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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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I Supported Toymods
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
December 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 10:10
 
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Although I am not a hardcore welder I have used:
TIG
MIG
ARC
OXY
TIG does 99% of jobs you'd ever need to do
MIG is a poor mans TIG
ARC is for making big chunky welds that have slag and shit all over them
OXY is good for people like you and I that just want to weld the occasional bit of pipe or whatever together
I would grab the OXY dude... the ARC will be a pain in the arse!
I am probably biased because i'm a firebug though!
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Location:
Brisbane, QLD
Registered:
February 2003
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 10:18
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if you want a cheap "welder"
get a "turbo torch" or gas axe...i see them all the time at plumbing and refrigeration\AC supply places
the ones with the portable MAP gas bottle on the bottom
i use them in place of an Oxy\acetylene set all the time(usually because i cant be bothered to haul up 2 20kg bottles up a ladder or something). make a nice enough flame to easily braze\solder pipe with
but...for $98 and if you're not a serious welder AND dont mind nice messy welds..then i guess it wouldnt be a waste of money 
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 10:42
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I haven't seen these turbo torches or MAP gas bottles but I'll check it out. Thanks for the replies. Oxy set would be good but I've only seen them with the 2 fairly big bottles. Kind of thought that about stick, just havent used it much so thought maybe you could produce half decent welds with decent practice. (They are fat sticks of metal though...)
I enjoyed doing the TIG, got really neat with it towards the end. Aluminium was always a test though (didn't perfect that), having to clean the piece, juggle the heat etc, don't touch the job piece with electrode etc...
I don't know know - was thinking of justr buying it..but will do a bit more homework now
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Location:
newcastle nsw
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 10:43
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why does everyone suggest stick welds are shit? its the operater thats using it, you should be able to put down a stick weld just as neat as a mig weld
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Banned user
Location:
ADELAIDE - The Drift City
Registered:
July 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 10:51
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anything made by GMC is absolutly CRAP, nothing of theirs ever lasts!
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 10:52
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My dad and i do all our welding with a 30+ y.o Stick worked. As good or better than and mig welder would do. migs are just heaps easier to use!
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Location:
newcastle nsw
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 11:13
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im a boilermaker by trade, and totally agree with you v8 man. all this winging about slag, if you put down a decent weld the slag will just fall off, no chipping required.
also, mig, tig, arc, oxy ect all have there place it all depends on the job and whats required of the job
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Banned user
Location:
ADELAIDE - The Drift City
Registered:
July 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 11:38
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lol with welders u get what you pay for, and 98 bucks isnt going to buy you much.
a mate of mine just bought a 1200 buck mig and its exceptionally good, does a good job every single time!
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Location:
Rocky Mountains, Canada
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 11:38
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You get what you pay for...
Enuf said.
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I supported Toymods
Banned User
Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 11:38
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I've had a GMC 100mm grinder for about 3 years and it cops a flogging a few times a week and its still going strong
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 11:47
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I know you get a good one for a grand - but I just dont know how much I will use it so hard to justify. Cool 1 has had some good results with his grinder  , maybe they're not so bad (GMC that is).
Hmm decisions 
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I supported Toymods
Banned User
Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 11:51
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If your only going to use it once or twice a month, it will do just fine.
Many people like to think you have to spend big dollars on industrial tools that will only be used a dozen times a year, this is not the case.
Fair enough spending a few hundred dollars on a set of good quality spanners as they will last a life time, however this cannot be said for a welder.
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Registered:
May 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 12:00
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For 98 bucks who cares, give it a go. At the end of the day it's a transformer and the only moving part is the mechanism that changes the current to give you a difference in power, what can break? It's not like a MIG with wire feed and gas etc. As for the welds, the comments above say it all. For general handyman type work you won't go wrong.
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 12:07
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Good call paddles and cool1 - You've sold me!! I think I'll start with this - if I end up using it quite a bit then maybe move onto MIG or something better.
Off to Bunnings we go 
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 12:08
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| Cool1 wrote on Tue, 22 June 2004 21:51 |
If your only going to use it once or twice a month, it will do just fine.
Many people like to think you have to spend big dollars on industrial tools that will only be used a dozen times a year, this is not the case.
Fair enough spending a few hundred dollars on a set of good quality spanners as they will last a life time, however this cannot be said for a welder.
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but if you have a decent one they last forever Ours is 30 years old and still going strong, Its one by COMPAK.
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I supported Toymods
Banned User
Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 12:10
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| V8_MA61 wrote on Tue, 22 June 2004 22:08 |
| Cool1 wrote on Tue, 22 June 2004 21:51 |
If your only going to use it once or twice a month, it will do just fine.
Many people like to think you have to spend big dollars on industrial tools that will only be used a dozen times a year, this is not the case.
Fair enough spending a few hundred dollars on a set of good quality spanners as they will last a life time, however this cannot be said for a welder.
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but if you have a decent one they last forever Ours is 30 years old and still going strong, Its one by COMPAK.
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So you bought one this century, but its 30 years old?
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
June 2003
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I supported Toymods
Banned User
Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 12:15
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I think you need to get out and smell the roses. This is the 21 century! We now have colour TV and lots of people in this world that dont want to pay good dollars for good shit.
My point?? Everything these days is built to a price and is not made to last.
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 12:16
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ah ok i see what you mean. My welder is too old school for this conversation
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Location:
adelaide
Registered:
April 2003
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 13:01
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GMC crap normally has a year warranty, so who cares if it doesn't last. as long as you don't mind goin back to the store when it breaks
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I supported Toymods
Location:
melbourne.victoria.austra...
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 20:36
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i bought myself a 170amp MIG under 12 months ago - its gas/no gas so you can do either - i have a small bottle of argon mix which seems to do the trick no issues there.
i've seen arc welds done before - with arc, experience matters. i am a hopeless arc welder, but, MIGging is heaps easier in comparison and for me much neater than arc (again i am a shit arc welder namely due to lack of experience)
for 98 bucks you can't go too far wrong. i dare say spend the extra and get a GOOD helmet - one of those that goes dark when the arc is struck - they start at around $250 (how much is your eyesight worth, believe me its cheap) and learn to use the stick welder, practice practice practice basically.
i wouldn't use oxy personally as i don't like the idea of the two explosive gas bottles that come with it ; yes the MIG uses a gas bottle but the primary gas is argon is inert, just, if you have a leak, pray its in an open area (otherwise you will die from asphyixciation(sp))
if you really wanna spend some serious chaching - get yourself a TIG - awesome device.
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Tue, 22 June 2004 21:52
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Thanks Grega - about how much did you get your mig for?
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Wed, 23 June 2004 11:20
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I didn't really like the dimming helmet that much - I was welding a chassis together (light gauge tubing) and as there were more members being added they got in the road of the sensor, so I ended up just using the standard flip down one. That said for most things they are better (the ones that dim that is) .
I'm still in 2 minds on what to buy - I'm too indecesive
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I supported Toymods
Location:
melbourne.victoria.austra...
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Wed, 23 June 2004 23:27
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just short of $800 if memory serves. its a SIP Coppermate 170
remember to check up on duty cycle if you intend laying down large welds full on...
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
June 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Thu, 24 June 2004 08:37
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I'm a farm-bred mofo, raised on arc-welding. If you have got 10 years experiance at arc-welding, you can do a pretty good job 90% of the time. I've seen the guys at work do mig-welding and they nail it 1st time every time, and they're lucky to weld once every other month. They're are mechanics by trade not welders.
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Thu, 24 June 2004 10:52
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Thanks for all the feedback - fair few responses  .
I popped into bunnings but no bunnings seem to have them at the moment. It has a 2 year warranty though comes with handshield, slag chipper and some rods I think. Good way to get started I think. I know how handy MIG is, maybe after this I might upgrade, can't lose for this price though. The duty cycle is only 25% 47 amps though (I don't know if that means you can run it for 1.25mins at 47 amps without giving it a rest). The welder next to it on the shelf looked pretty much the same but that was $230..had same duty cycle and was also made in Italy  .
There was also a CIG weld for $210 that had a fan. If I was spending that much though I would probably consider a MIG.
I got some good articles today (from a guy at work) on welding choice...and another on TIG welding if anyone is interested. Would have been handy before I did my welding course.
Thanks everyone,
Ben
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
May 2003
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Thu, 24 June 2004 11:07
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Yeah, those articles would be interesting. I guess they are on paper, any chance of scanning them in?
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Thu, 24 June 2004 11:16
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Yeah - I can scan them in, there's quite a few pages so might make a pdf out of it and host it.
Wont be for a little while though
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Location:
Canada
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Wed, 07 July 2004 07:12
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lincoln wire feed
$300-400
works great.... handy core 100
welder ..... uuummm 60 amp alternator driven by a 1/2 hp motor
or run it off your alternator ...under the bonnet...
no..,. mate , no joke, the jeeps used to come with a second alternator JUST for welding.
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Wed, 07 July 2004 10:38
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Funny you should dig this post up. Got this welder out of the tradingpost on weekend stuff the bunnings one... got a MIG instead
I'm going to get some gas..but I have some fluxed wire but can't seem to weld with it. I have tried switching terminals but no good (is this what you're meant to do)
Are you selling the lincoln?
That's interesting about the jeeps
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
January 2004
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Re: GMC ARC Welder **Opinions Please**
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Wed, 07 July 2004 11:15
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Also the guy kept the regulator - does anybody know where would be the cheapest place to get a decent regulator?
Thanks
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