Scotty_Rah Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I'm looking at buying a MIG welder in the next couple of weeks, and was looking at the Lincoln Powerweld 180c. It seems to tick all the boxes and it advertises that its made for the home handyman and ideal for body shop repairs. so it sounds like the shot! Can anyone here attest to this? Are they the shiz? Perhaps there is another welder/brand that i should be looking at? Cheers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.A.R. Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I use one.Buy it. Scotty_Rah and gav240z 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blu260z Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 The perfect home welder mate. Only problem is it has a 15amp plug, there are ways around it but I will not say on here only other welder I can recommend is the cigweld 175i transmig. Both great welders Scotty_Rah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dat2kman Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I got a BossWeld 189, wire transport mechanism is very good. Had a couple other cheaper units, but they fall down mainly on the wire feed. The Lincoln 180 gets good comments on other forums. gav240z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted October 29, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 29, 2015 I also have the Lincoln 180C, great machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smugley Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 +1 as above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red76z Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Bossweld 186. Look up dynaweld. Perfect for the job with Australian backup warranty. $729 with stand, wire, helmet,gloves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatoKid Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Have a Lincoln 250C, quite different to the 180 but very happy with it, would buy again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MATTY Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 No point in buying a machine that doesn't have a 15 amp plug. Also it's all well and good to find ways about using the machine with out the correct plug until the missus turns on the kettle when your welding away and throws the safety switch lol gav240z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted November 3, 2015 Moderators Share Posted November 3, 2015 For piece of mind, safety and not voiding your house insurance just get a 15A point fitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GongZ Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 No point in buying a machine that doesn't have a 15 amp plug. ... This thread would be a lot more useful to those, like me, who never owned or used a welder, if statements like this were explained. Are you saying that a welder that only uses a 10 amp outlet has insufficient power for the most common tasks on an S30 restoration? Some mention/explanation of the benefits of gas versus gasless welding would also be very welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blu260z Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) This thread would be a lot more useful to those, like me, who never owned or used a welder, if statements like this were explained. Are you saying that a welder that only uses a 10 amp outlet has insufficient power for the most common tasks on an S30 restoration? Some mention/explanation of the benefits of gas versus gasless welding would also be very welcome. GongZ most of the time anything running a 10amp plug will only be around the 130-150amp cheap bunnings style welder. For your s30 panel work welding say 2mm sheet a 130amp will be fine. But if you want to weld thicker steel 5mm-10mm you really need those extra amps meaning 15amp plug. In terms of gas vs gasless it gets difficult, gasless burns much hotter than standard wire and is alot more messy with spatter it means you will deform light guage sheet very quickly. People always say gasless is not as strong, this is rubbish if you cant lay a strong weld its to do with you (eg cant weld, metal to thick/ wrong material and not the welding unit/ gas type like most blame. Edited November 3, 2015 by blu260z GongZ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted November 3, 2015 Moderators Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) Hi Ian, I am no expert, but this how I understand the basics. One of the benefits of gas is that it provides a much neater job, but on the negative you have the cost of the gas bottle (purchase or rental) and it is just a bulkier setup. Lower amperage welders do not have as much capacity as higher amperage ones, so whilst it they may well do a good job on thin metal they will struggle on thicker jobs. Once yiur mates find out you have a welder all kinds of jobs turn up on your doorstep. Another consideration is "Duty Cycle" that is how long can the welder run (Amp over time) befor it needs a rest, a larger or more expensive should have a higher duty cycle. 15A point and insurance - running a 15A machine on a 10A circuit has the potential to overheat the wiring and possibly cause a fire, yes highly unlikely if you have an RCBO on the circut, but is it worth the risk ? Insurance companies are always looking for any excuse not to pay out on a claim. Cheers PB Edited November 3, 2015 by PB260Z GongZ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GongZ Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Thank you Mr BLU and Peter - very helpful. Now I should be able to convince my mate to upgrade from his inverter welder and drop all sorts of jobs off on his doorstep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MATTY Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 GongZ most of the time anything running a 10amp plug will only be around the 130-150amp cheap bunnings style welder. For your s30 panel work welding say 2mm sheet a 130amp will be fine. But if you want to weld thicker steel 5mm-10mm you really need those extra amps meaning 15amp plug. In terms of gas vs gasless it gets difficult, gasless burns much hotter than standard wire and is alot more messy with spatter it means you will deform light guage sheet very quickly. People always say gasless is not as strong, this is rubbish if you cant lay a strong weld its to do with you (eg cant weld, metal to thick/ wrong material and not the welding unit/ gas type like most blame. I'm sorry i should have clarified. most of the 10amp machines dont have the setting suitable for the light material to do a decent job. by settings i mean wire speeds and find tune the amps/volts. Another thing people also tend to over look is 9 times out of 10 you will find it hard to find consumables for the machines such as tips shrouds, liners and rollers. duty cycle for these machines wont be an issue as you would be flat out welding anything more than 100mm at a time. I'd also agree with BLU with the gas less its not suitable for sheet metal (thinner material) and it does spit. also people fail to realize with gasless wire you drag like stick. (when there is slag you drag) Most of the little machines like the CIG 175's & BOC180's & the WIA machines will do suffice and are easy to get parts for. if you intend of using the mig for sheet metal work id suggest using a silicone bronze wire which is much better suited for the thinner material and a few panel beaters use it too. buying a cheap welder might sound good but there is a reason why they are cheap to begin with. GongZ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blu260z Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Also Something that you really need to decide is what am I going to use the welder for? Just sheet metal or would you like to use it for thicker steel. Then ask do I want to tig weld aswell or will I want to down the track? do I want to use your mig to aluminum weld ? Do you want to run shield-gas mig in the shed and be able to take your welder down the back and arc weld the gate or fence? Ask these questions before just buying just a mig welder. If you just want to mig 1mm-4mm mild steel grab yourself a bunnings special for $300 If you just want to weld 1mm-10mm and think I wouldnt mind trying aluminum or stainless mig and run some gas or gasless aswell go for something like the Lincoln 180c or similar $800 - $1500 If you want to mig stainless, aluminium, mildsteel upto 10mm run gas or gasless. Also have the option of and arc welder and a scratch start tigwelder for welding stainless only look at something like the CIG 175i or Lincoln power mig 210MP $1000 - $2000 Its worth a look around and definitely worth shopping around but one thing I really want to stress is dont buy from ebay or similar sites. Welders sometimes break and they cost ALOT to fix last thing you want to be doing is paying to post a 30kg welder back to china or even Australia to be replaced or fix. Most welder service shops wont even touch shitty no name welders because they just cant get any parts for them. Happy welding fellas chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty_Rah Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Thanks for the suggestions and info on this subject fellas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJ101 Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 I've been looking at getting a good allrounder. The place I went to are big on UNIMIG and recommended the Razorweld DC MIG/MMA inverter for $779 or if I wanted Tig as well the Razorweld 205 MTS-MIG-TIG-MMA inverter for $1165. The Lincoln Powerweld 180C MIG only was around $1200. Best to shop around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dat2kman Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 They are recommending what they want, and need, to sell. Go chat with blokes that do what you want to do, get their pros and cons on what they use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJ101 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 that's always the problem with everything these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted December 23, 2015 Moderators Share Posted December 23, 2015 Thanks for the suggestions and info on this subject fellas.Hi Mate What did you end deciding on ? And how is it working out for you ? Cheers PB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty_Rah Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Hi Peter, I am going to be getting the Lincoln 180C. Picking it up in a few weeks, I'll be sure to let you know what I think after some use. blu260z 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PB260Z Posted February 15, 2016 Moderators Share Posted February 15, 2016 (edited) Good choice, once your mates find out you have a welder all kinds of jobs start to land on tour doorstop. For me, the beer economy is alive and well. Edited February 15, 2016 by PB260Z Scotty_Rah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty_Rah Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 Hi Fellas I think i found a solution to the 15amp - 10amp stepdown problem.. Whilst browsing bunnings looking to 'modify' an extension cord, I came across this - It's called Ampfibian. It has a Female 15amp socket with an inline circuit breaker to 10amp male plug. the circuit breaker is set to switch at 10.01 amps for when you may overload. this saves you from possible melted wiring and/or fires. It's the legal way to do it and only $98 from Bunnings.. A good investment for people on the go.. Sh*t.. I sound like I'm a salesman.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBR Jeff Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 That will work but your cycle time will need to be short and you will be limited to the lower current settings and wire speed. I have ended up with a dedicated 15 amp supply that I use only for the welder. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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