Thread: Cheapish gasless MIG anyone?

I hate gasless with a passion. I found it hard to use. I borrowed one from work, when I was employed by a large fabrication company. It wasn't an entry level welder, but all the welders and boilermakers had issues with gassless.

Yeah, gassless is hard work IMO. It does work though and if you don’t care what the welds look like and it’s just for basic stuff it would be ok. I keep a roll of gassless wire in case I need to do a weld outside when it’s really windy but I’ll generally postpone the job rather than do this as it is a crappy.

If I cared about how the welds look I wouldn't be even thinking about a welder

Originally Posted by Tins

Kinda dumb question. I actually bought a BOC SmoothArc welder two years ago. Good jigger, and way beyond my capabilities. Trouble is, it is now at my son's place over an hour's drive from me so it is also beyond my reach as the OKA I need it for is here currently undriveable. I need to do some simple jobs on it before painting etc. All mild steel, nothing more than 25mm RHS. I am NOT a welder, but I could get by on this. OKAs are simple souls.
I can't really justify spending much, but I don't want junk either. There are so many choices. Any thoughts on something below say $500? And is gasless ok, and easy? Well, easy-ish for a muppet?

I bought one of these:
AIG 175 Welding Machine MIG/ARC/TIG MMA Gas And Gassless MIG Welder
I am no welder either, but this reminded me how much easier DC welding is.
It's an inverter, does gas, gasless, tig (handset extra) and stick.
Seems to tolerate stuck/shorted rod ok (at least for a few seconds till you get it loose)
Gasless works in windy conditions where gas mig doesn't.
Terry

Originally Posted by Tins

...the OKA I need it for is here currently undriveable...something below say $500? And is gasless ok, and easy?

OKA? You going to drag the welder home from the shop? Or use the 'Little OKA' wheelbarrow?

Can't really recommend a welding machine - as you say, lots of them, mine are BOC and Everlast. Probably stating the obvious, reputable tool suppliers are OK, particularly if they have a long warranty, but still need to research their list of machines in your price range - youtube and on line testimonials. Chat with dedicated weld shop to see what they have; and if they're chatty they may tell you of machines to avoid, the cheap ones brought to them, purchased by owners elsewhere, now out of warranty and looking for some one to repair them (avoid).

I'll comment on my experience with gas - did you use gas on the machine the son now has?

I have no trouble using coreflux (gasless) for general steel fabrication. I suspect this would be your best option for the work you intend. Get some scrap to practice on.

I use gas MIG when I want a finish requiring less post cleanup and less likely to burn holes ie body panels of 0.9 or less.

I own an argon-carbon dioxide cylinder for the MIG, another pure argon one for the TIG, and oxy-acetylene. All purchased from Total Tools, but you can buy elsewhere except for BOC (the last time I looked). The cylinders I own are for occasional use, on hand all year, and so far I have spun the content of a single fill of each out over 4 or 5 years now. However, the 'You own the bottle' gas itself is much more expensive than the 'you rent the BOC cylinder' gas.

If I got the same gases from BOC for that many years, and wanted them on hand all year round, I'd have paid a small fortune in rental on the cylinders, even though the gas would be relatively cheap. And I would not have used any more gas.

You can of course, as soon as you have finished your small job, return the bottles to BOC to cut down the rental period and refund on unused gas. But then the next small job comes along, so two hour round trip back into town with the trailer. Then return the bottles...get the bottles...return the bottles...get the bottles...etc.

Renting BOC is good if you are going to weld intensively for a few weeks or months and return the bottles with the prospect of no more welding to be done for a long time.

I might add, the other reason I have been able to spin out the MIG gas over 4 to 5 years is that I use coreflux wire (gasless) when there is no need for gas. For many circumstances you don't need gas and gas is more expensive. Coreflux is also better for outdoor use, no carting cylinders, and better where there might be a bit of breeze that would otherwise blow away your gas column.

Any MIG you buy should take both gas and coreflux - make sure the gas solenoid is attached or supplied in parts.

Don't dismiss stick welding for what you are doing if the stuff is 2 or 3 mm thick. Some years ago my brother in law came home with what I believe was an inverter stick welder, nice and smooth. And it was so small and light you could sling the thing around your neck from a strap and climb a ladder no trouble. I think back 35 years ago and compare when I used a pulley and rope to lift a 40kg push-pull stick welder to the top of a 15 meter (5 storey) tank stand.

There is also the option of bronze welding.

Another little tip get some flat copper (split a bit of water pipe). Useful for backing. Put it behind the rust hole (cleaned) then fill the hole with weld. Steel won't adhere to copper. Saves burn through and lots of cutting out of holes to replace with fresh steel.

Originally Posted by workingonit

I'll comment on my experience with gas - did you use gas on the machine the son now has?

I've never used it. The deal was, he would go halves, we could use it on the OKA and he would teach me how to use it. It's taken two years for the go halves bit. It's an excellent machine, which is why he talked me into buying it... Cost nearly $2K.

Originally Posted by workingonit

I have no trouble using coreflux (gasless) for general steel fabrication. I suspect this would be your best option for the work you intend. Get some scrap to practice on.

I think that's what I want. There'll never be anything huge. If there is I'll go to his place and insist...

Originally Posted by workingonit

Don't dismiss stick welding for what you are doing if the stuff is 2 or 3 mm thick. Some years ago my brother in law came home with what I believe was an inverter stick welder, nice and smooth. And it was so small and light you could sling the thing around your neck from a strap and climb a ladder no trouble. I think back 35 years ago and compare when I used a pulley and rope to lift a 40kg push-pull stick welder to the top of a 15 meter (5 storey) tank stand.

I have a very cheap one of those. I have never had any luck with stick, and this thing doesn't help. The newer machines let you dial in the material size and they work out the current for themselves.

I have a fifteen amp supply.

Originally Posted by Tins

If I cared about how the welds look I wouldn't be even thinking about a welder

Don't forget about your welding friend Mr Distortion. He doesn't care about the welds either, or the fact that the door frame that used to close properly now doesn't. No chance of a few weeks at TAFE? Although these days there is a wealth of youtube on handling distortion. Just musing.

Originally Posted by workingonit

Don't forget about your welding friend Mr Distortion.

Have you seen an OKA?

Originally Posted by workingonit

No chance of a few weeks at TAFE? Although these days there is a wealth of youtube on handling distortion. Just musing.

They taught me a bit in the Army, and I have muddled along a bit on a real MIG moons ago.

This one isn't mine. Got to replace a few of the smaller pieces on mine. The panels can go back on with PanelBond, with just a tack here and there.

IMG_5297.jpgIMG_5298.jpg

There's some stuff in the back as well. I won't be touching the heavier stuff in the cab, which is ROPS.

When they built the early ones they didn't paint the RHS, just left it blue