Cheapo plastic wire feeds on big £££ MIGs.

[Afterimage]

I did read somewhere that the 180 and above Clarkes have the higher wattage motor than the smaller ones (still same size.) Judging a feeder by motor size is not very accurate. I have seen motors that size deliver 1/2 HP.

The MIG230TEC (retail price over £500) has the more powerful drive motor,but according to a senior member of this forum this just serves to strip the teeth on the cheapy plastic cogs if (when) the wire fuses to the tip.

 

[weldequip]

Only in extreme cases, more often than not the wire bunches up at the feed rollers cause it's nowhere else to go. Still worth paying the extra for a proper feed though
weldequip

 

[snowcat]

Have been reading this thread with some interest, £500 for a light industrial MIG expensive????? sounds cheep to me knowing what some spend on Cars, Golf, Drink.....fishing, holidays etc etc, My first machine a 300amp murex tradesmig was over £1500 in 1990, guess what, plastic wire drive, It still works, although little used these days, the real price of machines has slumped... It sounds a very tall order your expecting for your money......... jeuss welde' no wonder you enjoy a rant now and again

 

[weldequip]

It sounds a very tall order your expecting for your money......... jeuss welde' no wonder you enjoy a rant now and again

Ahhh... some sympathy at last! Yes, lets get things into perspective... 500 hundred pounds is feck all these days! (unless you havn't got it) & really doe's not go far, whatever you are buying.
weldequip

 

[Afterimage]

Ahhh... some sympathy at last! Yes, lets get things into perspective... 500 hundred pounds is feck all these days! (unless you havn't got it) & really doe's not go far, whatever you are buying.
weldequip

I can see your point,but the Portamig 181 and Butters 181 are proper welders with copper wound transformers and professional quality wire feeds,but cost over £500,while the competition are still selling oversized hobby equipment at similar or higher prices.
I was originally stunned to find that I couldn't get a DECENT all round welder for the £400 I wanted to spend,but have now resigned myself to paying the extra for a "proper" welder that will hopefully work as well as the mig welder at college that I learned to weld with,rather than just another overpriced hobby set.

 

[Robotstar5]

We bought some Murex(ESAB) Transmig 350 about 18 months ago for @£1200 each and following this thread you will not be suprised to know they have aluminium not copper transformers fitted.
OK for us as they only do a handful of low current 10-20mm welds per rework component - not a hard life!

 

[Afterimage]

Well I finally put down a deposit this afternoon on a new mig welder - an Esab C171 (170A),after haggling the price down a fair bit at my local welding gear suppliers.

 

[matt1978]

Should be a decent machine Mickj. Where did you buy it from?

 

[weldequip]

Nice quality set yes, not the best on very thin sheet though... OCV is relatively high at 19.5v... lower the better
weldequip

 

[Afterimage]

Nice quality set yes, not the best on very thin sheet though... OCV is relatively high at 19.5v... lower the better
weldequip

Hey,this is getting a bit technical for me now with this OCV stuff,I'm just hoping that it'll outperform my current machine....

 

[weldequip]

Open Circuit Voltage... the lower the better for thin sheet welding. It'll kill your current set & you will be over the moon
weldequip

 

[Afterimage]

Open Circuit Voltage... the lower the better for thin sheet welding. It'll kill your current set & you will be over the moon
weldequip

I can't wait to have a go of a 'proper' welder for the first time since I was doing evening classes at college.

 

[Afterimage]

Should be a decent machine Mickj. Where did you buy it from?

I feel that it might be prudent for me to keep my trap shut until I actually get the thing home,don't want to start a mad rush or anything!