Just picked up my first Mig welder and it needs some TLC!

[razza987]

Hi guys, I'm Raz, first post here!
I'm an Aircraft Weapons Technician in the RAF and I race cars for a hobby
I've just picked up my first Mig welder after wanting one for about 5 years...
I was given it by a mate at work and told "pay me what you think it's worth". It's a tatty BOC Migmaster 130 Turbo, it works but the trigger is pretty knackered, the earth clamp is a mole-grip and there's no shroud. I'd also need to buy a mask and a gas bottle.
So, any thoughts? How much is it worth? Where can I get the bits I need to make it serviceable?
Cheers, Raz

 

[fingers99]

Weldequip may have most of the bits you need (or alternatives).

Hard to say how much it's worth yet. Get it sorted and see. You can probably get a good idea from eBay.

 

[andypocock]

Hi Raz

I'm not the man to talk to you about your welder so I'll just say welcome.

I did just wonder if you could get your hands on a couple of Sidewinder rocket motors. In fact a complete missle (without the HE obviously) could be useful.

Regards

Andy

 

[razza987]

Hi Raz

I'm not the man to talk to you about your welder so I'll just say welcome.

I did just wonder if you could get your hands on a couple of Sidewinder rocket motors. In fact a complete missle (without the HE obviously) could be useful.

Regards

Andy

Hi Andy, that would be no problem, just wire 100,000 USD to my Swiss bank account...

 

[JML]

Promise me you won't race any cars welded with that

I would say it's worth a tenner. Looks like it needs a new regulator, gun, earth clamp and the mains plug wants refitting.

 

[razza987]

Promise me you won't race any cars welded with that

I would say it's worth a tenner. Looks like it needs a new regulator, gun, earth clamp and the mains plug wants refitting.

So that makes it uneconomical to repair doesn't it?

My race car is a fibreglass body on a galvanised steel chassis, so the Mig would just be for light duty bits and pieces/fabrication

 

[rtbcomp]

I'd be inclined to fit a Eurotorch conversion (under £50 for a new torch and connector), the rest just loooks like tidying up.

I'm not sure how the earth lead is connected to the clamp, but mole grips will make a better clamp than a lot I've seen.

Mains plug may be trickey with such a thick mains lead, I'd use a 16A blue plug if possible, I've got one on my MIG and I've made up an adaptor if I need to use it away from my workshop on a 13A socket.

 

[londonsean69]

My race car is a fibreglass body on a galvanised steel chassis

Make sure you grind off the galvanising before welding, the fumes are pretty nasty.

 

[RED1]

see what this goes for then make a decision on ££

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SNAP-ON-130-A...=39:1|66:2|65:7|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[cobminor]

Snap-on are badged up Ceboras (I think, certainley badged up something) and not what they used to be. That one is old so the bought as spares attitude should guide any purchase thoughts.

 

[Unclefista]

I bought the same welder (but badged Snap-On) seven years ago with a large CO2 bottle. It was in better nick than that and cost me £100.

It's not worth much, but I built a car with mine

 

[zardoz]

I'd say in the condition its in it is genuinely worth about £25. It probably needs a new torch, and a good clean and like the man says if you can get a 'Euro torch' conversion for it, all the better. Weldeqiup is the man to ask, he has spares for all sorts of welders, including earth clamps and torch spares at very fair prices and posts them to your door. Send him a pm message and i am sure he will be glad to help. He helps many on this forum all the time and sell them plenty too, and to my knowledge i have never seen any complaints against him. Seen plenty of praise though. give him a pm maybe get his phone number and speak to him.

 

[scarecrow]

Make sure you grind off the galvanising before welding, the fumes are pretty nasty.

And wear are a mask as well even with the galvanise grind off you will still get fumes from the other side

 

[English Steve]

It is a badged Cebora Pocket Turbo 130. As has already been mentioned, Weldequip will probably have all the parts you need. I have the Cebora version which is around 20 years old and still going strong - they are the original hobby mig and still one of the better (IMO) built (proper contactor etc).
Any monetary value is meaningless with a machine like that - In good working order it will do anything a new one will do, so it's really just a case of checking spares prices.
If you want it to use, it will probably be worth doing.
If you want it to sell at a profit - chuck it in the skip.

 

[razza987]

Thanks Steve, good answer

 

[Wozzaaah]

I'd be inclined to fit a Eurotorch conversion (under £50 for a new torch and connector), the rest just loooks like tidying up.

It will also need a gas solenoid as the torch has a gas valve. I reckon it'd cost more like £90 if all new parts are used, £65ish if a second hand torch could be sourced for free or very little. Not really viable on that machine imo.
They are good little machines though, I've owned a Cebora one.