WHAT’S IMPORTANT?

WELDING PERFORMANCE:

Most MIGS will tackle thick steel with relish and make a great job of it. But, these days, a budding Land Rover enthusiast is just as likely to be repairing scabby arches on an old Discovery as doing major surgery on a Defender chassis. So low-end performance, which traditionally varied wildly between different machines, is also incredibly important for thinner material. All welding is aided by getting the power setting just right, so the more power choices there are the better. Duty cycle is another factor that’s a major implication if using the machine intensively. Most welders can work continually at their lowest settings, but require cool down periods when used for heavier duty work. Obviously, on busy jobs, you want the machine to have the least down time possible.

Whilst gas MIG always leaves a cleaner and smoother weld than gasless, the latter isn’t without its benefits. First, for the occasional welder, gasless is a much more affordable way of welding. The machines cost less and although the flux core wire costs more than ordinary steel wire, gasless operation still works out cheaper than normal wire plus disposable gas bottles. Gasless is also more reliable in windy conditions and, if you’ve swapped to a large industrial bottle, a gas/no-gas machine remains portable despite your bottle definitely not being so. Ultimately, then, dual gas and no-gas ability is an advantage, but it’s also important to see exactly what such machines come with. Ideally, there should be everything for the unit to be used, in either mode, straight out of the box. We prefer it, too, if you can swap between 0.6, 0.8, and gasless 0.9 mm wire freely without having to invest in new tips or rollers. We also prefer welders that can easily be adapted for both disposable and industrial gas bottles.

One of the biggest criticisms of DIY MIGS has been temperamental wire feed, especially at lower speeds. In such conditions, even the most talented welder will struggle to make decent joints if wire delivery is sporadic. Consequently a heavy duty feed mechanism is a major bonus.

Getting the perfect weld is heavily reliant on having the torch at exactly the right angle. And that’s made easier if there’s a decent length of hose between the machine and the torch. Detachable Eurotorches are one step better because, in theory, you can extend the length between machine and torch to almost any length.

VERSATILITY:

WIRE FEED:

TORCH: