Hi all, I'm looking into buying a welder to tackle some small bodywork jobs on my cars, ie patches for the mot etc. Will a Clarke Pro 90 be alright for this? I've had a browse round the forum and can't see much about this one. I'll be teaching myself as i go, so would it be easy enough to use by a beginner? Thanks all!
- Thread starter Dalek
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malcolm
& Clementine the Cat
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- Bedford UK
Welcome. It'll struggle with anything 2mm or more, but it'll be OK for bodywork thicknesses. I've used one myself and found it welded well (if a little sensitive on wire feed speed). Better choice than anything else I can think of in the same price range.
peterd51
happy to be here!
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Hi,
running at full power on 2mm plate you'll find from cold it'll run for 20minutes then shut down on thermal overload. You either have to wait for it to get fully cold again, or be prepared for one minutes welding in every ten.
You can fit a cooling fan to it and it'll not shut down then.
So, without a fan you need to pace your work. Cut some metal, shape it, weld it on, and the welder cools while you cut and shape the next bit.
I used one for about twelve years but I added a cooling fan after the first major project!
Regards
Peter
running at full power on 2mm plate you'll find from cold it'll run for 20minutes then shut down on thermal overload. You either have to wait for it to get fully cold again, or be prepared for one minutes welding in every ten.
You can fit a cooling fan to it and it'll not shut down then.
So, without a fan you need to pace your work. Cut some metal, shape it, weld it on, and the welder cools while you cut and shape the next bit.
I used one for about twelve years but I added a cooling fan after the first major project!
Regards
Peter
Not a chance... 6 minutes at minimum setting. That's continuous use, which you can't physically do, so in practice you will get longer.
The Pro90's good for bodywork patch-up's & occassional thicker stuff, but that's it...strictly a 'weekend welder' (all the small machines are, but the more powerfull, the more you can do with em) for very light use
weldequip
Nomad
Member
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- North Devon (for how long?)
Thoughts from an ex-newbie
I bought a Pro-90 last year and learned to weld so I could get the car (80's Ford Sierra Estate
) through it's MOT.
It's fine for the panel & chassis work I have used it on and as I keep stopping to work out what to do next it never gets time to overheat
Very handy for odd bits around the house and garage, but know it can't cope with heavy pieces.
Recommend you also get an auto-darkening mask & pub c02 bottle (just wish the mig came with a regulator as I had to buy one before I could use the big bottle) Maybe look around for a mig with regulator package?
Have nothing to compare it with, but have found it easy to use as a 1st time welder
I bought a Pro-90 last year and learned to weld so I could get the car (80's Ford Sierra Estate
) through it's MOT.It's fine for the panel & chassis work I have used it on and as I keep stopping to work out what to do next it never gets time to overheat
Very handy for odd bits around the house and garage, but know it can't cope with heavy pieces.Recommend you also get an auto-darkening mask & pub c02 bottle (just wish the mig came with a regulator as I had to buy one before I could use the big bottle) Maybe look around for a mig with regulator package?
Have nothing to compare it with, but have found it easy to use as a 1st time welder
