Fred_64
Member
- Messages
- 28
I have been reading this forum for quite a while; it is a very interesting and entertaining one.
I decided to buy a welder some time ago and now it is time to stop saving and spend the cash on a MIG ! (about 500 quids)
As I live in France (nobody's perfect), I looked at the French Craig’s list (le “Bon Coin”), missed two nice sets (Castolin Multimax at GBP260 and a NIB Lincoln SP 170 at GBP300), and now I cannot find any other good set (Castolin/Esab/SAF/Commercy/Kemppi etc….), most single phase equipment is overpriced, three phase being sometimes ridiculously cheap (for GBP400 any industrial AC/DC Tig you like). I looked for over a year and I need to (learn to) weld now as I have a classic car falling into pieces (Italian rust….).
Anyway, I am now looking at new equipment and as I have the choice, here are my requirements;
- single phase and portable (less than 30Kg or 66lbs),
- low amp for body work (30 amp min),
- at least 160 amp max,
- real life duty cycle (no 10%, no 20%),
- Euro Torch would be nice,
- Decent drive,
- back up from a manufacturer or seller.
I came up with the 5 sets below;
- 330 quids: Eastwood Mig 175, transformer based (so should be reliable), spoolgun included, 3 year warranty but they are across the pond (US), and shipping + European Duty + French VAT might destroy the original bargain price. 130 Amps at 30%
- 470 quids: TigMig (Italian eBay seller) SynMig 205, fulfill most of my requirements except the backup, even if I was told that “Mr TigMig” is very nice and do back up his chinese products, it has a cast drive also, and a nice feedback from a French bloke on a machining forum (sorry it is in French but the pictures speaks by themselves):
http://www.usinages.com/tigmig-synergic-mig-mig-205-t28891.html
- 475 quids: R-Tech Mig 160: everything is there, max amp could be better at 160 (180 or 200 would be nice for trying alu one day) 160 Amps at 30%
- 480 quids: Esab Caddy 160i (on Ebay US only): same as for Eastwood; import taxes, VAT on top of that, and the back up as it would have been purchased in the US, not Europe. 150 Amps at 35%
- 480 quids: Free-Weld MultiMig 180: found this on a Dutch site, 3 year warranty, spool gun socket, can be used as MMA and TIG (not essential, can help one day to fix something in the open air with MMA or start learning TIG). I could not find any real info on this welder (no Free-weld brand anywhere, Google is quite dry on this). Back up would be Ok for me as the seller seems to be serious (sells also REHM welders), he is in the Netherlands (2-3 hours drive from Paris, I can survive if I really have to go there), 180 Amps at 35%
http://www.heelgoedgereedschap.nl/Webwinkel-Product-2777359/Free-weld-MULTIMIG180-3-in-1-lasinverter..html
(I know it says 3 in1 but it does not pretend to cut anything, just welds!)
I asked for a User Guide and more pictures, as soon as I have them I update this post.
Reading all this once again, I realise my real options are either the R-Tech or the Free-Weld; what do you think ??
I hope I am not going to start another fight on the Chinese products, and their quality levels
Maybe I ask too many things for my budget, but sometimes you may have nice surprises, I just purchased a nearly new Speedglas 9100X for 60 quids
I decided to buy a welder some time ago and now it is time to stop saving and spend the cash on a MIG ! (about 500 quids)
As I live in France (nobody's perfect), I looked at the French Craig’s list (le “Bon Coin”), missed two nice sets (Castolin Multimax at GBP260 and a NIB Lincoln SP 170 at GBP300), and now I cannot find any other good set (Castolin/Esab/SAF/Commercy/Kemppi etc….), most single phase equipment is overpriced, three phase being sometimes ridiculously cheap (for GBP400 any industrial AC/DC Tig you like). I looked for over a year and I need to (learn to) weld now as I have a classic car falling into pieces (Italian rust….).
Anyway, I am now looking at new equipment and as I have the choice, here are my requirements;
- single phase and portable (less than 30Kg or 66lbs),
- low amp for body work (30 amp min),
- at least 160 amp max,
- real life duty cycle (no 10%, no 20%),
- Euro Torch would be nice,
- Decent drive,
- back up from a manufacturer or seller.
I came up with the 5 sets below;
- 330 quids: Eastwood Mig 175, transformer based (so should be reliable), spoolgun included, 3 year warranty but they are across the pond (US), and shipping + European Duty + French VAT might destroy the original bargain price. 130 Amps at 30%
- 470 quids: TigMig (Italian eBay seller) SynMig 205, fulfill most of my requirements except the backup, even if I was told that “Mr TigMig” is very nice and do back up his chinese products, it has a cast drive also, and a nice feedback from a French bloke on a machining forum (sorry it is in French but the pictures speaks by themselves):
http://www.usinages.com/tigmig-synergic-mig-mig-205-t28891.html
- 475 quids: R-Tech Mig 160: everything is there, max amp could be better at 160 (180 or 200 would be nice for trying alu one day) 160 Amps at 30%
- 480 quids: Esab Caddy 160i (on Ebay US only): same as for Eastwood; import taxes, VAT on top of that, and the back up as it would have been purchased in the US, not Europe. 150 Amps at 35%
- 480 quids: Free-Weld MultiMig 180: found this on a Dutch site, 3 year warranty, spool gun socket, can be used as MMA and TIG (not essential, can help one day to fix something in the open air with MMA or start learning TIG). I could not find any real info on this welder (no Free-weld brand anywhere, Google is quite dry on this). Back up would be Ok for me as the seller seems to be serious (sells also REHM welders), he is in the Netherlands (2-3 hours drive from Paris, I can survive if I really have to go there), 180 Amps at 35%
http://www.heelgoedgereedschap.nl/Webwinkel-Product-2777359/Free-weld-MULTIMIG180-3-in-1-lasinverter..html
(I know it says 3 in1 but it does not pretend to cut anything, just welds!)
I asked for a User Guide and more pictures, as soon as I have them I update this post.
Reading all this once again, I realise my real options are either the R-Tech or the Free-Weld; what do you think ??
I hope I am not going to start another fight on the Chinese products, and their quality levels
Maybe I ask too many things for my budget, but sometimes you may have nice surprises, I just purchased a nearly new Speedglas 9100X for 60 quids