Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey all.

I have an ACDC Tig welder and I'm very happy with it. However...(long story...) the Tig lives in the garage and most of my fabrication work on motorcycles happens in my shed.

It would be super handy to have a relatively cheap DC Mig in the shed so that I could tack on the fly and then head out to the garage for final welding.

I'm not interested in gasless.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with any of the sub-AU$600 DC Migs on sale on eBay, stuff like the Rossi Mig units.

Will only ever be used on light duty stuff such as brackets, motorbike frames and possibly zapping together shelves and the like. But still would be great to have a replaceable liner, that sort of thing.

Any first hand experience and tips? Cheers!


Moz

Go to the justtools.com.au website in Melbourne, they have cigweld weldskill 135 mig for $329.00. Gotta be better than an ebay only box.


Sent using Tapatalk

Coldman wrote:Go to the justtools.com.au website in Melbourne, they have cigweld weldskill 135 mig for $329.00. Gotta be better than an ebay only box.


Sent using Tapatalk

Ooh, fancy. Brand name stuff!

But all jokes aside, yes, it might be nice to have some human backup from an actual store. Mind you, my Tig has amazing human backup and I bought that online!

Thanks for the tip...I'll surf through some reviews. The price is certainly right!



Moz

You might have bought your tig online but it came from a bricks and mortar welding supply store. These other boxes you spoke of got nothing behind them except maybe smoke I recon.


Sent using Tapatalk

Coldman wrote:You might have bought your tig online but it came from a bricks and mortar welding supply store. These other boxes you spoke of got nothing behind them except maybe smoke I recon.


Sent using Tapatalk

A good point, well made.

The little CIG fits the bill in many ways. Fairly portable, should be easily to move around a project out in the shed. I appreciate the tip, Coldie.


Moz

Just remember that a 135 mig is strictly sheet metal grunt only, l promise you won't be welding 5mm like cigweld claims in their spec


Sent using Tapatalk

Coldman wrote:Just remember that a 135 mig is strictly sheet metal grunt only, l promise you won't be welding 5mm like cigweld claims in their spec


Sent using Tapatalk

Got that - but I'm sure it will tack just fine.



Kym

The token tools mig doesn't excite you? I plan on buying one day, a 250 amp mig, I keep an eye on ebay and facebook, but I just don't have the funds.

I hear the 175i cigweld is a mint machine. Unimig razor, wia, lincoln powercraft are all good units.

weldin mike 27 wrote:The token tools mig doesn't excite you? I plan on buying one day, a 250 amp mig, I keep an eye on ebay and facebook, but I just don't have the funds.

I hear the 175i cigweld is a mint machine. Unimig razor, wia, lincoln powercraft are all good units.

I would trust Tokentools machines all day long. I had a problem with my Tig pedal last weekend - two years after purchase - called Pete at Token on a Saturday afternoon and he was more than happy to help. I would recommend Tokentools to anyone, the service is nothing short of amazing.

However, all of Token's Migs right now are out of my price range for the time being.



Moz

Kym,

Ask yourself the question "Can I live without a mig machine right now?" If the answer is "yes" then ask yourself another question "can I live without a mig for the foreseeable future?" If the answer is still yes make a plan to start saving for a decent unit and work towards it. You'll be happier in the long run and will ultimately save yourself some money.

If the answer to the original question is "no" then you have some compromises to make. I'd steer clear of Rossi and anything that is sold by Edisons or any other alias they choose to trade under with ebay. Their customer service is terrible and their products and product support is woeful.

Flo

OzFlo wrote:Kym,

Ask yourself the question "Can I live without a mig machine right now?" If the answer is "yes" then ask yourself another question "can I live without a mig for the foreseeable future?" If the answer is still yes make a plan to start saving for a decent unit and work towards it. You'll be happier in the long run and will ultimately save yourself some money.

If the answer to the original question is "no" then you have some compromises to make. I'd steer clear of Rossi and anything that is sold by Edisons or any other alias they choose to trade under with ebay. Their customer service is terrible and their products and product support is woeful.

Flo

That's the sort of info I need....good thoughts, thanks Flo!




Moz

Call David Steeples at welding machinery in QLD. http://weldmac.com.au/equipment/welding-machines/ He is an agent for unimig and kempii, also has lots of used machines, Judging by the photos he sent me. Could be worth a look. A deal on a nice little kempii evo or a unimig would be sweet as.

Thanks Mike!



Moz

Pleasure. Apparently Its run by David and David Jnr. I believe David Jnr is the welder salesman.

I'm with Ozflo on this. I'd save for what you want or check out the used market for something suitable

Not much good to you as the freight would kill it as its a heavy as f#$k transformer machine. But I'm about to sell off my BOC (Kemppi Model) 250R. Has a remote feeder, is 250amps, can spray transfer easily on regular migshield. Only reason for selling is I have the EWM 3 phase up and running.

I'd be happy with $500 for it. Point is its a lot of welder for the money, not electronics to fail as such, even has a genuine Binzel torch probably worth $250 by itself. I'm sure they or something similar come up time to time in Victoria, just gotta keep the eyes peeled for bargains. I think I paid $700 and bought the Binzel for it a few years ago.

I know you don't get the new box feeling but still every time I see a thread about looking for a welder but on a budget I think of used quality machine over brand new ebay special every time.

If I wasn't dirt poor, I'd be on that like a something on a something....

Thanks for the tips guys.

I agree that a clean, quality brand used machine makes a lot of sense. Shame I am in South Horse Trailer, backwater of the universe. It'll take a lot of patience but I'm sure I'll find such a machine eventually.



Moz

SA is where I found a 100kg Peter Wright anvil for about $700 I think.

That almost new 355 amp EWM synergic pulse mig came from SA too. I think I paid $2500. Retail on that was at least 6k from memory.

The plus side of SA is that its a buyers market. Both items above would have been wayyyy more had they been sold in Sydney. Downside is you have to wait a while for them to show up on gumtree or ebay.

Yer, they also got that southwark beer down there......
Blerk


Sent using Tapatalk

Southwark...green death. Good grief no!

When I drink beer I tend to drink Asahi.

How's this...talking with a guy at work today, turns out he used to be a full time welder and boilermaker. "I've got a really decent quality Mig at home, it's been used about twice. You're welcome to borrow it and give it a go, let me know if you like it..."



Moz

That never happens to me. Score!


Sent using Tapatalk

How'd you go with the loaner mig? What brand is it?

weldin mike 27 wrote:How'd you go with the loaner mig? What brand is it?

Late reply, sorry.

Don't know what brand yet but the guy in question is a solid bloke and I'm willing to bet it's a big brand machine, I just haven't had time to take advantage of his kindness yet - because of course when I grab the Mig I'll also have to get gas (prfft!) and a new spool of wire.

Will report here once I have the loaner in my hot little mitts.



Mozzie

Sweet as, Yeah gas buying sucks. It took me ages to be able to afford gas for home.

You don't just want to have a go with a roll of flux core for the time being?