Which 150-170 amp Mig?

[itstony]

Guys,
Yes a newbie and just know my question will have been asked a million times.
What mig to buy.
First let me say I did read many threads first.....honest!

I learnt to arc weld many years ago and able to get back into it when needed.
All my ex apprentice contacts that learnt the same tell me Mig has changed everything, plus put them out of a job, but thats another story.

I want a welder for home use and available for whenever I need. Of course have to balance wishes against use, so will get the max for single phase.

Surfed e-bay and forming the opinion to get a new one rather than second hand.
At the moment without advice I like the Sealey 150, but like the Butters 170.
I know the Butters is 50-100 more but assured it is quality build.
Without getting carried away, what is the oponion on the better models around the 150 to 170 amp rating?
Cheers,
Tony

 

[cobminor]

Forget the sealey, In the hobby MIG range the Clarke are better. Butters do not have the build quality of old so be sure you are not listening to advice about quality that is outdated.

You really need to give us a price guide and intended use, as in material type and thickness.

 

[itstony]

Forget the sealey, In the hobby MIG range the Clarke are better. Butters do not have the build quality of old so be sure you are not listening to advice about quality that is outdated.

You really need to give us a price guide and intended use, as in material type and thickness.

Appreciate the reply.
It´s not easy to explain in detail on a forum so please bear with me.
I relalise the complications of recommending but at least ones to steer clear of may be easier.
I am not looking for a cheapie or budget item, I like good tools.
Price wise, my only concern is wasting money on something I will never get the benefit of. I will pay the extra hundred pounds if it warrants good build and better quality.
My use will be only home use and will not be sheet metal work, but odd welding jobs, maybe a project of with up to 6mm mild steel. I can arc weld, but I´m informed Mig is the way to go now. In all honesty I believe a small arcw welder would do, but I would like advise on whether paying extra I can have a good tool for my workshop.
Single phase.
I dare not say money is not a problem, but I will pay for quality rather than buy cheap and regret it, but isn´t that something all people that appreciate good tools feel?
Hope that helps.
Tony

 

[itstony]

A follow up to my last post.
Still reading and researching and there are some makes regarded as superior that can´t be found, even by google.
Portamig. Where can they be viewed and read up on for starters?

I have a few brazing jobs with cast iron, can these be achieved with some pre-heat and a mig.

 

[weldequip]

You don't start getting into the true quality bracket until you start talking around the £500+ mark. Machines in this price bracket are; Lincoln SP170, ESAB Origio Mig 150, Kemppi Miniarc 150, Classic Mig 200, Portamig 181. Out of the Butters machines the AMT181 is, in my opinion, the 'starter' for quality in their range; the models below having cheap plastic wire feeds, whereas the 181 has a decent cast steel drive.
weldequip

 

[itstony]

Thats what I wanted to know, an opinion on quality.
I looked on E-BAY and ebay had a few Lincolns in the USA so cheap and the spec amazing.
No way to get that value in Europe, which is normal and always makes you feel sick.
Those prices are less than cheap SIP models in the UK.

I still cannot find any info on Portamig

 

[Ratty]

I think weldequip is being shy pm your email address to him and ask for info. Tell you what, buy my s/h migatronic that I wish I hadn't bought then I can get myself a portamig

 

[weldequip]

What's wrong with the Migatronic Ratty
weldequip

 

[peter9763@tiscali.co.uk]

I can recomend the Lincoln SP170 If your used to arc welding you can run the flux cored wire. Operates left to right same as arc if you are right handed that is. I have welded 8mm plate with multirun no problem. You can also reverse polarity easily, just a couple of wing nuts. Does need a 16 amp supply though you can run it at lower amps on 13 amp supply.

 

[cobminor]

If you really want to buy a quality machine that will give you years of service, ask the forum member here called Weldequip to give you details of the Portamig )he sells them). I would have bought one but I got a good deal 2nd hand on another make.

 

[DIY Welding]

170a

Intresting thoughts, I supply the Butters range and the Butters AMT 170 is in my opinion the best Quality single phase welder at this price range, wire feed is excellent and build quality is good, this unit won the five star award by classic car for its performance against other machines in this price range.
The machine is made in Europe I sell a couple units a week and todate have not had ONE return

 

[weldequip]

It pipped the MTA/Portamig 181 because it was considerably cheaper. Does it use the same wire feed assembly as fitted to the AMT1800?
weldequip

 

[DIY Welding]

No the feed system is different, I have run 0.8mm on 5 kilo spool flat out and it never faltererd, Butters supply a Parweld gun with the unit and I think its best on a trolley because it is Heavy

 

[weldequip]

Not a fan of the feed unit on the AMT1800. Never personally tried the 170 so can't honestly comment, but I don't think it's fair to put a £500 machine up for test against a £350 machine in a best-buy test; that's like putting a Ford up against a BMW & saying the Ford was better because it performed fine, but was 40% cheaper than the BMW!
weldequip

 

[DIY Welding]

Agree there is a market for both machines, the feed unit on the 1800 has been beefed up the one thing I dont like about the AMT1800 is that it gives the impression you can put a large bottle on the back DONT! it is unsafe with a large bottle and could fall over the AMT181 is made to take a large bottle,
Perhaps when they did the best buy test other factors should have been taken into account

 

[Haze]

whats the difference regarding duty cycles @ 100%

 

[Ratty]

What's wrong with the Migatronic Ratty
weldequip

Absolutely nothing as far as I can tell (except for archaic regulator), it should be perfect as it has had a full service and lots of new bits. It doesn't have as low a setting as p'mig (25 rather than 20) which might be annoying if I want to weld v thin stuff but the main reason is I had set my little heart on a portamig - all new and shiny and 2 year guarantee and gauges that work and a VAT rebate and no doubts when/if I have problems that it is ME and not the welder at fault!!! Probably not great reasons but good enough to make me feel miffed, maybe (to continue the used car analogy) it was like getting seduced into buying a really old BMW which was well looked after and ran like a dream (and 'cos it came with free tank of fuel!) when you'd set your heart on a new Alfa (if that's not bigging up the portamig too much )and the money didn't come into it. I was stupidly carried away by my unhealthy addiction to 'bargain'bay and got myself an 80 mile drive with a hangover into the bargain. I am nearing the end of a v long project and haven't had time to give it a proper go and might find I fall in love with it so I'll stop whinging for now!

 

[DIY Welding]

A duty cycle of 100% means that the welder will weld 24 hours all date at that amperage, so if a unit is 180A @ 100% this will weld continuosly at this setting as long as the Temp stays at the same

 

[weldequip]

A duty cycle of 100% means that the welder will weld 24 hours all date at that amperage

Come on mate, you should know better than that! A 100% duty cycle means it will weld continuously over a 10 minute period, not 24 hours a day, all day long!
weldequip

 

[DIY Welding]

I thought 10 minutes out of 10 is classed as all the time figure of speech big barberque last night