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embee · 17-01-08, 03:02 PM

I'm not near you, but FWIW here's my situation.

I wanted to be able to do some welding of general purpose mild steel. I'm from an engineering background and many moons ago did do a basic welding course. The training is the best way if you can find a nightschool or similar.

I looked at the various ways to get a reasonable MIG welder kit. The problem with the "DIY" type (Clarke etc) is the cost of the gas in the small canisters, and as with all tech tools there is a world of difference in quality and feel between DIY and industrial grade. It depends how much gas you're going to be using. Mild steel wire isn't expensive, other alloys can be and you need different gas

I ended up with a Murex 190, and get the gas from BOC. You need a contract with BOC, with yearly rental (not cheap these days, around ?50 for a small X size bottle, Shieldpak6 size, though with the revised pricing a size Shieldpak12 is much better value now, twice the gas, only ?15 a year more rental, refills ?33 instead of ?25).

The Murex is first class kit, and like a lot of stuff a 190A industrial will do a lot more than a 190A DIY. You will see higher rated stuff but in practical terms it's getting towards the limit for a single phase machine running off a domestic supply and a 13A socket. It's perfect for 6-8mm thick stuff, will do up to 12mm providing you don't expect full penetration welds, but will still go down to 1mm thickness (if the operator is good enough!). Wire size will change for thin/thick material.

The wire feed and quality of the torch/nozzles/earth clamps etc. is a class apart from the DIY stuff.

Remember you'll need some kit too, gloves are cheap enough, "proban" overalls are recommended (?20 ish), and the thing which really makes the difference is if you can afford an auto helmet (I use an Esab one, around ?120) it is brilliant. I can't exaggerate how much easier it is with an auto helmet. I believe many of them use lenses from the same source (Swiss made), so cost is down to the rest of the helmet quality. Shade rating depends on welding type and current.

(Edit - why does the pound sign come out as a question mark?)

17-01-08, 03:02 PM	#4
embee Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 2,801	Re: Mig Welding in West Yorkshire I'm not near you, but FWIW here's my situation. I wanted to be able to do some welding of general purpose mild steel. I'm from an engineering background and many moons ago did do a basic welding course. The training is the best way if you can find a nightschool or similar. I looked at the various ways to get a reasonable MIG welder kit. The problem with the "DIY" type (Clarke etc) is the cost of the gas in the small canisters, and as with all tech tools there is a world of difference in quality and feel between DIY and industrial grade. It depends how much gas you're going to be using. Mild steel wire isn't expensive, other alloys can be and you need different gas I ended up with a Murex 190, and get the gas from BOC. You need a contract with BOC, with yearly rental (not cheap these days, around ?50 for a small X size bottle, Shieldpak6 size, though with the revised pricing a size Shieldpak12 is much better value now, twice the gas, only ?15 a year more rental, refills ?33 instead of ?25). The Murex is first class kit, and like a lot of stuff a 190A industrial will do a lot more than a 190A DIY. You will see higher rated stuff but in practical terms it's getting towards the limit for a single phase machine running off a domestic supply and a 13A socket. It's perfect for 6-8mm thick stuff, will do up to 12mm providing you don't expect full penetration welds, but will still go down to 1mm thickness (if the operator is good enough!). Wire size will change for thin/thick material. The wire feed and quality of the torch/nozzles/earth clamps etc. is a class apart from the DIY stuff. Remember you'll need some kit too, gloves are cheap enough, "proban" overalls are recommended (?20 ish), and the thing which really makes the difference is if you can afford an auto helmet (I use an Esab one, around ?120) it is brilliant. I can't exaggerate how much easier it is with an auto helmet. I believe many of them use lenses from the same source (Swiss made), so cost is down to the rest of the helmet quality. Shade rating depends on welding type and current. (Edit - why does the pound sign come out as a question mark?) __________________ "Artificial Intelligence is no match for natural stupidity" Last edited by embee; 17-01-08 at 03:05 PM.