- Thread starter mjmeth
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Welcome to the Forum
What do you intend to be welding? How thin/thick metal do you want to weld?
making trailer the last trailer i welded up with a stick welder looked ok but when i got it galvanised the acid ran out the pin holes, should be able to do a tidyer job with a mig
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Welcome 
to the forum, Wolf welders do not have very good reputation on here 
but Clarke make some very good hobby welders.
You really need to tell us what thickness material you want to weld for advice on which model to buy. The manufacturers specs tend to be a bit optimistic
to the forum, Wolf welders do not have very good reputation on here but Clarke make some very good hobby welders.You really need to tell us what thickness material you want to weld for advice on which model to buy. The manufacturers specs tend to be a bit optimistic
madkayaker
Pro sparkey Pro Welder
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Clarke 90 is out then! Want some thing about150amp
cumbriasteve
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I had a Wolf as one of my first machines, it was a very poor machine to use, as madkayaker states the 90 amp is way too low, I think you need to be up to 200 amp for trailer work to ensure good penetration and to prevent you having to use the machine at full power all the time.
Looks a tidy enough job, the trailer.
You won't be able to use the Clarke 90 for stuff like trailers, it's more for thin bodywork metal, up to about 2 mm, which it's pretty good at.
You don't say what thickness trailer metal you'll be using, so perhaps angle at around 3-4 mm?
Migs aren't as powerful as arc welders for a given amperage, so you will be looking at a mig of at least 150 Amps for 3-4 mm, for the occasional build; but preferably around 180 Amp if you intend to be welding that thickness very often.
This makes it more difficult to select a mig welder, because the more powerful ones cost quite a bit more than your budget new, but you may come across one worth picking up s/h.
You could continue to use your arc welder on the heavier welds, and do the more cosmetic stuff with a mig. Keep the arc welder anyway, at least for now. If you want a heavy duty arc welder for making stuff, look out for an oil-cooled older welder, they often come up for sale, and if in good working order are well worth having. Even the 120 Amp ones will work flat out all day without cutting out. And usually within your budget.
You won't be able to use the Clarke 90 for stuff like trailers, it's more for thin bodywork metal, up to about 2 mm, which it's pretty good at.
You don't say what thickness trailer metal you'll be using, so perhaps angle at around 3-4 mm?
Migs aren't as powerful as arc welders for a given amperage, so you will be looking at a mig of at least 150 Amps for 3-4 mm, for the occasional build; but preferably around 180 Amp if you intend to be welding that thickness very often.
This makes it more difficult to select a mig welder, because the more powerful ones cost quite a bit more than your budget new, but you may come across one worth picking up s/h.
You could continue to use your arc welder on the heavier welds, and do the more cosmetic stuff with a mig. Keep the arc welder anyway, at least for now. If you want a heavy duty arc welder for making stuff, look out for an oil-cooled older welder, they often come up for sale, and if in good working order are well worth having. Even the 120 Amp ones will work flat out all day without cutting out. And usually within your budget.
would this be a no go area or a bargain
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIG-WELDE...139?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c634ede5b
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIG-WELDE...139?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c634ede5b
It's a rather doubtful far eastern job, I think. Parts might be difficult to source.
The duty cycle at the top isn't very good - it will only weld for about 1.5 minutes in every 10 on 160 Amps, let alone 180! So worse than your arc welder for getting hot quickly.
The duty cycle at the top isn't very good - it will only weld for about 1.5 minutes in every 10 on 160 Amps, let alone 180! So worse than your arc welder for getting hot quickly.
Don't rush into buying anything until you can suss out the specs pretty easily.
Take a slow look around the forum, read through some of the threads about buying a welder, and check out the mig buying and welding tutorials. When starting with mig there is a lot to get to know, and the more you know the more likely you are to make the right choice for you.
Many people come on here looking for a welder just to do car repairs, so generally a 130 - 150 Amp mig welder is adequate. But for heavier stuff like some garden furniture, gates, trailers and other light fabrication you do need something more gutsy. You have made a good start by learning to use a 180 Amp 'buzz box' and making stuff with it, so you should find mig welding quite a bit easier.
Take a slow look around the forum, read through some of the threads about buying a welder, and check out the mig buying and welding tutorials. When starting with mig there is a lot to get to know, and the more you know the more likely you are to make the right choice for you.
Many people come on here looking for a welder just to do car repairs, so generally a 130 - 150 Amp mig welder is adequate. But for heavier stuff like some garden furniture, gates, trailers and other light fabrication you do need something more gutsy. You have made a good start by learning to use a 180 Amp 'buzz box' and making stuff with it, so you should find mig welding quite a bit easier.
Country Joe
Argoshield Dark
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It looks like it only goes down to a minimum of 60 amps, which will make welding thinner metal quite tricky. Car bodywork thicknesses would be close to impossible with a minimum setting of that level.
Also, only having 4 power settings, doesn't give you much in the way of fine adjustment. I'm guessing they would be 60, 100, 140 & 180 amps - quite large steps!
All the Best,
CJ
Also, only having 4 power settings, doesn't give you much in the way of fine adjustment. I'm guessing they would be 60, 100, 140 & 180 amps - quite large steps!
All the Best,
CJ
cumbriasteve
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Duty cycle only becomes important if you are doing long runs of weld or lots of short frequent runs.
For the trailer type work you will probably do a run then spend time setting up for the next, in effect not really placing a heavy demand on the machine, most of the popular machines will manage that fine.
There is a Cebora 180 MIG in the for sale section, I have read they are a fairly good machine so may be worth considering.
For the trailer type work you will probably do a run then spend time setting up for the next, in effect not really placing a heavy demand on the machine, most of the popular machines will manage that fine.
There is a Cebora 180 MIG in the for sale section, I have read they are a fairly good machine so may be worth considering.
mowersman
Member
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Yup
I was in the same position as you over the summer, maybe slightly lower power though. Everyone I talked to said go for a clarke, unless you can afford something better, like a portamig. I'd save up if I were you. So far I have been very pleased with my Clarke 151EN, it will do 5mm, with some veeing of the edges, though I'm not sure I'd trust it on a trailer.
Andrew
As someone quite new to all this you should be aware of the problem we have with some mig welding m/c manufacturers, which is that they give their machines a number, like the Clarke Mig 145 through 196 series, just as an example.
You expect the name to indicate the top amps output, as it used to do at one time.
But the Clarke 145 has max amps of 135; the 152 has max amps of 140; the 180 has max amps of 160; the 196 has max amps of 180. Far eastern m/cs tend to be even worse, like that one above we looked at. So you really need to be aware of all this hype, and look at specs carefully.
So far as duty cycle goes, as said, it depends what you are doing, and how you do it. If you only have a 150A welder, like me, you plan the work accordingly, set up, tack up, weld a section up, move on, set up, tack up, etc. So the welder never really gets stressed.
But if you set up the whole trailer base for example, then tacked up all round, then tried to weld all sections continuously one after another, a small hobby welder might well get too hot and cut out, but a heavier-duty model will not have a problem.
So the higher the duty cycle at the current range you will be most working at the better. I'd say a minimum of 35% if you want to work moderately quickly, but you can get away with less if you are prepared to pace the job a bit.
You expect the name to indicate the top amps output, as it used to do at one time.
But the Clarke 145 has max amps of 135; the 152 has max amps of 140; the 180 has max amps of 160; the 196 has max amps of 180. Far eastern m/cs tend to be even worse, like that one above we looked at. So you really need to be aware of all this hype, and look at specs carefully.
So far as duty cycle goes, as said, it depends what you are doing, and how you do it. If you only have a 150A welder, like me, you plan the work accordingly, set up, tack up, weld a section up, move on, set up, tack up, etc. So the welder never really gets stressed.
But if you set up the whole trailer base for example, then tacked up all round, then tried to weld all sections continuously one after another, a small hobby welder might well get too hot and cut out, but a heavier-duty model will not have a problem.
So the higher the duty cycle at the current range you will be most working at the better. I'd say a minimum of 35% if you want to work moderately quickly, but you can get away with less if you are prepared to pace the job a bit.
just brought a 140 supermig for £70 off a mate and it works well came with a full small refillable gas bottle which is a bonus thought it would be rude not to I think this will get me by as im only using as a hobby and seems to weld ok
could do with a welding helmet have you guys any recomendations?
could do with a welding helmet have you guys any recomendations?
