CWS Best Mig 160i Review

[BrokenBiker]

I almost bought this welder but the repair policy, payment option and 180a of the R-tech edged it for me.
Am I right in saying that the display shows the amps before you pull the trigger?

Good review.

yes teh DRO does show amps as you are adjusting the knob, but i feel its more of a 'predicted' memory based amperage. i havent had a chance to actually look at the dial whilst welding to see if it alters or not...i must say though its quite accurate to set it at 74 amps and get good welds on 2mm just breaking through the back

 

[BrokenBiker]

BB good review btw,when you get time run it at its lowest amps on some thin stuff,see how it fares,like to see what happens

i am going to be sourcing some 1mm from work this weekend if i can find any...im sure i can get hold of something.

i have some thicker plate here that i will be using next week....i only realistically expect it to weld 3-4mm really, even if it will weld more than that, i would rather use stick for 5mm+.

 

[Shedendman]

They claim it goes down to 30amps on the mig side,20 on the stick,so give it a bash on mig find some old PC case,or thin metal shelving etc

 

[BrokenBiker]

according to the site its 20-160 for both mig and MMA...maybe V1 was only 30 for mig, they are now selling V2 though.

 

[Shedendman]

20-30 whatever,be nice to see how it handles some thin stuff,which in my main concern,looking forward to the results

 

[BrokenBiker]

20-30 whatever,be nice to see how it handles some thin stuff,which in my main concern,looking forward to the results

the main reason i bought a mig is for car body stuff...what with em owning a ford, my father owning a Jag (ford) and i still plan on owning a land rover in the future too so a mig is a requirement.

i really would like to be able to set it and be able to do straight runs on body panels, rather than spending god knows how long stitch welding everything.

 

[Swift&Bold]

yes teh DRO does show amps as you are adjusting the knob, but i feel its more of a 'predicted' memory based amperage.......

Well that's an advantage over the R-tech

 

[BrokenBiker]

Well that's an advantage over the R-tech

it is...i dind tknow it did it until i started paying with it, but it does appear to be accurate...my old method of setting up was, guess, then alter WFS, then alter Volts, then re-alter WFS, then tweak Voltage again, then tweak WFS again...

with the CWS i have found its really simple...just set the amps on the DRO until its about right for the thickness you are welding, set the WFS high and then bring it down as you are welding on a bit of scrap...thats it, all set up and ready to go.

all of the welds on the 2mm above were done on exactly the same settings, i just set it to 74 (i was aiming for 75) and then altered WFS until it became consistent and that was that

 

[Shedendman]

i really would like to be able to set it and be able to do straight runs on body panels, rather than spending god knows how long stitch welding everything.

Really,you know replacement panels are getting thinner and thinner these days i swear the transit mk6 sills i got this week had the faint imprint bacofoil on them.
I would forget running long seam joints esp on butt welds,my old oxford mig goes down to 30amp i still have to stitch stitch stitch
Thats the reason why i'd like you to try it on thin stuff see how it goes

 

[gordon stephenson]

B.B..There are some apps from Lincoln ,Miller and others, just enter. Either mig,tig or stick and material and thickness and read off their recommendations ?

 

[BrokenBiker]

B.B..There are some apps from Lincoln ,Miller and others, just enter. Either mig,tig or stick and material and thickness and read off their recommendations ?

i have got one from miller on the laptop but to be honest this mig is so easy to set up i havent actually looked at the miller app yet...

i have got a proper repair job for it monday...in all fairness i was supposed to have done the job about a week ago with the stick welder but catching the owner of the car for long enough has been difficult...its the exhaust hanger repair on my neighbours fiesta...will be easier to mig it as i will have a free hand to hold the hanger in place while tacking it up...cant do ti as easilly with stick, plus it gives me another excuse to fire the mig up...pictures to follow monday

 

[Ed.]

If that work clamp has that bolt glowing red as in the picture, I would say you had a serious problem with the clamp not making a proper contact with the work and it was arcing or else the cable lug bolt was loose in the holder. Either way it looks like there was some serious arcing to make it glow like that. Replacement clamp could be required!

 

[BrokenBiker]

If that work clamp has that bolt glowing red as in the picture, I would say you had a serious problem with the clamp not making a proper contact with the work and it was arcing or else the cable lug bolt was loose in the holder. Either way it looks like there was some serious arcing to make it glow like that. Replacement clamp could be required!

i think its more to the fact that they are using high amps for a very long time...clamps have a duty cycle too, as do welding leads

 

[Ed.]

i think its more to the fact that they are using high amps for a very long time...clamps have a duty cycle too, as do welding leads

Then in my opinion it is time to upgrade the clamp/cable if that is the case. In over 4 decades of welding I have never come across a clamp that glowed, and when working in production factories making blast freezers and also agricultural equipment we were doing jig work, which basically means welding almost flat out 8 hours a day with up to 350A and not once did any of the clamps and cable get more than just warm. Maybe I was lucky and worked with decent equipment as the factories couldn't afford to have problems or to slow down. If I wasn't welding then it was costing them money.

As that clamp is glowing it means that part of the amperage is going into the clamp heating it up and not to the work piece, the more it glows the more resistance and the hotter the clamp gets, then the more current is diverted. Then you either cook the clamp or the cable gets the insulation burnt off.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[BrokenBiker]

right, im going to round this review off now, i know i said i would include some project pics but they can be done in other threads, you all know what welders i have now so will know its this on being used if there are mig welds on the pictures...

you may have seen in a different thread that i was a bit miffed at the fact that in order to weld 1mm steel i had to crank it up a bit and end up wiht a huge build up on the back...well after speaking with Graham from CWS i found that the only fault with the welder was a loose nut on the euro socket...this was tightened up and it has compeletly changed the wire feed...

before this was sorted i had to weld on 5 voltage and about 4 WFS, and even then it was a bit jerky...

now i am welding on 3-3.5 voltage and 3 WFS...this works out, according to the DRO at 55ish amps...i did try going lower but just wasnt happy with the time each weld took, too much heat going in IMO and running a bit higher meant quicker tacks/welds

so, i got some 1mm, cut a 1mm slot in it with the grinder and then took to welding it up...admittedly i used the thin metal technique, but that is because there was a 1mm gap...when running beads on flat sheet i could easilly run a bead as long as i wanted, with build up on the back being a similar size to the build up on the front and no porosity on the back either...as a hobbyist that hasnt migged for a few years i am happy with that.

so, here is the only image i have of the 1mm welding

After this i had a crack on some 3mm, havent got any pictures, but it ran just as well on that as it did on the 2mm in previous posts...settings were 7 voltage and 5-5.5 WFS with 0.8mm wire...good smooth welds, just enough penetration to the back of the steel and easy to control whether just running beads, fillets and i tried an uphil bead which went well too...


so, overall i feel this welder is absolutely amazing for its price (less than 400 quid delivered including VAT, a regulator and pipework, mig torch, MMA stinger, earth lead and a KG of wire, plus spare tips and a shroud). i do feel that it isnt going to be as good as the likes of miller, lorch, murex etc...but why should it be....its a fraction of the price yet it still welds everything it is supposed to, and with relative ease too...it also has burnback, which i havent quite got the hang of yet, but it does work...i have tried various settings and each oe leaves a slightly different length of wire after the weld, giving crisp starts afterwards without having to snip wire all the time...there is also a fast feed button to let you feed wire through quickly without wasting gas...this is invaluable to me as i take the wire off after a session and store it with my rods in the dryest place i can find...i can feed wire through without having to worry about the gas either being wasted, or having to turn it off then forget to turn it back on etc.

The MMA side is smooth, consistent and gives a good strong arc. thats all i can say about that really as i have only burnt about 4 rods...its not quite as smooth as my Parweld xti 160, but again, why should it be? its a mig welder after all, it does stick welding, and it does it well enough that you would be happy to use it if needed...for this reason i will always have 10 -15 rods in the bottom of the welder just incase...you never know when you might need them.

I would reccomend this welder to anyone who wants a cheap entry level MIG welder, and i would reccomend Graham at Welding direct as the help he has given me over the last few days has been invaluable.

I am now about halfway through the 1st KG of wire, i expect to use the other half over the next week and am awaiting a delivery from Brundles for a few lengths of angle iron, some 1.5mm sheet and some expanded metal so i can get my BBQ done, make some shelves for my storage cupboard and finish my log burner off...this will all be done with the MIG so project threads to follow

 

[nath69uk]

Just ordered one based on this review.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Just ordered one based on this review.

Glad to hear hear the post has helped someone make a decision. Anything you want to know feel free to ask