Stunter
Member
- Messages
- 41
Hi everyone, it’s been said before but this site is so helpful!
The short version is I’m on the brink of buying a Lincoln Electric Compact 185 mig welder, can anyone confirm that this is as good as their reputation leads me to believe? (I’ll be using it for larger steel like 2mm-8mm rather than thin sheet work and only have single phase, I appreciate I may have to do some bevelling and root gaps on bigger plate).
The longer version is that although new to posting on this site, I 1st started looking on it about 18 months ago and was amazed at the tutorial section with its videos etc. I went away and practiced what I could remember from years ago when I ‘played’ with my dad’s Clarke 150 and what I’d read on this site. (I hadn’t looked at the forum section much, shame as I ended up with a SIP 150 TOPMig..... )
I have now spent some considerable time trolling through this forum (it’s grown a lot in my absence) to make sure I don’t make the same mistake again and so that I don’t ask the same questions that regular posters would have read time and time again ( I used to be a moderator on an American stunt site and some people would get so frustrated with newbie’s repetitive questions) however I still haven’t found out too much on this particular model and would appreciate any input and views you may have?
Before the Lincoln came up and finding out on here that Clarke had a better reputation than I thought, I liked the look of the 220TE by them as I want quite a lot of power balanced with the fact I don’t want to make regular trips under my stairs to reset the tripped fuse!
As part of my research I went to a friend’s house to try out his much loved welder – a Clarke 230TEC, what a difference that made! Neater welds and more penetration than my SIP and just felt better all round. Looking at the figures shows the Clarke 230TEC gives 103 amps@60% and although the 220TE sounds like it’s a smaller unit, it gives 123 amps@60%. The Lincoln however gives 160 Amps @ 60% even though it only has 185 written on the front (I now understand that it’s not all about what the pretty printed number on the front says but about build quality and good internals).
So to conclude am I right in going for the Lincoln (not new) or should I wait for a 2nd hand Clarke 220TE to come along (as my pocket and marriage can’t stretch to a new unit...)
Thanks in advance
The short version is I’m on the brink of buying a Lincoln Electric Compact 185 mig welder, can anyone confirm that this is as good as their reputation leads me to believe? (I’ll be using it for larger steel like 2mm-8mm rather than thin sheet work and only have single phase, I appreciate I may have to do some bevelling and root gaps on bigger plate).
The longer version is that although new to posting on this site, I 1st started looking on it about 18 months ago and was amazed at the tutorial section with its videos etc. I went away and practiced what I could remember from years ago when I ‘played’ with my dad’s Clarke 150 and what I’d read on this site. (I hadn’t looked at the forum section much, shame as I ended up with a SIP 150 TOPMig..... )
I have now spent some considerable time trolling through this forum (it’s grown a lot in my absence) to make sure I don’t make the same mistake again and so that I don’t ask the same questions that regular posters would have read time and time again ( I used to be a moderator on an American stunt site and some people would get so frustrated with newbie’s repetitive questions) however I still haven’t found out too much on this particular model and would appreciate any input and views you may have?
Before the Lincoln came up and finding out on here that Clarke had a better reputation than I thought, I liked the look of the 220TE by them as I want quite a lot of power balanced with the fact I don’t want to make regular trips under my stairs to reset the tripped fuse!
As part of my research I went to a friend’s house to try out his much loved welder – a Clarke 230TEC, what a difference that made! Neater welds and more penetration than my SIP and just felt better all round. Looking at the figures shows the Clarke 230TEC gives 103 amps@60% and although the 220TE sounds like it’s a smaller unit, it gives 123 amps@60%. The Lincoln however gives 160 Amps @ 60% even though it only has 185 written on the front (I now understand that it’s not all about what the pretty printed number on the front says but about build quality and good internals).
So to conclude am I right in going for the Lincoln (not new) or should I wait for a 2nd hand Clarke 220TE to come along (as my pocket and marriage can’t stretch to a new unit...)
Thanks in advance