MIG inverter advantage?

[Big Barn]

jbwilson, I have a Miller XMT350 (inverter) but haven't been able to find a decent price for the Optima pulsing pendant ($1500+ new price ) which I would need to be able to pulse mig.
The Millermatic 350P has a built in pulser.
Don't know if this info helps or not...

Terry

 

[jbwilson]

Arc weld and Big Barn. Thank you. The MIGs you mention are very expensive here e.g. a Miller XMT 350 pulse with no accessories cost about aud $8,000 and the nearest outlet for high end welders is in Sydney which is 300 kms away. I should have mentioned that we're only looking at a decent hobbyist welder rather than a proper commercial grade welder.

 

[Shield Arc]

JB I'm really the last guy on the planet who should give advice on welding thin material. Even tho I worked in a sheet metal shop for 3-years, I never did much sheet metal welding. Same shop I welded up to 4-inch thick material. I feel more comfortable running hot and fast!:cool2:
This is my idea of a Mig weld, with .035" wire.

 

[Mysfyt]

I own both types. For thin sheet metal, the old Miller 200 (transformer) is the go to machine. If you can find one of these used for a decent price, jump on it! Probably Millers most coveted machine. If you can find a used transformer type in either Miller or Lincoln, they are pretty much bulletproof. There are other brands also(Hobart, ESAB, etc) that may fit for you, but I've only owned M's and L's. Not saying an inverter is NG, but a decent used transformer type would be easier on the budget.

 

[Big Barn]

My "go to" migs are a Thermal Arc 210'(transformer) set up with .035 wire and a TA 181i (inverter) set up with .023 wire. Both have spool guns and work equally well on sheet metal. No pulse though. These types would work well for your budget, I think.




Terry

 

[jbwilson]

Thank you all. I think we have a few welders in mind now. My understanding is that while the Thermal Arc name isn't known in Australia (as far as I know), some of its models are rebadged here under the Cigweld name. Over here the TA 181i is called Cigweld W1005175 175 amp Transmig 175i Inverter and costs around $1,200 including accessories and is a serious contender for our needs. We'll forego the pulse function, its too expensive, and just rely on good old skill which we maybe able to acquire after lots of practice.

 

[jbwilson]

JB I'm really the last guy on the planet who should give advice on welding thin material. Even tho I worked in a sheet metal shop for 3-years, I never did much sheet metal welding. Same shop I welded up to 4-inch thick material. I feel more comfortable running hot and fast!:cool2:
This is my idea of a Mig weld, with .035" wire.

Shield Arc that is a very neat weld - I can barely make out the Cs. I never achieved that quality when I was using our tech school's MIGs. If I do a fillet weld using stick on a piece that thick, I really have to concentrate on wetting the edges and pushing up the puddle with the electrode otherwise my welding starts to splutter and I end up with weld dags and heaps of slag inclusions.

 

[ericher69]

Shield Arc that is a very neat weld - I can barely make out the Cs. I never achieved that quality when I was using our tech school's MIGs. If I do a fillet weld using stick on a piece that thick, I really have to concentrate on wetting the edges and pushing up the puddle with the electrode otherwise my welding starts to splutter and I end up with weld dags and heaps of slag inclusions.

You can't make out the C's cause it's spray transfer...

Sent from my iPhone 5s 64Gb using TractorByNet

 

[IslandTractor]

You can't make out the C's cause it's spray transfer... Sent from my iPhone 5s 64Gb using TractorByNet

Love spray transfer! Wish it were possible with smaller welders. Makes you feel like a pro!!

 

[jbwilson]

You can't make out the C's cause it's spray transfer...

Oh I C: D. I was wondering about the 29 volts chalked on the work. Thank you, I have heard of spray transfer but didn't know what is was about.

John