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Buying A MIG Welder
onzarob - 5/2/08 at 10:24 PM

Right i know this has been done before, but please be patent.

I and about to purchase a welder and i am favouring the Clarke 151TE, lot of good comment on here and a good price. I like the fact it isn't to big...dosent take up to much space in my single garage.

Anyone got anything to add, is a sealy, sip, murex(second hand) any better.

I have a hole burning in my pocket please help

blakep82 - 5/2/08 at 10:25 PM

i used to like SIP, until i bought my clarke 151te. avoid SIP i say...

Benzine - 5/2/08 at 10:25 PM

I bought a Clarke 151TE last week. Superb machine been playing with it every day

Volvorsport - 5/2/08 at 10:28 PM

buy the best you can afford , murex are good , so is boc , quite a few are made by one company !!!

onzarob - 5/2/08 at 10:29 PM

Seems to be the hobbist favorite machine the 151TE. I must admit I like the idea of having a mchine that has a good supply of spares as well

My Dad going to teach me to weld, he thinks it a good buy as well (He has 30 years of welding )

onzarob - 5/2/08 at 10:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Volvorsport
buy the best you can afford , murex are good , so is boc , quite a few are made by one company !!!


around £200 my limit and the Murex machine at this price are £10+ years old. so I'm a little concern it will be at the end of its life...depending on use of course.

tegwin - 5/2/08 at 10:36 PM

151te gets my vote...

Not a bad machine, and even managed to weld stainless with the standard rollers....with some persuasion

Mr Whippy - 5/2/08 at 10:45 PM

I have had 2 previous SIP machines and even my current welder is by them.

I have found that the wire feeds are aways underpowered as though the motor is to small. Despite this I'm quite happy with my big welder.

Volvorsport - 5/2/08 at 11:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by onzarob
quote:
Originally posted by Volvorsport
buy the best you can afford , murex are good , so is boc , quite a few are made by one company !!!


around £200 my limit and the Murex machine at this price are £10+ years old. so I'm a little concern it will be at the end of its life...depending on use of course.


more importantly - you can get all parts for them , especially the BOC ones .

some pros and cons to work out , dpends if your really going to use it a lot .

onzarob - 5/2/08 at 11:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Volvorsport

some pros and cons to work out , dpends if your really going to use it a lot .


Build a chassis and a few running repairs, nothing too regular ;o)

Volvorsport - 5/2/08 at 11:30 PM

most people get by on a 150 amp , i only have a 185 machine , and i wished id bought something better . if you dont plan on doing a lot , id say go for it .

im sure there will be more opinions on there way .

onzarob - 6/2/08 at 03:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Volvorsport
most people get by on a 150 amp , i only have a 185 machine , and i wished id bought something better . if you dont plan on doing a lot , id say go for it .

im sure there will be more opinions on there way .


I keep thinking I may be dissapointed in the 150amp machine, and may wait until a good second hand 180+ mig turns up.

As always everything on ebay at the moment is 0.2 Million miles away

Dangle_kt - 7/2/08 at 08:30 PM

I'm learning arc welding at the moment, as I thought a cheap - ish MIG for the thin stuff, and ARC for the big stuff. Best of both worlds surely? and on £26 for clarke 160 ARC welder

onzarob - 7/2/08 at 10:13 PM

My Dad still has a stick welder in the shed, just a hassle for most stuff