Thread: Welder for trailer fabrication?

You may want to ask this question in the Welding forum - I've seen that Ross unit offered in all manner of places, but haven't heard anything much about them. In the absence of an endorsement by someone who actually owns one, I'd be tempted to write it off as a cheap Chinese POS, and suggest you spend a little more on a better Chinese machine.

As for material thickness, the short answer is no, you are not going to weld 6-8mm section with a nominal 150A welder. At best you'll get a decent single-pass weld with 3mm section - although if you can access both sides of the join, you could do 6mm by welding each side I guess.

However, you can weld thicker sections in multiple passes, but it requires proper preparation. That means vee-ing the join to make space for the multiple passes. Note that with flux-core, you need to thoroughly remove all slag between each pass.

spend a little extra and get a better machine the lincon 180c can be had for around the $850.00 mark . there a top unit ive built 2 car trailers with mine so far and about to start a 3rd one soon .
i was in the same boat as you when looking for a mig in the end it come down to if i bought a chineese one of ebay it would cost 2 much too ship it back for repairs . i wanted something that was going to last a long time and still be able to get parts for it and i wanted a local dealer so if any problems arised i could return it .

good luck in finding a welder that suits your needs i read so many different revieews i was getting head aches trying to decide lol but the lincon come on special and that helped sway my desion lol

Originally Posted by mid life crisis

spend a little extra and get a better machine the lincon 180c can be had for around the $850.00 mark . there a top unit ive built 2 car trailers with mine so far and about to start a 3rd one soon .
i was in the same boat as you when looking for a mig in the end it come down to if i bought a chineese one of ebay it would cost 2 much too ship it back for repairs . i wanted something that was going to last a long time and still be able to get parts for it and i wanted a local dealer so if any problems arised i could return it .

good luck in finding a welder that suits your needs i read so many different revieews i was getting head aches trying to decide lol but the lincon come on special and that helped sway my desion lol

Thanks for the reply guys
Thats the thing i reckon i spent lots of time researching but can make a solid decision
Also the reason why i chose the ross welder is bc it has a 10A plug.
Due to the fact that it will barely weld more than 3mm i have thought of getting a 15A power point installed in the garage.
I call a sparkie and he quoted me 500-600+gst to put 2.5mm^2 cables and a 15A Safety switch. The reason for the high prices is that the garage is on the opposite side on the sb and its a double storey house.
I thought it was best to shop around and when i called a friend of mines sparkie he said that i should go for a 4mm^2 bc its over a long distance and during summer it heats up etc better to be safe than sorry right?
To save money i am gonna run the wire through the house and cover it with conduit on the outside and leave the sections exposed so he can wired and test them
If any of u guys have knowledge of the type of wire heres the link to the ones i was thinking of using;
4mm2 Electrical Cable 2 core + earth (2.5mm2) | eBay
Solar Cable 4mm2 - Per Metre | eBay
WIRE 6MM SINGLE CORE AUTOMOTIVE WIRING CABLE PER METRE DOUBLE INSULATED GAS | eBay

After reading more on the forum 2 core is better i think....
If i fork out the $$ for a 15A switch then my options increase and i can geta good decent used MIG around 150-200A Which doesnt cost too much
This is one that i found on gumtree and any thoughts on it bc it seems like an unknown brand to me
Mig welder | Tools & DIY | Gumtree Australia Casey Area - Cranbourne

@ Mid life crisis love ur car trailer build do you still have photos of the second one?
I seen the lincon 180c but its a littke outta my price range how about the 140C? What are ur thoughts on that one. Also how thick did urs weld on one pass using flux?
Thanks guys

If your sparky mate is going to terminate the run, then he's the one to tell you what kind of cable to get, and also how to route and fix the cable so as to be compliant.

In short, the second two cables you list are completely inappropriate for the task. The 2 core + earth is probably fine, but your sparky will need to know the length of the run in order to ensure there isn't excessive voltage drop.

Originally Posted by RustyArc

If your sparky mate is going to terminate the run, then he's the one to tell you what kind of cable to get, and also how to route and fix the cable so as to be compliant.

In short, the second two cables you list are completely inappropriate for the task. The 2 core + earth is probably fine, but your sparky will need to know the length of the run in order to ensure there isn't excessive voltage drop.

I was thinking the same see the link that has 2 cables plus earth the diameter for each wire is 4mm^2 not 2mm^2

And I Finally decided that I should get a either a Lincoln 180c used or bn If can get one really cheap or a 175 3 in 1 cig weld or 180A uni mig welder
What's ur thoughts on the last 2 guys
Thanks

Originally Posted by omer691

I was thinking the same see the link that has 2 cables plus earth the diameter for each wire is 4mm^2 not 2mm^2

The salient point about the other two cables is that they're *not* designed nor rated for mains power.

And I Finally decided that I should get a either a Lincoln 180c used or bn If can get one really cheap or a 175 3 in 1 cig weld or 180A uni mig welder
What's ur thoughts on the last 2 guys

Again, if you want opinions on welders, the Welding forum is the go:
WELDING - Woodwork Forums

I have an older UniMIG 175 and it's been great, and I've heard good things about the CIG 175i. All three have good local support, so I expect you won't go too far wrong with any of them.

Originally Posted by RustyArc

The salient point about the other two cables is that they're *not* designed nor rated for mains power.

I just realised when i looked back and the post it did not make any sense.
I was referring to this one 4mm2 Electrical Cable 2 core + earth (2.5mm2) | eBay
It says on the title: 4mm2 Electrical Cable 2 core + earth (2.5mm2) Why would they write (2.5mm2) in brackets. What does this refer to? Im gonna ask the seller thought i'd ask here also.

Again, if you want opinions on welders, the Welding forum is the go:
WELDING - Woodwork Forums

Just posted a new thread on the woodworking forum
Thanks for the advice. I was after specific welder which were used to make trailers so i though to post it here

I have an older UniMIG 175 and it's been great, and I've heard good things about the CIG 175i. All three have good local support, so I expect you won't go too far wrong with any of them.

Thanks

RustyArc pretty much has it sorted I recon.

For 6-8 mm a 15 amp arc will give you more penetration.

The thinner stuff (3mm) I would still be using a 15 amp. I've got the luxury of mig as well, so can take my pick.

Under 2.5, for me at least, would be pulling out the mig.

A really good operater can do some great work on pretty thin stuff, where I would probably be blowing holes in the job.

My comment regarding inappropriate cable was in reference to the three Ebay items you listed - one was DC cable for solar installations, the other was automotive cable, also DC and also completely inappropriate for mains wiring.

The 4 mm2 2C + E is the stuff a sparky would use for a long run to a 15A outlet (the choice of cable size is something the sparky works out based on distance and load).

The reference to 2.5 mm2 in the Ebay listing is the size of the earth wire, as opposed to the two 4 mm2 mains wires.

A 180A or bigger welder will be a lot more capable, but if you're doing a single pass, realistically 4mm section is the limit. Any more than that you need more joint prep and more passes.

The final thing I'd add is that if you have no welding experience, I'd be very careful about what work you do on a trailer, which is exposed to extreme forces and vibration. If your welds aren't up to par, a trailer is the place they're most likely to fail, and the consequences could be devastating.

Originally Posted by RustyArc

My comment regarding inappropriate cable was in reference to the three Ebay items you listed - one was DC cable for solar installations, the other was automotive cable, also DC and also completely inappropriate for mains wiring.

The 4 mm2 2C + E is the stuff a sparky would use for a long run to a 15A outlet (the choice of cable size is something the sparky works out based on distance and load).

The reference to 2.5 mm2 in the Ebay listing is the size of the earth wire, as opposed to the two 4 mm2 mains wires.

A 180A or bigger welder will be a lot more capable, but if you're doing a single pass, realistically 4mm section is the limit. Any more than that you need more joint prep and more passes.

The final thing I'd add is that if you have no welding experience, I'd be very careful about what work you do on a trailer, which is exposed to extreme forces and vibration. If your welds aren't up to par, a trailer is the place they're most likely to fail, and the consequences could be devastating.

The first sparkie that i got said to use 2.5mm^2.
also when the temperature increase bc the wire is in the roof the current will still be able to flow freely and less likely to overheat.

I plan on doing plenty of practice before i even being to do any structural repairs to the trailer. If i feel confident and my practice welds look good then i will go ahead and do it.
If i feel im not up to the task ill get a pro or anyone on this forum willing to work if i pay to do the structural stuff. then ill will practice more then try to do the other things
Is it possible to put too much welds? eg attaching the sheet metal flooring.