130/140 amp arc welders

[straydingo]

I'm thinking of getting an arc welder for light duty jobs, and looking at these little 130 or 140 amp jobs
eg http://apac.thermadyne.com/south-pa...=5&SubCatID=29&ProdLineID=2&ProdID=529&brand=
http://www.ozito.com.au/arc-welder-140-amp
http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/on...amp.aspx?pid=296370&menuFrom=6053#Description

Realising that the duty cycle is fairly low (which will be fine for the way I'd use it) as are the amps etc, has anyone had any experience with these sized ones, and have any comment? And as an example of performance, would they have enough juice behind to weld say the thickness of the expanda OB chassis? (no thats not what I'd use it for, but its a thickness we can relate to )

I know, stepping up to even a 170 would be better and not much more cost, but they need a 15amp power point which I don't have at this time

thanks

 

[Stone Stomper]

Hi Straydingo,

I have a BOC130 inverter one and find it's fantastic, I've never had it cut out from too much welding and never needed full power, even for 6mm plate.

The inverter is so smooth and the power adjustment is very accurate especially for welding very thin tube.

Buy good rods though.

http://astillwelding.com.au/welding-machines/boc-mma-130.html

Christian

 

[drewy]

Hi Straydingo,

After throwing my cheap welder out recently (which looked much like the supercheap/ozito units) I can confidently say that a short duty cycle can be very frustrating when you are so close to finishing the job, I found that when the welder reached its duty cycle a couple of times the built up heat in the unit would further shorten the duty cycle and further increase the frustration levels!

I now have access to an inverter welder 130A (10Aplug) and it is such a pleasure to use, no cutting out and very smooth. It makes me want to build more stuff! The only down side is the initial cost is higher but in the long run you'll save on the visits to the shrink!lol:tongue:

 

[Burnsy]

Hi straydingo,

Pardon my arrogance here but don't know if you have done much welding before, in my opinion you might be better off with a mig welder. If you will be doing light/small jobs like you said then a mig of say 140amp will weld anything from say 0.8 - 6mm with ease. The stick will burn through light gauge steel and is harder to control on thinner materials. As you might already know migs are also available for gasless wire so you don't need gas but I have only used the gas ones before.

Anyway that's my thoughts, I have mig and stick but rarely use the stick. Whatever you decide on a unit with a fan would be better. Also incase you havn't done much before it's always a better job if you remove gal or paint before you weld! Hope this helps.

Cheers
Burnsy.

 

[straydingo]

Thanks guys.

I considered mig, but had never used one, so thought I'd stick with what I knew. (it has been quite a few years even so)

I wasn't keen on the supercheap/ozito type, just threw them in the mix as an example (although the ozito has good reviews on the woodworker's forum). I like the idea of the inverter one, but haven't found any available at a reasonable price. I'll see how I go.....

 

[Burnsy]

Hey mate, if you can stick weld the mig won't take long to get used to!

 

[zerosecta]

Mig all the way - ill never look back that for sure - I got a Ross 150A 10a plug and use it with gassless wire so no need for gas and it's is a snitch to used when compared to the 120a cigweld arc unit I still have but never use.

Do yourself a favor mate - skip arc and go straight for MIG in my opinion mig is heaps easier to do that arc...

 

[Big Gee]

How much money did you want to spend Straydingo.

 

[straydingo]

preferably free
I hadn't really set a budget per se - I wanted to see what people thought of the cheaper ones first.
Now having an idea, $250-350 i spose, plus rods, helmet, etc etc etc

 

[Big Gee]

There are many good machines available for that type of budget,

As far as a mig goes, if you spend any amount under $900 you will probably be looking to upgrade or your machine may be plagued with wire feed issues as many cheaper migs are.

As far as little arc welders go. My 3 favored machines are the BOC Smootharc, Cigweld (as you posted a link to earlier) and my favorite http://www.unimig.com.au/catalogue_product.asp?product=48&category=2&subcategory=19

All are very similar and truth be told they are all probably made in the same street in China. The Unimg wins for me because they put in good quality leads & torches.

There is only one type of electrode to buy unless you are Pro welder. These are WIA12P's you will pay for them but coupled with an inverter welder and anything is possible.

Depending on where you live, PM me and I can try to arrange to get a machine to you or point you in the direction of where to buy one!

Shaun

 

[Tailor]

straydingo,

I'm seriously considering getting a mig again. Had a 3ph CIG160 years ago which I didn't use much, but still so much easier to use than a stick. A mate had a similar 10amp machine, European made but I don't remember the name, which worked like a charm.

I was fortunate to have to do a small stainless steel job and had a big roll of wire left over which I used on everything. Very clean, with the added advantage it didn't rust if it wasn't used for a while. This is a problem near the sea. Something around the 150-160 amp would be very useful.

 

[Capt. Gadget]

I have had the equivalent model of this http://www.amanstoyshop.com.au/productdetails.aspx?productid=740 the 170T for more than 10 years and use it daily in my business, it has never missed a beat It can be used with Mig shield Gas or with a core flux wire and is more than capable of welding thin sheet metal up-to 1/2inch plate on short runs

 

[Big Gee]

Great choice CG, the new model is a 180c Gasweld do these for $895 nowadays

https://www.gasweld.com.au/products/K2668-1-LIN

If you haven't guessed this is what I do for a living, and these are the best mig I have ever sold. The value for money & reliability is the best I have come across.

 

[straydingo]

I ended up getting the Cigweld unit. Very basic, but will be enough to get me back into familiar territory again. If I decide later to go the next step up, hopefully the 'cigweld' brand will resell a bit better than a no name one.

The next challenge is to stop working 70+ hrs a week and go and use it.

 

[Tailor]

The next challenge is to stop working 70+ hrs a week and go and use it.

Sincerely, good luck on that.

If you can cut down it is really worth it. This year for the first time in my working life I've been able to get away for a few days at a time, and it's a wonderful feeling. Will it last, that's the question but I'll make the most of it while it does.

 

[Capt. Gadget]

Cheers Big Gee thats what I paid for my 170 10 years ago I still use it for site work but bought the Lincoln 215 redi-mig earlier this year for the workshop because I had such a good run with the 170, Only things Ive had to replace on it in ten years has been nozzles tips & liners

Great choice CG, the new model is a 180c Gasweld do these for $895 nowadays

https://www.gasweld.com.au/products/K2668-1-LIN

If you haven't guessed this is what I do for a living, and these are the best mig I have ever sold. The value for money & reliability is the best I have come across.

 

[Big Gee]

Cheers Big Gee thats what I paid for my 170 10 years ago I still use it for site work but bought the Lincoln 215 redi-mig earlier this year for the workshop because I had such a good run with the 170, Only things Ive had to replace on it in ten years has been nozzles tips & liners

How good is the 4 meter torch on the 215c :first: