The great welder question again.
Discussion
Okay, having listened to the general advice before regarding the gas v gasless argument.
How does this little set-up seem value/quality wise?
http://www.ukhs.tv/Automotive/Welders/Mig-140-Weld...
I dont want to scrimp a few quid for the sake of shoddy welds, but if I dont have to spend so much on the welder it leaves more over for panels, magnets, clamps etc etc
Your thoughts gentlemen please (and other recommendations for welders available at the 'budget' end of the market.
Thanks in advance
How does this little set-up seem value/quality wise?
http://www.ukhs.tv/Automotive/Welders/Mig-140-Weld...
I dont want to scrimp a few quid for the sake of shoddy welds, but if I dont have to spend so much on the welder it leaves more over for panels, magnets, clamps etc etc
Your thoughts gentlemen please (and other recommendations for welders available at the 'budget' end of the market.
Thanks in advance
my only recomendation would be to buy a welder that will accept the bigger rolls of wire - those tiny rolls dont last very long and the spindle is is smaller (IIRC) than the larger rolls. they are also a lot more moeny than the medium or larger rolls (in the long run)
you should also look for a welder that will be able to adapted to use a regulator with proper bottles of gas - again it offers a big saving in the long run (and you get a far neater weld with argoshield)
tiny welders are great for 'odd jobs', but constantly having to tweek the power setting and wire speed as the tranformer warms up becomes annoying (and results in poor welding) when you use it for more than half an hour does start to grate a bit!
my 'small' welder (is a sealy 140 i think) will accept the big rolls of wire and bottle gas and has provided sterling service for about 10 years - i finally upgraded to a bigger model (a boc model, a 190 i think) last year (was about 600 quid), but is about as good as you can get/need for normal garage use - anything bigger would need 3 phase i think.
my little one will run for an hour or so before it starts getting unhappy, the big one will run all day and needs very little balancing of the wire speed - the transformer is pretty big though!.
oh, and dont bother with those junk face masks, buy a decent self darkening one (make sure you can buy replacment clear covers for it) - they are great
you should also look for a welder that will be able to adapted to use a regulator with proper bottles of gas - again it offers a big saving in the long run (and you get a far neater weld with argoshield)
tiny welders are great for 'odd jobs', but constantly having to tweek the power setting and wire speed as the tranformer warms up becomes annoying (and results in poor welding) when you use it for more than half an hour does start to grate a bit!
my 'small' welder (is a sealy 140 i think) will accept the big rolls of wire and bottle gas and has provided sterling service for about 10 years - i finally upgraded to a bigger model (a boc model, a 190 i think) last year (was about 600 quid), but is about as good as you can get/need for normal garage use - anything bigger would need 3 phase i think.
my little one will run for an hour or so before it starts getting unhappy, the big one will run all day and needs very little balancing of the wire speed - the transformer is pretty big though!.
oh, and dont bother with those junk face masks, buy a decent self darkening one (make sure you can buy replacment clear covers for it) - they are great
Edited by guru_1071 on Friday 5th November 15:55
guru_1071 said:
my only recomendation would be to buy a welder that will accept the bigger rolls of wire - those tiny rolls dont last very long and the spindle is is smaller (IIRC) than the larger rolls. they are also a lot more moeny than the medium or larger rolls (in the long run)
you should also look for a welder that will be able to adapted to use a regulator with proper bottles of gas - again it offers a big saving in the long run (and you get a far neater weld with argoshield)
tiny welders are great for 'odd jobs', but constantly having to tweek the power setting and wire speed as the tranformer warms up becomes annoying (and results in poor welding) when you use it for more than half an hour does start to grate a bit!
my 'small' welder (is a sealy 140 i think) will accept the big rolls of wire and bottle gas and has provided sterling service for about 10 years - i finally upgraded to a bigger model (a boc model, a 190 i think) last year (was about 600 quid), but is about as good as you can get/need for normal garage use - anything bigger would need 3 phase i think.
my little one will run for an hour or so before it starts getting unhappy, the big one will run all day and needs very little balancing of the wire speed - the transformer is pretty big though!.
oh, and dont bother with those junk face masks, buy a decent self darkening one (make sure you can buy replacment clear covers for it) - they are great
Thanks - good advice. you should also look for a welder that will be able to adapted to use a regulator with proper bottles of gas - again it offers a big saving in the long run (and you get a far neater weld with argoshield)
tiny welders are great for 'odd jobs', but constantly having to tweek the power setting and wire speed as the tranformer warms up becomes annoying (and results in poor welding) when you use it for more than half an hour does start to grate a bit!
my 'small' welder (is a sealy 140 i think) will accept the big rolls of wire and bottle gas and has provided sterling service for about 10 years - i finally upgraded to a bigger model (a boc model, a 190 i think) last year (was about 600 quid), but is about as good as you can get/need for normal garage use - anything bigger would need 3 phase i think.
my little one will run for an hour or so before it starts getting unhappy, the big one will run all day and needs very little balancing of the wire speed - the transformer is pretty big though!.
oh, and dont bother with those junk face masks, buy a decent self darkening one (make sure you can buy replacment clear covers for it) - they are great
Edited by guru_1071 on Friday 5th November 15:55
I wouldnt be happy with the hand held mask either - on the course I did at Leeds we started out with those and it was just useless trying to get an accurate start and being able to see a sodding thing. Once we managed to wangle a proper light reactive jobby things got a lot easier (if a little sweatier).
Okay - so can someone point me to some good current deals that they would recommend for allround use on a home restoration.
I have the go ahead to get one ordered - its finding the right kit now to fit the purpose!
I've found the Clarke 150TE Turbo (about £300.00 from Machine Mart) to be pretty good for home use. I've done three pretty big welding jobs with it now, major restoration work on Two Alfas and a Morris 1000. I've welded paper thin Italian steel, and up to 6mm thick stuff at times too.
The only problem I've had was the wire feed as it feeds off the reel has started to get a bit difficult to tighten properly, it's plastic with self tapping type screws through it.
It takes the larger reels too, but I worry that the extra weight might damage the bearings in the long run.
Machine Marts CO2 bottles are good value too, they are double weight and last much longer than the stuff you can get elsewhere.
OK I know it's not a professional welder, but there again neither am I and I was a bit unwilling to spend a fortune on one until I had decided I could use one. If I bought another I would probably spend more, but I expect to get another few years service out of this one first.
The self darken helmet is worth it's weight in gold too, though the little cheap thing does come in handy now and again when you are trying to get into tiny little spaces.
The only problem I've had was the wire feed as it feeds off the reel has started to get a bit difficult to tighten properly, it's plastic with self tapping type screws through it.
It takes the larger reels too, but I worry that the extra weight might damage the bearings in the long run.
Machine Marts CO2 bottles are good value too, they are double weight and last much longer than the stuff you can get elsewhere.
OK I know it's not a professional welder, but there again neither am I and I was a bit unwilling to spend a fortune on one until I had decided I could use one. If I bought another I would probably spend more, but I expect to get another few years service out of this one first.
The self darken helmet is worth it's weight in gold too, though the little cheap thing does come in handy now and again when you are trying to get into tiny little spaces.
I'm sure I've posted on this before, but if not, hop across to Retrorides site; there's a chap called TonyBMW who does some amazing work - his fabrication skills, welding and patience are amongst the best that I've ever seen.
The lads on the site constantly give advice and tips for welding/best practice
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=re...
Finally I've bought a few welders in my time the majority I have bought brand new but I have bought secondhand ,there are bodyshop equipment suppliers who have good kit thats considerably cheaper.
Hope that helps
There are some good welding and fabrication skills on display there, and along the lines of sort of homemade creation I'd like to see myself doing...
Im not in a position to just go and buy all replacement panels so am hoping to patch and cobble together and see if I can get something close to the original shape back when finished.
Without having gone through the whole thread there, does it mention what welder he is using or recommends?
Had another look through the welding gear on offer from most of the usual suspects this weekend and been disappointed to find that some of the items listed in Practical Classics at certain prices simply arent as cheap as they said - in particular the Siegen S0816 150A Mig Welder which got their budget buy accolade at 219.37... Its not, incl vat its 528.69 on the the sealey site listed. Mildly annoying when trying to come up with a decision based on budget and quality of gear available.
The search continues.
Im not in a position to just go and buy all replacement panels so am hoping to patch and cobble together and see if I can get something close to the original shape back when finished.
Without having gone through the whole thread there, does it mention what welder he is using or recommends?
Had another look through the welding gear on offer from most of the usual suspects this weekend and been disappointed to find that some of the items listed in Practical Classics at certain prices simply arent as cheap as they said - in particular the Siegen S0816 150A Mig Welder which got their budget buy accolade at 219.37... Its not, incl vat its 528.69 on the the sealey site listed. Mildly annoying when trying to come up with a decision based on budget and quality of gear available.
The search continues.
Go on www.mig-welding.co.uk , its a very good forum. Nobody on there seems to like the Wolf machines, and they all rate the small Clarke ones for home use. I have a Clarke gas/gasless and with extra gas and a few bits and bobs came to around £300
I had naturally leaned towards the idea of a Clarke Machine (Machine Marts own brand) due to convenience and the fact I could walk in and have someone talk me through the various merits of their machines... Plus the obvious advantage of being able to lay my hands on spares and bits as and when they became necessary.
BUT
It seems to be very much Love and Hate with these things. The general feel even from this thread (on an individual basis) is that Clarke would not be a first choice (even though people are currently using them right now) if they could have their choice again.
So - what make of welder would you aim for (for those that believe Clarke is not the way to go)?
BUT
It seems to be very much Love and Hate with these things. The general feel even from this thread (on an individual basis) is that Clarke would not be a first choice (even though people are currently using them right now) if they could have their choice again.
So - what make of welder would you aim for (for those that believe Clarke is not the way to go)?
Huntsman said:
A911DOM said:
I had naturally leaned towards the idea of a Clarke Machine (Machine Marts own brand) due to convenience and the fact I could walk in and have someone talk me through the various merits of their machines...
Hmm, I'm not so sure you'll get that in Machine Mart...
The Norwich store has always been pretty good - the boys in there are into their cars and projects, and most of them have some interest in what they're doing.
I take your point though!
lewis s said:
Go on www.mig-welding.co.uk , its a very good forum. Nobody on there seems to like the Wolf machines, and they all rate the small Clarke ones for home use. I have a Clarke gas/gasless and with extra gas and a few bits and bobs came to around £300
Seconded - great site. Got my welder through a bloke on there in Blackburn I think from memory who sells them new. Superb spec for the price as well.I havent read masses on there, but there seems to be a pretty warm feeling about the Clarke stuff again.
I guess its going to come down to the user rather than the gear in the end. I'll buy the best I can for the money and then get stuck in and see what happens.
I'll sign up for that welding forum and have a look through a few more bits of their tutorial stuff etc.
Thanks for the comments so far - If anyone else wants to chip in with recommendations or advice, feel free!
I guess its going to come down to the user rather than the gear in the end. I'll buy the best I can for the money and then get stuck in and see what happens.
I'll sign up for that welding forum and have a look through a few more bits of their tutorial stuff etc.
Thanks for the comments so far - If anyone else wants to chip in with recommendations or advice, feel free!
if i had money falling out me bum, i'd buy an oxford or portamig, the lower the amp setting (they goto 20 and 15 amps) the easier it would be to weld thin metal without blowing holes (read: rusty bodywork) i have a cebora 130turbo, this welder is good and its lower setting is also 30 amps, my cebora is pretty good although the torch is knacked now, im thinking about a euro conversion.
if you can afford it, a clarke machine would be better, think i'd rather buy a good 2nd hand welder than a cheap new one.
if you can afford it, a clarke machine would be better, think i'd rather buy a good 2nd hand welder than a cheap new one.
LS6wetdream said:
if i had money falling out me bum, i'd buy an oxford or portamig, the lower the amp setting (they goto 20 and 15 amps) the easier it would be to weld thin metal without blowing holes (read: rusty bodywork) i have a cebora 130turbo, this welder is good and its lower setting is also 30 amps, my cebora is pretty good although the torch is knacked now, im thinking about a euro conversion.
if you can afford it, a clarke machine would be better, think i'd rather buy a good 2nd hand welder than a cheap new one.
Yep agreed, Ive dropped the 'bargain basement' idea! if you can afford it, a clarke machine would be better, think i'd rather buy a good 2nd hand welder than a cheap new one.
Apologies for dredging up my own ancient thread:
As an update - I decided to plump for a Clarke Unit (for ease of access to spares etc), and went for the best I could afford.
The unit I got was the 151TE model, which seems to be raved about in the classic press etc, thought it was a safe bet.
So anyway I get it home (to Belgium), and find that this unit and 1 other in the range do not come fitted with a plug and that they need a 15amp arrangement fitted before use...
Now I hate electricity at the best of times, so does this just mean I need a fused 15amp plug to fit before I can just wack it into the wall socket and get cracking???
And there was me looking forward to just plugging in and getting on with it (it doesnt say on the box anywhere about this, nor did the salesman make any comment about it)...
As an update - I decided to plump for a Clarke Unit (for ease of access to spares etc), and went for the best I could afford.
The unit I got was the 151TE model, which seems to be raved about in the classic press etc, thought it was a safe bet.
So anyway I get it home (to Belgium), and find that this unit and 1 other in the range do not come fitted with a plug and that they need a 15amp arrangement fitted before use...
Now I hate electricity at the best of times, so does this just mean I need a fused 15amp plug to fit before I can just wack it into the wall socket and get cracking???
And there was me looking forward to just plugging in and getting on with it (it doesnt say on the box anywhere about this, nor did the salesman make any comment about it)...
A911DOM said:
Now I hate electricity at the best of times, so does this just mean I need a fused 15amp plug to fit before I can just wack it into the wall socket and get cracking???
YesFWIW most people would think that wiring a plug was a fair bit lower down the DIY scale than learning to weld
Incorrigible said:
A911DOM said:
Now I hate electricity at the best of times, so does this just mean I need a fused 15amp plug to fit before I can just wack it into the wall socket and get cracking???
YesFWIW most people would think that wiring a plug was a fair bit lower down the DIY scale than learning to weld
Incorrigible said:
A911DOM said:
Now I hate electricity at the best of times, so does this just mean I need a fused 15amp plug to fit before I can just wack it into the wall socket and get cracking???
YesFWIW most people would think that wiring a plug was a fair bit lower down the DIY scale than learning to weld
ya cheeky fecker
In barmy Belgium the standard plug I was able to purchase today are in fact 16amp as standard. I got a decent quality looking one, in a nice rubbery finish....
Fingers crossed I can get going on the easy bit now
Edited by A911DOM on Monday 3rd January 17:44
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