Draper

[ibrooks]

Anyone had any experience with one of these?

Draper 200A MIG Inverter Welder

• IGBT Inverter technology• Digital display• Multi-process welder• Gas/gasless• Thermal overload protection• Includes: 1 x 200A electrode holder (1.8m cable), 1 x 200A earth clamp (1.8m cable), 1 x 1.0 and 1.2 contact tips, 1 x MIG torch (3m cable), 1 x gas hose (2m), chipping hammer/wire brush...

www.toolstation.com

Looks good on paper so just wondering what the reality might be.

 

[Mark 2]

You'll probably need to replace the mask and 1.8m cables (frustratingly short) as that kind of marketing is aimed squarely at the hobbyist.
Really depends on what you want to do with it.
Don't go bragging about it in the pub though

 

[ibrooks]

I'm thinking of it as a replacement for my Clarke 150 turbo so only really worried about the MIG aspect. Switching an earth cable isn't a huge issue but was wondering if anyone had any experience of actually using one.

 

[ajlelectronics]

You could likely get a secondhand R-Tech Mig180 for that sort of money.

 

[Cobbler]

I’ve got a Clarke 160 TM that I’d like £170 for, in as new condition, but I see you are a bit far away

 

[Turbo]

That Draper will be a rebranded Chinese unit and there will be better out there for the money that don't have the fancy Draper name.

Rtech is a good suggestion.

 

[ajlelectronics]

That Draper will be a rebranded Chinese unit and there will be better out there for the money that don't have the fancy Draper name.

Rtech is a good suggestion.

@ibrooks

I MIGHT consider buying a 181 to free up my 180 to help you. I have just looked up the prices, a new 180 is £618 on Ebay, the 181 is over £700 direct. I will have to ask them what the value is of mine and see if we can make a deal. I am sure that they would inspect it for you and offer a report.

It really will be a revelation to you, I thought that I was useless as a welder, welds were there but never pretty. First time I used the 180 I realised that I COULD weld!

 

[eddie49]

That Draper will be a rebranded Chinese unit and there will be better out there for the money that don't have the fancy Draper name.

I agree. In fact there may be better, or at least as good, for less money.
You could pay £200 less for an Uptime160, or £138 less for a StaticArc200, or just pay the £278 needed to get the Forum's favourite imported inverter MIG - the BlackLine200 ( ? ). I do not think there would be any technical reason that the Draper would be worth £105 more than the BlackLine.

 

[Turbo]

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/portamig-185.142751/#post-2568232

Might be a bit far away but it's a good welder.

 

[ibrooks]

As it happens......... I've been considering, cogitating and consulting the welding gods via tea leaves and I've bitten the bullet and just this minute ordered an R-Tech MIG180. I'm sure the pain in my wallet will go away once I start using it. I used the NEC show discount code and got it for £560 ish. I didn't go for the MMA lead as it's something I very rarely do and I've got a big old Clarke stick welder if it comes to it although if it does become a requirement I can always add the cable at a later date. I'm probably more likely to get interested in a spool gun for welding aluminium first though but that's for a pay-day down the line somewhere. Now I need to bring myself to offload the Clarke 150 in some way although I may hold off on that for a while for sentimental reasons if nothing else.

 

[ibrooks]

Well I used it a little over the weekend and yep - I'm impressed. Going to take a while to get used to not having the two-stage trigger that the Clarke 150 has but I'm looking like a semi-competent welder again - there's definitely something "off" with the Clarke.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Well I used it a little over the weekend and yep - I'm impressed. Going to take a while to get used to not having the two-stage trigger that the Clarke 150 has but I'm looking like a semi-competent welder again - there's definitely something "off" with the Clarke.

The difference is chalk and cheese. I am hoping that the 181 will be that much better again, but it is still in its box currently. My Mig180 is available for sale now.