Have just gone halves with a friend on a fairly basic mig welder. Neither of us have any experience and so unsure how big a co2/argon bottle to buy/rent. I'm building a transporter out of caravan chassis. My mate is doing some fairy extensive mods to his quads frame and wishbones. Plus any other bits that need doing on my zero. So I guess it classes as moderate use.
As big as you can afford, adams gas do a 20 litre which is moveable and will last a long time.
9 litres goes a bit to quickly IMHO
Make sure the first thing you make is a nice frame, when it falls over it will just catch something and smash the regualator, it's the law.
Brewery CO2 bottles work fine, last well and are cheap at about £13 a refill. I think they are 20 litre. Or you
could pay 3 times that and go for a CO2/Argon mix of similar size.
Don't bother with the small disposable things, total waste of money.
Do the pub ones use the standard thread. Actually I'm in Germany so might be a different one anyway. But I'll get one next time I'm in UK if its bargain cheap and I can't find similar here.
I used to use a size X from BOC which was very transportable, but switched to a size Y argosheild on the hobbies discount rate as its the only size on
the lower rate. Much cheaper, if harder to lug about, lasts me about two years.... but I dont get to use it a lot.
Daniel
I use a hobbyweld 5 bottle. One off, returnable deposit, no rental.
Check them out, very happy after 2 years use and much better than pub c02.
http://www.hobbyweld.co.uk
Try motor factors, our local one does co2. A returnable deposit on the cylinder and when empty just a fill charge and bottle swap