Suptec Mig Welder any good?

[aaarone1]

Hi Im new to posting here but I have been monitoring this website for a few months now. I am looking for a mig welder within a budget.

Bought a land rover that needs some chhasis repair and also some bodywork.
Ive seen this on a local website and am wondering if anybody knows anything about the make.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/carextras/3369020

The general consensus on here seems to be that I need 30amps to weld bodywork. Would there be any hope for this, as its only 2 months old and has a decent bit of kit going with it. The owners emmigrating so Im hoping to haggle a bit.

Cheers in advance for all comments!

 

[slimjim]

looks Chinese to me despite having Austria on the side it screams cheapness, actually it looks like a good doorstop, but not a very good welder

I would rather buy a Clarke 160, at least it starts at 30a and is a known quantity

it's not even that cheap

 

[penfold]

I agree; at that price I'd want a brand name at least. For the money you're better off with a Clarke or Sealey.

Edit; looking at it again, you're getting a bottle of gas with it so it would be a reasonable buy if the welder is capable of the work you're wanting to do. I wouldn't take account of the mask as it's a cheapy no-name; it's a bonus but not worth any extra on the amount paid.

The front panel seems to be identical to the Giant MIG 195, which isn't a great machine as the minimum setting is 60 amps.

 

[Wozzaaah]

£400 for a Chinese pile of poo.
Austria?? They're 'avin a giraffe!

 

[aaarone1]

Cheers for all the comments. Seems Ill be staying well clear then!

Would a Clarke 160EN be a better suitor to my needs. Is there any difference between a gasless/ gas mig welder set up on gas and a stand alone gas welder, e.g. ease of use, quality of weld etc.

Is there much involved in changing it to gas

 

[keith19]

If you're changing it to regular gas cylinders you'll need something like this:
http://www.weldequip.com/argonmix-conversion-kit.htm
That's BOC type.
Air products type is a bit different:
http://www.weldequip.com/argonmix-conversion-kit-se.htm
Make sure what type your gas supplier uses before you buy.

The 151EN or the 160EN would be quite suitable for Landy repair. Use without gas is handy if you have to work outdoors in the wind on occasion. But gas is easier on thin metal.

So far as the hobby Clarkes go, there shouldn't be any difference in power etc between the gas/no-gas ones and the gas only ones, if they are same specification.

 

[aaarone1]

Clarke 160en

Would the 160 be strong enough for some chassis welding in your opinion.

Thanks for all the help. Just wait until I start welding

 

[penfold]

The 160 has ample power for LR chassis, or indeed any welding you might do on an LR.

 

[aaarone1]

Clarke 160EN vs Sealey Supermig 185

Ive now narrowed it down to either the Clarke 160EN of a Sealey Supermig 185. The Sealey is 100euro more expensive and neither come with gas.

I could probably use the clarke gasless to weld the chassis, and then convert it when I start the bodywork.

However, if I were to take on a project in the future e.g. a trailer etc. would I have more top end power in the Sealey for this kind of work, or should the clarke pretty much cover it. The thickest material I could ever forsee would be 4mm, Id Say , but who knows!

Sorry about all the questions but Im hoping to buy one or the other this weekend (tomorrow evening). Cheers again for all your help!

 

[keith19]

Have you checked the specs for the 185?
Product Specification

Welding Current: 30 - 185A
Wire Capacity: 5.0kg
Duty Cycle: 100% @ 60A, 60% @ 80A, 20% 140A, 10% @ 160A
Cooling System: Forced Air
Gas Type: CO2, Argon, CO2/Argon Mix
Torch: Euro Non-Live
Power Input: 240V - 1ph
Absorbed Power: 5.2kW
Weight: 42kg
Total Shipping Weight: 42kg

Spec taken from Toolstop web site at:
http://www.toolstop.co.uk/sealey-su...-mig-welder-185amp-240v-with-euro-torch-p7753

The 185 might be more expensive than the Clarke, but it's not much more powerful, about 10 Amps for about 1 minute in ten, because it won't do 185, only 160 Amps.

The Clarke 160 is actually 150 Amps, and again probably for 1 minute in ten, or 10% duty cycle at 150 Amps.

So although the Sealey looks much bigger, anything that can only run for 10% of the time at its top whack is just another hobby welder.

So in reality the Sealey won't cope with much thicker metal than the Clarke; but both should manage 4mm, if used in fairly short runs. (You have to get used to this at the top end with hobby welders).

As the Sealey needs more mains input amperage than the Clarke, you won't be able to run it from a 13 Amp domestic circuit at the top of it's range, if those spec figures are correct. You will need at least a 16Amp supply.

As already mentioned, the 160EN should cope with anything found on a Landy, so I'd save the cash and buy that. Or, if you want something more professional for not much more than the Sealey, check out the Portamig 185:
http://www.weldequip.com/portamig-mig-welders.htm