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which welder
locoboy - 17/6/08 at 07:42 PM

Im involved in a new business venture beginning to break land rovers at work now and am getting through 4-5 a week at present and selling through ebay and other channels and its taking off.

We primarily break Discoveries and have the oportunity to buy some damaged repairables.

I have been repairing the front innner wings on a 1995 V8 today and have been struggling with wire feed on my own SIP 180.

This model is plagued with wire feed issues and I have a metal liner kit installed to ease things and its really quite poor on the lower settings used for bodywork and repair plate.

The settings are quite limited due to the style of the machine and in addition to this it's MY home machine and i dont want it being worn out at work.

The machine seems to pulse the wire and is more pronounced when the torch is inverted when im welding upside down.

I can weld relatively well on vertical surfaces but its really beginning to annoy me when welding upside down.............i know practice practice practice but im sure my machine is not helping matters.

The machine will not see heavy prolonged use but it will see a couple of outings a month and be in use for a couple of days per outing.

What machine would you guys reccommend for such applications?

Damn rotten disco's, if only they rotted on vertical bits only i would be fine!

Any info greatly recieved


Volvorsport - 17/6/08 at 07:45 PM

got any disco3 wheelarches ?

as ive found with my 185 amp welder , you need to buy a good one .


blakep82 - 17/6/08 at 07:46 PM

clarke 151te? should e fine since its not for heavy industrial use. recommended by loads on here (and me)


UncleFista - 17/6/08 at 07:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
clarke 151te? should e fine since its not for heavy industrial use. recommended by loads on here (and me)


Seconded, probably the best "hobby" welder for the price.


owelly - 17/6/08 at 07:53 PM

But I have to add, don't use an extension lead with the welder unless it's a heavy one! I've seen folks struggling with good(ish) welders and failing to get a good weld purely down to having a 10 metre extension lead that was 1.5mm. Plug the welder into a wall socket and see if things improve!


blakep82 - 17/6/08 at 08:23 PM

^ a very good point! never thought of that... i always use mine with an 8m extention, and the extention gets warm if i use my grinder with it.... hmmm, a new minimal length, thick wire extention needed i think


Wadders - 17/6/08 at 08:27 PM

If its making you money, then don't waste your time with an inferior machine, go out and buy a good quality bit of kit, thats up to the job.
At the end of the year it comes off your tax bill anyway.
New I would look for something like a Kemmpi, miller or esab.
If cash is tight and you have 3 phase, its possible to pick up some real bargains.
I bought a 350amp murex with seperate wire feed for £240+vat recently.
Al.





Originally posted by locoboy
Im involved in a new business venture beginning to break land rovers at work now and am getting through 4-5 a week at present and selling through ebay and other channels and its taking off.

We primarily break Discoveries and have the oportunity to buy some damaged repairables.

I have been repairing the front innner wings on a 1995 V8 today and have been struggling with wire feed on my own SIP 180.

This model is plagued with wire feed issues and I have a metal liner kit installed to ease things and its really quite poor on the lower settings used for bodywork and repair plate.

The settings are quite limited due to the style of the machine and in addition to this it's MY home machine and i dont want it being worn out at work.

The machine seems to pulse the wire and is more pronounced when the torch is inverted when im welding upside down.

I can weld relatively well on vertical surfaces but its really beginning to annoy me when welding upside down.............i know practice practice practice but im sure my machine is not helping matters.

The machine will not see heavy prolonged use but it will see a couple of outings a month and be in use for a couple of days per outing.

What machine would you guys reccommend for such applications?

Damn rotten disco's, if only they rotted on vertical bits only i would be fine!

Any info greatly recieved



iank - 17/6/08 at 08:36 PM

Buy a good industrial brand. I noticed they use Lincoln's on scrapheap challenge which look rather nice.

Side note: the website plays the bacon frying sound on the front page if you need to tell people what to try for).
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/

Good luck with the venture.


britishtrident - 18/6/08 at 06:43 AM

Of the hobby/semi pro MIGs the Clarke range are pretty good.



re wire feed problems with the SIP try a Teflon liner


Fred W B - 18/6/08 at 05:33 PM

I'm very happy with my Hobart.

While we are talking about welders. You know how everything manufactured nowadays has a cheaper copy made in china? My companies core skill is welding, and we use Miller machines in manual welding stations

I saw some pics of a chinese factory set up to build the same product as us, they also have miller welding machines

Cheers

Fred W B


NS Dev - 18/6/08 at 06:55 PM

depends on whether or not you have 3 phase.

If you DO, then get a secondhand ESAB, Sureweld, Murex or Lincoln MIG, or any other good industrial machine. All can be had for well under £300 in excellent condition.

If you DON'T, then get one a bit like mine, its the biggest that will run on single phase. Its called an ERP, its actually un "unbadged" import machine from the italian factory that make the sealey machines. Its big, takes the 15kg rolls, holds a full size gas bottle, has tough wheels for rough yards and has served me very well. It was £400 when I bought it a few years back.


NS Dev - 18/6/08 at 06:57 PM

here's mine:




erp link clicky


Peteff - 18/6/08 at 08:53 PM

I have an Erfi 170, German made and it's been brilliant. I've used it to weld everything from 20g to 3/8" plate and it's blown one fuse in 12 years. I used to have a SIP autoplus and the feed was crap but I used to find if I had too much pressure on the feed spring it made it worse


thomas4age - 3/7/08 at 05:04 PM

can't go wrong with cebora also,

are you sure it's not the welders hose lining? I had that, new inner tube in the hose fixed a long existing problem cost 10 euro's or such.

grtz Thomas


mad-butcher - 3/7/08 at 05:28 PM

new but s/h sealley


mr henderson - 3/7/08 at 05:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mad-butcher
new but s/h sealley


I've just bought a Siegen 180 amp machine from them for £205. Out of the boxes and scratched etc, but basically new

John


ashg - 2/9/08 at 07:01 PM

i have got a migatronic. cost a bit but was worth every penny. go to www.mig-welding.co.uk and have a chat with a boke called weldquip he will advise you what you need and can supply anything from a clarke(cheeper than the mart) to a custom built machine.


rodriguez - 3/9/08 at 03:15 PM

I bought a clarke 160T last year and am quite impressed with it. seam welded a couple of cars and fitted a few roll cages and coped no bother at all, even with prolonged use!!


Mix - 3/9/08 at 04:11 PM

Hi

I've a Lincoln Compact 185 single phase, it's been fine, a bit pricey but if it's tax deductable why not? Unfortunately mine isn't

Regards Mick


Peteff - 3/9/08 at 06:43 PM

Get the Cebora 185 R1minimagic is selling in for sale section, it's a good deal for what he's asking Col.


thwang - 8/9/08 at 08:51 PM

esab,s are as good as they used to be about 5 years ago they use cheaper internals cycle duration isnt as long. i use a cebora never had a problem with it and its had some use.
simon

[Edited on 14/9/08 by thwang]