-142-IGBT ... dZViewItem

something similar to that, ive got a peerless copper coil (heavy) 180 amp stick welder and an Ebay 200 amp Tig welder with Arc attachment and the Ebay inverter welder is that much nicer to stick weld with it aint funny...
Im sure there will be people on here who will say you should spend up and buy a quality welder but the way i figure if you're only using it occasionally spending heaps more is probably a waste, considering the factories that make some of these cheap welders probably also make name brand stuff and sell it for double... (yea ive seen inside two welders that were identical inside but varied in price $350 and $1100 ) similar to the one above.

[me3@neuralfibre.com]

These are cheap

http://halbot.haluze.sk/?id=3555

http://www.afrigadget.com/2007/06/03/ho ... g-machine/

Paul

[RUFF]

If you have never welded before or have never used an arc welder its very easy to get into a world of trouble with them. A monkey can weld with a mig. It takes talent to weld with an arc and actually get it right.

For $500 look for a good quality second hand Mig. You wont buy a decent mig for that kind of money new. You might as well buy a soldering iron as it will be cheaper and achive similar results but prob last a lot longer.

[LuxyBoy]

Do the inverter ones really perform that much better
I have been told that they don't splatter at all

[rezpkt]

there was a recent catalogue in the paper with CIGWELD 140 ARC at $189

your looking over 1k for a mig or as above try find second hand one.
I dont have my own welder yet (still doing welding courses) but have access to a unimig350 at work.

I really like arc, just buy a few packs of rods and run straight lines on different angles and positions before attempting to weld something if you dont have much experience etc.
If possible i always lay down a few lines on material before welding it up.

A MiG is certainly alot easier, and TIG is alot ShortyIQ harder.

have fun

[Patroler]

Do the inverter ones really perform that much better
I have been told that they don't splatter at all

I got mine purely for the Tig function and never tried the Arc as i figured i had the peerless and the Tig didn't come with the stick holder, had to do some welding a month ago and the peerless was packed under shite so i got a cable and holder for the Tig/inverter, i was very surprised a few thing i noticed were, heaps easier arc starting esp with cold rods, the arc was a lot more stable in that if i was in an awkard position and pulled the rod away a bit too far the arc wouldn't stop, the inverter unit didn't seem to need the same amperage e.g. i may go with 130 amps for a 3.2mm gp on the inverter whereas on the old style welder may run comparably on 160ish...
As for splatter, they dont splatter nearly as much as the old style, still do a little when welding dirty stuff though.
I was pretty much sold after that, i'm sure not all inverter welders are the same but mine seems good, i'd consider myself a semi reasonable stick welder and an above average Tig welder (not quite to the standard of some on this board though - you know who you are )

A MiG is certainly alot easier, and TIG is alot ShortyIQ harder

Tig isn't THAT hard to get the hang of, similar to oxy welding, melt, dip, melt, dip etc, its just slow and neat and like all things works much better if you spend time on preperation, also is alot easier to get the hang of with an auto helmet as you need two hands to weld HF start makes it even easier still, pretty much its an electric flame, and even looks like a flame - zero splatter you can weld in good clothes!

[g60boy]

there was a recent catalogue in the paper with CIGWELD 140 ARC at $189

best bang for buck, this little unit is, it says about 60% duty @110 amps, but i think its wrong, i recon its better. i had one flat out @ 140 amps for 4hours, it didnt even think twice about it!!!

[Nelso]

By the time you reload rods you run about 60% anyway. I run the one I use (in law's) flat out 90% of the time. Good little welder for the price. Would love a mig though.

[xm302]

considered gasless mig?
can get them pretty cheap and easy to use for the beginner

[troylux]

thanks for all the replys guys

catalogue in the paper with CIGWELD 140 ARC at $189

what catalogue
any stores you guys know sell these


thanks

[slosh]

Got CIGWELD 180 "Easyarc" a few years ago... does about 10% duty cycle after first cut out. If you wait about an hour for it to cool down then back to about 90% for another ten minutes until it cuts out again...
I'd like to hear more about the inverter arc welders?

[cooki_monsta]

i think boc gas and gear or specialty welding shops, seen a few around

[Shadow]

i think boc gas and gear or specialty welding shops, seen a few around

ive got a little BOC 140amp inverter welder. Works brilliantly, when i try to use dads old dinasaur transformer one i cant believe how shit it is.

[rezpkt]

thanks for all the replys guys

catalogue in the paper with CIGWELD 140 ARC at $189

what catalogue
any stores you guys know sell these


thanks

luckily i kept the catalogue
UNITED TOOLS

http://www.unitedtools.com.au/index.html

Weldskill 140 Turbo Manual Arc Welding = $189
Transmig 200 = $1189
Tecman - Automatic Darkening Welding Helmet = $99

have fun

[troylux]

thnaks guys for all your replys

troy

[shakes]

save your penny's and buy a good welder to start with.

I brought a cheapy to do exactly what you described, i generally used it to tack what I can together and go over to a mate's joint who spent the coin.

if your in melbourne pm me and you can buy it cheap cheap

Simon

[BlueSuzy]

some of the little gassless migs r good rnt they? bout $500 but... my dad has 1, good exhaust for etc not to good 4 thick stuff, mate has 1 same size etc, heaps better! weird twin fan, red machine, does thicker stuff well, acctually melts into the metal. cant remember type still a cheapo

[Mark2]

The reasons the invertor welders are much nicer to use than a normal stick welder is that they produce a DC arc - the arc isnt stopping and starting 50 times a second like a normal AC arc welder which uses a transformer. This means a cleaner arc and less spatter. You can hear the difference...........

They are also way lighter as they dont need a large copper core as per the normal transformer welders.

[Shadow]

The reasons the invertor welders are much nicer to use than a normal stick welder is that they produce a DC arc - the arc isnt stopping and starting 50 times a second like a normal AC arc welder which uses a transformer. This means a cleaner arc and less spatter. You can hear the difference...........

They are also way lighter as they dont need a large copper core as per the normal transformer welders.

they rectify the arc so it is still DC, its just extremely lumpy,(as on sweeping from 0 to whatever volts 100 times a second). Smoothing capacitors would be huge and expensive so you just have to put up with the lumpy unstable arc.

[mud4b]

got a mig welder for sale if anyones keen. i think it is a 190 topmig for around $600 needs a new lead (not much $). the old man purchased a new one ages ago when i got my Lincoln (he still has not used it, old boilermaker so loves using a stick welder), i know this welder has very low hours on it.

will find out all the info tomorrow and post it in the f/s section.

cheers mark

[bogged]

what thickness would gassless do? or is there more to it than that....?