MIG welding equipment in Ireland and welding advices with WeldingSuppliesDirect? How to pick a welder tips: Duty cycle: The advertised amperage of the machine offers a headline guide, but the duty cycle of the machine gives up the truth. Light industrial machine duty cycles can be as low as 20%, but more heavy duty MIG’s should range between 40-60%. If a 300amp MIG has 30% duty cycle for instance, it’s on the edge of acceptability. Duty cycle is determined by how many minutes out of 10, it can weld at 100%. Duty cycle testing: MIGS tested at 20 Degrees & 40 Degrees we consider good. (Beware any manufacturer who doesn’t quote an ambient temperature for testing) Manufacturer’s warranty: Always a great guide to quality. A three year warranty is good. Weld characteristics: Make sure the arc is smooth & suits your application. (Some machines are better suited at the low range and others at higher amperage range).
In many shops, the operator has to go to a tool room or supply area for a new contact tip, coil of wire or other welding accessory. This takes valuable time away from the welding cell and slows down overall productivity. To improve the operating efficiency and minimize wasted time, companies should stock at least a limited supply of all necessary items near the welding station – this includes shielding gas, flux and wire. Another helpful productivity enhancing tip is to switch to larger spools of wire such as from 25 lb. spools to 44 or 60 lb. spools to even larger packages of 1,000 lb. reels or 1,000 lb. drums. A simple switch like this means less changeover time, which adds up over the weeks, months and years. Shops should also be on the lookout for shielding gas waste. A simple device called a surge turbine can be placed at the end of the gun to provide a digital readout of the gas surge and flow rate. If the surge rate is high, investing in a surge guard can reduce the pressure, eliminating gas surges and waste. Leaks in the gas delivery system can also create a potential loss of money. By looking at the amount of consumables purchased each year and then examining the total gas purchased, a company can determine if there is a significant loss. Welding manufacturers and distributors should be able to provide average utilization figures so that loss can be detected. If there is a loss suspected, one of the easiest ways to check for leaks is to shut off the gas delivery system over the weekend. Check the level on Friday evening and then again on Monday morning to determine if gas was used while the system was in shut down mode.
If you are a real handyman, you might have done some metal works, not to mention joining and installation. Yet, if you have some experience and you are ready to pick up the gauntlet of repairing metal gates or welding a pedal to a bicycle, a MIG welder is what you need! A few welding methods are known such as MMA, TIG, MIG, and MAG. We will look through MIG welders in our review. A MIG welder uses a streaming inert gas that acts as a shield and expels air contaminants from a weld zone. If no gas is used, the seam is porous and infirm. We will review household MIG welders plugged to a power outlet. Such welders can fuse stainless steel sheets and weld cracks and holes on cars, etc. We have examined 5 best MIG welders to help you buy an appropriate model for your welding needs. Also, we advise paying attention to sandblasts and that will help you get the surface prepared before welding, as well as angle grinders for cutting metalware. See extra details at Welding supplies Ireland.
The Hobart Handler 230 is unmatched in its field. It’s a powerful welder that can comfortably weld 1/2 inch steel in single phase with fantastic arc quality. Other features include a 60% duty cycle at 175A, 12 different voltage settings, and infinite wire speed control. It’s a huge unit, but there’s wheels to help move it around, and a build in cylinder rack to store your gas cylinder. Most hobbyists won’t need a welder this powerful, but if you want a reliable MIG welder with a bit of extra power, this is our top pick. You can read the full review here.
A few tips about welding equipment, MIG and TIG welders, plasma cutters. Stick Welding — If you learned to weld years ago, you likely learned using an arc welder. Stick welding for many years has been the most popular method for most home-shop welding needs. This process uses an electric current flowing from a gap between the metal and the welding stick, also known as an arc-welding electrode. Stick welding is an effective method for welding most alloys or joints and can be used indoors and outdoors or in drafty areas. It’s also the most economical welding method and provides the ability to create an effective bond on rusty or dirty metals. However, this method is limited to metals no thinner than 18-gauge, requires frequent rod changing, emits significant spatter and requires that welds be cleaned upon completion. Stick welding is also more difficult to learn and use, particularly the ability to strike and maintain an arc. Arc welders are available in AC, DC or AC/DC, with AC being the most economical. It’s used for welding thicker metals of 1/16 inch or greater. These machines are a good choice for farmers, hobbyists and home maintenance chores.
USA market pick: At just $99, the Goplus is a fantastic value considering what it is equipped to do. In fact, it is the most affordable welder on our list, beating out its competitors by hundreds or even thousands of dollars and putting it in a class of its own. For a budding hobbyist not yet sure if welding is for them, you can’t go wrong with the Goplus. After all, for $99 its welding thickness and the duty cycle is about what one would expect (don’t look to buy this welder if you want it for heavy duty use). The Goplus is light and compact when compared to most other welders. Flux core wire is included. It has four levels of easily adjustable current flow and ten levels of wire speed. The Goplus is able to weld steel and iron at below ¼ inches thickness. Discover extra details at https://www.weldingsuppliesdirect.ie/.