SIP Turbo Mig 105 - Mod or replace?

[julianf]

So, i have a migmate turbo 105, with the usual issues.


Im wondering if i should spend money on it, or on a different welder entirely.


It needs the power supply mod (say £30) for starters. Ive put a steel liner in it, but the swan neck liner is dubious, etc. so i was looking at euro conversions (say £80) Another liner would be cheaper, but then the gas valve will go, and so on...

Then for under a ton, you can get items like this -

or this -

used, off ebay.


So, is it worth spending cash on the SIP? I know the welders above are branded, but would i then just need to spend cash on them too?

What do you think?

 

[cumbriasteve]

You have to spend money on any 2nd hand machine that does not work correctly, the trick is to fully test before handing over the £££'s and not buy from a distance, taking the sellers word that the machine is good.

I would not be keen on spending money on the migmate personally.

Plenty of good alternatives out there if you are patient.

 

[Rig Pig]

I have a Snapon 130A mig, it's a good machine that has served me well for the last 20 years, it is a far better machine than a SIP, but as Cumbriasteve says it's worth seeing it run as it will be a pain to have to fork out on parts for an eBay con job.
I keep thinking about upgrading to a big old Butters or similar 3ph machine but they are always miles away or too expensive for a hobby toy.

 

[skotl]

You've put a steel liner on it already, so the PSU update will cost £30 and you might need a new swan neck (I got mine from Weldequip).

You definitely don't need a euro convert, so that's £80 you don't need to spend. So I think you should be able to make it miles better for less than £50.

The competition for your money is whatever is on ebay and I'm not convinced that you'll get these machines for the money that you mention. They may be thereabouts on auction, but kit like this makes all its money in the last 15 minutes of bidding. So I wouldn't be surprised if these went for £150 with "collection only from the Utter Hebrides".

My view, from personal experience, is to get stuck in. The SIP welders are not 100% crap, but they're let down by cost-cutting here and there. With some attention and *some* money, you can turn them into decent welders. I have a compressor and I have no idea how it works - if it breaks, I'll probably throw it away and buy a new one. I also have a SIP MIG and I know how all of its component parts work because I have spent time and money on repairing / replacing / improving them.
I know that sounds like a negative, but I definitely view it as a positive; I'd prefer to spend ~£50 and learn how my machine works.

tl;dr ("too long / don't read") = spend £50 and improve what you have.

 

[Sean]

Wouldnt waste time on a ero torch. £20 odd quid to do a transformer and you have a great little welder for thin stuff. My 105 is the go to welder for body work it goes down to 15a the Cebora in the over priced Snapon paint is 30a min and the torch didnt like the stop start welding for patching up body work, its a decent welder though.

 

[julianf]

The photos of the welders i posted were from ebay's completed listings, not live auctions - so they sold at the price i mentioned.

Ive spotted small quality switch mode on ebay, for pocket change, so im tempted to go with that, and a PWM controller - possibly under a tenner for the pair. If i use a relay on the output, rather than the input, i dont see why the swichmode should die too quickly.




But...

I guess what i was really asking (and should have been clearer) - will the SIP always be a duff machine, even when modded? Ive read extensive threads here on mods, and then, at the end of it all, people still buy another welder!

 

[skotl]

Mine (topmig 150A) is a good machine, now that it's been "tuned".

 

[Sean]

they are still the budget end of the DIY market - most folk seem to go up to top end Hobby / light industrial if you think youll need to go up to that then save up and get one dont blow the budget on cheap diy

However if you have a 105 sip at the moment spend a few quid on it and youll be ok up to about 3mm as you save up for the big welder. As i said mines been "tuned" and when on Argoshield its the "go to" for thin car work

 

[Jan]

As said: The distance selling point of eBay can bring a lot of problems with misdescribed items failing to live up to the claims of the seller. When I bought my SIP 130 off a contributor to this forum I went up to his home - about 40 miles away - and we had a good play with it so that I would be happy with it from the off. The wire feed mod had already been done so all I needed to do to turn it into a damn good machine was to clean up all the internal electrical connections and replace the liner with a steel one. At some time I'll also change the swan neck liner as it's getting a bit loose such that it can start to push through when I change wire gauges.

One of these days I'll finish erecting my workshop and it can be taken out of the kitchen to start on some serious welding projects!