need some advice please guys :)

[weldrightbiker]

Hi guys im after gettin my first mig welder. have thought of second hand but would prefer new, I've had experience in mig welding a lily already
seen this one on yep u guessed it, ebay, states non live torch and 12 month warranty here's what it states in the auction

Introducing the new Wolf Combination Gas/No Gas MIG Welder
With many new attributes, this welder offers bothgas and no gasMIG welding.
To get you going a FREE*starter kit is also included.The welding current range can be set from 25 amps-135 amps.

Fully adjustable wire speed

A smooth DC output current provides you with extra
strong, clean welds.

Turbo fan cooled for extended duty cycles

Non-live torch

Large carrying handle with extended arm to easily caryy the welder or move the welder along on its wheels.

The comprehensive accessory kit includes:-

1 x 0.45Kg spool of flux cored MIG wire

1 x 0.45Kg spool of 0.6mm mild steel copper coated MIG wire

2 x 0.6mm tips

2 x 0.8mm tips

1 x spare 0.9mm MIG tip

1 x spare shroud

1 x 0.6mm / 0.8mm wire drive roller

1 x Gas cylinder of CO2 gas

1 x mini gas regulator

1 x combination chipping hammer/wire brush

1 x face shield with CE DIN 11 lens

Technical Specifications:-
Turbo fan cooled for extended duty cycles - 25 amps-135 amps

6 selectable power settings

Smooth DC output current

Non live torch

Fully portable

Operates from a 230V single phase supply
Weight 29kg

i know the mask is useless but what are your thoughts on specs?
Would be using it mainly for 1mm stainless exhaust tubing and some thicker plate work for tabs on a motorbike frame. the price was £160 delivered which is pretty much my budget

thanks for any help guys! Its much appreciated

 

[Wozzaaah]

Welcome to the forum.
Not meaning this in a rude way but can I suggest you do a forum search for Wolf? You'll find some interesting reading as they're not regarded as one of the better budget brands.

 

[weldrightbiker]

Hi thanks for the reply. read a few threads about them but they kept saying they had live torches and this one states it a non live torch? So dint know if it was different/better?
Wouldn't be used that often mainly making up an exhaust for a couple of bikes I've got
Dan

 

[Wozzaaah]

The general consensus is to avoid them.
I don't think you'll buy a welder with a live torch these days so don't worry about that too much.
£160 all-in is a very tight budget, you'll struggle to get anything decent for that unfortunately. I'm not saying that Wolf won't do what you want but spares availability might be a bit hit and miss as Wolf seem to keep going bust and keep starting up again.

 

[weldrightbiker]

Right ok. Wats likely to go wrong on a mig welder? was looking at Clarke for the similar specs but there at least £230 and the minimum amps are usually about 35 i don't really wanna blow holes through the exhaust tubing or will that b harder to do with stainless?
Dunno wat route to take to take to just get me started
Dan

 

[mike os]

the best of the "cheap" welders seem to be the Clarke units

problems with most others seems to be:-

unstable arc
poor to very poor to abysmal wire feed... which is probably the most important part of a mig welder
basic reliability issues, welds perfectly, then does not... even though all you have done is stop & restart etc....

as an ex owner of a POS (new SIP... went in a skip, i would not even sell it to some mug on ebay) welder I can honestly say... save your pennies & get a better unit....

You will appreciate it immediately, rather than getting pi33ed off with a piece of crap & giving up.

For stainless you would be better off with a TIG set, but these cost more & are harder to learn

 

[keith19]

Hi, Maybe you haven't been looking at many Clarke welders. Most of the 'classic' Clarke welders go down to 30 amps, which most folks do okay with after some practice. Only the new Clarke range have a low limit of 35 or 40 amps. These are really not worth bothering with.

If you go on the MachineMart web site there is a big collection of Clarkes to wander through, and check the specs of.

TIG is best for stainless, as already noted, but MIG can be used okay, it just looks less cosmetic. This may or may not be important to you; it is something you may have to evaluate.

If you figure you'll mostly be doing thin metal, around 1.2 mm and below, a Clarke 90 would suit you fine. It goes down to around 24-25 amps, making it a little easier on thin stuff. But if you'll be making tabs and brackets you'll need something heavier duty at the top end, so look for a 135 amps machine, which welds up to 3 mm, maybe 4mm with preparation, or something in the 150/160 series, which welds 4mm, maybe 5-6mm with prep. Just make sure the one you get goes down to 30 amps.

You can occasionally buy any of the above secondhand, either locally or on the 'bay, or even on here. But if it's on the bay you are taking a bit of a chance unless you or a mate can test it first.

I looked for a s/h one for months, with about £150 budget, but nothing turned up that looked okay. So I kept adding a few quid to my budget every month, until I had enough for a new Clarke 151 at about £225 at that time, delivered. This has been a great little machine.

 

[weldrightbiker]

Thanks for the input guys.
Cosmetics arnt a major issue as i can grind it and polish it, plus not tried tig'ing yet so will leave that for now

just found this one on ebay for £218 delivered CLARKE PRO GAS/GASLES 150 AMP MIG WELDER MIG151EN
i get the feeling you guys are gonna say go for this one all day long.......
min amps of 30 and max of 150 with a years warranty

wat do you reckon? Again a big thanks for the help!

 

[Wozzaaah]

You'll need to factor in the cost of a gas conversion kit as it doesn't come with one.

 

[weldrightbiker]

Wat does a conversion kit consist of i have a small bottle of gas left over and i know about the regulator to go on top but wat else is needed and wat do you reckon on a price?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Click on my blue link above ^, that shows you the entire kit.

 

[keith19]

If the price is for new, delivered, it looks very good.
But as Woz points out, there's the separate gas conversion kit to factor in, at about £40, and then you need an auto-darkening welding mask, about £30 - £40 on the bay, and some safety kit like leather gloves and leather apron, or some old leather gear if you've any lying about. Then there's your stainless wire, because the 151EN will come set up for mild steel flux-cored welding. So you can reckon to add almost a ton to your machine price.

But it should be a good machine, with a nice range of settings. On settings, do a search on here for something like '151EN settings', because the Clarke manual has a reputation for inaccuracy, and some of the settings in there are way out. Someone on here did a check throughout the range, and posted a correct list of settings. You'll find it. It's far more accurate than the Clarke one, I've found.
Here's the link:http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4971&page=2

 

[Robotstar5]

keep an eye on Aldi/Lidl special offers, they do the gloves/aprons, just don't buy one of the welders!