Welders

I use argonshield 86/14

nomad wrote:I heard the sealey 180's are the best out of the range well i know the newer ones are atleast   im hoping i can sort mine out  as i have  3 decat pipes to weld up for two of my customers  and cant put it off much longer  if i cant then im going to have go buy a new welder .....

My brother and I had a supermig 180, was probably 15 years old before it got stolen So i bought him this and he seems very pleased with it. Think duty cycle of 180amps @ 60% is good?

http://www.sipuk.co.uk/sip-05168-migmate-t194-mig-inverter-welder.html

Looks a good machine pete i have sip arc/tig inverter similar design i got to say im really happy with it ....

Im hoping to use it during my rebuild but need more practice with it and tbh i need more practice with my inverter arc welder

infinite power settings are great, lighter weight also can be good but main downside with inverter welders is potential for shorter life & high repair cost once warranty gone.
Transformers can last a few decades, work well in migs and if have 8 or more power settings they very nice to use .

Mr B wrote:infinite power settings are great, lighter weight also can be good but main downside with inverter welders is potential for shorter life & high repair cost once warranty gone.
Transformers can last a few decades, work well in migs and if have 8 or more power settings they very nice to use .

Wasnt aware of that, oh well its nearly a year old...

Ive had mine 2years now done plenty of industrial work with it welding steels for buildings aswell as other fab work and is still going strong .... so only time will tell i guess ..... your be alright pete if your not sure get your brother to set it for you then get welding once its set thats the hardest bit ....

ducie54 wrote:Chris is regards to gas ring BOC and ask about Argosheild, there's a few types depending on what ur welding.

I was either going to get argoshield light or universal but I'll ring them and ask what they recommend.

Is hit and miss with inverters, seen a few fail within 2 to 5yr span which potentially not good, repair tends be expensive too . Can be frustrating if you buy a £800 machine & 6 months after warranty ends you got a big bill again . hopefully you guys get more luck - got better spec machines in uk/eu market .

I have heard the stories of boards failing and being really expensive to repair hopefully i never find out .....

yeh it always worth a thought when buying, with likes of mig if you thinking long term trouble free then transformer could be way to go & if get one with good range of power settings it will be very versatile. Even transformer ones these days probably not what was, so much engineering these days is spent in making product just last long enough at minimal manufacture cost rather than an outstanding product.

Gave welding some exhaust pipe a go today, what a mess Got alot of practice to do.. Still learning the settings and technique.

Haha well there more you do the more mess you will make I mean the better you will get hopefully

it looked like I waved the gun around my head and hoped it made contact with some metal LOL

Maybe give that technique a try might work out better for you. Have you ever watched Wheeler Dealers? On discovrry channel. Edd China always makes me laugh when he welds as he gets all dressed up with leather apron, gloves and should protectors with his welding mask to do some bodywork he looked like a crapy knight lol

Haha no ill have to check it out always looking for new car shows

I like abit of welding but not when its every day doing mot repairs on old transits. I used to have a sip 130 then a cosmic which is the same thing and had plastic liners urgh rubbish. The cosmic was also gasless which i found terrible compared to using gas which is like using a welder when its out of gas. I used a 180amp sealey jobbie when i started my job and now use a sealey mighty mig 190. Does the job and i bought a migatronic 180mx which was great and had lots of features but i sold it a few months back because i don't use it and now i want one again as i'm leaving and won't have access to a welder.

Been looking on ebay and sealey mighty mig and DJM welders are the same thing, djm is alittle cheaper. Sealey is probably chinese just like there tools aswell as draper but the sealey does the job. Wouldn't mind another migatronic but they seem to be going for more than i sold mine.

I would pick a clarke over a sealey as not having much luck with my new machine the welds are inconsistant not very impressed with it much prefered my old school sip 150 .....

Try holding the gun at 45dg to the joint then use your other hand to guide it like holding a snooker cue and keep the hand on the piece your welding drag it backwards that way your keep a steady flow as you weld ...if that makes sense ...

Obviously wear a thick glove otherwise your burn your pinkies

Oldskool sip with wheel spool on top? I used one of those before and was better build and weld than the spool on the side version. Hate burning my hand

Cheapest place i found for gas was hobby weld because all the ones on ebay are collection only and up north. 60quid deposit then 40quid everytime. Make sure the metal is flat
Against the metal your welding to or if its gappy it will burn the piece away blowing holes.

Im going to spend some time practicing today so see how I go thanks guys

Practice and practice have you got a auto tint mask ??? As you start to weld hold the gun in the same place for a couple of seconds then you should see the weld pool start to form then drag it backwards keep the pool consistant ...

Yup mask is an auto tint one. I find I can see the weld pool really well but struggle to see where the material joins and where I need to weld if that makes sense.

Few beers will help mate. I'm a pro DJ when I'm drunk so any things posible welding would surely be a doddle