Capabilities of a budget Mig?

[Mikes1670]

Hi all, I have seen some great examples of nice looking welds on the forum but seem to get the impression they have been produced by the bigger type welders found in businesses and college facilities. What I am trying to get a feel for is what can you realistically expect to achieve from a budget spec. welder (£200-£300). I have a Clarke Mig 130 EN Gas/No Gas welder which fits into this range and would be interested if anyone has any photos of what can be achieved with practice using this type of welder so I can compare with what I am getting. I am new to this and I am still trying things out at the moment Gas/No gas and settings power/wire speed etc, etc. Obviously on these smaller welders the power settings are cruder than on the bigger welders.

Any thoughts, comments or photos?

 

[cumbriasteve]

I don't have any pictures but on clean metal the Clarke should be able to produce a weld that looks as good as any other MIG.

It does take practice of course and although possible, will never be as easy to obtain as you could using a pro MIG but still achievable.

I remember seeing a trailer a guy had made using a Clarke 150amp and the welds were sheer perfection, a combination of getting the setting right, plenty of practice and probably one of those people who is a natural with a torch.

 

[chunkolini]

I used a Clarke 130amp welder using argon/co2 mix for 6 years and got some great results.
Here is a good example of what this welder can do.

A substructure made of 6mm bar overwelded using a clarke 130 amp welder. The whole surface is efectively made up of weld.
Also works well on thin sheet.

Not sure if the detail will come up in this photo, lots of stringers of weld on 1.2mm mild steel, see the veins in the fins.
Definitely use gas.
Hope this helps.
Chunko'.

 

[Dev]

From what I can tell budget migs just make it more difficult to get consistently good results, whether it's because the voltage is not as accurate or the wire feed is not as smooth. I'm persevering with my budget one on the basis if I can get to the stage where I can get reliably good results with it then when I get a proper machine it'll be luxury.

Time will tell if that works out to be the case or not...

 

[slimjim]

A clarke will give good welds, that's why they are the budget recommendation, why better quality ones are preferable, is because they have longer more easily replaceable torches with a eurotorch fitting, and better quality innards, like a gas valve, which means the trigger is light, as it's not holding a valve open which needs a heavy spring to cut off the gas supply.

so the welds will be similar all things being in good condition, but your stuck with a 2metre torch lead, rather than the 3 or 4 metre one.

 

[robertbruce]

I think it depends on what sort of jobs your going to do...

my elcheapo
is good on low settings, 1mm steel plate, 0.8 flux (no gas)
is very crude on high settings, 3mm steel plate, 0.8 flux (nogas)

that may change, im only done about 28 welds, but i can sort of tell, i have "the force"...

i only have mine for patch-panel and i think it ill be fine. I am trying to avoid kitting up with gas...
Patch panel does not lend it self to beading so hundreds of dollars to set up for gas is questionable

Tack, shorts stich's, grind and fine is my plan...

the ground is criticaly important, i often don't think this is stressed enough... also the flow of the ground, whether it runs of the piece and of course how close it is... a good ground on a good bench is imperative, wish i had one a good bench...

im using a 1299x400x4mm sheet of stainless as a work bench and its a nice enough ground sink, but i'd love a nice bit of cage under it...

whatever you spend youll prolly spend half againg on bit, gas, consumabaales...I thought i was all start today but had the wrong size tips...so add fuel...

sorry to rave

 

[stuvy]

off topic, that bears head is really cool

 

[chunkolini]

Bears head?
My sit upon.
Monkeys head.
I was just getting started with my Clarke 130 mig welder and wondered if you could use it to make textured surfaces. So I had a go. I was planning on making a full sized chimp once I got the hang of it. Then realised I would be spending lord knows how many hours frying myself. I promised to finish it one day..................
But to get result like that from a 'hobby' welder I was impressed.
I posted this pic becuse it shows that you can get a good result at quit high power for long periods from a small welder like this. I admit I had never heard of duty cycles etc when I was doing this.

 

[Mikes1670]

Thanks for your responses - that monkey's head looks like a lot of work - how long did it take?

 

[chunkolini]

How long?
Bloody forever.
I had no idea what I was doing and wondered if it might work making sculptures like this. Typically I thought lets have a go. It is made of pieces of 6m bar tacked together and overwelded to give the textured surface.
I thought I would get a shock if I touched the workpiece so each compnent was bent with a hammer and then clamped up in a ridiculous arrangement of crocodile clips then spot welded on at each end. This took me a long long time.
These days i hold the bits in my fingers and have got good at letting go as they get too hot to hold, I can manage bits about 8mm long. This speeds the process up massively.
Welding the surface is a hideous job. Sitting there, left glove almost catching fire as you support the torch. I can manage about 15-20 minutes at a time and have to leave it in disgust and come back later.

I knew nothing about welding when I was making this; I have a mate who was a welder and was 'You made this!! with this!!!!!!' looking at my Clarke 130.
I abused it like this for 6 years before it started getting tempremental. They are superb starter machines if they are still as good as they were. I was using it flat out like this and it never tripped out or overheated. I did melt two torches though. The heat build up in such a small workpiece is amazing.
How long to make it now? I could probably do it in a day or less. But prefer to this stuff in dribs and drabs around another job. Very very focussed stuff.
But it does make cider/beer taste good afterwards.

 

[robertbruce]

the welder i got is from a chain of stores here in Australia called SuperCheap. They have there own homebrand called SCA.... It's a 140AMP G/NG MIG...

For a cheapie It performs ok i guess. its got a lousy earth clamp, non-interchangeable handle, handle activated air line, a plastic roller wheel retaining clip, the carry handle is very weak and it makes funny noises...oh, it took me an hour to fit the tiny tiny C clips that hold the weak plastic wheels on...
For $299 i suppose it isnt tooo bad, the next price up was 570 and a brand-name doenst make the cut untill the 600's... i've really only got it to do this job then i will be selling it...

this welder wont be quick punching thru 2mm plate unless fluxed but with gas it does lay a bead on a coke can nicely...
Today was my forth session welding, the first two where flux....I think i coming along OK....