Best starter welder for bar work

[sil3nt_dr3ams]

I myself own 3 welders a big transarc I brought at an aution for 10$ 110$ later I had new leads on it. A cheap ozito caddy welder from bunnings under 100$ new. I also have a mig welder.

Migs are more of a pain in the arse cost wise. Even if you buy a 500$ gas/glassless combo which will weld fine. Your left with 3 choices you ethier rent a bottle around 150$ a year 100$ or so to fill. You can buy disposable bottles which are a complete utter waste of money. I would be lucky to get 400mm of weld out of bottle not to mention that the regulators are not worth a pinch of shit because they do no compensate for pressure drop as the bottle empty's. Or you can go glassless wire which is messy, not to mention you'll be forever cleaning the front of your helmet.

You'll spend quite some considerable time trying to work out your amps with your wire feed speed not to mention you'll be learning to weld at the same time so you wont quite understand what is going on. Migs can be frustrating at the best of times to setup on different gauge steel.

I've been welding for a good ten years I'm no expert but I am constantly building in my workshop and long story short my mig welder gets used 10% of the time only if im working with metal 2.0mm and below. Its just no cost effective .

The other side to my opinion is welding is a valuable skill to have, once you learn to weld a whole new world of can do opens up. If you want to learn to weld you start with an arc welder it's the only way you'll ever fully understand welding. Everyone should start with arc before touching a mig.

200$ later you have a welder a helmet and a box rods. Don't be two concerned with the whole auto darkening helmets unless you buy a decent one. I have both and lately I've gone back to my my normal helmet its just easier.

To start with don't go near TC rods (hydrogen rods) they are brilliant but not what you want to be learning with. They are harder to get started and get going again the flux looks a lot different when the weld is finished aswell. When your starting to weld you want to use a GP rod and they will be strong enough for anything you have in mind for welding. Easiest way to check is look at the bottom of the rod of the rod and make sure the rods has 6013 on it.

Cheap rods generally bite you in the ass best rod you can get at bunnings are CIGWELD satin crafts they are a lovely rod to use. Get yourself a box of 2.5 bout 50$. When your learning stay away from vertical/down welds all together, turn what your welding around to weld flat. General purpose rods are just that welding up and down is a different ball game.

Few other tips I can think of without trying to overload keeping it simple for now. When striking your rod drag it like a match to start with. Run it across once you have an arc slow down more and more to start with. Get used to watching behind your weld not so much what the tip of the stic is doing. The pool its called where it will look like molten larva coming together. Once you break the heat in that pool your weld will go to shit the idea is to keep everything falling into and move the pool along. Move the rod like your writing running e's, slow down take your time get yourself comfortable and wear a glove to hold the rod if you need to steady yourself. Don't bother welding thin stuff until your starting to get the hang of things.

The end of a day you learn to weld with an arc you'll be much better off. I still use my arc for almost everything the 100$ cheap y doesn't like welding non stop but it brilliant for small projects. My Big old arc that I could probably quite comfortably say is older than I am welds not stop never complains.

I will use a arc over a mig any day for strength. Keep your steel clean and dont weld over flux just don't bother at all period. You stop a weld you knock the flux off then go again. If you get holes in your weld grind the shit out them.

I've tried to keep this as simple as if you get an arc I'll be more than happy to setup some stuff you can start learning on and get a mate to take photos to get you going. Then from there onwards mate its all about your wiliness to keep cleaning and grinding welds out and redoing them.

On a side note, after years your fingers do get used to working with hot steel. Just remember also when you heat steel it expands and moves, tac all your projects together before welding off or it will warp all over the place and was once square wont be square.

O and good on you for wanting to start welding.

Not to mention you weld out bush with a arc from batteries.