It's been a while since I needed/used the welder but dragged ti out form under the bench and the think just clicks when I pull the trigger, no wire feed at all.
It's a SIP migmate 130 and it has been woeful at best for the 15-20 years Iv'e had it, new liners, new torches, new wire feed rollers, erratic wire feed and now this.
I think it's time for her to go and be replaced by something a bit more reliable.

I use it once in a blue moon but maybe if I had a more reliable machine it would get used more .....

I don't weld 10mm thick stuff and on the same token I don't undertake car body repairs either.

bloody typical, I needed to do about a dozen tack welds to do a quick job, it took longer to get it out and set up then it would to have done the bloody welding!

Any advice welcome.
Thanks

I have not got an answer but have similar issues with my SIP Migmate 130 which replaced about 10 years ago a lovely old Cebora PocketMIG from the 1980s that worked beautifully but some kind person walked off with!

If I could somehow justify the expenditure I would want to take a look at a UK made Oxford MIG - https://www.oxfordwelders.co.uk/ I am at a loss what is a good budget option. Clarke any good these days? I wonder if Cebora offer anything suitable now?

Good luck.

Hopefully someone on here has some good suggestions.

Cheers
Mike

[Edited on 23/1/22 by Mike Wood]

A second hand Clarke is still probably the most cost effective option in my opinion. I got mine for about £100 off Gumtree, the wire was rusty (and it needed a new liner because of it), but fresh consumables and a clean got it working really well. I also swapped the earth cable for something decent with a Dinse connector.

Oxford are great machines, built by TecArc in York. I have an Oxford Tigmaker that I use daily for my business. They a simple rugged machines built to last.

Another vote for Clarke from me. I bought an ex-display 151TE a few years back and it works really well, even if left for a few months un-touched. Simple enough to setup and get going. Spares and support are readily available too.

I bought a Clarke 150 en about 15 years ago. Think I got it vat free for under 200 quid. Never missed a beat.

Prior to that I had a second hand cebora 90 amp with no fan. I took the side off, put a massive fan next to it and worked it to death for 4 years. Lovely machine.

The smaller Clark ones have rubbish wire feeders. My 105 was dreadful until I replaced the feed unit with a cheapy Ebay one. For £13 it completely transformed the machine.

So you have any links for an example feeder?

Don't need one but send cheap enough to keep as a spare

This one - price has changed a bit

It was pretty much a straight swap - just had to drill a couple of extra holes