Hey guys a mate of mine decided to build a go kart, he then decided to ask me what welder should he buy to build his go kart( as I am using my schools welder I don't know much ), could any of you perhaps tell me whatMIG welders would be suitable for 1,23,4mm thick metal . Or have any charts to what amp mig welder I should buy?
Go kart welder advice
- Thread starter IKE323
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KartFab
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In order of awesomeness:
miller, lincoln, hobart, everlast(Chinese) and the 'other' Chinese junk (some Chinese products are better than others)
A lot of the lower end ones called "flux core" welders would do a good job maybe up to 90 amps tops, 110v only.
If your friend wants a better welder, he could get a lincoln or miller, a lot of them go up to 110-140 amps with is generally plenty for go karts, and could switch up to higher amps if you had a 220v outlet (they do 220 and 110 depending on model)
If you want higher quality welds, you are going to have to get a 75/25 mix of argon and co2 and do the gas mig welding (sorry not correct terms). You can do that kind of welding on some of the lower end welders, but then you start getting into the more expensive territory with the tank and higher end welders.
Any welder that plugs into a 220v outlet will definitely do the trick, and be useful for most other applications.
Here are a few miller/lincoln models to look at, just use their max amps (and possibly some unit conversions to metric) as a baseline to compare against other welders:
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/onephase.php
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/equipment/mig-Welders/Pages/mig-welders.aspx
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Mig.php
miller, lincoln, hobart, everlast(Chinese) and the 'other' Chinese junk (some Chinese products are better than others)
A lot of the lower end ones called "flux core" welders would do a good job maybe up to 90 amps tops, 110v only.
If your friend wants a better welder, he could get a lincoln or miller, a lot of them go up to 110-140 amps with is generally plenty for go karts, and could switch up to higher amps if you had a 220v outlet (they do 220 and 110 depending on model)
If you want higher quality welds, you are going to have to get a 75/25 mix of argon and co2 and do the gas mig welding (sorry not correct terms). You can do that kind of welding on some of the lower end welders, but then you start getting into the more expensive territory with the tank and higher end welders.
Any welder that plugs into a 220v outlet will definitely do the trick, and be useful for most other applications.
Here are a few miller/lincoln models to look at, just use their max amps (and possibly some unit conversions to metric) as a baseline to compare against other welders:
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/onephase.php
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/equipment/mig-Welders/Pages/mig-welders.aspx
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Mig.php
thanks
Buying a welder is not the time to go cheap. You may spend less money up front buying a cheap welder, but you will really be limited and in the long run it can be a frustrating waste of time and money.
You can always get parts and consumables for a name brand welder. That isn't always the case for a cheap welder.
When buying a MIG its best to go with one that has a gas option so you can run a shielding gas in place of a flux core wire. With flux core wire the slag needs to get hacked off after you weld.
A gas bottle and regulator is going to be another expense but if you buy a good welder this is a tool that will last you a lifetime. Buy cheap, buy twice.
You can always get parts and consumables for a name brand welder. That isn't always the case for a cheap welder.
When buying a MIG its best to go with one that has a gas option so you can run a shielding gas in place of a flux core wire. With flux core wire the slag needs to get hacked off after you weld.
A gas bottle and regulator is going to be another expense but if you buy a good welder this is a tool that will last you a lifetime. Buy cheap, buy twice.
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