look out chaps Lidl arc welder

[babydriver]

40-80 amps with face shield and earth strap £34.99p Wot a bargain, offer starts next monday check out they're web site

[garethj]

I did some arc welding when I was learning and always found it a bit tricky, I’d have thought it would be very difficult for thin car bodywork especially compared to MIG. Keeping the stick at the right position from the weld takes a while, which is what MIG does for you with its wire feed. And I don’t know if you can get coated wire or something these days but otherwise you’ll have to chip off the slag (not PU51) with a hammer. MIG shields the weld in gas so you don't have the problem.

 

garethj’s verdict, hit ebay for a little MIG instead

[HillmanImp]

I have an arc welder for chassis work as my MIG is not powerful enough to penetrate the thicker steel to get a good weld. I find the actual welding with the Arc a lot easier but unfortunatley have little use for it (I was over the moon last year when a mate turned up with a chassis repair for the MOT on his truck). However, I suppose for the repairs I have done its actually saved me money in the long run for the money I paid for it.

[babydriver]

Did not know that..................Just can't resist a bargain lol. I thought it may be helpful for someone who uses one and might need a new one.

[Bren]

Not a bad buy but it is only 80A - I got one from aldi for about £10 more which is 140A - you can weld steel up to 6mm thick.

 

Not that anywhere on a car body has steel that thickness, however it is handy for other stuff. I welded the box section wheel housings on my trailer, the local specialist wanted £100 just for a beam, without bearings, stub axles etc. So it paid for itself first time out.

 

The lidl one is deffo worth a punt at that money.

[Des]

I used to use an arc about 20 years ago, was ok for car body with skinny rods, 1.6 mm I think, need to be kept somewhere dry like an airing cupboard, if there's just an odd bit of welding to be done they're fine, and for the heavy stuff excellent, for a major rebuild a mig makes more sense, and if you achieve reasonable results with an arc, you'll be great with a mig.