D.I.Y first welder

[spridget]

After gathering info from the website and forum and the offer of a vat free purchase at Machine Mart I have decided to purchase my first Mig welder.

I have welded before but not for many years I have a few projects in mind using 3mm angle iron and box section but I have a classic car which will need welding at some point in the future.

I have debated gas and gas-less pro's and cons and have decided to up spec in the hope that my choice of a gas mig welder will not cripple my wallet in terms of gas usage.
I have narrowed my choice to a Clarke 160TM £280 ex vat.

My question to the forum is have I over spec'd for D.I.Y.
Have I made a good choice avoiding gas-less as a relative novice?
Should I consider other manufacturer's or suppliers at this price?

Any help within the next week (voucher expires) would be much appreciated,

Thank you.

 

[mowersman]

A 160TM should be just fine. I don't know a great deal about the 160TM, but 150 amps is always useful, I was debating whether to go for 130 or 150 amps and I'm glad I went 150. Gasless is a pain to learn with and is nigh on impossible on very thin metal, however has its uses. I've got a Clarke 151EN, which is the same amperage as the 160TM, but can be used with gas or gasless. Possibly one to consider?
Andrew

 

[mowersman]

Just found the 160TM on machine mart. The only real advantage of it over the 151 is that fact that it has rotary power selection rather than switches. However the 151EN is £80 cheaper, which would give some money for a decent auto mask (Well worth the money).
HTH
Andrew

 

[shenion]

The 151 does not have a shelf for the gas bottle and often does not come with a regulator. If it does it will be for disposables; you will end up buying a reg for a refillable bottle.

 

[spridget]

I did consider the 151EN but decided to go for a dedicated gas. I noticed that you can convert to gas but have not investigated how much that would cost and thought that if my preference was gas then a dedicated machine would be better. I also want to run from the domestic power supply and was put off by the 30amp rating.
Since posting I have researched gas consumables, another mine field but I want to steer clear of the disposables.
I would like an auto mask as you suggested as I think that would help me get back up to speed with a better quality weld.

 

[mowersman]

All that is needed to convert the 151 to gas is a regulator, which will be £40ish from someone like weldequip.
Andrew

 

[maz0]

The 160TM is what I purchased to learn on. It's a great little welder and very capable. The wheels on it are useless though so your first job should be to make a new trolley for it

 

[spridget]

Cheers, I think I read that the wheels were poor on a previous post, but that's o.k as long as the working bits of the welder are robust.

 

[drjim]

Torch is quite short for the size of the machine. I did a euro torch conversion on mine.

 

[Cobbler]

I bought a 100en 20 years ago, changed to gas very soon, never used gasless again. Upgraided to a 160tm a few months ago to do my sons Land Rover as the 100 was on its limits on the chassis. The 160 seems a good machine & welds thin sheet better than the smaller machine, the arc seems to be steadier. I would think it is a good choice. Looking at your name, what spridget have you got, post some photos when you get going.

With your comment about the 30 amp supply, don't worry it will be fine on 13a, see other posts, loads use them of the domestic supply. M Mart overnight themselves

 

[oak]

helllo spridget,
I'm in exactly the same position as you (see my thread " Clarke 160TM?" in this section of the forum) and have decided on the 160TM as it's set up for refillable gas and will be able to cope with my needs which are mainly steel bodywork, and chassis section if ever needed.
Been waiting for my vat free machinemart voucher too, finally got it now(after giving up hope!) so got till Monday to purchase.
Good luck with your projects, welded a couple of MGB's in the past and owned a Midget Mk111 , the latest Project being a Morris Minor.
All Best.

 

[aircooled72]

Hello, I'm also in the same situation, but I've just ordered the 151EN as I don't have a garage & work on my camper in the drive so I wanted the option of gasless.
Good Luck with your choice

 

[Ian1044]

I bought the 160EN a few years back, the majority of the time I run it on gas, but very occasionally I use the gasless option when I wheel it outside to repair a gate, or weld a bit back on the tractor! Don't get me wrong, the weld with gas I find far superior, if you will categorically never use the welder outside, then there's no point in spending slightly more for an option you'll never use, but for me the gas/gasless option is worth its weight in gold!