[TheForge] MIG Welders

[Clyde Wynia]

Frosty wrote:

>I like 75/25 (argon/CO2) for mild steel but there are 
>other mixes I hear good things about but this has been 
>an industry standard for decades. Being common means 
>it's going to be reasonably priced as well.

Frosty


I'm not so sure about the "reasonably" priced on the 75/25. Around here it
costs double the straight C02 and lasts half as long so the 75/25 costs
about 4 times as much to use.

The local fabrication shops use the 75/25 mainly because of the C02 is not
as pretty and you get more splatter around the weld. I use the C02 because
it is so cheap and according to the tests I've seen is just as strong. I'm
not into pretty (rusted sculptures) and with using the welders, Lincoln and
ESAB a lot every day the cost saving is substantial.

Anyway, there is a shielding gas comparison at:

 http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/welding-gas.htm

That is a brief article but has a link to a much more exhaustive test.