Mig welder recommendations

[Merlot man]

Hello all
I've been thinking of buying a mig welder for a while now , some thing that is easy to use and set up for a welding novice like me . It will be used mostly for light gauge steel like body panels etc . Looking really for recommendations on make / brand etc and where best to buy it , looking to spend a few hundred not a few thousand ! Also what type of accesceries would be prudent to get to help making the welding easier and better quality
Thanks in advance
Brian

[Real Rayzor]

Hi Brian. I bought a gasless mig welder for roughly €200.. and if I could go back I would hold out for a more expensive model. Welding body panels is very hard with it as it's just too hot for sheet metal. I would recommend a welder with good heat and wire speed adjustment. The cheap welder I have is gasless which is good for working outside as a gas mig welder will not work outside with a breeze blowing. A gas mig welder is better for working with sheet metal.
I'm not a welder at all but have found that with welding the more you practice the better the welds. I'm very glad I bought the welder it's a great tool to have. I can't believe how much I have used it since I got it. I would recommend buying good gloves, leather apron and mask as spatter from welds hurts like f@$k.
That's my tuppence, I'm sure one of the real welders will be along to offer better advice.

[back_in_black]

Hi Brian,
No advice on the welder but I notice you have 93 s Ltd on your signature. Ian's car??

[Merlot man]

Thanks for that Ray , I did consider the gasless type but heard stories similar to yours so might go for the argon gas type , you did a good job on your sills so your standard hlght be higher than mine
Alan your correct its Ian's car I was lucky enough to get it from him it's needs sill welded hence the welder enquiry

It anyone has some s ltd bits for sale I'd be interested car is generally in good condition but the seats need recolouring / replacing

[Merlot man]

thanks for the reply Ray , I've seen your welding on your sill and it looked ok to me . I've heard some good reviews on nutz about the Clarke 135 te mig . Does anybody have any experience of this machine ?

http://www.clarkedistributors.ie/index. ... uct_id=658
Thanks
Brian

[franksm]

Hey Brian

<haven't been on here in a while, Steve pointed me to your thread>

I am in the same boat - my '5 died of rust in the arches and sills. Being a yellow-reg all its life, it saw more than its fair share of salt. Then one final fling on the beach in Galway signed its fate. I bought repair panels (MX5parts) and gave them to a welder in Leixlip to cut, weld and paint. EUR500 later, the car looked fine and went well. Got through its MOT and all happy. Until the rear arches started to bubble and bulge. The welder had just patched ontop of the old rust :-/ So the '5 has been off-the-road the past couple of years - it's been parted out, I sold the turbo etc and was going to scrap the thing but... my heart wouldn't let me do it, so it's sitting waiting for a Car SOS type intervention.

Plus the fact that my main car, an XK8 is such an epic machine (I use that word 'epic' with prejudice), such a fantastic car with speed, noise and personality. If it was convertible and manual, it would tick all boxes, but as a coupe it's great. Anyway, its rear arches started to bubble and bulge, and the nearside sill started to crumble. Again, the salt problem. So last week I left it with a different welder (reactivewelding.com) and got the car back last Sunday.

EUR450 later, it looked fine to the eyes, all the shapes were there despite it just being painted in primer. Until I went to sand back the paint last night ready to put a skim of filler on and some topcoat... cue the crunchy noise of metal-over-rust. So I took a cutter and some pliers to the patches and peeled them back. Rust. The patches weren't even welded to the inner wing, just folder over. So I will have to get a refund on the welding (it was cash in hand, wish me luck).

What I am left with is to either find some other randomer to do the welding or else to do it myself. I have been looking at this device - it's pricey, but how often does one buy such things ? Should be good for 10 years. http://www.wholesaleweldingsupplies.ie/ ... ct_id=3285

[franksm]

Why that machine ? It gets good reviews around the net. And this guys explains it and demonstrates it fantastically. It seems to be a good enough machine for dummies, and good enough for pro-work too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BSpyqa-b4A

[franksm]

Rust prawn coming up, avert eyes if offended

This is the welded on patch after I peeled it back - and it has only been on the car for a week !!!


This was it before the welding "repair" began:


And the car itself

[sidewaysreilly]

Im looking for a guinea pig car to start practicing repairs. Have all the gear including MIG Welder. Should be up and running in the next few months when the workshop is finished. I might just get an old shell to pull sills off to see whats involved to repair a shell to better than new condition.( Properly protected in sill cavities etc.)

[Merlot man]

Hello frank
Thanks for the reply ,seems I'm not the only person looking at a welder!
I think that you make a great point its the quality of the repairs that are the biggest problem IE all rust cut out surrounding areas rust killed and rustproofed and quality repair panels properly welded in , sounds simple doesn't it !
As you have proved we don't mind paying good money for good work well done but it's a complete waste of money to pay for a shoddy job and in fact it just makes the rust much Worse in very little time
The rust in my mk1 didn't "seem" that bad , it was repaired in the past by welding in a plate and then smoothing it in with filler , filler cracked and the water let in but not out

[Merlot man]

That looks like a great all round machine for the type of work most of us Would be looking to do and the videos are really good !
I've seen the rear quarter repair sections for sale on a group buy on nutz for £54 each side which sounds like really value
Ive seen an ad for that reactive welding crowd in Irish vintage scene , they looked really good and professional ! Just can't trust anyone .
My glass of red is calling but must look into getting one of these welders
The idea of getting an old shitter and practicing on it sounds like a great idea to work out how all the panels fit
Thanks again for the replays, has anyone else got any advice ?
Brian

[franksm]

I'll donate a '96 shell for the cause.
I am going to break it at long last, in order to fund the XK8 rebuild...

That man doing the reviews makes it look soooooo easy, but the R-TECH does look to be a good machine

[sidewaysreilly]

Ill have a look at it so. First will be the toughest but easy after that.

[Real Rayzor]

That's shocking!! I can't believe a reputable work shop would do a half assed job like that.. it just doesn't make sense. Why?? Do a good job and you get a good name and repeat business.. Simples!!
I'm envious of that welder... I'm sorry I didn't go the extra mile and shell out for a quality unit.
That guy who does all the work on 5 's over on nutz Penarth says that his welding is good because of the welder he bought.. makes him look like a proper welder ☺

[Merlot man]

I read his post as well Ray I find it very good .you don't happen to know what welder he is using ?
I'm afraid that there are probably plenty of places doing just this standard of work ! The big problem is that it gives good places a bad name as well .
Brian