santa's bringing me a mig welder!!!

[jaky cakes]

santa (AKA mrs jaky cakes) is getting me a mig welder for crimbo - which I haven't bought yet.
Anybody recommend / rule out any make / model? _ looking at £150 - £250 mark. for general, occaisional use.

[jotto]

santa (AKA mrs jaky cakes) is getting me a mig welder for crimbo - which I haven't bought yet.
Anybody recommend / rule out any make / model? _ looking at £150 - £250 mark. for general, occaisional use.

I would go for some thing like this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SIP-MIGMATE-PR...QQcmdZViewItem

It all depends on what you want to weld really

or this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-SIP-MIGMAT...QQcmdZViewItem

or there's this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-COSM...QQcmdZViewItem

I could keep going, It really doe's depend on how much you will use it and for what.
If you think I might be able to help any more give me a ring
07740 337153
Jon

[jaky cakes]

Thanks for that Jon.

I've been looking at these on ebay, and they seem quite a bargain - or just cheap!?
I read somewhere that the SIP Cosmo welders their wire feed/torch leads are prone to jamming up and could really do with a slippier liner (teflon/PTFE coated???)

[jotto]

Thanks for that Jon.

I've been looking at these on ebay, and they seem quite a bargain - or just cheap!?
I read somewhere that the SIP Cosmo welders their wire feed/torch leads are prone to jamming up and could really do with a slippier liner (teflon/PTFE coated???)

If you can get one with a euro torch as they can be easier to get spares for or replace.

[Phaeton]

I have a

Machine Mart

which for normal home use is fine, suppose it depnds what you are intending to use it for.

Alan...

[da SLUG man]

erm... depends what you're using it for...

no good for industrial all day welding... but for occasional use then the odd jam sticky liner isn't really a problem


we got a SIP welder (dunno what one, but it's quite big) it's fine.
(might be talking bolox, cos it's not in my garage... i think it's a SIP)

the paint compressor's a SIP, it's great, just a little noisy

[jaky cakes]

I'll be using it mainly for knocking up brackets, mild steel, 5mm thick / garden trelis/gates / car body embelishment and generaly fannying about. I'll not be using it for prolonged periods

[da SLUG man]

I'll be using it mainly for knocking up brackets, mild steel, 5mm thick / garden trelis/gates / car body embelishment and generaly fannying about. I'll not be using it for prolonged periods

god thing with a SIP is, if it breaks on a sunday, you can pop in halfords and get parts

they do all the nozzles, liners, gas, etc.

[Mike Fraser]

DON'T get a gassless one. If you're welding up 5mm, get at least a 150, higher if you can afford it. As soon as you get it, junk the regulator provided & don't even think about the disposable bottles. Get a propper regulator & an account with BOC or some other supplier & get 'real' size bottles. I've got a MigMate 130 & it works fine but I really wish I'd gone for the 150 now as the 130 struggles a little on thicker steel. Fine for 3mm & below, though. Just do a google search & you'll come up with masses of suppliers, if you go for a recognised name like SIP or Sealey, you won't go far wrong.

[Taliesins]

santa (AKA mrs jaky cakes) is getting me a mig welder for crimbo - which I haven't bought yet.
Anybody recommend / rule out any make / model? _ looking at £150 - £250 mark. for general, occaisional use.

I have one from machine mart (151ENB) £199 Dual purpose ie. gas or gas less you just have to buy the regulator and gas all other fittings come with it. I can recommend this model but as has been said gas is easier (not as much splatter).

[fatfires]

I have been running a Sealey supermig 195 for 6years without any problems at all, do your homework on 'proper' gas bottles though, some rentals are a bit high, it is also an advantage if you can run the big reels of wire, .6,.8+1.0mm, a euro torch is also a good idea for spares etc as is an automatic mask.
burn that metal

[jaky cakes]

well i've just bought myself (or rather the wife has bought me) a mig welder.
Its a gas/gasless Cosmo 170 turbo fan cooled mig welder. capable of welding upto 6mm mild steel (apparently).
best of all - it was cheap as chips - from B&Q £150 !!!
Checked out hafords and machine mart then went to B&Q who were offering a 20% reduction.
The only snag is, being a high power welder - it does not come with a standard 13a plug. It will require either hard wiring into mains via 15amp breaker - or some kind of industrial 240v high rated plug and socket.
Also now require a proper bottle and regulator.
I can't wait until crimbo....i may have to ahem try it out first - just to make sure it works
before she wraps it up and sticks it under the tree!