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[Shaggy]

Right guys I'm in the market to buy a new welder after mine was lent to a "mate" & it miraculously got stolen whilst he had it, he doesn't have the means to pay me back & I am at an age now to know where getting angry isn't going to get me my welder back! So any advice greatly appreciated, I aren't looking to spend a fortune anymore as it isn't something I use everyday anymore, but I need something that goes low enough amperage wise to weld thin plate but will also have enough poke to weld thick plate if I decide to make some bumpers etc. my old welder was a Kemppi & cost me a bloody fortune but was bloody good quality. So over to you guys, what do you use?

[wildwood]

Did my City and Guilds Mig and TIG on Kempii stuff brilliant but way over my paygrade


I have a Portamig 235 Needs 30 amp supply but otherwise fine for use at home...... In my case.

will do 6 mm stuff easy for winch plates bumpers etc.probably thicker but slower is possible
Had it down to welding 1mm stuff yesterday......still with . 8 wire in it......... Got a roll of .6  but too lazy to change it out.

Got it from Weldequipe.but delivered from manufacturer Pendleton Equipment 01282 871517
Www.weldingworld.co.uk

Cost me £698.83  three years ago. It has Swedish and UK stuff in it and is serviceable in UK no Chinese shit anywhere near it....Tis why I chose it.
hope this helps.

[JamesH]

I looked into this recently and it would seem Portamig are the recommended welder for the £500-700 180-250 amp range. I'll get one as part of my new garage build but for now I use a SIP 150 that will do most things I need but for 6mm plate it has to be spotless and cranked right up and even pre-warmed I if very cold when starting.

[isle of man]

Got one-of-those Snap-on jobbies..

[Dutch]

Steve, up the road ....

[Bubba]

sip mig and clarke inverter stick welder both work well

[Mike Pavelin]

I have a Sealey 185 amp mig with Euro torch. Works really well.

[bigjeepzj]

  I've got one of those
reliability  and spare parts readily available is what you need

[donk498]

Ive got a cheap 135A gas-less mig from aldi and a old 170A oxford mig of someone on here. Oh and access to various stick welders and a 400A mig at work.

[Jeepjedi]

If its for the 6 rich, dont worry, we can glue it, its what the last guy did 

[Shaggy]

I don't even think the last guy used glue!! plus I'm shit on a horse so I won't be riding off into the sunset wearing a 10 gallon hat!

[thorna]

Sip topmig 150 turbo has allowed me to blow holes in lots of steel over the years.

[Jeepjedi]

musta been the one they used on the 6 when they wern't gluing 

[chaosmarshall]

I have a "Butters UK Weld wizard"
a great welder and if you don't crank it all the way up it will run off a standard plug. crank it all the way with a 30A plug and 10mm is just ok without pre heat.
There is a lot of controversy over the butters name though but they claim to be made in the UK. I paid £300 a few years ago but I think they are up to £700 now.

[Tragic]

Currently using some Stanners 400A job, will weld 6mm on 0.8 easily and sheetmetal on 0.6. Have to use it as it's BMW approved, although we're not allowed to weld new BMWs. All glue and rivets
Also use Spanesi Mig Braze (for Vauxhalls) which is adapted to Aluminium (for Audis and Jaguars) and a fookin expensive (£11.5k) inverter spot welder. BMW made us buy it because it was approved by them to weld BMWs. Which BMW won't allow us to do.....

For general home abuse use, Sealey 180A on 0.8. Cost me £50