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timbo123
28th Jul 2006, 12:14 PM
Hello
I am new to mig welders - currently have an old 150 amp stick welder that I have on loan from the old man.
I am looking at buying a second hand CIG transmig 150 welder for hobby farm use. They guy wants $650 for it and it is in very good cond ( hasn't used it's first role of wire yet). I assume that these welders only take the small disposable argon bottles - what are they like. I don't really want to hire as I wouldn't really use it much. However I still want something that will well up to at least 4- 5 mm

any comments?

Thansk

Rossluck
28th Jul 2006, 02:14 PM
I have a transmig 200 and they're a good welder. They'll use any sized gas bottle you want to connect to them.

It seems to me, though, that the price is a bit up there. I don't know what they cost new, but if I saw a transmig 150 for sale for $650, I probably wouldn't be attracted to the ad.

On the other hand, I'd put some thought into whether or not you really need a MIG. Those little bottles are useless. The argon doesn't liquify like LPG, it's only compressed, so even the big bottles don't last as long as you'd think. This means that you go through a lot of brain damage worrying about turning the gas off after welding (this has meant a few night-time trips for me out to the shed). And then there's the cost ....

As Grahame Collins (our resident expert) has written here in the past, you'd probably be better off with a good stick welder. The secret to it all is, there are good stick welders and bad ones. The good ones suddenly make stick welding a lot easier and you can weld thinner stuff with them. I have a 300 amp three phase EMF (CIG) stick welder that is the king in my workshop.

I only use the MIG when I want to fill holes or to weld stuff that the stick burns through (at 70 amps). If I want to be sure that what I'm welding is going to hold, then out with the stick welder, ramp it up, and watch the metal melt.

I'm not a good welder, and despite what people say, MIG isn't as easy as it sounds. If a good welder sets it up for a particular job, it can be easy, but as soon as you start twiddling those dials, you lose it.

A good quality stick welder, 160 amps, for around $400 to $500, and a good quailty auto darkening lens ($200) would last you for ages, and would be a better buy, I reckon.

Metal Head
28th Jul 2006, 04:06 PM
Hello
I am new to mig welders - currently have an old 150 amp stick welder that I have on loan from the old man.
I am looking at buying a second hand CIG transmig 150 welder for hobby farm use. They guy wants $650 for it and it is in very good cond ( hasn't used it's first role of wire yet). I assume that these welders only take the small disposable argon bottles - what are they like. I don't really want to hire as I wouldn't really use it much. However I still want something that will well up to at least 4- 5 mm

any comments?

Thansk

Hi Timbo,

I don't know much about MIG welders. But I just looked on EBay and the Just Tools site (they are located in South Mebourne). I have attached an image from each site to give you an idea to the going rate. The one at EBay (which includes the address) is only a 130A turbo where as the Just Tools are prices of brand new ones with a warranty.

I btw have not association with the above mentioned company.

Regards
David

Malc
28th Jul 2006, 09:28 PM
Hi Timbo
I have been through the same dilemma recently. Had Apex (NZ) 180 amp sliding choke arc welder and thought Mig was the answer , looked at heaps of them. And although Migs are great I now borrow one for panel repairs. When it comes to doing steel work Stick welding once you get set up right certainly gets good penetration of weld. I'm a novice but since getting an auto darkening helmet lense to convert my old flip helmet has helped plus get scrap metal same thickness and practice ,practice ,practice helps. On one of the threads a Tasmanian site gives good advice on analysing your welds and set up advice
Happy welding
Malc

Grahame Collins
29th Jul 2006, 11:06 PM
Hi Tim,
As the other blokes have said, basically its horses for courses.

Advantages of MIG
Continuous wire feed - no stopping to change rods
No flux to chip off
Ability to weld light plate and sheet

Disadvantages of MIG
Big $$$$$ purchase
Mechanical parts needs replacing or servicing - lots of things that need to work together sometimes
Can't weld in anthing over a breeze - gas blows away
More variables to set before it welds correctly
Gas costly.
Cost it out like this .Gas is set at 14 litres p/minute.A half cylinder is about 7 cubic meters. Divide 7000/14 .thats 500 minutes or 8hrs 18 minutes of welding.Divide that into current cost of argoshield cylinder or if you insist a disposable.eg SIP type 950cc holds 60 litres.Have not tried one yet ,so I can't say for sure but the figures say under 5 mins. a $30 cylinder.Add to this the cost of the special regulator that you need for the disposable cylinder. Is this still cheap?

Advantages of Stick welders
Cheaper purchase dollars.
Few moving parts therefore more reliable
Cheap to run and feed.

Disadvantages
A little more skill required.
Light sheet is a challenge, but hey I found some 1.6MM diam electrodes
( I have not tried them yet.)

Really it is down to a cost per use issue.
Its like buying a table saw to cut timber once a year when a circular saw might do the job.

Only you know all the factors.

Grahame

Andy Mac
29th Jul 2006, 11:25 PM
I can't add much more to the discussion (but I prolly will!:rolleyes:), other than that Transmig 150 sounds like a good price! They are a pretty good machine... well, know I the bigger model (175) having used one for 10 yrs or so at work. I'd grab it!
There are a lot of extra things with a MIG though, little ones like drive rollers and liners and sleeves and tips; and damage to the main lead can be expensive!:eek: Windy conditions are a pain. Setting them up for different metals is an expensive operation, whereas arc welders have the simple step of grabbing different rods.
I do like MIG welding though: you don't have to worry about where you put the handpiece, or accidently striking; no endlessly changing rods; and if the weld isn't too flash, you go straight over it without chipping all the slag out. Like a big hot glue gun really!!:p

Cheers,

zathras
30th Jul 2006, 10:04 AM
Any clues on the 1.6mm rods Grahame?

I notice all the shiny inverter welders have a 1.6mm indication, and I have often thought you may as well replace the wording with "hen's teeth"

Grahame Collins
30th Jul 2006, 07:40 PM
xathras

I picked the 1.6 rods up the local Linde gas dealer when I went to get gas for my shiny inverter tig welder.Not ever having seen 1.6mm rods before I purchsed same on the spot, even though I do not need them now,it does not mean that I would not in the future.
They were branded "Gemeni" On the shank was stamped 6012.the packet said they run 55 to 70 amps.Strangely no country of manufacture was indicated. The 6012 indicates that they were probably manufactured for the Yanks as that is their electrode coding being equivalent to our AS. 4112 . I did the PVC pipe and cap trick with them, until i need them .
A small gloat follows here if I may.

I did a tig repair with the Fronius on a chainsaw side cover .025" thick.I used a 1.6 thoriated Tungsten running at 16 amps. I would post a piccy but more cheapy digital camera won,t focus that close up.

Cheers
Grahame

timbo123
31st Jul 2006, 10:45 AM
Thanks for all your replies - I am wondering if the MIG is the answer. The 180 amp works great especially after I bought some WIA rods (heaps better then the cheap ones).

Does anyone know if the CIG Transmig 135 will take the small disposable gas bottles?