Hi,

Has anyone any experience with the cheap electric welder advertised in
Toolstation (£48)?

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Powe...ent/d40/sd2666

I only want it for small occasional jobs such as repairing lawnmowers, etc.
Would anyone recommend it?... suggest an alternative?

TIA Colin

Colin wrote:

Has anyone any experience with the cheap electric welder advertised in
Toolstation (£48)?

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Powe...ent/d40/sd2666

I only want it for small occasional jobs such as repairing lawnmowers, etc.
Would anyone recommend it?... suggest an alternative?


This is an arc welder. Arc welders are really not suitable for thin
sheet work (unless the intention is to make holes in the workpiece). A
mig is a far better option, and much easier to learn on than arc.


--
Grunff

This is an arc welder. Arc welders are really not suitable for thin
sheet work (unless the intention is to make holes in the workpiece). A mig
is a far better option, and much easier to learn on than arc.

What would one use an arc welder for?

Colin

Colin wrote:

This is an arc welder. Arc welders are really not suitable for thin
sheet work (unless the intention is to make holes in the workpiece). A mig
is a far better option, and much easier to learn on than arc.

What would one use an arc welder for?

Repairing metal from 5mm thick or so upwards. In general a small MIG
welder will work well from 1mm or so up to maybe 5mm, thicker than
that and you need an arc welder (or a bigger MIG). It's probably
easier to make good welds with a MIG than with an arc welder at all
thicknesses, it's just that a MIG for welding thick plates is much
more expensive than an arc welder for the same thickness.

--
Chris Green

Colin wrote:
This is an arc welder. Arc welders are really not suitable for thin
sheet work (unless the intention is to make holes in the workpiece). A mig
is a far better option, and much easier to learn on than arc.


What would one use an arc welder for?


Apart from blowing holes in sheet steel? Welding big stuff, 6mm or
thicker angle iron for example. I don't like them much.


--
Grunff

Apart from blowing holes in sheet steel? Welding big stuff, 6mm or thicker
angle iron for example. I don't like them much.

Can you recommend a low-end mig please.

Colin

"Colin" wrote in message
...
Apart from blowing holes in sheet steel? Welding big stuff, 6mm or
thicker
angle iron for example. I don't like them much.

Can you recommend a low-end mig please.

Have a look at the clarke range sold by machine mart

Regards Jeff

Colin wrote:

Can you recommend a low-end mig please.


Not really, most low end migs aren't great. The biggest problem with
them tends to be the quality of the wirefeed. I have a Clarke 150, which
is perfectly usable, but doesn't compare too well next to non-hobby migs.


--
Grunff

Colin wrote:
Has anyone any experience with the cheap electric welder advertised in
Toolstation (£48)?

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Powe...ent/d40/sd2666

I only want it for small occasional jobs such as repairing lawnmowers, etc.
Would anyone recommend it?... suggest an alternative?

It's OK, but issues are a) the kit that comes with it, i.e. the earth
clamp will go sloppy, and the electrode holder is a bit delicate,
however you can improve these with pliers, wire, and inner tube! The
mask is pants, so you should buy a better one. It's fine for "repairing
lawnmowers, etc" except that you need to be aware that it's not easy to
weld stuff thinner than 1mm, and that some mower parts are made of cast
iron, which needs pre-heating and careful cooling plus the use of a
special filler (stainless rods will do) to have a chance of welding (and
it helps if the weld is a simple one!). If you use this machine to weld
using high currents, it will overheat on you after a while and cut out -
an ordinary fan blowing air through the louvres on the case helps a lot.
You will be able to weld thick stuff with multiple passes.

Not really, most low end migs aren't great. The biggest problem with them
tends to be the quality of the wirefeed. I have a Clarke 150, which is
perfectly usable, but doesn't compare too well next to non-hobby migs.

I also have a Clarke 150 which I picked up through eBay. I tend to use it
gasless: more expensive wire but cheaper on gas, also gas tends to blow away
outdoors unless it is very calm or well sheltered. Much easier for a
beginner than MIG. Think about an auto-darkening helmet, about £100.

Newshound wrote:
Not really, most low end migs aren't great. The biggest problem with them
tends to be the quality of the wirefeed. I have a Clarke 150, which is
perfectly usable, but doesn't compare too well next to non-hobby migs.

I also have a Clarke 150 which I picked up through eBay. I tend to use it
gasless: more expensive wire but cheaper on gas, also gas tends to blow away
outdoors unless it is very calm or well sheltered. Much easier for a
beginner than MIG. Think about an auto-darkening helmet, about £100.

If you shop around you may be able to get an 'automatic helmet' for
quite a bit less than £100. I got mine for £69 after a fair amount of
googling.

--
Chris Green

wrote:
Can you recommend a brand of gasless, flux cored, 9mm wire?

Eh??

wrote:

Can you recommend a brand of gasless, flux cored, 9mm wire? I have
been very unimpressed with the little reel I tried.


That must be one hell of a mig!

Have you tried gas mig? It's much nicer and cleaner than gasless.


--
Grunff

In article ,
" says...
On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:17:46 +0100, "Newshound"
wrote:
hobby migs.

I also have a Clarke 150 which I picked up through eBay. I tend to use it
gasless: more expensive wire but cheaper on gas,
Can you recommend a brand of gasless, flux cored, 9mm wire? I have
been very unimpressed with the little reel I tried.

It's all pretty much the same IME - did you have the polarity set
right?

wrote:
Colin wrote:

This is an arc welder. Arc welders are really not suitable for
thin
sheet work (unless the intention is to make holes in the
workpiece). A mig
is a far better option, and much easier to learn on than arc.

What would one use an arc welder for?

Repairing metal from 5mm thick or so upwards. In general a small MIG
welder will work well from 1mm or so up to maybe 5mm, thicker than
that and you need an arc welder (or a bigger MIG). It's probably
easier to make good welds with a MIG than with an arc welder at all
thicknesses, it's just that a MIG for welding thick plates is much
more expensive than an arc welder for the same thickness.

--
Chris Green


I used arc on 2mm with no problem, and I would expect one could do
1.6mm easily enough, and maybe less. Its a question of technique
really: it is certainly easier to blow holes in metal with an arc than
with a nice wire feed. But that doesnt mean you have to blow those
holes, it is optional.

If youre popping holes with an arc, it means youre overheating the
workpiece. There are 2 possible remdies: 1 reduce the current, 2 play
the arc so the same heat spreads over slightly more area.

NT

In article . com, wrote:


I used arc on 2mm with no problem, and I would expect one could do
1.6mm easily enough, and maybe less. Its a question of technique
really: it is certainly easier to blow holes in metal with an arc than
with a nice wire feed. But that doesnt mean you have to blow those
holes, it is optional.


I'd agree with that.

I treated myself to a SIP 140 arc welder a month or so back and have been
teaching myself to weld in the garden.

I've been able to weld 2mm sort of OK and I'm only a beginner! In the
distant past I have done a bit of gas welding and I'm using the same
technique of weaving with the stick that I was taught to do with the
gas torch.

Saying that I'm still not up to production quality but I reckon it'll
come with practice.


--
simon at sbarr dot demon dot co dot uk
Simon Barr.
'97 110 300Tdi.