Recommended mig welders
Turbo Mini Forums

Right, ive decided that I will do the bit of bodywork required on my mini myself when ive got the time. it needs sills and a couple of bloody awkward repairs, thanks to oversills that have previously been put on it.

my question is what mig welder would people recommend I buy I have my eye on this welder from machine mart, i'm looking at spending £200 ish pounds, and don't want to buy crap.

Is this any good?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p...52&r=2029&g=105

Edited by minimole23 on 4th Apr, 2007.

Just an Afterthought if i don't need to spend £200 ish then I wont, no point buying something more expensive than necessary.

Thanks.

Ive got a SIP migmate 150, does the job quite nicely and are reasonably priced

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SIP-Migmate-150-Turb...1QQcmdZViewItem

There are a few topics on this in the search. This one seems to fit your question.

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=7073

http://www.twin-turbo.co.uk
http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/default.asp

A man without a project is like a like a woman without a shopping list.

about 12/13 years ago, I blew my balls off and bought a Murex MIG welder at around £450, which was a huge amount of money for me then.
The guy selling did help me out with a free Argoshield bottle on the side though.
That only lasted a bit over a year though before I had to rent the bottle from BOC, still better than nothing.

Its a 150A machine, and up until about 2 years ago, performed faultlessly for me.
I had to get a new torch though, and do a little repairs to the wire feed controller.

Ive never used a gasless MIG, but I can say that IMO, it IS worth spending a bit extra, to get a good versatile all round machine.
Most car body work is relatively thin, so a proper machine will serve you better when it comes to welding thin stuff.

I'd also stick with reccomended brand names if possible, spares are usually easier to source.

ESAB are a cheaper brand, but apparently made by Murex.
Although no doubt there are countless other very good makes.

If you do random work at cars, make stuff etc, you will be amazed how handy having a welder is.
Once you've had one, you wouldnt be without.

Edited by stevieturbo on 20th Jan, 2007.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

I got a clarke 150te that my mate found in a ditch works ok for me,better than the cebora I had before and the spare parts are cheaper

Metro turbo weekend driver,Mini turbo in the making again!

I have a cebora pocket mig i got 2nd hand for £50. Its pretty old but works really well for bodywork and is tiny so moving it around is easy

The gas is far more important than the welding set.
A cheap mig will do such as Cebora, dont get a gasless one.
Contact your local BOC agent and open an account for a 1/4 size bottle of Argoshield TC. This should last you long enough to do all the welding you need on your Mini. Dont forget that you need a regulator as well, BOC can get this for you.
It may seem expensive to rent a bottle but you will spend at least 5 times more on small disposable bottles.
Paul

I seriously doubt it!

Thanks for the responses.

I was definately going to go for a bottle of argon gas, I Learn't to weld with a mig that used that so will definately not be going backwards.

I dont own a mig set but usually borrow our set from work, its an oxford 180amp, uses argoshield light, its a cracking bit of kit, great on thin stuff and plate.
Shane.

Don't use pure argon with a MIG for mild steel thin sheet, use an argon mix like Air Products Cogar 5 (I personally found BOC a pain in the back door to deal with and Air Products have been as good as gold!!!). Air Products Feromax 7 is also great for working with car bodywork and with that you don't need a regulator as it's built into the bottle so will save you a few quid and mean you can't set it incorrectly!!

I use a Clarke 150Te and it's a good machine for the money IMHO. I did replace the liner with a teflon one from new and have stripped and rebuilt the feed mech too as it was greased for some reason when new.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

I got a 1Kg refillable bottle,lasts an afternoon welding refill is £4 for Co2

Metro turbo weekend driver,Mini turbo in the making again!

Hi,
+1 for the Ferromax, it's great stuff, use make sure you get the correct fitting as this regulates the gas flow.
8 is good for body work, thicker stuff use a 10 or 12, they'll give you them for free!
It's a high pressure cylinder so there's a lot more gas in there compared to the BOC etc.
Cheers,
Gavin :)

Edited by Bat on 20th Jan, 2007.

VEMs Authorised Installer / Re-seller. K head kits now available!

WB/EGT gauges. Click here for customers write-up

Visit www.doyouneedabrain.co.uk

My Mini build diary

All great stuff, very helpful.

cheers!

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

Hi,
I don't know what pressure is in there as the reg is built in and the gauge has no numbers on it just green and red.
The volume of gas in the 1/2 height cylinder is as much as the full height standard type....
Cheers,
Gavin :)

VEMs Authorised Installer / Re-seller. K head kits now available!

WB/EGT gauges. Click here for customers write-up

Visit www.doyouneedabrain.co.uk

My Mini build diary

i use the sip 150 turbo, is good and worked fine for a few years now, youch wood

no longer a series, but still 1.3 turbo.

The "high pressure" Air Products cylinders are around 300-320 psi when full and a bit over half height so a similar amount of gas for less cash. The reason I use Cogar5 is purely I like to be able to fiddle with the regulation, especially useful for working in awkward places.

Argon will work ok, the real problem is how heavy a gas it is and how nasty a substance it is. When using Tig you tend to be stood over the piece and not too close to it at that so that fact that you have a heavy gas (so heavy infact you can't exhale it if you breathe it in!!!) isn't a problem. Argon is needed with TIG to maintain the arc properties.

MIG is a little different .... how many of us have tried to weld overhead or at a crazy angle when working on a car? Most of us I guess. The problem with using argon this way is two fold.

1) it will fall away from teh work faster and thus not provide as good a sheild.

2) you will die if you do it long enough!

As far as I am aware it is illegal (in a comercial enviroment) to use argon in confined spaces (like a pit) as people are easily overcome.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

i 2nd what paul wiginton was saying, i have a clarke 131turbo & i'm definately going down the route of a BOC gas bottle to go with it, i've had my mig for over 5yrs & she does what i ask, not had to spend on repairs as yet, the small gas bottles are a rip-off for sure

SKYLINES ARE LIKE CLITS, EVERY FLANGE SEEMS TO HAVE ONE: see this sticker on my silvia

the Search-section on this forum is blummin superb & simple to use, unlike some other forums, without the search-section & the help of this bunch of chaps on here i'll never be able to !!!Start the day with a 998cc turbo!!! :) i'm getting closer though!

Tom Fenton says: I have it all, make me an offer

Don't discount Air Products ... speak to both them and BOC before you decide who to use. My problem with BOC is that there are no depot's near me that will deal with a member of the public. Air Products have been nothing but helpful and I can go a pick up a bottle or get it devilered on either a tueday or thursday.

If I had a friendly BOC depot close it might have been a different story but IIRC they are a little more expensive.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

Like a bat .... LOL

Should be ok although not the optimum solution.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

the word optimum when Im using a welder doesnt fit anyway

Im trying though...

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

LOL .... my welding is ok but the fumes seem to remove my common sense .... not once but three times today I picked something up immediately after I put the torch down .... only upside is now I can rob anything as I have no finger or palm prints left ..... off to the bank

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...