Welder

[Stroppymonkey]

I am considering buying a welder but am very out of the loop. If something for work needs doing we have access to a clever fabricator and I've got metal workshops on my doorstep and multiple fabrication company's a mile away, so I've never bothered.
For a personal project on the farm I've got a couple of ratty containers that need a few patches and I fancy relearning to weld.
I was taught on my grandads MIG when i was a kid (it was bigger than me) and was reasonably proficient on stick as well. Also taught to weld lead when at college. Made a lot of useful stuff, but now haven't touched a welder in over 20 years. What's going to be best for bodging plates/brackets/patches on a shipping container? Will need to be able to run off a genny as no power on site yet. 110v/230v. I know you can get cordless but not in my budget you cant!
I'm cutting a door in the side of one so i have some material handy to use for patches. Might buy a little sealy vice folder for helping create correct profiles.
Any suggestions welcome.

 

[doobin]

I am considering buying a welder but am very out of the loop. If something for work needs doing we have access to a clever fabricator and I've got metal workshops on my doorstep and multiple fabrication company's a mile away, so I've never bothered.
For a personal project on the farm I've got a couple of ratty containers that need a few patches and I fancy relearning to weld.
I was taught on my grandads MIG when i was a kid (it was bigger than me) and was reasonably proficient on stick as well. Also taught to weld lead when at college. Made a lot of useful stuff, but now haven't touched a welder in over 20 years. What's going to be best for bodging plates/brackets/patches on a shipping container? Will need to be able to run off a genny as no power on site yet. 110v/230v. I know you can get cordless but not in my budget you cant!
I'm cutting a door in the side of one so i have some material handy to use for patches. Might buy a little sealy vice folder for helping create correct profiles.
Any suggestions welcome.

R-tech.

You’ll need a decent genny tho, even for the 180a model. What genny are you using?

 

[Quattromike]

Warrior welders do single phase welders of decent size Warrior mig

 

[Stroppymonkey]

R-tech.

You’ll need a decent genny tho, even for the 180a model. What genny are you using?

My grandads one . 6 horse honda on a 3.5kw from memory but I’ll have to drag it out

 

[1RB]

TransSteel 2200 C

www.fronius.com

I’ve got one of these & it’s a lot of money but it’s the nicest welder I’ve ever used
I chucked it in the van yesterday & had it running off extension leads to weld up broken electric gate hinge box.

It’s really easy to adjust just one dial to change the thickness of steel your welding & away you go

 

[Quattromike]

If you’re looking for a serious welder we’ve been buying Miller welders lately in the workshop and been impressed with them. No idea about the Single phase machines but are decent bits of kit

 

[Smiffy]

R-tech.

You’ll need a decent genny tho, even for the 180a model. What genny are you using?

Agreed there service 8s great, speak to them over the phone and they usually throw a few but in for free. I know a few people that got consumables and I got a longer set of leads (quite important for the little mma machines as the ones they come with are only 1.5m which isnt great.

 

[doobin]

My grandads one . 6 horse honda on a 3.5kw from memory but I’ll have to drag it out

No chance.

Go to warrior welders. Their little diesel genny is optimised to run a mig, and it performs very well indeed. They do good migs too by all accounts.

 

[V8Druid]

No chance.

Go to warrior welders. Their little diesel genny is optimised to run a mig, and it performs very well indeed. They do good migs too by all accounts.

yep I have the 250A single phase Warrior MIG ...
bloody excellent ... and 4 roller drive
Phil Weekes is easy bloke to deal with and is just over the other side of the old bridge in Tockington (used to have a unit in Bath but now runs from his home) he builds MIGs and dedicated gennies to run them, if you need remote power
this is his Ebay shop

Pardon our interruption...

gone up a couple of hundred quid since I bought mine

Warrior welders do single phase welders of decent size Warrior mig

 

[V8Druid]

TransSteel 2200 C

www.fronius.com

I’ve got one of these & it’s a lot of money but it’s the nicest welder I’ve ever used
I chucked it in the van yesterday & had it running off extension leads to weld up broken electric gate hinge box.

It’s really easy to adjust just one dial to change the thickness of steel your welding & away you go

I bet it was ...... how long were your leads?

neither of the websites for these give an input current requirement ..... but I'll bet it'll be more than 13A to lay a decent run down

If you’re looking for a serious welder we’ve been buying Miller welders lately in the workshop and been impressed with them. No idea about the Single phase machines but are decent bits of kit

 

[V8Druid]

I am considering buying a welder .........

I'm not for sale

 

[Lancs Lad]

yep I have the 250A single phase Warrior MIG ...
bloody excellent ... and 4 roller drive
Phil Weekes is easy bloke to deal with and is just over the other side of the old bridge in Tockington (used to have a unit in Bath but now runs from his home) he builds MIGs and dedicated gennies to run them, if you need remote power
this is his Ebay shop

Pardon our interruption...

gone up a couple of hundred quid since I bought mine

Interesting...I was looking at gennies a while back and came across his stuff seems well priced and decent. Good to know

 

[Stroppymonkey]

This is all getting mighty expensive...

 

[JerryRtilt]

This is all getting mighty expensive...

Rtech have a sale on, a few shop soiled items

 

[Bri963]

Parweld, Thermal Arc, Rtech, ESAB, any of their small inverters but make sure it’s genny-safe if you’re running it off a genny. You could go for a single phase Miller but you’ll be paying twice as much for the same boards as in the cheaper ones. If it’s just for occasional work there’s no point going mad, if you can weld you’ll get a decent weld with a set of leads and a car battery.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

My grandads one . 6 horse honda on a 3.5kw from memory but I’ll have to drag it out

Well shows my ignorance even suggesting that! Needs more juice.

 

[Canal Navvy]

The small inverter welders all seem to be made in China so I'm in favour of cutting out the middle man and buy Chinese openly. Jasic are good enough for some of the big names in welding to use for their entry level welders and Headux I'm told are a breakaway group of engineers from the Jasic fold. The Chinese seem very open to supplying just what the customer wants.....if you want the casing punched differently and painted in your colours just fine ...... add stickers and a plug and it can be assembled in the U.K.
So far I'm still very impressed with my baby Headux

 

[heritage machining]

3 car batteries and a couple of leads makes fairly reasonable stick welder

 

[V8Druid]

3 car batteries and a couple of leads makes fairly reasonable stick welder

but not for too long ... and need a decent lead length, or a good cover for the batteries

 

[Stroppymonkey]

I'm looking at options of running a 100m 6mm arctic extension lead, vs getting the first part of the permanent electric supply (80 metre run) to an externally mounted 3ph dist board.