Budget low power Mig welder for Stainless ?? | MIG Welding Forum

Hi Gents, I've just registered to the website but have often read through different postings in my searching answers. So firstly : Thanks to all who are generous with their time and experiences to help us lost souls. You really are a great resource and a credit - in the best spirit of the internet

My primary justification for buying another welder is to make replacement stainless steel pushpit and pulpits for my sailing boat (a 30ft catamaran). Because these 'safety rails' double up on a catamaran, I estimate it'll cost something like £2,000+ to have these (and stainless rigging fittings I need) made up professionally. So I'm toying with the idea of buying a welder, having the S.S.316 tubes cnc bent to 3d tracings (which I've drawn / 3d modelled in Rhino) and to tack weld them up myself on the job (allowing for deck cambers and all that).

Then, I can drag those 'tacked fabrications' off to a professional, to have the joints neatly and fully welded. By doing all the shaping, cutting and setting up myself I hope to be able to save half the cost.

I used to use a professional mig welder to build multi-tubular car chassis' out of box section - but that was in the late 's. Thereafter (redundancy !) I owned a little blue Clarke Gas / gas-less mig (which was probably a 100e ?) Changing the earth lead and using argon-shield bottles, rather than canisters, gave me adequate results for all sorts of around the garage jobs. (the Gas-less gave horrid welds). Except for the occasional wire feed bird's nest caused by the wire burning back up the nozzle I did fine with that - only 30 years ago.!

So, I'm looking to buy a budget mig welder to do neat, strong, one-handed, stainless tacks, powered via a 13amp extension lead in a boat yard, (the machine being lifted up onto the deck of a boat), and then also have a handy (and reliable !) little welder for all those jobs I'd like to do around the garage and in restoring my old Sunbeam m/c's (rusty mudguards and battery box hinges).

Because of the 13amp I thought I'd need to restrict the size of the welder to a 140amp, but then I'll never weld anything thicker than 3mm - so on reduced power would I be OK to get a 150, 160, or 180 ? and benefit from longer duty cycles. Then I'd get wheels and a decent regulator in the price, and possibly better build quality (if that relates to reliability.?

I've never welded Stainless.. Is it as simple as changing the gas type and wire ?

I live (and the boat is) near Ipswich, Suffolk if anyone is local and would like / be generous enough to help me out (when the weather improves !), or indeed if they have a small but reliable machine - surplus to their requirement for sale, and/or can point me to a local and economical supplier for the gases. Did I read the refillable bottles are now available in a portable 2 litre size ?

Sealey are just 20 miles away in Bury St Edmunds and one or two local company sell recon' or factory returned units at a sensible price. Or should I find another Clarke ?

I really would appreciate some pointers before spending what's left of my life's savings..

Big Thanks, Big Pete Thank you both Scott and Jim for your replies. I really do appreciate your advice.

From your recommendation to go for a 150 amp, might I confirm - in your experience : at a lower power setting I can weld without blowing the 13amp fuse ? or tripping the marina's electric boxes ? There's no powers surge when first striking the weld ?

can you advise what does the E, TE or EN mean as in 150TE and 151EN.? and sometime no suffix such as in the 152 ?? Aside from the blue welders looking archaic, are the configured carry a larger bottle than the red ones ?

And would you know ; Guessing the red ones are a later model - are they better or worse than the older style ones ? Sometimes companies cut corners on newer models so as to remain competitive, whereas perhaps the new case design improves cooling (or vice-versa ?)

Is SS wire is only available in 5kg spools ? Presumably Tungsten is the right gas for SS, ...and that is not available in small bottles ? Is the welding technique the same for SS as for ferrous.. ie. push for a flatter wider but less deep weld, pull for a narrower but deeper weld.?

I know - so many questions.. Clarke / Machine mart websites just don't give the information, and their product range coding and colours are confusing.

Saving VAT would be great help. I'll look around for that

Pete