New welder needed

[blakeyboy]

Hello all.

I've been busy on the F6- this time sorting out the front end.
It's got to the point where I need to go and buy a new welder.
it has to do 30 amps as it's lowest so I can tickle thin sheet, but maybe 160 so I can do heavier jobs like
fitting the front tie rod mounting really well.

I wouldn't mind trying one of the new inverter ones, so I could carry the damn thing easily,
but which one? Are they reliable? I don't want a cheap one- if they went wrong, you just have to throw them away....
I want a good 'un.

Budget maybe £500 max?

What do you think?
I was inspired to ask by Malcolm's emergency bonnet hinge he had to knock up, with the two _beautiful_ welds.....

 

[JdeW]

A MIG welder can be found on ebay.co.uk
Single fase with a maximum of 160 amps is sufficient. Be sure to use a wire fed (0,6 mm wire) MIG welder with mix gas (15% CO2- 85% Argon) that gives the best result.
Welding with the so called flux wire is indeed cheaper but so will be the result.

SWP Red line 150amp turbo mig welder (240v.portable).Includes full bottle of gas | eBay

<p>This is cash on collection only , do not pay via eBay </p><p>SWP Red line 150amp turbo mig welder (240v.portable).Includes full bottle of gas. Also gas gauges and a new small role of welding wire. This is collection only.</p>

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[DAA]

I have this one..

Bester 190C Multi

Single phase portable multiprocess compact welder. Output current: 180A@20%. This is Ready-Pack which contains 3m MIG gun, ground cable with clamp, gas hose and rolls for 0.6-0.8-1.0 solid wire.

www.lincolnelectric.com

I used on intensive mode on old car restoration and i had good results

 

[malcolm]

I've not been following welders for the last 10 years or so. Might be worth asking on mig-welding.co.uk/forum/ for suggestions.

I've got one of these: https://www.weldequip.com/portamig-mig-welders.htm Big old school thing that has a lower minimum amp setting than you would ever need even on R4 bodywork but perhaps more importantly a really big wire feed motor. Handy for the stop start welding you'll tend to do on thin panels. Avoid anything with a teeny little wire feed motor as it takes too long to get up to speed.

The inverter welders are getting impressive. They are somewhat disposable. Once they have gone they are gone. An old school transformer welder can normally be fixed.