Clarke 150te vs 160tm

[Bertma]

Now then, its time i bought a decent welder as my current cheapo is starting to see better days and im at the stage were i could do with a better machine.

Im looking for a welder that can weld small work such as car bodywork and thin steel up to car chassis work and thick steel. Im currently restoring a vw of mine.

I also want more settings for my welds (current welder hasnt got many) and also reliability is a must.

After alot of searching i have come to the tricky decision between the above two machines.

What are your thoughts and feedback on either of the two and what do you think i should purchase?

Thanks for any help.

 

[shenion]

Basically the same machine.

IIRC, the 160 has a reg and stand to hold a large tank. The 150TE is set up for disposables.

 

[Chris Stevens]

Now then, its time i bought a decent welder as my current cheapo is starting to see better days and im at the stage were i could do with a better machine.

Im looking for a welder that can weld small work such as car bodywork and thin steel up to car chassis work and thick steel. Im currently restoring a vw of mine.

I also want more settings for my welds (current welder hasnt got many) and also reliability is a must.

After alot of searching i have come to the tricky decision between the above two machines.

What are your thoughts and feedback on either of the two and what do you think i should purchase?

Thanks for any help.

Both of these machines are pretty poor, and I certainly wouldnt want to do any VW rust repairs using one!

For anyone prepared to keep a careful eye on Ebay its quite feasible to get hold of a good used pro standard machine for around the same sort of money as a shoddy DIY type set.

The pro set is far easier to use, is going to be completely reliable, and is still going to be worth what you paid if you need to sell...............

 

[shenion]

Don't know where off-roader gets that the Clarke's are "pretty poor". They are recommended the most often on this forum (this is not a production welding-centered forum.)

I had a 130EN and it was a real nice machine. My only complaint was the torch lead was a bit short. It was smooth, reliable, and did the job. I only sold it when I got an industrial machine for a steal. Sold it for near what i paid for it.

 

[zzr1200]

Now then, its time i bought a decent welder as my current cheapo is starting to see better days and im at the stage were i could do with a better machine.

Im looking for a welder that can weld small work such as car bodywork and thin steel up to car chassis work and thick steel. Im currently restoring a vw of mine.

I also want more settings for my welds (current welder hasnt got many) and also reliability is a must.

After alot of searching i have come to the tricky decision between the above two machines.

What are your thoughts and feedback on either of the two and what do you think i should purchase?

Thanks for any help.

If your restoring a VW I'd first look here to check availability of a cheap local gas supplier (disposable cylinders cost a fortune in the long run) and then buy the 160tm, as stated above basically the same welder. Oh and one last piece of advise check the prices out above in "Weldequip's Shop" before buying elsewhere...


PS....And your close enough to collect it and probably spend even more in Steve's (weldequip) Emporium of welding delights......

 

[tux]

Another vote for the 160 here. While Clarke machines may not be "pro" quality and up to the rigours of "all day everyday" use, I don't think they make a "poor" machine. Even my cheapy Clarke 90 gasless welder did an adequate job for 15 years. Still works now but I have a gas welder now instead so its been retired.
If you are restoring a VW (Beetle? Tell us more in the projects section!) and using it on a DIY basis then you shouldn't have any issues at all.

 

[Fazed]

I have a 160EN which is the dual gas/gasless version. It comes set up for disposables and the torch lead is a little short, but I built a cart for mine and have converted it for full size bottles.
It's a great bit of plant. It'll weld 0.9mm zintec steel with ease using 0.6mm wire, and with 0.8mm wire will weld 4mm mild steel easily. It will cope with thicker but you would really need to vee-prep your edges. I run it off the 30amp cooker socket (obviosly with a beefy extension lead and an RCD) and it's fine.

 

[Bertma]

Thanks for all the feedback guys...big help.

I think im going to go for the 160tm then, and buy a big refillable bottle. I always have to change the current ones...bit of a pain in the ass tbh.

Yep its a beetle! Will get some pics up, i also have a mk1 caddy aswell...gonna make an exhaust and downpipe in stainless for it.

Ive seen a boc in liverpool before, nice and close so i can bob down.

Cheers guys

 

[Wozzaaah]

Both of these machines are pretty poor, and I certainly wouldnt want to do any VW rust repairs using one!

So what personal experience do you base that on then O-R?
Ever actually used a 150 or 160 or just don't like the Clarke name?
Many, many members on here have them and rate them very highly.

 

[BChild]

So what personal experience do you base that on then O-R?
Ever actually used a 150 or 160 or just don't like the Clarke name?
Many, many members on here have them and rate them very highly.

O-R's views are very clear and can be found in several threads

Welding patches on sills is very easy, but most beginners have to face using very poor Chinese MIG sets, that generally are running .6mm wire, which makes things rather more difficult.

Only problem with this is though that nearly all the cheap Chinese MIG sets have aluminuim windings, and most dont seem to have the power to run .8mm wire sensibly.

In common with most beginners your main problem is a crap Chinese MIG set. Sometimes for little more money than a new Chinese set, you can find pro quality used MIGs on Ebay, which will eliminate about 75% of the problems you are going to have if you are using sub standard welding sets to try to learn with.

 

[Wozzaaah]

I've seen those posts but was more curious as to what personal experience he has with either of the two machines mentioned in this thread, as he states;

Both of these machines are pretty poor

which indicates he's either used both or knows the ins and outs of both.
Having had a go on a 160 myself, I thought it was a cracking machine for the money and also the market it's aimed at.

 

[SwissTony]

Got the 160tm last week and finally got it up and running this week due to a lack of gas bottle.

Finding it pretty good, even for a big newbie like me.
After playing around with various power and wire feed settings, I am fairly confident laying beads on 1mm sheet, so anything larger should be a doddle

One complaint about the machine is the back wheels, which are a pain to put on, as they use a retaining washer that is so tight to put on. Once its on, they don't seem so bad, not brilliant, but not bad.

Would be nicer to have a longer torch and earth lead.

 

[shenion]

Yes, the short torch was the only thing that bugged be. Another 3' would have made a world of difference.

I put a removable torch on my 130EN. So, had a 12' torch. Used heavier and longer ground lead. The ground clamp was ok, but did not clamp real tight and I kept pulling it off. Replaced it with a good Lenco clamp (solid brass.)

Still sorry I sold it; liked the portability as my current one does not move.

 

[Debs.]

I have a 160T and have been highly impressed with the quality of welds it can produce for myself (as relative noviciate) on a variety of steel gauges......IMHO; it`s very far from a 'poor' machine indeed!

As you already know, 'disposables' only make sense for the very infrequent user.....so, find a low-rental refillable gas bottle (they`re not just available from BOC) for that Clarke and then you`ll be free to practice and develop your technique.

 

[Robotstar5]

Both of these machines are pretty poor, and I certainly wouldnt want to do any VW rust repairs using one!

its quite feasible to get hold of a good used pro standard machine for around the same sort of money as a shoddy DIY type set.QUOTE]

I use Murex & EWM machines at work and a Clarke 151TE at home and find both types of machine are "fit for purpose", the professional machines will work an 8 hour shift and the Clarke will happily weld my Land Rover at weekends.

You will find the Clarke range well recommended and used by a lot of forum members.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Taken from another of your clarke-bashing threads off-roader;

I last had a close look at a Clarke machine about 15 years ago, and they were complete crap then................the mind boggles to think they have become even worse! For beginners trying to learn using very poor sets such as this, is far more difficult than a better quality unit, but for someone who has never welded before this isnt obvious until they try something better.

That answers my question about whether you've actually used a 150 or 160.
Strange how you never returned to this thread after posting that comment too.

 

[tux]

.........I put a removable torch on my 130EN. So, had a 12' torch. Used heavier and longer ground lead...........

Out of interest what was involved in that conversion? Was it a "DIY" proposition or is it really a job for the pro's?
That is the one thing about my 151 that I don't like. Its fine while I am practising at the bench, but I just know that as soon as I try to weld something in a car for example that it is going to get real irritating, real quick!

 

[BChild]

Out of interest what was involved in that conversion? Was it a "DIY" proposition or is it really a job for the pro's?
That is the one thing about my 151 that I don't like. Its fine while I am practising at the bench, but I just know that as soon as I try to weld something in a car for example that it is going to get real irritating, real quick!

I did a Eurotorch conversion on my SIP cost about £100 and I found it fairly easy on a DIY machine

It's in the middle of my long running but now ended SIP thread

 

[tux]

Thanks fella. Just had a quick trawl, but got a bit sidetracked by your full tale of woe! I'll gop back to it later.

 

[BChild]

Thanks fella. Just had a quick trawl, but got a bit sidetracked by your full tale of woe! I'll gop back to it later.

Yeah - the thread needs pruning a bit but it awaits when an admin has a bit of spare time

I rate it as one of the better modifications I've done to the SIP but then I was getting very piddled off banging the torch against something solid to stop the gas flowing after trigger release (and I had tried the lubrication trick but it seemed my plastic gas valve wasn't having any of it)