Thread: Mig Welder under $1000

Howdy all,

I'm looking into getting my first welder. Thinking mig would suit me best. The majority of the work will be on 3mm SHS but would be good to be able to do some heavier stuff too.

I'd prefer to not spend much more than $1000 but I'm also happy to spend what is needed for a decent machine.

So what can people recommend as a good value for money machine?

Thanks in advance
Cody

If the quality and performance of this new machine consistent with Lincolns' other units it bears consideration at just under $1k US.
http://lincolnelectric.com/en-us/equ...powermig-210mp

Give Pete a call at Token tools, or Bob from Bobthewelder , both are on the net and both offer some pretty good service.

The UniMIG 250 is a little over your budget but it is a good machine, at least I've been happy with mine.

Going to swim against the stream on this one.
If you want to do 3mm+, why not consider a good stick welder?
Why do you feel that you would be best served by MIG?
I will always recommend a stick welder for a first welder as their versatility cannot be beaten and they instill good habits. Boilermakers are always taught stick before MIG welding for very good reasons.

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

Going to swim against the stream on this one.
If you want to do 3mm+, why not consider a good stick welder?
Why do you feel that you would be best served by MIG?
I will always recommend a stick welder for a first welder as their versatility cannot be beaten and they instill good habits. Boilermakers are always taught stick before MIG welding for very good reasons.

Hi Karl,

That's one of the reasons I suggested the Lincoln 210, it does MIG, TIG and stick. I recently received an advertisement for the 210 and was really surprised to see that Lincoln has put together a multi-process machine for $1k. I've read very good reviews of their smaller MIG welders. I have a Lincoln C300 which also does multi-process and I really like it. The synergic modes make it really easy to use but it retails at about $5k.

Cheers,
Rob

Originally Posted by rob streeper

Hi Karl,

That's one of the reasons I suggested the Lincoln 210, it does MIG, TIG and stick. I recently received an advertisement for the 210 and was really surprised to see that Lincoln has put together a multi-process machine for $1k. I've read very good reviews of their smaller MIG welders. I have a Lincoln C300 which also does multi-process and I really like it. The synergic modes make it really easy to use but it retails at about $5k.

Cheers,
Rob

That looks to be a nice little welder. Pity that Lincoln don't appear to sell them here in Australia where the same $1000 only buys you a Powermig 180C on sale.
Generally I am not the biggest fan of small multiprocess units due to their lesser portability and smaller wire spool sizes compared to dedicated units, but I can see their uses for the weekend warrior starting out.
Lincoln certainly do make some nice gear.

Hey all,

Thanks for the suggestions. I could go with a stick welder for the majority of my work but I was hoping to have the flexability to weld some aluminium too.

The combination machine would be great too. But alas lincoln doesn't seem to have it in aus. Infact there doesn't seem to be any online suppliers who sell lincoln in aus. Makes it a bit hard to research.

I am going to america over christmas, would it be worth bringing one back? What are the odds of needing a warranty claim? Obviously I'd need a transformer.

I'm wondering if it's worth looking at a 2nd hand unit like this - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mig-Welde...item2598554f56

Anyway keen to keep hearing options, I'm getting more and more confused atm.

Cheers
Cody

Originally Posted by codysheridan1

Hey all,

Thanks for the suggestions. I could go with a stick welder for the majority of my work but I was hoping to have the flexability to weld some aluminium too.

The combination machine would be great too. But alas lincoln doesn't seem to have it in aus. Infact there doesn't seem to be any online suppliers who sell lincoln in aus. Makes it a bit hard to research.

I am going to america over christmas, would it be worth bringing one back? What are the odds of needing a warranty claim? Obviously I'd need a transformer.

I'm wondering if it's worth looking at a 2nd hand unit like this - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mig-Welde...item2598554f56

Anyway keen to keep hearing options, I'm getting more and more confused atm.

Cheers
Cody

The Lincoln 210 weighs in at 40 lbs, so it is checked baggage weight. Look to spend another few hundred on supplies and accessories like a TIG torch and so on. Everything I've read about the smaller Lincolns has been great. See: http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/...ig-welder.html for example. The multiprocess machine gives you a lot of flexibility. Stick is harder to do than is MIG, and if you plan on doing much work with mild steel or aluminum MIG is the way to go. I use stick for heavier sections and specialty stuff like cast iron.

I always look and buy second hand first and also buy new if a real bargain pops up on sale etc.

i have three top welders now for the price of about one and a half : )

helps if you are patient and check local papers, ebay, gumtree etc

local auction rooms often have machinery for sale if you don't mind taking a punt !

welders can be a little bit like boats though, and you often go through a couple before you settle on the one you love

Originally Posted by codysheridan1

Thanks for the suggestions. I could go with a stick welder for the majority of my work but I was hoping to have the flexability to weld some aluminium too.

Aluminium is an expensive word.

Stick welding is great, albeit a bit messy. As Karl said for 3mm+ steel it's (relatively) easy, it's the thin stuff that is hard.

I know next to nothing about MIG but I suspect using one machine for steel and aluminium will be frustrating and you'll need to buy some extra equipment to get the best out of it. Like maybe different torches and rollers and stuff. I'd love a dedicated pulse mig machine (for each metal!) but have gone down a different path of stick/tig.

You could probably get a Chinese AC/DC stick/tig machine for about $1k and start off on stick and later when you've saved up a bit get a tig setup (torch, gas == $) for steel and aluminium and anything else. Just another option.

I have one of these units, love it, use it for mig alumium, steel and arc, for tig i use a different unit.

https://weldingstore.tokentools.com....s-mig210s.html


They do have one for less than $1000, well $1 less, with a 5 yr warranty and attachments included. Worth a look.

Regards
Alan

Aluminium does not need to be an overly expensive word with no particularly special requirements other than a change of gas, wire and liner.
If you want to give aluminium a decent go, then a mig of around 2-250A that takes at least mid size spools, but preferably full size spools and has a decent duty cycle will be a good starting point. Effective mig welding of aluminium starts at around 3mm and a 250A mig will handle 6mm easily, with 10-12mm being the upper limits of practicality.
Aluminium is more expensive to weld than steel due to a greater flow rate (double in fact) of a more expensive gas coupled with a more expensive wire (around 3 times as expensive), but even so it is still not what I would term an expensive pursuit.
An AC/DC tig welder may be a viable option as you will cover the welding of any weldable metal with the tig process and be able to fall back on stick for your everyday steel work. $1000 will get you into something workable in an AC/DC tig, (not the cheaper BOC units though, they are as bad as the worst ebay special, but cost substantially more) and I would gladly forgo pulse capability in favour of better quality.

Realy one of these two welders is very hard to beat.

https://www.tradetools.com/products/NB160X

https://www.tradetools.com/products/NB200PORT

I have an NB180 which is most similar to the NB160.
It has pretty well been replaced by the two models listed.

THe NB160 slightly cheaper and the NB200 slightly dearer.

These two machines are sold by a number of suppliers under a number of different badges.....if you want the same machine and realy want to pay 30% more...buy it with a Unimig badge on it.

I have 3 friends with the same machine either the same or a different badge.

Great little machines that will do everything but TIG aluminium.
MIG..gas or gasless
TIG
STICK.

I've had mine and it is now about 2 years old.

e biggest benifit of the larger machine is that it takes bigger rolls of wire.

cheers

Looking at the two, the 200 Porto would be the clear choice for me as choice of wires is limited in the 4.5KG size compared to the full size rolls if aluminium is your game.
One question though. Do they run as roughly as the example in the video? That weld starting at the 1:25 mark is a shocker! Hopefully the machine was just not tuned properly.
I couldn't find a direct UNIMIG equivalent. Is the MIG 190 the UNIMIG that is closest?