Portamig 185 - recommended?

[John F]

Hey all

In time-honoured tradition, I've been trawling through the site looking for hints as to which welder I should buy.

I've been using a mate's Clarke 160 EN to fettle the scabby bodywork on my 1991 Maserati 222 SE, but he's just bought an ever worse Italian rotbox (Lancia Beta HPE) so there's little or no chance I'll ever get to use that welder again

So... the Portamig 185 seems to be a good choice for body panels due to its ultra-low ampage and apparently high build quality - is this correct? And is it worth 200+ quid more than a Clarke 160 TM?

In terms of use, I imagine it will see fairly intensive DIY use (for Land Rover chassis repairs as well as the Maserati's crusty panels) but won't be on the job all day, every day.

Thanks for any tips!

 

[shenion]

The Clarke's are good but they are built to a price. Weak, plastic wire feeder that can struggle at times. Low duty cycle on upper settings and not a lot of power settings.

The PortaMIG has a real heavy-duty wire feeder. Will last a long time an be strong enough to handle large reels, uneven wind and feed a long torch. The feed will almost always be smooth.

They also have a much higher duty cycle and top end.

The removable torch make liner changes simple. As it is a standard torch fitting, you have choices of different lengths and styles.

I have not seen any real complaints on the PortaMIGs or with Steve's support.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I think there is more than £200 worth of difference, significant build quality difference and a much more professional machine.

 

[bigbadbugga]

As someone who upgraded to the portamig 185 from a Clarke 105en I would say yes, the portamig is well worth the extra money and then some

It really is like getting out of a fiesta and into a bentley.

 

[John F]

OK, I'm convinced

Thanks for the comments guys. I've just ordered one from Steve at Weldequip.