Mk2 Escort Restoration, but which MIG?

[Interpol]

Hi guys, I'm new here and very confused!

I've been looking at MIG units for the last two months and things don't seem to be getting any clearer. I've almost stripped my car now and will shortly need to start cutting out the rot and welding in some new metal. All I'll ever need to do is sheet metal, 1.2mm mainly I think with the odd bit of slightly thicker stuff on the chassis.

At first glance, and because they are in the national newspapers in the Machine Mart ads, the Clarke 151TE seemed the way to go. That's when I started looking on the internet for more information and the confusion set in. I'm totally oveloaded!

The point I'm at now is I'm looking at a Sealey 170A Mightymig. I can get one of these for £350ish including delivery. This is about £50 more than the Clarke but it comes with a Eurotorch, plus it looks more industrial, less of a toy if you like. I know looks aren't important but since it looks more rugged are the internals better on the Sealey? Better wire feed etc...?

I'd really appreciate some advice on the way forward. Is anybody out there doing car body repair with either of the two machines listed above? Can anyone offer any advice on something different to what I've considered so far?

 

[keith19]

Hi Interpol,

I worked with a Sealey 150 mig way back in the eighties and nineties in auto work. It was at the bottom of their 'Pro' range. A pretty reasonable machine apart from occasional problems with the wire feed mechanism, which was mostly plastic and had to be replaced now and then, as the m/c used to get worked a bit. It wasn't a nice 'soft' weld right at the bottom end though, and as a result we had to use the on-off tack technique for most thin stuff.

Don't know if they are any better now; if you are only using it for a home restoration it won't get the bashing it would in a workshop, but check out wire feed and any other problems on the Sealey threads on here. Also check what it's like doing thin stuff, 1 mm panel work, etc.

As a machine I would rate it above its SIP equivalent, and a bit lower than the equivalent Clarke.

 

[Interpol]

Thanks very much for your input Keith, it's much appreciated.

I've always viewed the Clarkes as "hobby" machines and when viewed side by side the Sealey does look more serious. I realise this is meaningless and what is important is what's inside. Hours and hours of research have shown me that the Supermigs are the decent machines and as you point out, the Mightymigs are the low end units.

I've trawled this forum and can't find many bad words regarding the Clarke units. I'm now thinking that the Clarke 160 is the way to go, not much more than the 151 and as everyone says, buy the most powerful one you can afford.

Also, since this is such a cracking forum, and because Weldequip is only about 40 miles away, I'll hopefully be buying it from Steve.

 

[the snooper]

and as everyone says, buy the most powerful one you can afford..

thats not always the case if you intend to weld thin steel, if you get a great big whopping machine but the voltage doesnt go low enough for thin steel then its no good for your purpose

so big is not always best

 

[rikrobson]

I've undertaken My Capri Project with an old BOC 130 mig thai i got for £60. Done some mods to it, but it still owes me less than £150 and performs fine in the rusty ford dept. losts on the capri and several mondeo sills
Going by the current rate of "Pro" jobs the welder has paid for itself on the mondeos alone and they were less than the welder!!!!

Gotta love cheap motoring

 

[Interpol]

Thanks Snooper. You're right, I should have been more specific, the biggest I can afford with the 30A minimum so that I can do the thin stuff. Clarke 160 is still favourite but in the back of my mind I'm still hankering after something with a eurotorch connector....

Thanks Rik, 'tis encouraging to hear that full Ford restos can be done with a small machine.

 

[keith19]

Hi Interpol,

I can understand your hankering after a eurotorch. Easy to get spares and nice to have a longer/shorter one available that can be plugged in for immediate use. Even one with a liner for 0.6 mm and one for 0.8/0.9 mm.

Weldequipe's Portamig is a very nice solid machine, well spoken of on here, and comes with a eurotorch, of course. If you figure you might be doing welding well into the future, beyond your current restoration, a Portamig might be a good investment, if it's affordable.

Choosing a machine is a blend of what you can afford, what you can justify (To yourself and your partner), and what uses you expect to put it to.

I'd like a Portamig, but I don't have room for one, and can't really justify one just for hobby welding nowadays, and a Morris Minor van restoration planned for this coming year. Also I need something I can heave into the van and take with me for the occasional cash job, usually outdoors, so I find my Clarke 151EN a useful machine for this.

Another alternative, if you don't mind learning more about them, is looking out for a secondhand Pro welder with a eurotorch, like a BOC/Murex, Oxford Migmaker, etc. If you have 32A available you can run these heavier m/cs without problems. They are very nice machines to use when set up properly. Don't rush, think it out first if you can.

The quick alternative is to buy a decent small Clarke or similar now, teach yourself mig welding with it, complete your restoration, and then figure if you want to progress to a more advanced welder, as finances allow.
Happy hunting in the New Year!

 

[Interpol]

Thanks Keith - yeah, Portamig, if I had a bucketful of cash I'd go for that but funds really are limited. I'm stuck around the £300 mark.

I've just been confused further in my decision making. I had pretty much settled on the Clarke 151 as it was just under £300 but as I've stated previously, I'd really prefer a eurotorch, but since the Sealey Mightymig 170 was £50 more I'd written it off (that plus the fact that nobody recommended I buy one!). So, having kinda settled on the Clarke I thought I'd probably splash out a little more than the £300 and get the 160TM. That was until this evening...

I've just located a Sealey Mightymig 170, with eurotorch, delivered for £292. It seems like an aweful lot of welder for under £300.

I just need somebody out there who has one to post something positive (or negative) to make my mind up.

It will only be used at the low end, purely for the Escort resto, I have no desire to start making gates and what not. Any help in my decision making would be really appreciated!!

 

[keith19]

Hi Interpol,

This Sealey 170 you're looking at, is it the 'Gas/No Gas' model? With this spec:

MIG Welder Gas/No-Gas 170Amp Professional Specifications

* � Heavy-duty high output transformer and forced-air
* cooling to maximize duty cycle performance.
* � 170Amp Maximum Current.
* � Supplied with comfort grip non-live torch,
* 1.8mtr earth cable, 1mtr gas hose,
* 0.45kg flux cored wire and 1.0mm contact tip.
* � Set up in the No-Gas welding mode but can also
* easily be switched to gas by simple change of
* polarity and the purchase of a consumable kit.
* Model No. MIGHTYMIG170
* Welding 40 - 170Amps
* Wire Capacity 5kg
* Duty Cycles 100% @ 55A, 60% @ 70A 20% @ 120, 15% @ 140A
* Cooling Forced Air CO2, Argon CO2/Argon Mix
* System Gas Type Torch Euro Non-Live
* Power Input 230V - 1ph
* Weight 46kg

If so, you have to add-in the cost of a gas kit, as it comes set up in the gasless mode. (See above). This is fine for a bit of rough outdoor work, but is difficult to use on thin metal below about 2 mm, without much practice and experience, as it has more of a penetrating arc than gas.

Very important to notice that the lowest amperage on this machine is 40A, a bit high for bodywork where you could be trying to weld metal at 0.8 to 1.2 mm. Something with a low range of 20 - 30A would be much easier to use. Most welders on here will tell you 40A is too high for bodywork, especially if you're still learning. Our old Sealey went down to 30A, and we learned to live with that, but newbies blew plenty holes!

Keith.

 

[Interpol]

Hey Keith, thanks very much again! (told you I needed advice!!!) I really should research stuff more thoroughly - did look like a bargain though.

I guess it's going to be the Clarke 160 then.

 

[grandads_shed]

dont think u could go wrong with a clarke , i have one for 2 1/2 years and found it easy to use when learning

 

[Interpol]

Cheers Grandad, that's the sort of stuff I need, just a little bit of encouragement to nudge me one way or the other. £300 is a massive amount of money for me to spend and I want to make sure I don't mess it up. Clarke it is!

 

[Dr pepper]

If you see a boc 130 for 60 quid thats a good deal, transmig sets are very good.

 

[Stereophoney]

to the pro welders the clarkes seem a bit cheap but for people learning like me i think they are decent machines

 

[Interpol]

Thanks guys. How about a Cebora Boxer 175? A bit of an old model (second hand) but better or worse than the Clarke 160 if they're both available at a similar price?

 

[Stereophoney]

never used a cebora but a friend has one and says it's not a bad machine

 

[keith19]

Hi Interpol, you could contact these people for more details about the Cebora Boxer, re spares availability, etc; as I think they are Cebora agents.

WILKINSON STAR LTD
Shield Drive
Wardley Industrial Estate
WORSLEY, Manchester M28 2WD

Tel. 0161-793 8127
Fax 0161-727 8297

Don't forget you might be pushing your 13A ring circuit beyond its limit if using one of these at the top end. Cebora have a good reputation on most their machines, but I've heard they still get occasional problems with gas valves jamming, nothing serious. But remember it might be a well-used machine, so budget for at least a few consumable spares

 

[Interpol]

Thanks guys.