Gys Smartmig 162 or Telwin Technomig 180 dual synergic Euro?

[Toverdose]

Hi, I'm up to buying a new MIG welder. I'm not a professional so I don't need a very expensive machine I think. I won't use it very often, just once and a while for a project like a gate for a friend or some stuff like that. But from next year on, I will have to take it with me once every week to school (we in Belgium call it 'evening school' where working people can learn another job while working in day time). I'm allready six years busy learning to weld and I need 2 more years to finnish the MIG part. So it is quiet important for me that the machine is pretty portable (which is the reason why I sold my previous MIG because its weight was 55kg). So far for my 'MIG-needs'...

I found two machines that caught my interest: the Gys Smartmig 162 and the Telwin Technomig 180 dual synergic euro. Why these two? Both are European made (as far as I could find out), both have a euro torch connection and they fit perfectly into my budget with a pricetag of 580€ (+/-460£). And both have a reseller that is close to my home (which I think is important). But I can't make up my mind between them...

So far, the Telwin atracts me a bit more than the Gys. It comes with a 3 meter torch instead of 2,2 meter for the Gys. The Telwin looks to me that it is more precise to set the welding parameters instead of the Gys which only has 4 steps to determine the current. And last but not least: it is quiet smaller than the Gys and lighter (11kg VS 25kg). But then I get the idea that the Gys with it's 25kg might also be more durable than the lightweight Telwin? And will such a small machine like the Telwin actually be able to deliver the full power that it is suposed to deliver? Or is that completely wrong thinking of me?

What are your opinions?

 

[norlander]

The GYS.

 

[norlander]

The GYS.

 

[marlinspike]

I haven't heard of Telwin, but the Gys migs are well thought of on this forum. The Gys is only £364 at Weldequip in the UK.

 

[norlander]

Sorry for the double post. Working from my smartphone. If you are not going to be using the welder on a regular basis, you want the GYS.
The settings are right there on the set, I tend to weld hot, but I have no problems tweaking my GYS to suit me despite the minimal control options.
The GYS is built in China under GYS control. Any warranty issue would be sorted at the french factory.
I have heard of Telwin but can't remember where from -they may make a range of tools I think.
A synergic mig at a bargain price suggests cut costs and corners to me but that needs comments from the more qualified guys on here - I don't know what advantage synergic has for the part time user.

 

[wheresmejumper]

Sorry for the double post. Working from my smartphone. If you are not going to be using the welder on a regular basis, you want the GYS.
The settings are right there on the set, I tend to weld hot, but I have no problems tweaking my GYS to suit me despite the minimal control options.
The GYS is built in China under GYS control. Any warranty issue would be sorted at the french factory.
I have heard of Telwin but can't remember where from -they may make a range of tools I think.
A synergic mig at a bargain price suggests cut costs and corners to me but that needs comments from the more qualified guys on here - I don't know what advantage synergic has for the part time user.

I know you feel you must repay the free tour by advertising/pushing their products, but blindly saying one machine is better than another which you admit to knowing nothing about isnt helping anyone.
the telwin is made in italy, infinitely variable voltage, can shape weld profile, less than half the weight of the gys(portability the op mentions specifically) the list goes on.
Reasonable, unbiased help is what people deserve.
agendas dont help the individual

 

[norlander]

I know you feel you must repay the free tour by advertising/pushing their products, but blindly saying one machine is better than another which you admit to knowing nothing about isnt helping anyone.
the telwin is made in italy, infinitely variable voltage, can shape weld profile, less than half the weight of the gys(portability the op mentions specifically) the list goes on.
Reasonable, unbiased help is what people deserve.
agendas dont help the individual

Which is why I qualified what I said that my post required commenting on by a .more experienced poster
I note the OP mentioned the Telwins 3 metre torch. I have just changed the torch on my smartmig to a longer length, so torch length was/is a feature for some users.
I bought a Binzel btw, much more flexible hose than the OE.

 

[Richard.]

Sorry for the double post. Working from my smartphone. If you are not going to be using the welder on a regular basis, you want the GYS.
The settings are right there on the set, I tend to weld hot, but I have no problems tweaking my GYS to suit me despite the minimal control options.
The GYS is built in China under GYS control. Any warranty issue would be sorted at the french factory.
I have heard of Telwin but can't remember where from -they may make a range of tools I think.
A synergic mig at a bargain price suggests cut costs and corners to me but that needs comments from the more qualified guys on here - I don't know what advantage synergic has for the part time user.

I thought it was a fair comment based on your own experience on your own machine or did I miss something here.
I did not see any thing suggesting one was better than the other just a true fact that £500 is cheap for a synergic set (it is). No harm in recommending your own unit even if you have not experienced the comparison. Sometimes that's what people want real reviews from owners not reviews from someone who picked it up for ten mins and says yeah it was really good.

 

[wheresmejumper]

Every aspect of the telwin is superior.its like a cheaper minarcmig.its closer in performance to the gys 180 pearl at twice the price of the 162.
Where it was built
max power
voltage control steps
synergic
weight
efficiency
torch length
what does the gys offer that beats the telwin?

 

[Richard.]

I can't comment on which one I think is best . I've not owned or used either. From what the op has put on his own observations it is looking like the telwin suits him better. I'll be honest a 2 mtr torch is no good un less you want to weld sitting on the machine. There is a big difference in weight which I find rather odd considering there both new inverters.

 

[Richard.]

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/gys-made-in-france-any-good.28488/

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/telwin-technomig-180-dual-synergic.44126/

 

[Toverdose]

Thanks for the answers given until now.

I allready discovered that the Gys had good experiences from users on this forum. I also found a German shop in Aachen (which is only a 1 hour drive for me) selling this machine for 430€ (I guess that's about 340£). I myself used to have a Gys TIG (Gysmi 200 AC/DC) and had some overall good experience with it but on some parts I had the feeling that it was comming just a bit to short. Example: the pulse function only went op to 20Hz which made it useless in my opinion unless you don't mind looking at a stroboscope all the time. But I could not complain about overall quality considering the pricetag (just sold it because I never used the AC function and could buy a ESAB Cady really cheap) so I could see myself bying the brand again. What keeps me hesitating is indeed it's lesser portability, the short torch (bying a longer one will also cost me at least 80€ for a cheap Parweld) and the more limited control options...

So my preference still goes a bit more to the Telwin. I hope to hear some experiences from people that have one. I also must say that the pricetag of 580€/460£ is only found in that store which happens to be close to my home. In other stores the price is around 750€/595£ and that's for the version without euro torch connector (the verion the shop here nearby sells does have a euro torch connector). I know, a big difference compared to that one shop here nearby but it's just like that. Only in Italian shops it is even more cheap going for like 450€ but I don't trust ordering stuff like a welder on the internet. What if it'gets broken or lost in the mail... And what if I need it to be repaired after a few years. If I were a shop owner, I wouldn't like it either that people would come with broken stuff that was not bought in my store.

So Telwin Technomig owners: make some noise here ;-)

 

[norlander]

I have been working my GYS 162 hard and remain impressed. I saw a Telwin Mig in the local Agricultural merchants alongside a smartmig 162. The Telwin was bigger but lighter, and the torch looked better. The Telwin had more controls to play with-but-if as you say, you are not a regular welder, the smatrmig might suit you. But having said that, having a play and writing down your settings in a notebook is just as good-and - the smartmig settings are ballpark -you still need to tweak the wire speed settings.
It sounds like you have a tendency for control options so maybe the Telwin is for you.
The smartmig not only comes with a short torch, the earth lead is short as well, and its not a euro or dinsze connection-not a problem for me- I use magrip earths.
And I have the GYSMI 200 AC/DC and it suits me as I can use the easy pulse and easy AC to get me going as I do not weld every day.
Go buy what you feel is right for you-you will work it out-the whole point of calling yourself a welder is sorting out the deficiencies of the machine/position/material condition etc, sometimes we have to crack on when nothing is perfect-and be less than satisfied with the look of the beads.
There are some magic machines on the market now-but there is still a requirement for judgement and skill in getting the job done top quality.

 

[norlander]

Every aspect of the telwin is superior.its like a cheaper minarcmig.its closer in performance to the gys 180 pearl at twice the price of the 162.
Where it was built
max power
voltage control steps
synergic
weight
efficiency
torch length
what does the gys offer that beats the telwin?

Sorry, thought you were picking on me for being biased.