Your opinions please!

As above, would you go for an almost new Clarke 151te, or an old but working well Migatronic?

As far as I can see, Clarke is a very good DIY kit, but the Migatronic is a well made pro bit of kit. Both are 150 amp, but the Migatronic unit has a decent wire feed motor.

Just worried about buying such an old machine.

Cheers guys and Gals!

Adrian

I would go for the clarke, i've got one and its not put a foot wrong. No probs with the wire feed either.

I'd go for the old one so thats 50/50 so far!

Rich

Just to add confusion, if you have seen the Migatronic and it's in good condition then I'd choose that. I've got a Migaronic automig 180 which I inherited 10 years ago, it's been 100% reliable.

Davie

Id go for the Clarke. Had mine now 4 years and still going strong

I have a 23 year old Clarke 140E which is still going strong and has seen a LOT of use, but I would seriously look at the migatronic, especially if it has a euro torch.

if it's ok condition I would go for the migatronic - not because I know anything about it but because the migatronic is a professional machine and probably better made initially whereas the clark is mainly aimed at DIYers and probably not quite as well made.

My Migatronic Auto 180 (the one with the old fashioned circular flange fitting for the torch) was something I bought to celebrate ex-studentship, so the date sticks - 1988.
I have changed the inner 2-3 times, but no other replacement has been carried out on the machine. It's used every day, but gets pampered, not abused. The main torch line sheath has begun to perish, but there'd no other evidence of trauma.
Solid, dependable.

Unrelated, but the guy in the Unit next door threw away a small DIY-level Clarke Mig (not a great machine). The arc was unstable, welds not so good.

....I've not had a great experience with Chinese-derived Mig Wire recently, it's getting difficult to avoid buying it though. I hope the Chinese welders themselves are a better.

I bought my maigatronic 20 years ago and it was second hand then! had a few minor probs, worn out rotary switch and potentiometers total cost over the years about 10 quid. And all parts were available from maplins.
Also you can still get the parts from migatronic, even the main pcb.

I bought a million year olf Clarke 160E.
Doesn't have fan on it, so that's 160 real amps.

Has never broken down.
Completely analogue with a hand assemble PCB with discrete compnents on it.
Any electronic part in it available from Maplins.

I like old but pukka stuff like this.

I think the moral of this story is old tools are good where ever they are made but new stuff is sh1te.

I've got an old BOC Autolynx (made by Murex) which must be nearly 30 years old now and it's a superb bit of kit. I've had it almost 20 years and all I've ever done is stuck reels of wire on it (many) and changed the torch for a Euro one with a new connector which was a very easy conversion.

Get the old and well built bit of kit!

My brother has a boc tig which is about 5 foot tall and weighs about 1/4 ton!
He also has big 450 amp mig. I think it may be an Arctec or sommat. It had load of abuse and still going strong after 20+ years.



<<<<<<< heres my litttle baby!



[Edited on 24/8/11 by fazerruss]