20 Year Old Oxford Turbo MIG 181

[Tom Orrow L]

So today we had this old beast come in -

According to the owner it'd been tripping 13A fuses, didn't know what was up with it. He also wanted some general maintenance done on the machine but if it was past fixing it he wanted to have an Oxford MIG Maker 200-1 off us.

I took it into the bays to take a look at it. First thing I thought was that a 20 year old 180A transformer machine should not be running off a 13A plug at top end (which is what he'd tried doing). I tried a new 13A plug and plugged it into the socket, no joy, no lights.
I lopped the plug off & fitted a 16A blue plug just to see if it would fire up, if not it'd be a side panels off job.
Popped it into the socket and it lit up , lovely. Now to make sure that the machine can still weld etc..

Popped in some 0.8MM wire and connected up the torch & gas, played with the settings and away we went.
Welding like a brand new machine, very nice welder.. never used one this old before; it's actually older than I am

I took a look at the earth and decided it needed a new one as a result of the arc strikes on it, fitted that.
Gas hose fittings were looking past it, fitted a new 3/8 nipple & nut.
Guy decided he wanted a new torch, new Binzel MB15 ready for him to pick up next week with his machine.
It had a general clean up too.

I chatted with the guy and he said that he didn't have 16A sockets in his workshop but it was going to be cheaper to get it fitted into his shop & pay for the fixings & maintenance than it was for him to buy himself a new welder. Now he's a happy chappy.

He's now got a genset that he's bringing in for us next week to take a look at, I think that might be past me so that'll be passed onto Mark or Jonathan.

Thought that it might be of interest to anyone that wanted to see an Oxford from the era before Technical Arc took on the Oxford name & started making them up in York. A relic to admire imo.

*EDIT* I removed the 16A plug once I had tested it, as I'm not allowed to give it back to him when its been wired up by myself. Customer has had the plug off us & he's fitting it himself.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Going by the condition, it certainly hasn't been abused in it's 20 year life.

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Going by the condition, it certainly hasn't been abused in it's 20 year life.

Agree with you there, It had a little bit of dirt, dust and grinding bits on it especially on the gas cylinder rack but other than that it was in good nick bar the few bits I mentioned.
He's a proper nice chap who just does a bit of general fabrication work in his little workshop, knows how to look after his stuff by the looks of it.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Nice machine but if looked after 20 years is not old, my Exchange and Mart bought buzz box that had done a massive amount of welding was around 35 years old when I sold it, in full working order.

 

[Bigjoe]

Proper job! As it were

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Nice machine but if looked after 20 years is not old, my Exchange and Mart bought buzz box that had done a massive amount of welding was around 35 years old when I sold it, in full working order.

Proper job! As it were

They're not built like they used to be, as my Grandad would say.

 

[weldequip]

I should hope the current stuff is better than that; never much good that range - prone to rectifier diode failure Not press fit though so easily replaceable (although pricey). 161 and 231 model were the same. They were introduced when the original Oxford company realised that building welders that lasted a lifetime (oil cooled stuff) wasn't so good for repeat business!

 

[Tom Orrow L]

I'm sure you well know the quality of technical arcs current builds Steve
Peter originally thought something might be up with the rectifier when it came in but turns out it's fine.
Let's hope it keeps him running for a few more years now.

 

[Shedendman]

This is mine,built in 93,and not in good health at the moment


Slight difference in the controls to the one you've shown,how and why i dont know because i've never seen another like mine anywhere
Whats wrong with you may ask,wow,thats a long story,but lets start with the simple side,its on it own 16amp supply which is all hunky dory,BUT,on top settings it still trips the main mcb.
A few more little niggles to hard to put in writing,BUT it still works and gets me by(just) TOM i think a pm might be coming your way

I should hope the current stuff is better than that; never much good that range - prone to rectifier diode failure Not press fit though so easily replaceable (although pricey). 161 and 231 model were the same. They were introduced when the original Oxford company realised that building welders that lasted a lifetime (oil cooled stuff) wasn't so good for repeat business!

That doesn't make me smile at all,lol

 

[Shedendman]

rectifier diode failure
Are you talking about these 4?

if so,how does one test it?

 

[Shedendman]

ok sussed how,all seem to be ok,i think lol

 

[Wedg1e]

20 years old? Positively spring chickeny alongside my 1980s Oxfords, a MIG120s and MIG300

Both still going strong - and interestingly, both have Technical Arc's name on their PCBs although they have Oxford's address as Rothwell IIRC (as it looks like it does on the 181 Turbo as well).

The 120s has (or had) a sticker proclaiming Oxford having been given a Queen's Award for industry and came to me via a hire company in Mansfield - just needed a new relay; the 300 was bought faulty from a member here who used it in the family plant hire business to repair, well, plant - just needed a new rectifier and a good vacuuming, the user manual was inside, under half an inch of grinder sparks and knackered torch tips! And no, it won't run from a 3-pin plug.

My other MIG is a 200A Romarc of similar vintage; it too has Tech Arc PCBs...

 

[Jonny weld]

This is mine,built in 93,and not in good health at the moment
View attachment 76187
View attachment 76189
Slight difference in the controls to the one you've shown,how and why i dont know because i've never seen another like mine anywhere
Whats wrong with you may ask,wow,thats a long story,but lets start with the simple side,its on it own 16amp supply which is all hunky dory,BUT,on top settings it still trips the main mcb.
A few more little niggles to hard to put in writing,BUT it still works and gets me by(just) TOM i think a pm might be coming your way



That doesn't make me smile at all,lol

I have just purchased same welder. Need to convert the torch. Can you give a bit of tips on some starting setup up? Thanks

 

[DSR]

This is mine,built in 93,and not in good health at the moment

Slight difference in the controls to the one you've shown,how and why i dont know because i've never seen another like mine anywhere
Whats wrong with you may ask,wow,thats a long story,but lets start with the simple side,its on it own 16amp supply which is all hunky dory,BUT,on top settings it still trips the main mcb.
A few more little niggles to hard to put in writing,BUT it still works and gets me by(just) TOM i think a pm might be coming your way



That doesn't make me smile at all,lol

Might be a bit daft but have you uprated the main trip to a type C er even D ? They're less prone to tripping when there's a short surge which is what you often get with a big old transformer.