Arc or mig?

kato Disco · Jun 15, 2013

I have been looking through various threads on here but can't decide on a mig or an arc welder.

I have some experience (23 years ago) welding with arc and gas on gas pipe fabrication.

So folks which is best for land rover maintenance, including chassis work?

Your thoughts are appreciated. I will need to get a move on as I need to weld a couple of bits on the rear of the chassis for its mot next month.

Cheers all.

robint · Jun 15, 2013

i cant fault my clarke mig unit does everything i ask of it and simple to weld upside down aswell

jamesmartin · Jun 15, 2013

mig ,stick is really more suited to thicker work

Thor1950 · Jun 15, 2013

kato Disco said:
I have been looking through various threads on here but can't decide on a mig or an arc welder.

I have some experience (23 years ago) welding with arc and gas on gas pipe fabrication.

So folks which is best for land rover maintenance, including chassis work?

Your thoughts are appreciated. I will need to get a move on as I need to weld a couple of bits on the rear of the chassis for its mot next month.

Cheers all.

if you were trained in that then arc

If you can not arc it then it is to thin

kato Disco · Jun 15, 2013

So mig will be more versatile for thinner metal work. Thanks for the advice

Dan_Trials · Jun 15, 2013

It's not that MIG is more versatile, it's more that a MIG is more suited to thinner material. For most DIY automotive stuff a 150 amp MIG running 0.6mm wire would be fine. For a Landrover chassis you'd probably need to go up to a 180/190 amp and run 0.8mm wire and it will happily weld 3mm all day long. You'd struggle with something like 6mm and thicker though, that's when I'd crack out the stick welder (or go down to work and use the 250 amp MIGs with 1mm wire). With a stick set you can weld out side in the wind too, should the situation call for it. You can also do stainless steel, cast and aluminium just by changing the stick rather than the wire and gas.

Certainly a MIG welder will likely be all you'd need for home repairs, but if you come across a stick welder and have the funds snap it up right away, you can fix pretty much anything in any situation with one!

Grimmer · Jun 15, 2013

kato Disco said:
So mig will be more versatile for thinner metal work. Thanks for the advice

Thats the way I understand it, 'Most' people will really struggle to weld thin stuff with a stick and not blow it to pieces:flame::flame::flame:
I've just got a small mig set, and I'm starting to do a ickle bit of welding

cowasaki · Jun 20, 2013

Another vote for MIG. I have a 16amp Clarke unit fitted with a 25a plug and use a 25a plug to 13a amp adapter where it's fine at up to 80% power

MIG is easiest to use for someone with little training like me. Especially with nice clean new metal it is pretty simple to use. I have problems where the metal is getting a bit thin but you'd have even more problems with an arc welder in that circumstance.

HenryD · Jun 21, 2013

Mig for lightish jobs unless really powerful, arc welder for the heavy stuff as said

Arc or mig?

kato Disco

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robint

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jamesmartin

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Thor1950

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kato Disco

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Dan_Trials

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Grimmer

THE Winner

cowasaki

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HenryD

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