Cobel wms 200 welders

[wambiker]

Hi I'm new to this forum, so a hello to all the regulars. I have been welding for a good number of years, both as part time on a farm-welding machines, tractors and anything else they manage to break, this may be stick or mig( we have a lovely old lincoln 3phase stick machine that probably came over in wwII, 600+amps and the size of an american freezer) but also on a diy basis rebuilding and restoring motorbikes (I have also built a couple of lotus sevens from scratch) using gas and mig.

I have had a desire for a tig welder for a number of years, as I enjoy gas welding and am bored with mig. So I was delighted when I aquired a tig unit for a small sum-should have known better, after all these years I use snap-on/teng/draper tools because cheap has not worked-but new toys and all that.

The Tig unit is a Cobel WMS200 it worked for a short while then just stoped. I had looked at the cobel website and it looked pretty reputable, I have now found out it is just another chinese machine of very dubious quality. I contacted Cobel but they where fairly unhelpfull, they appeared quite evasive and did not really want to help, but if I was prepared to send the machine back to them they might be able to have a look at it. They where more concerned that it had come from another supplier than them, and were keen to know where this supplier was, I could not help them as they where not available when I tried to contact them with the problem. I contacted them again requesting details of their location, whoever I spoke to had to go and find out the address for where he worked-this did not inspire confidence. When I looked up the company address on google earth it appears to be a private house, so am not really expecting much joy.

I have contacted a number of places asking about repairs, but have either been told they won't look at it because there is no parts backup or technical specs available, or they will look at it but as they will have to spend a lot of time attempting to work out the layout etc, that the cost in labour would be more than the machine is worth.

What welding I did with the unit was ok, but even if I get it repaired will it go again. I was wondering if anyone else had the same experiences with this machine.

Cheers Gary

 

[MajorPayne]

That's a shame man! a real shame..

Name an shame them all you like if you ask me, mate.

Saving for a welding machine myself, have to be very wary after reading some of others thoughts on the forum and from other welders at college. Hope you get summit sorted with them. Or finding some way of fixing it

Might buy the 160DC from R-tech or the ARC-tec 180DC from WeldEquip I'd really love the ARC-tec 200AC/DC

MP

 

[weldequip]

You haven't mentioned warranty Wambiker, if it's still under warranty (12 months statutory) then they should repair/replace without question

 

[wambiker]

Thanks for that MajorPayne, weldquip I bought the unit 2nd hand and it is more than 12 months old, it is not the lack of waranty that is bothering me, its more the total lack of interest in supporting a machine they have originaly sold. I do not expect it repaired for free, I was quite willing to pay for the repairs within reason, but they said they where now selling a new model and although it was called the same model number was a completely different machine and shared no internal parts. Therefore they where unlikely to have or be able to get spares for this machine, I accept caveat emptor, but I would expect some support for a machine that is not that old I believe, but then that is the difference between a cheap machine and an expensive one, part of the cost goes to back up.

I have also spoken to another repairer and been told that even two apparently similar machines from this company may well have different internal constructions as they are not built by one company but often outsourced to smaller ones who each do it a different way, this probably contributes to the back-up problems.

Cheers Gary

 

[malcolm]

eBay inverter welders from China can be a bit throwaway when they go wrong. What's wrong with it? Possibly someone much more knowledgeable than me might be able to suggest which bit has broken.

A couple of members have found an eBay seller called Shop River useful in supplying spare parts for otherwise unsupported Chinese welders. Could be worth a try if we can narrow down the fault. I'd imagine repair by an independent company in the UK would be more than the welder is worth.

 

[bawjaws]

chuck it! , im also p***ed off with chinese pish. i got sent a replacement wolf200 tig/arc after my first one broke, first one, got weaker and weaker on the tig setting after only 10 mins, and eventually clonked out altogether, not even the arc setting worked, luckily, the seller sent me a new one, and tonight was using it on tig for the first time on the replacement machine , worked well for 10 mins and then when i released the button, the gas stopped but the arc still continued , then flipped it over to arc to see if that still worked as it should, which it didnt, was sparking but didnt arc up, bit like a ****ey sparkler really, even at 200 amps with a 2.5 rod, then eventually just clonked out , shouldve known better tho, now to try get a refund rather than a replacement, wish me luck

ps. you get what you pay for really is true , chinese products have ruined britain

 

[wambiker]

I'm not sure what the problem is, when I turn the unit on the fans start up and a couple of lights come on on the front panel, a green which appears to be power supply and a red one that has a thermometer symbol, which I assume is an overheat warning. There are also a couple of leds on the boards inside that are lit. but there is no ouput on either stick or tig, the gas solenoid operates but nothing else happens when the tig trigger is operated.
Cheers Gary

 

[irondarren]

Daft question cant see it can be this, but does it have a remote switch? (probaly unlikely as its chinese), if its like my IFL unit when set to remote nothing works no tig or mma, because its controlled by the foot pedal. Have to remember to switch it over when changing to MMA mode.

 

[wambiker]

Hi, it has no foot pedal or a switch, the only switch is from stick to tig.

 

[Paul.]

It sounds as if the overheat stat has tripped, it should re set when it cools down but sometimes they don't, It may look something like this one or some are squarish, its probably mounted on or close to the transformer or rectifier, if you can locate it i'd check it out first, they can usually be cross matched with something suitable, Of course it may have other problems as well.

 

[wambiker]

Hi would this fail to open circuit?, and therefore as quick test connect the two wires to each other. Or use a meter to test the stat for open circuit, would I suppose be the safer option ;-) If this is the problem where would the best places be to look for a replacement part. I could at least get it working again to sell it.
Cheers Gary

 

[bluebobtail]

Hi did you get your cobel sorted?