Thoughts/advice about welding

[JohnW2]

Go for it: SIP are an established name and Toolstation won't be selling rubbish. Have a look at Machinemart as a comparison.

Many thanks - that's reassuring. Machinemart is where I looked first, but the cheapest ones they have (Clarke) are appreciably more expensive and, at last on paper, seem to offer nothing that the SIP one doesn't.

I doubt you'll need 120A TBH. I generally run at 70-80A and I'm pretty sure they're 2.5mm rods which are fine for a wide range of jobs around the house.

That makes sense.

Treat yourself to a decent slagging hammer and wire brush and an autodarkening helmet and fill your boots.

Yes, I've always factored in all of those things.

Thanks again, John

 

[JohnW2]

Having just looked around, it seems that the reason the SIP machine being sold by Toolstation is apparently so 'cheap' might be that it is 'technically obsolete'.

Toolstation say that the machine they reselling has a SIP Model No. of 08199. There is no trace of that on the SIP website, but the currently-advertised 08202 looks/sounds essentially identical, but those who are selling it are asking quite a lot more than Toolstation's price for their "08199". For my purpose, I don't think that such 'obsolescence' (if that's what it is) matters a jot, but I'm not complaining if it results in a price reduction