What welder?

[Mieran]

Got a VAT free card thing from machine mart to use on all Clark products.

Looking to buy a decent mig welder to use for bodywork, chassis strengthening etc.

Any recommendations?

[Iain]

I got a 151TE from MM on VAT free and it's been a great little machine.

[Mieran]

Thats the one I've been looking at as well, you got any pics of example welds Iain?

I was looking at hooby weld gas as well, I wonder if the 151TE fits on their bottles?

[Iain]

My welds aren't exactly a great showcase lol If you follow my track Nova project thread I did all the welding on my car with it. Rollcage additions, welding on new rear quarters, rust repair patches, stitch welding... Stupidly I did it all with their small hobby bottles which are worth getting a few on VAT free day.

[Andy]

they fit hobby bottles or ya can buy a conversion hose like i did when you realise youre wasting money with the little bottles.
theyre dear for what ya get,and theres no flow or capacity gauge so it just runs out with no warning

[Mieran]

£60 to rent the bottle and £30 to refill, probably work out cheaper than buying loads of little ones?

[camels toe]

There's plenty of places doing rent free bottles now. Afew on eBay or have a google.

[Benn]

I got a 151TE from MM on VAT free and it's been a great little machine.

Same was that i have, got it from MM on a vat off day, great welder. You can get fantastic welds from them... If you can weld well..lol

[Andy]

deffo works out cheaper.
plus how are you gonna know how much gas is left in a litle un.or what its flowing at.
when alls said and done,by the time you have got it welding nice you will have wasted half a bottle

[Benn]

They are very tricky, i found my reg was leaking. Killed a full bottle of argon mix in a morning.
Got both replaced. Sure the reg only works on full... I get very rusty/dusted up welds with anything under full wack.

[Andy]

http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mWR46slJhCuv1Zx0eFVTutg.jpg (http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=kvLuqcj5QK31DM&tbnid=cGVHY8AJQj20MM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fbhp%2Fmig-welder-gas-regulator&ei=TiRwUqqZNbCa0QWa6oDgCw&bvm=bv.55123115,d.ZG4&psig=AFQjCNHkmBlqE2ZCrDDunQRxrmuRLw-t7w&ust=1383167428650209)

[Mike]

ive got a clarke TE thing too. great bit of kit for the price. ive even welded end plates on 10mm RSJ's with mine, and as Lee can vouch, there still holding up a mezzanine floor above a kitchen now lol

I use hobby bottles, but i dont really do much if any welding anymore tbh. I dont know what you guys do wrong but them hobby bottles last me ages. dont think we even used a whole bottle doing the loonaque?!