Thread: MIG Welders - which one?!

Originally Posted by p38arover

Ahh, sorry, Lokka. I misunderstood. I use cored wire but I thought you meant I could use solid wire if I reversed the polarity.

Yep no probs mate the flux cored stuff is good and works best if the polarity is swaped round so the torch is neg and the work clamp is pos .....

As for you not beiing able to see what ya doing the gold lenses are tha go for blind people like me and you and there are also magnafication lenses too my old man has one of these and he welds alot beter with it tho he only knows how to stick weld and dosent understand the mig and rekons ya cant teach old dogs new tricks so wont use it

Thanks all for your responses so far. It has been an informative read!

I am still thinking MIG, but I am getting worried about the cost of gas cylinders...

Who here has actually done chassis welding with a MIG or a stick or both? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how it turned out, and pics would be nice too!

Thanks for your ongoing help.

For chasis work you could do it with a stick welder tho would take some practice and good prep work to get the welds good without blowing holes this is why a mig is so usefull as it can be set at a lower setting and lay welds easyer tho i could stick weld a chasis no probs tho i have many years exp on all facets of welding (wish i could spell and comprehend sentences like i could weld would keep ron off my back ) ....

As for welding the chasis with a stick/arc welder id try and get some 1.6 or 2 mm diameter WIA 13s rods or similar and go to a sheetmetal shop and get some steel off cut sheet in 1.6 and 2 mm thicknesses and spend a day in tha shed perfecting the art of welding sheet steel with the stick/arc this way u will get the hang of welding light gague steel before you go near the chasis and melt cavitys in it ...

Oh and look at the amp range on the back of the electrode pack and start at the lowest recomended setting and with stick its best to weld down hand or down hill up side down and vertical up is far harder and requires a bit of practice ....

Hope this helps

Originally Posted by lokka

(wish i could spell and comprehend sentences like i could weld would keep ron off my back ) ....

You teach me to weld and I'll fix all your spelling for free!

That's why I try to keep spelling corrections light-hearted. I'm good at some stuff, e.g., spelling; others are good at other stuff, e.g., welding.

Originally Posted by Shonky

Thanks all for your responses so far. It has been an informative read!

I am still thinking MIG, but I am getting worried about the cost of gas cylinders...

Who here has actually done chassis welding with a MIG or a stick or both? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how it turned out, and pics would be nice too!

Thanks for your ongoing help.

Yep, check out my website in the gallery and under technical in the Series Landys folders. There is heaps.
www.slunnie.com - Home > Technical

Oh...

Earlier I said that I thought the BOC ones were ok but don't cop heavy use all that well.

I broke a BOC one today and chatting around they've also being ****ing a lot of others off too with their random working.

The Unimigs are still not bad, but need to be chased a bit.

The ESAB's I can definately recommend. Great units and they don't give much grief.

We've run another brand also, and I cant recall what they were called, but so far they have been good also. I'll find out what they are.

Originally Posted by p38arover

Interesting that at least two professional welders in this thread disagree.

I'm a good speller but a lousy welder (I can't see what I'm welding anymore due, I suspect, to cataracts in both eyes - in recent years my son has done my welding but those days are now gone).

However, when I could weld, I found my WIA gasless MIG would weld quite heavy steel - even outdoors. The continuous control if wire speed is good.

The biggest disadvantage I've found is that the welds aren't as clean as gasless. I've got some uncored wire so I may try reversing the polarity and giving it a go as suggested by Lokka.

So the first professional welder said to stay clear mainly because they are IN MOST CASES made for smaller work Ron, as well as the price of the wire is pretty exy in comparison to a box of rods for a DC arc welder.

I worked in an engineering shop since the age of 12 and I have 6 different welding certificates, some industry and some trade so I kinda do have a bit of an idea of what Im on about.

Originally Posted by mcrover

as well as the price of the wire is pretty exy in comparison to a box of rods for a DC arc welder.

Is gasless MIG wire that expensive!

I'll stay with gas thanks.