- Thread starter luke123
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mike os
just a little insane.....
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always wondered if is is worth the hassel?
if you need to change torches often enough to justify euro.... surely you need either a better welder (with one fitted already & all teh benefits that go with the kit) or to take more care with the torch you have?
End of the day its just a torch....ok euro tends to be better quality, but for occasional use does it really make that much difference?
or is it just another tool bling/tool envy thing?
if you need to change torches often enough to justify euro.... surely you need either a better welder (with one fitted already & all teh benefits that go with the kit) or to take more care with the torch you have?
End of the day its just a torch....ok euro tends to be better quality, but for occasional use does it really make that much difference?
or is it just another tool bling/tool envy thing?
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Smaller Clarke welders have the torches hard-wired in so to fit a euro torch you have to remove the old one, butcher the case about, fit the socket, wire in a gas solenoid etc.
Work on the basis of about £100 to convert it and you won't be far off the mark.
Work on the basis of about £100 to convert it and you won't be far off the mark.
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I think the main advantage of swapping to a Euro torch on a 'diy' machine is that consumables are much more readily available and the torches are easier to repair. They also offer less problems in use than some of the cheaper hard-wired torches.
shenion
Tool Pack Rat
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I put a Tweco connection on my Clarke 130EN (similar to Euro connection.) Main reason was to use a longer torch. That 6' torch was always a bit too short.
I used a Tweco MiniMIG and #1 torches on it. Both were 12' long.
A liner change took just a few minutes. They used mostly teh same consumables as the Clarke torch as it is a clone of the MiniMIG torch.
It worked well even on the light CLarke wire feeder. It even worked with my 15', Tweco #4 torch.
The Tweco mod took no case modifications as it fit through the existing hole. They are common here, eurotoch is a bit rare.
I used a Tweco MiniMIG and #1 torches on it. Both were 12' long.
A liner change took just a few minutes. They used mostly teh same consumables as the Clarke torch as it is a clone of the MiniMIG torch.
It worked well even on the light CLarke wire feeder. It even worked with my 15', Tweco #4 torch.
The Tweco mod took no case modifications as it fit through the existing hole. They are common here, eurotoch is a bit rare.
madkayaker
Pro sparkey Pro Welder
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it will fit with very little probles. have done it to two so far.
ampegboy1
Member
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I converted to a Parweld SB250 Euro torch on my SIP Weldmate (I know, but the wire feed has been absolutely fine
) and the difference was like night and day compared with the hobby-style torch it came with, it absolutely transformed the machine (not that it had been a bad one to start with). I found that it also improved my welding, simply because the heavier Euro torch made it much easier to keep my welding hand steady, a bit like using a big, professional camera after a compact/point-and-shoot jobbie.Michael
mike os
just a little insane.....
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I converted to a Parweld SB250 Euro torch on my SIP Weldmate (I know, but the wire feed has been absolutely fine
Michael
just thought I would ask as I never really had any issues with the POS (ie sip) torch or spares... (The rest of the welder ...well nothing needs to be said does it).
While I would agree decent euro are nicer, I would sooner spend the extra on a better welder with one already fitted.... as you are still dealing with the same basic beast underneath & another £100-150 puts you into the next bracket machine wise.
ampegboy1
Member
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I must've got lucky with my SIP, as the basic machine itself is absolutely fine - I've certainly not experienced any of the notorious wire-feed issues that everyone else reports and it's handled all I've thrown at it so far. There wasn't anything inherently bad about the standard SIP torch (apart from the fact that the power feed turned out to only be connected by three strands
), it's just that the Euro torch is sooo much better. The trigger action for example on the Euro torch is feather-light, wheres the SIP one takes a bit of a squeeze - it's just better all round!Spending the extra in the first place would have bought a better machine but I couldn't afford to at the time and this SIP met my needs for the best price - saving for longer wasn't an option as I needed the welder to keep the beetle
! As the basic machine does the job, the Euro torch was, for me, a very worthwhile upgrade.Michael
