tig or mig

jerry · Post by **jerry** » Sat Jan 21, 06 7:49 pm

advice please
i have no experience in either mig or tig welding but am looking to buy a welder for my fury project.i have in the past used both gas and arc but would like some input on the merits/downsides of tig and mig welders.any recommendations do's don'ts etc.any input appreciated.

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Sat Jan 21, 06 7:58 pm

Mig welding - easier
Tig welding - tidier (once you're good at it)

I have a gasless mig, works nicely, makes /reasonably/ tidy welds now I've got the hang of using it (and preparing the metal), and is nice and simple (high or low setting, lol).

latil · Post by **latil** » Sat Jan 21, 06 8:00 pm

Get tig for body repairs much more gentle and very neat. Don't buy anything by SIP

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Jan 22, 06 6:03 pm

Tig is very frustrating if you are just learning, all materials have to be very clean, and it is not very good in tight spaces as you need two hands. Mig is better all round for a novice, good for chassis work. Do your homework as welding gas is getting quite hard to get hold of. For Mig you can use pub gas CO2 used for the pumps, but for Tig this isn't ideal.

jerry · Post by **jerry** » Mon Jan 23, 06 9:43 pm

thanks for info guys
can anyone recommend a mig to get ie make, gas or without,etc also cost is a consideration as it's really only for occasionall use.

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Mon Jan 23, 06 10:37 pm

For occational use, gasless IMO. I think four setting (better than mine, lol) ones are available from Halfords, Machine Mart etc without breaking the bank

jerry · Post by **jerry** » Mon Jan 23, 06 10:40 pm

thanks james

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Jan 24, 06 7:42 pm

Oxy Acetelene, that's the one to use, especially on thin sheet metal

Only kidding, but I do like using it to fix rusty bits falling apart and it offers great control (more than MIG anyway). If you can master a gas tourch then TIG is only a step away, and a step I still haven't taken.

TrevD · Post by **TrevD** » Tue Jan 24, 06 8:05 pm

i have stick , oxy and mig , thay all have their uses (oxy more for cutting and general heating now) the mig does most of what anyone will need on a car as long as its only mild steel. in my opinion yoiu get what you pay for , some of the cheap welders work (ive had a couple ) but for a decent weld and continuous use the more expensive units are the best. im no expert so i would recoment speaking to a welding suplier (not a shop that sell the occasional welder) tell them what you intend to do and thay will advise you on the best unit for your use. i personaly dont like gasless mig welders (i couldnt get as good a weld as a normal one).

Post by **MattH** » Tue Jan 24, 06 9:34 pm

Ive only used MIG and its great, Ive got a Sealey Minimig 100 amp Turbo. It has been superb for 15 years now, never let me down, I have used other small MIGs with no cooling fan (the turbo bit) and they cut out too often once the transformer gets hot, meaning more cups of tea waiting the half hour for the thing to reset itself and cool down. If you can afford it I would use gas over gasless, as it is slightly better, but if it is only a little welding your are doing then you may be OK with gasless. BOC do the argon/CO2 mix , CO2 alone spits alot.

latil · Post by **latil** » Tue Jan 24, 06 9:58 pm

I've got an old Clarke 100e that does the 1/2 hour cut out trick. Cured it by using an old fan heater blowing cold into the vent lourves,never cut out again

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed Jan 25, 06 12:39 am

I used to work at Unipart welding stainless exhaust pipes together. We used MIG welders with stainless wire for that. The gas was different, we had a slight mix of oxygen in the CO2. I couldn't tell you why, but we did.

The MIGs we had there were quite serious, had water cooling and massive power units. But then we were sticking 400 pipes together a day.

jerry · Post by **jerry** » Wed Jan 25, 06 9:53 pm

thanks again guys i'm off to by a mig

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Wed Jan 25, 06 9:59 pm