smart51
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 05:53 PM |
|
|
recommend me a MIG welder
My wife asked me "what do you want for your birthday" today. I answered "a welder". She replied "Oh yeah and where do
you get those from" rather than "no" or "you're not having a welder", so its sorted then. maybe.
So recommend me a budget MIG welder that isn't a waste of space but is cheap. I won't be making a chassis with it, just learning to weld
and fixing things and probably welding anything that I can see that is steel that isn't painted that isn't my wife's.
|
|
|
|
|
andyharding
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 05:58 PM |
|
|
Feck knows why I don't type my answers on a webpage:-
http://www.carbuilders.info/pages/MIG_Welder
[Edited on 18/6/07 by andyharding]
Are you a Mac user or a retard?
|
|
|
UncleFista
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 06:02 PM |
|
|
The concensus is, Clarke (Machine Mart) welders are about the best for "hobby" welders. According to the people who know their onions on
The MIG welding site their wire feed and torches are better than their competitors.
My brother (Roadkill) got a Clarke 151TE for his birthday from his missus  S'not fair, I get socks.....
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
|
|
|
Dillinger1977
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 06:20 PM |
|
|
i must admit, im rather keen on the idea of getting a welder.
having never done it before and seeing all these cool custom built cars, i'd like to give it a go. a start small.. go kart? 
-Rog
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 06:42 PM |
|
|
Clarke do 3 MIG welders that are just outside my budget What's the difference?
Clarke Pro 90 £153
Clarke 110E £176
Clarke 100E £176
The spec sheets read exactly the same, except that the 90 is a 90A welder whereas the other 3 are 100A welders, despite the name. the 110E is red,
the others are blue but the 100E has tw switches labled 1/A and 2/3 but the other two have 1 switch labled 1/2
what's it all about?
|
|
|
JoelP
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 06:49 PM |
|
|
little bit more dear, but if you wait for a vat day you might be able to strech to one of these:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/160te-turbo-mig-welder/path/automotiveindustrial-mig-welders
this is the bottom of the industrial range, so better features and solidarity. I bought one for £210. It has a space for the large bottles on the
trolley, good solid wheels, and (slightly) more options with your settings. Still can use the small bottle as well, but really needs 5kgs rolls of
wire.
|
|
|
Minicooper
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 06:57 PM |
|
|
I've bought loads of stuff from Machine Mart over the years, they have my address why don't I get invited to there VAT free days?
I don't remember insulting anyone?
Cheers
David
|
|
|
JoelP
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 07:18 PM |
|
|
no idea, i only get the invites cos i went with gaz and added my name to the list! Just ring them, the moment you mention loose purse stings im sure
they'll start talking!
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 07:21 PM |
|
|
so what's the extra switch for then? and is 10 extra amps worth the extra money? and whats the 110E about if there is no more current, it has
less switches but costs the same?
|
|
|
Gav
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 07:31 PM |
|
|
Id recommend the 160T, perfectly adequate for welding the chassis up and some thicker stuff with carefull preperation.
|
|
|
JoelP
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 07:32 PM |
|
|
i couldnt tell you whats the differences between the two switches, even though ive had a 135te for 3 years! Im sure someone knowledgable will know,
for me i just chose opposites on each, because having both on full blows holes in things!
The quality is much higher on the industrial ones, the amps arent essential - as said, on my 135 full power on both switches melts 16g tube too fast.
However, more power is good because then the welder isnt stressed at lower settings.
|
|
|
turbodisplay
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 08:29 PM |
|
|
I can vouch for the clarke 175TEC.
Bought it on a machine mart vat free day, will weld ali , steel.
Yet to exceed setting 4 (out of 6) on power.
Had a hobby from B&Q,it was poor, wire feed motor wasn`t up to the job.
Darren
|
NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
|
mark chandler
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 09:30 PM |
|
|
Clarke Pro 90 £153
Clarke 110E £176
Clarke 100E £176
Would not bother with these....... Friend got 100E last year, he asked me to weld a bracket as he was stuggling, it was hopeless so had to resurrect
my old one a 20 year old Clarke 150te.
Had to upgrade the diodes and replace the fan, and fit a decent earth lead, its been really good. However being so old its copper wound, I think the
newer ones are ali wound so maybe not so strong.
Regards Mark
|
|
|
davie h
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 11:08 PM |
|
|
i got the clarke 151te for my haynes roadster build and can honestly say it was worth every penny. i get great welds(practice at the minute) and it
is just as good as any of the industrial units i have used before (just not as strong) i didnt think the wire feed etc would be as good as it is as`it
is a hobby mig but i'm glad i picked this one
|
|
|
rayward
|
| posted on 18/6/07 at 11:10 PM |
|
|
i've got the 135te,which has been fine for 8+years of abuse any bigger than that, and you can;t(safely!) use it on a 13a plug.
Ray
|
|
|
britishtrident
|
| posted on 19/6/07 at 07:19 AM |
|
|
Clarke ------
Don't even consider a SIP or a Cosmo
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
|
|
|
AdamR
|
| posted on 19/6/07 at 10:10 AM |
|
|
Another vote for Clarke 151TE.... best £200 I've ever spent on a tool.
|
|
|
AdamR
|
| posted on 19/6/07 at 10:13 AM |
|
|
quote:
i've got the 135te,which has been fine for 8+years of abuse any bigger than that, and you can;t(safely!) use it on a 13a plug.
Although the 151TE theoretically draws up to 15A, I've never blown a 13A fuse even on sustained bouts of full power.
|
|
|
davie h
|
| posted on 19/6/07 at 11:16 AM |
|
|
i've used my 151te at full power as well just for short welds to see what it can do and it hasnt blown a fuse or tripped the breaker in the
house
|
|
|
Hallsy
|
| posted on 21/6/07 at 07:38 PM |
|
|
I'm in the same boat at the mo, most likely going to go for a 151TE or a 160TE. The 160TE as has been said is like the bottom of the range
industial MIG from Clarke, I want to run a large bottle and like things to stand up to abuse so would probably go for the 160TE.
That said, the 135TE should be adequate to weld up a locost chassis, but I do occasionally have the need to weld thicker stuff.
These VAT free days, how do you know when they are on? How often do MM have them?
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 21/6/07 at 07:50 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Hallsy
These VAT free days, how do you know when they are on? How often do MM have them?
I phoned up and asked They said the next one is in October.
|
|
|
Hallsy
|
| posted on 21/6/07 at 08:18 PM |
|
|
 can't wait until then
|
|
|
L5W
|
| posted on 21/6/07 at 09:13 PM |
|
|
slightly off topic - I'd not purchased anything from machine mart before but requested a calalogue online early this year, submitting my home
address and email and have had a couple of the vat free invite thingys come though so far. Fairly likely that this is how they send the invites
out.
I didnt use the offers to get a welder but did treat myself to a breaker bar and new socket set
|
|
|
JoelP
|
| posted on 21/6/07 at 09:17 PM |
|
|
you could spend a fortune on the vat free days
keep an eye out at a few branches, they all do their days independantly. I only get invites to the bradford store even though thats not my local one.
|
|
|
