Gassless migs? easy to use or waste of cash?

[Alex1380]

Hi guys,

In the market for a cheap little mig welder for patching my triumph together with. I've found alittle gassless one on ebay along with others but i've never heard great things about gassless welders. Are they worth trying or a waste of cash?

Thanks

[dickdasterdley]

I had a go on one many moons ago and I really wasn't very impressed....I'd say save your cash for a proper welder!

[retrowagen1234]

Nothing wrong with gasless... its what i use and its great... the only downside is paying a lil extra for wire... Its a bit Different to weld with but no worse at all

[RobinJI]

Yeah, it can be fine as long as you're used to it. Not ideal for anything too critical, but for tinwork it should be fine.

[LowStandards]

There pretty awful imho...

I have no idea why anyone would want one, there's not exactly any hassle in having a disposable bottle in tow...

[arrocuda]

Jul 5, 2010 6:51:22 GMT LowStandards said:

There pretty awful imho...

I have no idea why anyone would want one, there's not exactly any hassle in having a disposable bottle in tow...

Disposable bottles are a POS though. I keep saying that I'm gonna sort something better out, but still not got around to it. I'm sure they could get more in them..... even if it meant charging a little more for 'em.

[goldenwonder]

My MIG can either run gas or gasless. Really couldn't get on with gasless (it came with gasless wire) swapped to gasless & disposable bottles & haven't had a problem since. Find it much cleaner.
Have a look at the welder, as some some badged as gasless, but can be run either.

[billy]

Jul 4, 2010 21:52:55 GMT RobinJI said:

Yeah, it can be fine as long as you're used to it. Not ideal for anything too critical, but for tinwork it should be fine.

I agree
but get dual purpose mig then you have best of both worlds
Ive been mig welding for about 15 years and only recently tried gasless due to the hassle of carrying a gas bottle aswell as my mig and everything else in my mini its not bad realy admitidly not as pretty as when useing argo sheild but its fine with a little grinder tidying afterwards

don't waste your cash on silly disposable gas bottles they last 5 minutes and cost too much either get an account with BOC if you are going to do a lot of welding or someone does no account needed but you have to pay for delivery

I'd rekomend a 135amp mig realy as anything less is not great

[retrowagen1234]

Jul 5, 2010 8:34:27 GMT billy said:

Jul 4, 2010 21:52:55 GMT RobinJI said:

Yeah, it can be fine as long as you're used to it. Not ideal for anything too critical, but for tinwork it should be fine.

I agree
but get dual purpose mig then you have best of both worlds
Ive been mig welding for about 15 years and only recently tried gasless due to the hassle of carrying a gas bottle aswell as my mig and everything else in my mini its not bad realy admitidly not as pretty as when useing argo sheild but its fine with a little grinder tidying afterwards

don't waste your cash on silly disposable gas bottles they last 5 minutes and cost too much either get an account with BOC if you are going to do a lot of welding or someone does no account needed but you have to pay for delivery

I'd rekomend a 135amp mig realy as anything less is not great

thats what i have, mines a gas/no-gas

www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/mig151en-turbo-no-gas-mig-welder/path/dual-purpose-and-inno-gasin-mig-welders

ive had it for 5 years it must be now and its still going great.... and its had a hell of a lot of use... my dads bug has new floors, heater channels and inner wings with it.... One thing to note tho is that the weld can be un-tidy untill you get some practice with it... its got a lil bit of a different feel to gas welding.... hard to explain but only takes a couple of go's to get used to it properly and lay some fairly decent seams.....

[Deleted]

I've used gasless on thicker metal and it's fine. It gives a very nice weld (if you can weld )

I think the nature of it you'd struggle to get it to weld bodywork very well though. The initial arc strike is quite harsh compared to when using gas and it makes a lot of mess.

[kwikkwak]

i have a gas bottle mig welder, clarke 150 or someor other, but i do most of my welding outside. there have been occaisions when they has been too much wind to run the bottle so i have switched over to gasless wire. In a windy enviroment it is better but still not ideal

And of course the wire is more expensive

[harris66]

ours is a gas/no gas from clark, 150 amp, great bit of kit, ive built my last 4 cars using gasless, never had an issue or problem, gives a real neat weld on tin or up to 6mm plate, heat penetration no issue, ive made chassis, propshafts, roll cages, suspension set ups, all with no problems, just learn how to use it properly before making a hash job then blaming the welder

[bmw156]

i have a 150 quid gas welder, and its perfect for body work.

IMO you should not waste the money on a gasless one and buy a proper gas one.

i have also just got an account with BOC (personal account) and i now hire a big bottle of gas which is miles cheaper then the halfords bottles. worth it IMO

[Fat Jack]

I have a gas mig, and a no-gas mig - I do a lot of outdoors emergency welding repairs to trolleys and stuff for work.

I find it easy to weld no-gas, its just a bit different thats all.

[surprisingskoda]

I had a gasless Mig, and it was pants. Never got on with it at all, couldn't weld for poop.
Then I got a gas one, and instantly my welding was like 500% better. Using the same technique all of a sudden I found I actually could weld, and there I was all that time thinking I was rubbish at it.
And it runs on a 900 (3 times Halfords size) bottle which lasts me ages doing a fair bit of work with it, and costs the same as a small bottle in Halfords (which is clearly not the place to buy them...)
One of the best investments someones ever bought me, lol.

[chamba]

I had a gasless Mig, and it was pants. Never got on with it at all, couldn't weld for poop.
Then I got a gas one, and instantly my welding was like 500% better. Using the same technique all of a sudden I found I actually could weld, and there I was all that time thinking I was rubbish at it.
And it runs on a 900 (3 times Halfords size) bottle which lasts me ages doing a fair bit of work with it, and costs the same as a small bottle in Halfords (which is clearly not the place to buy them...)
One of the best investments someones ever bought me, lol.

Care to enlighten me as to where you get these '900' bottles?? I begrudge lining Halfrauds' deep pockets with more of my silver

[will]

Jul 5, 2010 21:36:24 GMT chamba said:

I had a gasless Mig, and it was pants. Never got on with it at all, couldn't weld for poop.
Then I got a gas one, and instantly my welding was like 500% better. Using the same technique all of a sudden I found I actually could weld, and there I was all that time thinking I was rubbish at it.
And it runs on a 900 (3 times Halfords size) bottle which lasts me ages doing a fair bit of work with it, and costs the same as a small bottle in Halfords (which is clearly not the place to buy them...)
One of the best investments someones ever bought me, lol.

Care to enlighten me as to where you get these '900' bottles?? I begrudge lining Halfrauds' deep pockets with more of my silver

X2

I've recently got a gas/no gas mig and have done my very first weld sans gas which I was dead chuffed with. I've bounced up and down on the new van rear step and it ain't fallen off yet. Not the prettiest weld but unsure weather that is down to being inexperienced or due to no gas, does the job though.

Have been told by many people on here and elsewhere too that with gas is the way to glue metal hence the purchase of the gas/no gas mig.

[PhoenixCapri]

RE cheap gas; get down an auto jumble or find a friendly pub landlord and buy one of their CO2 bottles (its what puts the fizz in your cola don't ya know ) not as neat as Argon, but I've got a large CO2 bottle, lasts ages and cost me 30 quid ;D You'll need to buy a reg thats fits, but the place I got mine from at Newark Auto jumble sold them for about 10 quid

[LowStandards]

They've started putting nitrogen in pub gas, cause's a right curse word weld!!!

Try a fire extinguisher supplier

[ben711200]

Jul 6, 2010 10:52:33 GMT LowStandards said:

They've started putting nitrogen in pub gas, cause's a right curse word weld!!!

Try a fire extinguisher supplier

Not all of them.. You can get pure CO2 ones. Different grades for different drinks etc.

But for the hastle of 'obtaining' a pub bottle, finding someone who is prepared to refill it.. You may as well do the BOC Volkszone deal (open to everyone if you call them up ) and pay £35ish for rent, and £25ish for refills of a size Y Argoshield Light bottle.