Thread: Help me pick a new MIG

Sounds like you made up your mind already about the WIA. I'm used them before but they were early 90's machines, 3 phase and 400amps. Best welders I have ever used. I used to go through 3 15kg rolls of wire a weak without any major issues.

It seems like a good price though, WIA's used to be very expensive which swayed a lot of people away, I noticed they have been going down now.

If you get a chance see if you can have a play with each one, some shops have a bay setup with various machines so you can tray them out.

Another machine you might want to look at is the new cigweld transmig 175 mig/tig/arc it seems good value and it's all digital. Cigweld welder transmig 175 ARC / MIG / TIG ## NEW ## | eBay

I have no experience with that machine but it looks good just reading the specs. Depends what you want to use it for though..

The lincoln would be a good choice and the advantage of the spool gun is to run aluminium wire for those odd small ally jobs. Convenient way of having another option with out changing the wire spool in the welder itself. The WIA is a very good unit as well but have not much info of the 190. The WIA is Australian made ( in Adelaide SA ) I think and has been around for a while and have a reputation of good quality. Have a good look at both and compare options, gun handle, weight, opening of wire spool door, latches, easyness of changing wire spool., burn back setting, gas and gasless wire polarities . Make sure that you are happy with all these things and base your decision on this and dont buy solely on price if when every time you go to use it it does not feel right for you and as these 2 machines are fairly level pegging in brands and quality.

If WIA are coming on to market with a 190A machine that's in the price range of the Chinese machine, it's pretty damn likely that it's a Chinese machine itself - that isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it makes it difficult to judge against WIA's previous machines. You might find yourself being a beta-tester - if it was me I'd want to see a bit of a track record for the machine first.

I've been very happy with my UniMig, but I noticed that the units on sale now are a new version with digital displays and spool gun connection - the previous generation that I have seems to have an excellent reputation, but obviously that reputation doesn't exist for this new model. I'm guessing the main power supply and wire drive are the same with some modified electronics for the display, but who knows.

I've got a UNIMIG 190, had never used a mig before buying it.

I'm happy with it. built about 50metres of pool fencing with it, what I saved on pre made fencing paid for the mig and I still had about a $1000 left over.

supposedly can do tig with it, I haven't looked into it.

I'd buy another one if I had too.

Thanks guys for your input I think I need to really think hard about one of those 3 in 1 Inverters and if i would really use the TIG

WIA no longer manufacture machines in Australia as of around about this time.

having used all three mig welders before, I'd say the WIA (given it was australian made) and lincoln are the better welders, unimig didn't impress me as much. May I suggest you try a BOC magmate, they are well priced and well made units. One thing I noticed is the quality of the torches, the lincoln felt very cheap and the magmate was probably the best.

Thanks for the continued input guys I want to a BOC supplier tomorrow arvo so ill look for one of those magmate's and any CIG machines they may have

wow thanks for the tip Josh Bee I checked out the Magmate's then compared them to the WIA machines and they have a far better duty cycle. I think ill save a bit more and get the 250amp Magmate rather than a WIA machine that will cost a grand more

G'day.
I have recently bought this : Welders, Arc Welder, Tig Welder, Welders For Sale, Welder Repair, Plasma Welder, Aluminium welder Australia ,

This is my first ever welder. Has gas or gasless, mig, tig and stick capabilities. I am a novice welder. The machine has three adjustments, wire feed speed, voltage and arc force. It takes a 5Kg roll of wire. Comes with gas regulator. 5 year warranty and Australian contacts in Syd or Port Macquarie. I have spoken to them several times on the phone when I was having trouble (my fault not the machine!!) (once on a Sun morning too!!).

The work I have done so far is on 50 x 25 x 2.5 mm RHS to build a wood storage rack and a bench for my drill press and grinder/linisher. My welds are not pretty but becoming better. The spatter I get is from the gasless wire and it happens when I'm not doing the welding correctly.

I am happy with the machine, as having built my own stuff I have recouped the cost of the machine and have the satisfaction of doing it myself.

I have no connection with Ever Last except that I now own one. I can't comment on other brands as I have not ever used one.

Just another option/brand to consider.

Lyle.

Hi Lyle,

Is this the one, the everlast welder that you were having feed issues with last week in regards to wire burning back etc? If so curious why you came to the forum for help instead of their famous tech support? I figured they were the beez kneez when it came to unbeatable product support. I have followed a few threads on the welding web where they have been all but booted for self promotion by dubious means also earlier this year elsewhere on this forum.

John

Just stubbornness on my part. I had called them and listened to their advice on settings etc. But typically for me, why stop and read instructions when you can swear and moan about it!!
It was the arc force setting I was using. They said I'd need to tweak the settings and practice my technique a bit. I can't blame the welder itself, just the user. I had the wire feed too slow and the arc force too strong. Also I had never cleaned the inside of the 'shroud?' over the tip. Once I changed a few things my welds looked OK to me.
I'd like to try it with gas at some time in the future too.
Anyway, I was just giving my opinion on anotjer brand of welder, without trying to put other brands down. Just my experience.
Take it or leave it.
Lyle.

We have the WIA machines at school, they are verry nice machines to use and work with; so i would go with one of them but i have never used a UniMig or or Lincoln so i dont know if the WIA machines are the best, i assume they are