Thread: Which welder?

The BOC 180 or 175 mig cant remember what it is are really very stunning little welders, they only use the 5kg spool but how much welding do you really do at home, spray transfer out of a little welder or turn it right down for panel steel, also self setting with adjustments, gas is cheapr as you will use more with the tig
I know its not a TIG

I asked the same question at work on which is a good welding machine, both professional welders said get a Kemppi...."the price is forgotten long after quality remains"
So I bought the Kemppi MinarcMig Evo 200, Ultimate energy performance with portable comfort - Kemppi bloody nice welder, I learned to use a MIG during my apprenticeship an have been using welders of different types for the last 30 years, when my CIG 135 mig died, it needed replacing.
The Evo will weld up to 12 mm plate and down to 1mm. Fully automatic option for metal thickness and also has a manual option.
Just bite the bullet and get one. put away around $1.9K

Originally Posted by mikek

The BOC 180 or 175 mig cant remember what it is are really very stunning little welders, they only use the 5kg spool but how much welding do you really do at home, spray transfer out of a little welder or turn it right down for panel steel, also self setting with adjustments, gas is cheapr as you will use more with the tig
I know its not a TIG

MIG should be around 12LPM flow, TIG about 7LPM.
YMMV due to environmental factors, of course.

^^^Can confirm, welds rather well in spray in 0.8, 0.9 works a treat, the new model can do Aluminium via a spool gun, or pulse MIG without.

I'll put up my story for reference. I have done a bit of Oxy and stick welding over the years on projects, having done a TAFE course after I left school that covered the basics of both. I bought an oxy kit as I prefer using it for lighter stuff but soon found that bottle rental was costing me far more than the value I was getting from the rig with occasional use (and oxy is pretty old fashioned these days)

I am restoring a series 1 so the ability to weld aluminium was a skill that I thought would be useful so I signed up for a year of welding at my local TAFE and elected to do TIG as it is a bit more analogous with using the OXY than MIG. After the course I bought a AC/DC tig 200 machine from weldsmart ( who seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth). The welder was about $1400 from memory and it has served me well both as a TIG and a stick welder. These machines are available these days for about $1000 - $1200 and are all chinese made and badged with everything from BOC to Rossi brands. If you find a reputable retailer they should be OK.

I have been frustrated by the speed of the TIG sometimes on steel fabrication jobs when I don't want to use the stick and am casually looking for a reasonable MIG unit but am yet to find one when I have a pocket full of money, although there are plenty about on ebay etc.

I own a size D bottle which seems to suit my use and I get it filled with straight argon so I can do aluminium or steel.

Regards,
Tote

Hi, I think what you need to take into account here is that with TIG welding the surfaces need to be absolutely clean, there is better control and all that, but clean surfaces is what will get it done. (I joined 1mm stainless into a catch can). Any wind and you stop. As for Al, AC is used because on the plus cycle it cleans the Al, the rate of cycle is usually adjustable. Having said all that, I am NOT an expert at this. Raffynn

Thanks everyone for your stories and advice. I have just found out my mate with the mig has both a mig and a tig machine, both which I think are semi- or full professional, and he's said I can borrow one of them for a few weeks.

Having used a mig before I'm going to give the TIG a go (if he has gas) and see what I prefer. Then I can get a smaller machine for home, with the option of heading over to his place for trickier jobs.

Cheers

Dan

I did some professional welding with oxy and stick back in the 1960's and have welded at home and farm ever since. But years ago bought an $800 Italian MIG. Couldn't get it to work. One of my workers had a lot of MIG experience couldn't get it to work properly either. So took it to the tip. Bought a UNIMIG 200 for $1200 in 2006. Have welded very little with it and had it to the repairers 3 times for a total cost of $800. In the end they suggested a new control board at $300. I got them to set it for thin body sheet and used it about twice and now it won't work again. I have realed more rustry wire off the first and only big spool than I have used over 12 years. So it will also go to the dump. Cheap Bunning bottles are the way to go for home use. Now I want a TIG to weld cast. Yes I can weld it with my 44 year old stick welder still going strong with no expense other than a new cables and hand piece years ago. Yes I can bronze weld the cast with my oxy set. But thought a TIG/MIG would be a good replacement for the MIG. I have been told that AC/DC machine is best if I want to weld aluminium as well as cast. The Unimig Viper does look ok but it is the Unimig part that has me worried.

Originally Posted by Robflocar

Now I want a TIG to weld cast.

Iron, steel or ally?