Yes the SIP are in all the workshop tool catalogs from main parts suppliers.
Will have a look at the Kemppi then, cheers
- Thread starter RichC88
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Will have a look at the Kemppi then, cheers
I think SIP and Sealey are usually bought for employees to use. Maybe work out what people are buying with their own money. It's a hard market to understand as people buy once usually and are stuck with it, for better or worse. People often ask what is the best welder but few people have owned a variety of current models to give an opinion.
Moose McAlpine
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99% of garages that buy a welder just.. buy a welder. They take zero interest in the brand, they just buy the cheapest/most accessible brand. Usually that's SIP or Sealey, sometimes Snap-on (whoever they rebrand from these days)
They don't go to welding suppliers, seek advice or do research, they buy from parts suppliers.
They're also usually battered to hell, barely useable and 99% of mechanics couldn't do a decent weld to save their life.
Almost 20 years working in garages and i don't think i've worked with more than 2 or 3 people who could operate one sufficiently.
Yep spot on! I was one of them that swore at the welder and made the best I could with it. I know I can do decent welding, because I have, but as my old boss said, time is money so you make do with the equipment supplied, no matter if it takes you longer to get it presentable (he had bought a Lincoln cheap that was way too much for bodywork and blew through unless you kept spotting with it)
When it’s your own business and to your own standards (and your own money) it hits different.
A forum like this is invaluable to get the right advice before splashing some hard earned cash
I must say some mechanics are great welders if they are given a half decent machine and cleanish steel to work with, and not a pile of rust to make good with the customer not wanting to pay to cut all the rust out, although I agree some would probably make a stronger patch with rivets than their welding!
one of the farms I work at had a 180 , and it was not loved or cherished ,,, it got the usual wet barn treatment , condensation in the winter and dust in the summer , blown out when I did it and thats it ,,,, never missed a beat and always welded well ,,, they sold it to another place I work and its still going strong , they replaced the 180 with a 300 ,,, that says it all . The new home was as a replacement for a sealey 180 , it wasnt that it broke it just went to a different garage as one of the staff bought it ,,, i prefer the Oxford to the Sealey , but Sealey were great with breakdowns , in the years I used it it needed two boards , they were a hundred quid , in stock and posted out for the next day ,,, I would certainly buy either before sip , but they dont compare to high end inverter machines for features and portability ,,, but neither does the price ,,, dont forget gas and gloves , a mask and jacket will all eat your budget too.
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Same experience here...had a few issues but easily sorted.
I also have a Paton 250a...I only use it for stick but the build quality is very good. Only thing I don't like is push button adjustment...I prefer to have Kemppi style twist knobs.
I have one badged as a Rohr ,,, I dont use it often , but it works well , nd its light and portable ,,, not sure how it will stick long term abuse but I look after things anyways ,,, at 200 quid you can get three of them for the price of an Oxford ,,, for garage use Id probably still go Oxford though .
Moose McAlpine
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Everywhere i've worked has had huge 180A machines that are just beaten to hell. Earth clamps broken with no spring tension and covered in wire zaps, goosenecks loose, shrouds and tips falling off, torches taped together, broken regulators, etc.
I either refused to do welding or brought my own machine. In some cases like replacing custom exhausts on disabled-converted vans i just took the whole vehicle home.
What issues have you had? I don't think i've had any problems with mine at all. I did cut the earth lead off and fit a Dinse socket so i can swap earth clamps but otherwise it's needed nothing.
A friend has a Paton and really rates it. I'm lazy and wanted the synergic. When i buy a 415v welder it'll be a Kemppi too.
That’s great thanks, I have gloves, mask etc already and gas is no problem as I get it through my trade suppliers on my business account.
I fear an inverter welder with all the features may be more complicated than I need, having never used one. And realistically what benefit would I get over a traditional transformer for my needs?
they do weld smoother ,,, but unless I had to carry it about , Id go with big and heavy , just buy a 4meter torch its an ideal set up . , as for tig , I have never actually welded on a car with a tig welder ,,,, [ I own five of them , I just dont use them on cars]
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Couple of things...one of the two front adjuster knobs broke but it was a £5 fix...also the motor went but again cheap fix as it's a generic motor.
....I've had this machine for 12+ years so it's still doing well...I'd have another one as the synergetic is amazing on it I think.
Bought this from an ebay seller https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200-Amp-MIG-IGBT-Welder-Gas-Gasless-Best-Seller-on-eBay-240v-Blackline-Tools/332425324277?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Turned up within two days so they must hold decent UK stocks and it was very well packed, plywood top and base with very thick cardboard, also had more polystyrene for protection inside.
The instructions are written in finest Chinglish.
Normal rubbish thrown in the box that will get binned.
The leads, earth clamp, rod holder and mig...
Turned up within two days so they must hold decent UK stocks and it was very well packed, plywood top and base with very thick cardboard, also had more polystyrene for protection inside.
The instructions are written in finest Chinglish.
Normal rubbish thrown in the box that will get binned.
The leads, earth clamp, rod holder and mig...
I have the MigMaker 180-1. Bought because I felt reliability / longevity had more chance of being stronger than an inverter unit. I'll never run enough wire through it to wear it out.
It's biggest problem is its user.
(I did think it wasn't working that well, but a bit of time cleaning the torch & a fresh tip the other day & no problems with the welder.... but the squishy organic thing on the trigger really could use some improvement).
once your spending that money ,,, just a little bit more gets you a lot more ,,, sort of like Jasic I think ,,, give them a year or two and things may look very different
Jelly_Sheffield
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I have been very impressed with my Migatronic 161i, and their after sales service, including very cheap spares and labour rates...
Given the breakdown (and the fact that specific board failure is apparently somewhat common after 3-4 years in service), I would hesitate to recommend them, but it would definitely lead me to suggesting a modern inverter welder with synergic mode...
As much as I liked my ESAB Smashweld transformer unit, the inverter is a substantially more capable welder which is about ¼ the weight.
Given the breakdown (and the fact that specific board failure is apparently somewhat common after 3-4 years in service), I would hesitate to recommend them, but it would definitely lead me to suggesting a modern inverter welder with synergic mode...
As much as I liked my ESAB Smashweld transformer unit, the inverter is a substantially more capable welder which is about ¼ the weight.
how often did the esab break down ??
Moose McAlpine
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I don't think they're very common here. I've used one of their 400A AC/DC TIG machines, which we ran non-stop for a couple days welding up ally tipper bodies.
I have to say it was an excellent machine, great build quality, performance, etc. Expensive, unsurprisingly.
In that kind of price range i think i'd still prefer a Kemppi, Lorch or EWM, but i couldn't really say why. Maybe brand recognition.
(I own a Kemppi and an EWM, have not owned or used a Lorch.)
The GYS battery chargers/maintainers are the industry standard in most dealerships, but their other products don't seem very common here.
Moose McAlpine
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Oh right, i'm still surprised the motor died. I agree about the synergic function, it's so good that i've never even used it in manual mode.
The machine having been so good in every way is why i think it'll be another Kemppi when i buy a 3-phase machine.
