Thread: MIG /TIG whats the difference?

G'day HangOver,

Tig welders are quite different than Mig welders... Tig creates an arc that melts the metal you wish to weld (similar to Mig) but if you require a filler you need to add it by hand - kinda like Fusion welding with Oxy Acetylene.

Tig is fantastic for welding thin materials and especially stainless steel as you can welds neatly without a much conductivity of heat (stainless steel expands greatly with heat).

Mig is much easier to use, it has more applications for the hobbyist or general metal fabrication workshop - Tig always will require gas where you can get gasless Mig wire.

Hope this helps,

chosen

thanks for the quick reply , looks like MIG for me
ta

Mig has a wire feed which is charged and is fed into the work through the handpiece and creates the 'spark' which melts the metal of the piece being joined, the wire then is melted and fills in the gap, generally this occurs inside a gas shield. therefore not really good to use in a windy situation. This gas shield eliminates oxygen from the weld thereby resulting in less slag. Gasless wire can be used which eliminates the use of gas as the wire is coated much like an arc welder rod and creates a gas shield around the weld ....results in a bigger build up of slag. TIG is an electrode which is charged and creates the 'spark' which melts the metal being joined. The filler is added by a wire held seperately to the handpiece much like brazing with oxy and filler wire. Tig in the hands of an expert results in a really neat weld, in the hands of us lesser mortals not so good....that is why God created mig

I have seen two
100amp and 130amp the later being $35 more.

I want to weld stuff on the RR eg sliders, exhausts, bash plate etc are both of these suitable?

A 130 amp would be a bit low powered for bash plates etc. A 160 amp welder would be a better choice for all round LR repairs / mods.

If you like tidy work, get a TIG. They are easy to use and give a much nicer weld. If you just want to throw some metal bits together with no respect for tolerances, get a MIG.

Personally, i have a 130Amp MIG for tacking things, and then use a 160Amp Tig to reweld my joins.

Ultimately though, TIG requires care preparing joins, MIG requires care cleaning them up.

Cheers!

Like I said, get a mig welder... if you have it set up right it will weld very nicely. Have a steady hand and keep your body well ballanced. Get an auto darkening welding helmet, practice on the same stock material as you intend to weld. They can weld very nice neat welds once you know what you're doing.

I've had two stick welders for a while, an old K-mart special 2 speed job and more recently a CIG Caddy. Can't weld for sh*t with either of them - have always left the welding to my son.

Purchased a MIG a couple of weeks ago advertised on special through a local business here. Surprise - I can now weld.

Must agree with a previous comment though - get yourself an auto-darkening helmet - they make all the difference.