oxford mig

[lynden]

hi all new to this
looking at the oxford 240-1 or the 270
going of the
Duty cycle -35% @ 180 amps
dose this if i want 200 pluss amps it will soon over heat

and the 270 only goes down to 30 amp can you weld 0.6 on thin car metal at this
bit of back ground ive got arc welder little invert a what i love but then used my mates miller mig wow like using a glue gun
its for farm maintenance and other stuff from bit of 0.8 to 10mm any bigger can use stick
whats your thoughts or is there better out there for the money

 

[cumbriasteve]

Will it overheat depends on the time you are actually welding as you probably realise, quite often people weld a lot less than they think they will, more time is spent on setting up, changing positions and cleaning the area etc.

Of course if you are going to do metres of weld then the duty cycle becomes an important consideration and you may need a machine with a top end power you never actually use, just to get the duty cycle higher at it's middle range.

Re the thin metal: 30 amps is about the norm, a few machines go lower but even then to actually weld thin car panels is not really going to happen, you end up doing long tacks if you are lucky and joining them up.

 

[norlander]

+1 on what cumbriasteve says specially on the duty cycle issue, its not usually a problem for most users.

The leader of the pack for low amps is the Portamig-I have no experience of them myself but they seem to get well thought of by the lads that have them.
You have to wait to get them as they are made to order I think.
http://www.weldequip.com/portamig-mig-welders.htm

 

[blenkie1]

Go for the 270. The 240 has semi syngenic controls and I am not too keen on it otherwise they are good machines. Made in the same place as the portamig. Mine does a lot of farm work. Its been dropped out of a tractor bucket and had about 4" of snow on top of it once when I left it in an open fronted shed and the wind changed! Its never been a problem other than the duty cycle. If I had to buy again it would be the 270 but then again I use mine a lot.

 

[lynden]

thanks for the reply;s
going for 270 as i will use it more over 200 and if like it as much as i think the sticks will stay in shed

 

[lynden]

are the oxford migs ok

 

[blenkie1]

I never had a problem other than the duty cycle, and semi sygenic control, mines a 240. I should of went for the 270. I would trade up to another oxford just bigger.

 

[Arcoftheearth]

are the oxford migs ok

theyre classy machines! massive machines though!