Right!!, I am now ready to replace my Sip130Migmate, which does 'birds nests' with annoying regularity, especially with 5kg reels.

The choice for replacement is probably down to Erp /Sealey 150 or red Clarke 160 mig, can owners of these machines verify that 'birds nest's' seldom or never occur.........thanks

[Edited on 27/4/06 by Surrey Dave]

can't remember ever having had a birds nest with my clarke 160t:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/upload/IMG_0795.jpg

I was going to get the Clarke 160 but was told it wouldn't run off a 13A socket and my garage power is dodgy so I bought the 135. Never had a single birds nest with it.

I have a Clarke 150 no problems until I had finished the car and came back to it after about a year. Wire scrunched up badly every few runs. changed the liner and was able to back off 'pinch' pressure because wire was so much easier to push thru.
No more problems. Have you tried changing the liner. I used the machinemart teflon one quite cheap as I remember.
Alan

Had a Clarke 150 TE which used to have lots of wire feed probs pretty much from new.

Now got an ERP machine (same as sealey) and never missed a beat yet. It's a bigger one (210 or 230, can't remember) but similar apart from it has the euro torch.

PS most of the bigger migs will say they need more than a 13 amp supply but that's all I have "technically" got and I can happily use 200amps output from my mig!

PS just cos I am all excited about it, whoo hoo picking up my ESAB AC/DC Tig tonight, now that really does pull some mains current, like up to 50A!!

[Edited on 27/4/06 by NS Dev]

My SIP 130 has never given trouble in that area - have you got enough tension on the reel?

quote:

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Originally posted by NS Dev
Had a Clarke 150 TE which used to have lots of wire feed probs pretty much from new.

Now got an ERP machine (same as sealey) and never missed a beat yet. It's a bigger one (210 or 230, can't remember) but similar apart from it has the euro torch.

PS most of the bigger migs will say they need more than a 13 amp supply but that's all I have "technically" got and I can happily use 200amps output from my mig!

PS just cos I am all excited about it, whoo hoo picking up my ESAB AC/DC Tig tonight, now that really does pull some mains current, like up to 50A!!

[Edited on 27/4/06 by NS Dev]

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the street lights will be flickering
i welded a barn door for someone on a farm,the lights in the barn went out on the last 1" of weld so we went home as it was getting dark.
i remember thinking it strange that all the houses down the lane were in darkness too

I run a clarke 135 of a 3 pin plug, never (touch wood) been an ounce of trouble, never tripped out and done everything i have asked of it.

The welder is not a fault it is always the liner/ torch on cheaper sets or the wire pinch setting on the wire feed

A good bet is to disconect the torch and see if the wire runs freely

If it bird nests when the wire gets stuck on the tip it is your pinch setting

Got to learn this welding 48 hrs pr week

Yes you are probably right, people normally slate the wire feed motor on the SIP's but mine
is quite strong , the wire jams in the liner/torch
and the motor keeps driving hence the bird nest , I am going to try a Teflon lining , (I never new these existed) , but I would still like to replace the welder with something more powerful.

[Edited on 27/4/06 by Surrey Dave]

Birds nests can be caused by too much tension on the feed roller, after you change the liner and tip adjust the roller tension so that you can stop the wire feed at the tip by putting your finger on the wire . Make sure you are not touching the earth lead. Had loads of birds nest s on my old SIP and initially thought they were caused by lack of tension which was obviously wrong. HTH

I had to use my Sip mig yesterday and couldnt get it to feed at all.I remebered the liner was knackered the last time i used it and couldnt get one locally as mine has a 3 metre liner, all newer ones seem to be 2.5m .Had a look around the garage and found some bike brake cable outer that fitted inside the torch lead.I then went to halfords and bought a 3 meter length for £3 and fitted that , it now works better than it has for ages.
Paul.

quote:

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Originally posted by Surrey Dave
Yes you are probably right, people normally slate the wire feed motor on the SIP's but mine
is quite strong , the wire jams in the liner/torch
and the motor keeps driving hence the bird nest , I am going to try a Teflon lining , (I never new these existed) , but I would still like to replace the welder with something more powerful.

[Edited on 27/4/06 by Surrey Dave]

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Just in case anybody needs a repair kit for their Hobby Torch
eBay Link

Ingenius!!

I saw the metal liners at Machinemart today ,and yes they looked like bike outer cables, but I couldn't see how I would fasten it at the welder end, also what would you do at the swan neck end, does it go round the bend to to just behind the tip?

Finish the new liner at the swan neck and take the plastic liner out of the swan neck and bin it, it works better without it.

My welder has a collet at the machine end and i just trimmed the outer plastic back to allow it to fit into the collet, i threw the swanneck spring away ages ago and just ran the liner to the base of the screw in part of the torch.
Paul.

quote:

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Originally posted by Surrey Dave
Ingenius!!

I saw the metal liners at Machinemart today ,and yes they looked like bike outer cables, but I couldn't see how I would fasten it at the welder end, also what would you do at the swan neck end, does it go round the bend to to just behind the tip?

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