Getting started with welding

ampleforth

I want to get started with welding, don't have a lot of space to keep gear (small shed), want to use it for smaller jobs and look for something reliable and not too complex.

I have no prior skill but plan to do one of those DIY courses and generally learn by doing.

Which type of welder (and what brand) would you recommend to get started?

Also looking for interesting videos, and other useful online resources (YT channels) to get into it.

tabby aspreme

If your budget is tight OP, Lidl have the flux wire welders in stock this week

DK man

i bought an inverter welder a few yrs ago for €400. Nice and light but does a decent job if you know how to use it. I have found welding tricky enough.

I think you'd want to spend a decent amount of time at it if you want to get anyway good at it. As well as trying to weld you need to be able to adjust settings. To high and you'll burn metal - too low and you wont get a proper weld.

hopeso

I’d say an inverter welder is what you’re looking for. Very small and light, but well capable of doing some serious welding. Have a look on eBay to get an idea of what’s available, and the price range. As with anything, avoid the very cheap ones if at all possible. A mid range one should be more than good enough...

Car99

I was in the same position as yourself no experience welding . I settled on a Kemppi Miniarcmig 200 and while it is on the pricey side it is a dream to use. Its auto setting features flatter my welding abilities. With a few hours of using it you'll be putting out very reasonable welds.

ampleforth

hopeso wrote: »

I A mid range one should be more than good enough...

Makes sense. What kind of price tag would be a mid-range (roughly)?

bobbyy gee

you can buy welding books

Xtrail14

I’d buy a used mig, pricking around with the Lidl welder is a waste of time.

jack of all

If you plan to be doing most of your welding outside (you've a small shed?) then a MIG welder would be a waste of time as the gas will will just blow away in windy conditions, and you're into significant cost with the gas unless you're going to rely on those small disposable canisters. I've only a basic arc (manual shielded metal arc- a glorified transformer) set up myself which I occasionally wheel out for basic repairs. I'd imagine an inverter would be the ideal set up for a beginner and some day I plan to trade up to one myself. Long term this would be the most economical setup- rods are cheap, no gas and they say if you can learn to weld well with an arc welder then you'll be good to weld anything. I picked up some solid copper and aluminium flat bars that are great heat sinks/ backing plates if you need to weld thin parts together- prevents blow through. Do lots of practice on whatever scraps you can get your hands on, there's plenty of that around at little to no cost. You'll need the usual PPE- gloves/ gauntlets, apron, auto helmet and ear defenders, a 4.5" angle grinder, some thin cutting discs, grinding discs and chipping hammer etc.

Xtrail14

Stay away from the mama and papa Lidl tools anyway. You would be better off using a set of jump leads and a tractor battery.

cletus

Just to balance out the posts from xtrail above, I bought the gasless mig welder from Lidl, as I couldn't justify the cost of a full gas rig for the amount welding I'd be doing.

While the welds are not the prettiest, the are perfectly functional, and once they get a lick of a grinder, and a spray of paint, they are the finest

Electronic Writer

ampleforth wrote: »

Makes sense. What kind of price tag would be a mid-range (roughly)?

Price is not the measure of capability that you need. Euros are not part of any formulae to determine characteristics of welds.

Electrical output is. I'd call the capability of a good midrange stick welder , material 10mm plate using 110-150amps. 3 phase €1000

derek_the_welder aka Electronic Writer

hopeso

Electronic Writer wrote: »

Price is not the measure of capability that you need. Euros are not part of any formulae to determine characteristics of welds.

Electrical output is. I'd call the capability of a good midrange stick welder , material 10mm plate using 110-150amps. 3 phase €1000

derek_the_welder aka Electronic Writer

That’s not exactly what the OP is looking for..... Less than half of €1000 will buy a welder more than good enough for his needs

Electronic Writer

hopeso wrote: »

That’s not exactly what the OP is looking for..... Less than half of €1000 will buy a welder more than good enough for his needs

€500 will buy exactly the same as €1000 if you look in different places , same machine , different people. My experience is to look around and find a man who'll take a grand for a €2000 machine. Be careful , there are a lot of dodgy fcukers around.


Lidl welders are hobby welders. I have a theory that many a Mercedes or BMW or Audi electrical techs could have had input to them. Just sayin!

And, youtube can be a minefield. People can put whatever they want there. I personally like videos from a man named Steve Bleile , he's like Burt Reynolds with a welding machine. Fact , No Bullsh"t , just good info. Vids can be an hour long , that's what you want.

colm ross

if he is only starting off , a cheap stick plant will do . 12 gauge rods , some flatbar and box section. when he learns that, he can move up. hopefully

ampleforth

Thank you for all the good advice and comments! Much appreciated!