13 replies to this topic

[miniman5]

hello, screwfix sell a ferm 100 mig welder and ive found a couple on ebay, screwfix sell them for 140 beans and there on ebay for 70 see link, is this ok to do my front end with and to do most other welding jobs on a mini


Ferm 100 MIG Welder on ebay


PS, what is the 4 welding posisions all about?

[wobbit]

dont you have to get the gas 4 mig welders?

i think its the arc welders that dont

[cooper_shaz]

Yo can get gasless mig welders to
machine mart do a 110en
this is a gas/gasless mig welder, you use a different wire with a gasless mig and also a small gas bottle.

I use this one, and it is a fantastic unit.

runs from a standard 13 amp plug, for many of them you need a heavy connection like an electric shower one, so extra hassle, especially given this one will weld up to 5mm steel.

Plus should anything go wrong you will face big postage charges sending back to ebay seller or screwfix.. just something to bear in mind

[stormduck]

It looks similar to the one i recently purchased. although i got a gasless version like this one but the 120amp version: click

It works well for welding body panels and repairs.

I bought a flux cored 0.8mm wire, 4.5kg roll off ebay aswell, and didn't need any gas. Oh and i'ts normal 3-pin plug too.

Edited by stormduck, 15 November 2005 - 09:24 PM.

[miniman5]

so you dont advise me to get this one then?

[stormduck]

It looks alright and has a similar spec to the one i have and know works well - but you need gas for it. The powershack one i bought was £70ish

[miniman5]

ok so tell me if im rong, i can get a gasles welder but i need flux cored wire, or i can get a gas one and use normal wire or the flux cored stuff as itle flow better??

[Big_Adam]

yes, i recone you can do that. the gas is just a sheild untile the weld sets right. the flux dose the same thing but leaves a lovely layer of *woman of ill repute* afterward.

[miniman5]

thats what i though, i think the owner of the club im in is sellign his so i might buy that if the price is right

[Bungle]

just dont buy a ark welder for car body pannels :cheese:

[miniboo]

ok dont laugh for asking but what is the difference between mig and arc?

[minimole]

an arc welder use rods not wire and as far asi am aware an arc welder is alot hotter as well.

i bought my welder from halfrauds of all places got and sip 130 migmate it is pretty good does not do gasless but i only weld with gas so no bother to me.

[dklawson]

As stated, arc welding uses flux covered rods which are consumed as the weld bead is laid down and generally involves more heat. Kel Arc (spelling?) a U.K. firm does/did make a device called a stitch welder that was supposed to allow you to use a very small arc welder and small diameter rods in a pulsed manner to weld panels. I've never tried it though.

There are convertible MIG welders that let you switch between honest-to-God MIG (with gas) welding and flux core wire. In general, flux core will work a little better outside where drafts may blow away the cover gas. However, most flux core welders don't offer the degree of control you may want for doing delicate welds. Typically they have about four (4) switch selectable heat settings and you have to compensate for these big steps in power by how fast you work laying down the bead. A lot of better (gas) MIG units have infinitely variable controls for the heat... or at least more steps. Of course... that comes at a cost.

A third option would be a small inverter based TIG unit. This is like a cross between gas welding and MIG welding. You draw a concentrated arc with your torch and feed filler wire in (if needed) to the weld pool as you move the arc to produce the seam. Inverter TIG has become very cost competitive to MIG lately.

All welding requires practice. Get some old panels to practice on before you touch your car.

[stormduck]

Just to add to lawson, my cheapo mig has an analogue style dial for adjusting the power unlike the 4 switch style ones. Which is nice.