Im thinking of buying a mig welder. Does any have 1 and would you recommend 1 for body work.
Thanks Telf
telf Officially Full-On Dubber
207 posts · joined Jan 2007 ·
Mig Welders
helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body
7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·
What is your budget, and what is your skill level?
Get a gas setup. Hire a bottle if you are doing lots of work over the next few months. At $13 month bottle rental, it is good value if you are using it a lot. Then drop back to using disposable bottles.
Are you considering over $1000? A cheap machine can be more trouble than benefit. You can sell a good machine after you have finished with it. That is if you just want it to do the body work, and that is it.
Get a gas setup. Hire a bottle if you are doing lots of work over the next few months. At $13 month bottle rental, it is good value if you are using it a lot. Then drop back to using disposable bottles.
Are you considering over $1000? A cheap machine can be more trouble than benefit. You can sell a good machine after you have finished with it. That is if you just want it to do the body work, and that is it.
helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body
7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·
I have used about 50 different MIG welders on panel steel, and my favourite is the Kemppi Minarc 180, and that is what I bought.
no1jc Commited Dubber
50 posts · joined Sep 2008 ·
for basic panel work anything 100Amp upwards will do, you don't need to spend a fortune, it's more about practice and getting the right settings and clean close contacted pieces of metal
telf Officially Full-On Dubber
207 posts · joined Jan 2007 ·
Ive seen some on ebay for about $220 for gas/gasless. Ive done a few welding courses in the past so am fermilier with welding. Ive forwarded a few to my mat who is a welder by trade so hopefully hell help me buy the best of a cheep bunch. Thanks for your advice.
cb john Wolfsburg Wizard
470 posts · joined Jun 2007 ·
I do agree, and you only get what you pay for.../ or less /helbus wrote:I have used about 50 different MIG welders on panel steel, and my favourite is the Kemppi Minarc 180, and that is what I bought.
STIDUB Over it.
1,497 posts · joined Jun 2008 ·
agree with helbus & cb, get what you pay for - ideally, my tig was $4500, theres a reason i bought it instead of the $1200 chinese/mass rebranded same shit stuff 😁
kempis, fronius, cigweld, all used alot for my work, theres a reason industry buys what they do, and good thinking asking the welding mate.
ps. forget gassless, they are horrid.
kempis, fronius, cigweld, all used alot for my work, theres a reason industry buys what they do, and good thinking asking the welding mate.
ps. forget gassless, they are horrid.
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
vwo60 Veteran Volks Folk
2,036 posts · joined Feb 2007 ·
A WIA 190 is a excellent mig, i am just about to buy one, $900. made in australia and no issues getting parts for it.
telf Officially Full-On Dubber
207 posts · joined Jan 2007 ·
My mate agrees with you guy's but my wallet does'nt. I think i might see if i can get a good second hand unit. If any one knows of 1 please let me know im on the goldcoast.
vlad01 Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber
4,270 posts · joined Jun 2010 ·
I only know of Lincoln, Everlast, Miller and Cigweld.
I have seen the Everlast at work and seem dams good!( Tig that is 😉 )
I have seen the Everlast at work and seem dams good!( Tig that is 😉 )
71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE
STIDUB Over it.
1,497 posts · joined Jun 2008 ·
telf, electroweld in sydney was the cheapest place to buy for me when i got my tig, 4k less than a local supplier my work goes through! could be worth checking them out
ideally you would want a small but heavily adjustable unit so you can match your own speed with material thickness, no point having 500A machine that wont go low enough for the speed your welding .5 -3mm stuff, after awhile you manage to do whatever with whatevers on hand at the time though, 200A cigweld is the most used at my work purely because its adaptable enough to do 1mm - 5mm stuff comfortably and quickly, in the last week ive been through about 15kg of stainless wire in it so i think we have a nice relationship now 👍
if only i got paid to work on my dub lol
ideally you would want a small but heavily adjustable unit so you can match your own speed with material thickness, no point having 500A machine that wont go low enough for the speed your welding .5 -3mm stuff, after awhile you manage to do whatever with whatevers on hand at the time though, 200A cigweld is the most used at my work purely because its adaptable enough to do 1mm - 5mm stuff comfortably and quickly, in the last week ive been through about 15kg of stainless wire in it so i think we have a nice relationship now 👍
if only i got paid to work on my dub lol
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
telf Officially Full-On Dubber
207 posts · joined Jan 2007 ·
Thanks for all you comments. I am now the owner of a cig mig welder $200 large off e bay Nice. Happy welding to me and the yellow sub.