Hi all. Well since my welder packed up I've been looking around at whats on offer, then it struck me that someone on here may have something ?

Anyone bought eqpt to build a chassis etc. then decided they no longer need it (most will want to keep i'm sure )

I'm after single phase Mig (minimum 150 amps) TIG (minimum 150 amps DC, unsure of AC capabailities should one come up)

So ppl, what have you got ?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike,

Originally i go a cosmo from B&Q, it was utter utter shite, so i took it back and got a refund and got a clarke 160T from machine mart which looks a similar size to the one you had in your garage.
Its a decent welder for not that much more than the cosmo crap, iirc it was £200 inc vat.
and no im not selling mine

1. Buy as good as you can afford.
2. Try your local Professional Welder place. See if you can get a second hand / ex rental / refurbished PRO Welder (small one!!)

These are much better than the same size hobby types.

I have a Sip 150, and I would say its just about adequate for home use. Welds OK. However, the Pro ones, have better controls ie smoother wire feeds, better current control etc etc. Which makes the welding easier / better (for you to use).

Shop around. Talk to people, do your homework first... and then buy wisely.
My SIP150 was £225 about 5-6 years ago. It is the ONLY tool that I have that has actually made money, ie saved me much more than it cost. Ive no real complaints about it.

Dont be in a huge hurry...

SIP = COSMO just a different colour cover
Same iffy quality

In the states at least, buying a welder is like buying a car. You should be able to negotiate the price, more so with more expensive welders. If you are after both a Mig and Tig machine then you should be able to get a good discount just because you are buying both, and I assume that you have the reg and bottle for your old Mig machine so you will "save" some money there.

In terms of Mig machines I still really like Miller. Cast ally roller bearings make a big difference and it seems like a more solid machine then the lincoln. However there has been a problem with the WTC (wire speed tracking control) on the 135's. It is a unit that adjusts the wire-speed according to your chosen voltage and how far you change your distance from the work while welding. My favorite little Mig machine ever is the Miller 130xp. Its basically a 135 but a little better built, has fewer problems, and you can get them on ebay used for $300 or so.

If you have the money for a Tig welder then the next question is space. The Miller Syncrowave series is a really great series of welders the difference in each model is extras like pulse and such. The Syncrowave is an AC/DC machine which is good if you want to do Ally. It is however the size of a small dresser. The Miller Dynasty is an inverter welder that will do AC/DC and its nice and small, but its more expensive then the Syncrowave. Either way you go if you are going to be welding Ally you must get a water cooled torch. Ok you don't have to, but you don't have to drive a locost with seats either, a water cooled torch will make you Ally welds better, stronger, and easier to make.

Lastly some will say that you should buy a good power source (syncrowave) and strap a wire-feed to it so that you can make it a Mig machine. I would advise against this because it means that if one part of your welder breaks you loose the ability to do both processes, and many times while working with say Mig you will want to quickly Tig a small part or a bit of Ally and get back to your Mig work. Re-setting up your machine is time consuming and a pain.

wow that was long
Milo