welder size?

[tombrown2850]

I am looking for a welder for farm jobs what sort of amp mig welder would I need and what brand is good but reliable but not too expensive because i am new to welding and would a mig welder be the right thing to learn on fixing things around the farm?

 

[Tractortech]

Now Then..
Just my thoughts here.. You say "around the farm" ,, a MIG isn't always that portable and doesn't work too well in windy conditions. They're more suited to workshop use I find.
An inverter welder will be more portable around the farm..

 

[bravheart]

I would suggest a mma/stick welder would be best to start and learn with. Then it really depends on budget and whether you have 3phase on site.
I've said this before and others will have different opinions but a Rohr mini 220p is a great box to start with. If still available sub £100, almost fits through a letterbox, smooth ac welding, 220a single phase will be plenty good enough for repairs round the yard and you won't shed too many tears if it gets dropped it in the s**te or wer and let's out the magic smoke .

Edit. If you've only got single phase then around 160a will probably be the maximum heat you can get out a 13a plug after that you need a 16a or better still 32a single phase plug. However 160a way more than enough for gate type yard repairs.

 

[tombrown2850]

I would suggest a mma/stick welder would be best to start and learn with. Then it really depends on budget and whether you have 3phase on site.
I've said this before and others will have different opinions but a Rohr mini 220p is a great box to start with. If still available sub £100, almost fits through a letterbox, smooth ac welding, 220a single phase will be plenty good enough for repairs round the yard and you won't shed too many tears if it gets dropped it in the s**te or wer and let's out the magic smoke .

are sick welders easy to learn on? what size thickness of steel can they weld? do they need gas or anything like that or not?

 

[ladycrofter]

Learning to weld with a mig welder been there. We used to have them in the workshop for teaching, and the amount of time I spent trying to unstick nozzles and uncoil wire inside the box . IMO there's too many things you have to get just right to make it work.
Get an inverter stick welder and get one that's a lot more powerful than you think you need. Otherwise you'll spend more time listening to the fan running, than welding Plugs into any 13 amp outlet, small and portable. And if you stick it when you're learning just break it off and keep going
Get a good battery powered angle grinder and you're all set for farm work.

PS Gas great for burning nuts off and bending things, not farm welding. Plus it makes very scary noises when you're lighting it

 

[bravheart]

are sick welders easy to learn on? what size thickness of steel can they weld? do they need gas or anything like that or not?

Every welder needs ppe for you and probably an angle grinder to clear our rust, more so on a mig. All a stick welder would need on top would be a chipping hammer and a wire brush.

Edit. And of course welding rods

 

[tombrown2850]

I would suggest a mma/stick welder would be best to start and learn with. Then it really depends on budget and whether you have 3phase on site.
I've said this before and others will have different opinions but a Rohr mini 220p is a great box to start with. If still available sub £100, almost fits through a letterbox, smooth ac welding, 220a single phase will be plenty good enough for repairs round the yard and you won't shed too many tears if it gets dropped it in the s**te or wer and let's out the magic smoke .

Edit. If you've only got single phase then around 160a will probably be the maximum heat you can get out a 13a plug after that you need a 16a or better still 32a single phase plug. However 160a way more than enough for gate type yard repairs.

Röhr MINI-220PI MMA Inverter Welder | Union Mart

unionmart.co.uk

this one??

 

[ladycrofter]

Every welder needs ppe for you and probablyan angle grinderto clear our rust, more so on a mig. All a stick welder would need on top would be a chipping hammer and a wire brush.

Edit. And of course welding rods

And keep the rods in the airing cupboard, not a damp workshop. Just get some pretty heavy steel scrap and go for it! Also spend the money on a good flash helmet, so you can see what you're doing. They go black as soon as the welding flash hits them but you still get a start in the right place.

Old style helmets are black all the time. Don't ever be tempted to try and "have a peek" while welding or even striking the arc. The frequency of the light fries the parts of your retina that see blue and yellow. If you're already red-green color blind you won't need a colour telly anymore

 

[PI Stsker]

I’ve always got the biggest mig I could afford for the workshop and a small (cheap) handbag size stick welder that can work off an extension lead around the farm or on a generator road side. Never come unstuck yet…

 

[bravheart]

Röhr MINI-220PI MMA Inverter Welder | Union Mart

unionmart.co.uk

this one??

That's what I have price has kicked up a bit but perfect to learn on and carry around the yard.
The brush is next to useless so is the mask if included, get your own. The cables are not the best but will be fine to get you going I've not replaced mine yet.

 

[Hardweld]

What sort of a budget do you have ? In my opinion a MIG welder is much easier to learn than a stick welder. A little inverter stick are great value for money if on a budget, if you do go for the inverter stick do not scrimp on rods. Cheap rods will make you think you are a bad welder and wonder what the hell you are doing wrong.

 

[bravheart]

Now generator friendly as mentioned by @PI Stsker . If that's what you need you may have to up the budget a bit. Most of the cheaper inverters will work off a generator but I've heard some don't last as long before frying up inside. Don't know if the Rohr is generator friendly.

 

[Welderloon]

Best bet is to pop along to your local engineer/blacksmith/garage/tractor dealership & have a chat with them.
Get them to let you have a go at Welding with MMA (Stick) & Mig, they will be able to give you some pointers & if the resident welder is worth his salt he'll probably agree to give you a bit of coaching so you get up to standard where you are able to join metal
Personally, I'd start with MMA (Stick)
Both have their place for different reasons, Stick will be the most versatile for farm repairs to begin with.

 

[Pistonbroke]

are sick welders easy to learn on? what size thickness of steel can they weld? do they need gas or anything like that or not?

Go on YouTube and search for how to weld videos,some are brilliant and you will get the idea very quickly. Practice is the best way to find out and an inverter arc or MMA welder is the cheapest starting point

 

[David.]

If you have an air supply in the workshop, get a small needle scaler.
Much better than chipping hammer until you get proficient at getting nice self lifting slag.

 

[PI Stsker]

If you gave an air supply in the workshop, get a small needle scaler.
Much better than chipping hammer until you get proficient at getting nice self lifting slag.

It’s getting a nice one that’s always the problem

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I would suggest a mma/stick welder would be best to start and learn with. Then it really depends on budget and whether you have 3phase on site.
I've said this before and others will have different opinions but a Rohr mini 220p is a great box to start with. If still available sub £100, almost fits through a letterbox, smooth ac welding, 220a single phase will be plenty good enough for repairs round the yard and you won't shed too many tears if it gets dropped it in the s**te or wer and let's out the magic smoke .

Edit. If you've only got single phase then around 160a will probably be the maximum heat you can get out a 13a plug after that you need a 16a or better still 32a single phase plug. However 160a way more than enough for gate type yard repairs.

I have got a 160 amp inverter, which runs off a 13 amp fuse and I can run a 4mm rod, and to be honest, I have never had to do a repair that I couldn't complete with a 4mm rod. Having said that, I would quite fancy a 170 or 180 amp MIG, again, Sealey 180 amp mig will run off a 13amp plug, and that size MIG would be great for small jobs in the workshop.

 

[Pistonbroke]

I have got a 160 amp inverter, which runs off a 13 amp fuse and I can run a 4mm rod, and to be honest, I have never had to do a repair that I couldn't complete with a 4mm rod. Having said that, I would quite fancy a 170 or 180 amp MIG, again, Sealey 180 amp mig will run off a 13amp plug, and that size MIG would be great for small jobs in the workshop.

I've got an r tech mig 180,it will do stick as well. Parweld 161 for taking out

 

[Nearly]

Inverter stick 140 amp on 13A 240V
Inverter mig 200 amp on 16A 240V
Big mig 300A on 32A 250V
Really big mig 400A 32A 415V
Plasma cutter 32A 240V
and one of everything that dewalt, milwaukee or makita make.

Find a local to have a play on the above toys and then decide what you can't live without.