Gas or Gasless MIG Welder? Bottles, 13A Plugs and Thin Panels

Buying a first MIG welder brings the same worries every time. Do I need a gas bottle? Will it run off a 13A socket? Will it blow holes in car panels? Decide gas or gasless first, then check the plug and the lowest current setting.

PartsForMachines offers 60 products from Draper, Sealey, SIP, TIGREN and Clarke in its MIG welders range.

Gas or Gasless MIG: Which Should I Buy?

Go gasless if you mostly weld outside or want to start without a bottle; go gas for the neatest welds indoors. A gasless welder runs flux-cored wire, and the flux burns to shield the weld itself, so a breeze matters far less. The 63669 gasless MIG welder uses flux-cored wire, which makes it suitable for outdoor work.

Gas MIG leaves neater welds with no slag to chip off, but a breeze can spoil them outdoors. Some machines do both: Sealey's MIGHTYMIG170 arrives set for gas and changes to gasless with a polarity swap.

Do I Need a Gas Bottle, and Which Gas?

Yes for gas MIG, and you arrange the gas yourself. Even the MIGHTYMIG170 gas/no-gas MIG welder, which comes with a twin-gauge regulator, is sold without gas. Set up a supply with a local gas company before it arrives.

Machines like this run on CO2 or an argon/CO2 mix. Pure CO2 penetrates deeply but gives a less stable arc and more spatter. An argon/CO2 mix steadies the arc and cuts spatter, and a 75/25 argon mix is the usual recommendation for thin sheet steel.

Will a MIG Welder Run From a 13A Plug?

Smaller machines will; bigger ones often need a 16A or even 32A supply. The 05729 WELDMATE 100A gasless MIG welder runs from a 13A supply, and the 63669 comes with a 13A plug fitted.

By contrast, the 70050 gasless and 71095 gas/gasless welders arrive without a plug and need a 16A one. Read the footnotes too. The SUPERMIG130 is rated for a 13A supply, yet its maker notes that full power may need 32A. If you only have 13A sockets, look for that note before you buy.

Why Does My MIG Blow Holes in Thin Car Panels?

Too much heat in one place. Burn-through happens when the heat melts right through the sheet, so turn the current down and use 0.6mm wire, which needs less heat to melt. Weld in short stitches spread across the panel rather than one long bead.

A low minimum current helps. The SUPERMIG130 gas MIG welder starts at 30A and comes with 0.6mm and 0.8mm contact tips. Minimums vary, for example 20A on the 05729 but 55A on the MIGHTYMIG100, so check before you buy for panel work.

What Should I Check Before I Buy?

• Gas, gasless or both, and whether switching needs a conversion kit.
• The supply: a 13A plug fitted, or a 16A or 32A supply needed, plus any note that full power may need a 32A supply.
• The lowest current setting, and the duty cycle at the current you will use.
• Wire diameter, reel size and the contact tips supplied.
• What is in the box: torch type and length, earth cable and whether a regulator is included.

Not sure which welder suits your garage? Browse the MIG welders range or contact the PartsForMachines team by WhatsApp, telephone or email with the jobs you plan and the sockets in your garage.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are gasless MIG welds weaker than gas MIG welds?

Not necessarily: flux-cored wire can produce sound welds too. The obvious difference is the finish. Gasless wire leaves slag to chip off after each run, while gas MIG gives cleaner welds with less clean-up.

Can I convert a gasless MIG welder to gas later?

Some models can. The MIGHTYMIG150 gas/no-gas MIG welder comes set up for gasless and changes to gas with a polarity swap plus conversion kit 120.802032. Gasless-only machines, such as the MIGHTYMIG100, stay gasless.

Can I use a gas MIG welder outdoors?

Yes, with care. Wind can blow the shielding gas away and leave porous welds, so screen the work from draughts. For regular outdoor jobs, gasless flux-cored wire is the easier choice.

Should I use 0.6mm or 0.8mm wire for car panels?

Use 0.6mm for thin panels. The smaller the wire, the less heat it takes to melt, so the panel gets less hot. When you change wire size, fit a different drive roller if the installed one does not suit the new wire.

Is an inverter or a transformer MIG better for a home garage?

The inverter is far easier to carry. The 05729 inverter weighs 5.4kg net, against 20kg for the SUPERMIG130, which uses a heavy-duty transformer with forced-air cooling. SIP rates its 4th-generation inverter as over 80% energy efficient.

Why does my welder keep cutting out mid-weld?

Check the duty cycle: the minutes out of every ten a welder can run at a given current. The SUPERMIG130 manages 100% at 30A but 20% at 80A. If yours has thermal overload protection, as the MIGHTYMIG150 does, let it cool, then weld lower.

What size wire reel does a MIG welder take?

It varies, so check before you buy wire. For example, the 63669 takes a 0.45kg spool, the MIGHTYMIG170 a 5kg reel and the 71092 a reel of 5 to 15kg.

Will a bigger MIG weld thick steel for gates and trailers?

Check the stated thickness range, not just the amps. The Clarke MIG270DVMULTI is rated for 1 to 12mm steel on MIG, but it comes with bare wire ends and needs connecting to a 230V or 400V supply by a qualified electrician.

Can I start welding straight from the box?

With some gasless machines, yes. The 05729 comes with all the accessories needed to start, and the MIGHTYMIG100 is set up ready to go, with flux-cored wire and a contact tip. A gas machine still needs a bottle first.