Which manufacturer

[floggy]

This is a bit of a minefield
Nearly parted company with a chunk of cash with a local dealer on a machine, after looking on fleabay was the same as one made in china , which another dealer confirmed.

Our requirements are :-

• Single phase.
• Only welding steel.
• Using Hobby gas light
• Common /universal parts availability (ie eurotorch rather than tied to buying from manufacturer at high price)
• budget up to £1,300
• Primarily less than 3mm thick (ocassionaly 5mm thick).
• Never more than 1 hours of welding in a day but probably welding for 30mins of that hour.

In our area the dealers all sell machines from differing manufactures and, all say they have a brilliant machine to supply. among these are :
Britarc
Esab
EWM
Kempi
Migatronic
Miller
Oerlikon
Redline

Currently I use a cebora pocketmig 130 which is at least 20 years old. I hope the next machine lasts as well

My question is, for my requirements, how would you rank those macnufacturers listed above based on :

reliability
ease of use
weld quality

Thanks

 

[zzr1200]

If you would be interested in a british hand built machine to order, with a highly recommemnded parts and service back up, machine warranty for 2 years (Transformer warranty for 5 years) and all at half the cost (700-00 quid approx)...??????????

If so look at the top of this page for Weldequip> Mig Welders>Portamig>View Details.

Then order one...

Problem>>>>>Sorted.......

 

[floggy]

a few comments on here have put me off these.
Any other thoughts anyone ?

 

[GrahamGKD]

Funny, I thought most of the comments on here on the Portamig were favourable - I obviously haven't been paying attention! I think you will find that BritArc are the same people as Technical Arc who make the Portamig.

(BTW - I have had no trouble with my Portamig which is well over 3 years old now).

 

[PTvor]

Look at the SWP catalogue.

http://www.specialisedwelding.co.uk/catalogue/01-CAPP.html

Redline is the amateur/light use range. There's a semi-professional range and a professional range. The capabilities seem to overlap, but you can bet the Professional models will put up with more sustained use and abuse than what looks like a better specified Red Line model.

Above a certain price, maybe £250, you're paying for something which is increasingly better made than the bare minimum. Above another certain price, maybe £600, I think you're paying for suitablility for industrial use and appropriate support, and that's what you get with EWM etc.

 

[zzr1200]

a few comments on here have put me off these.

Would you care to elaborate on your statement, please...

 

[matt1978]

Have you considered a Lorch M-Pro 252? German made, 3 yr warranty, semi synergic automatic choke, 5 yrs on the Copper Transformer.

The EWM and Kempii will also be good units. Atleast 1 Class above the other names you mentioned.

 

[Exuptoy]

Just got a portamig Today and very impressed. Only heard good comments on these and nothing if anything negative.

 

[cumbriasteve]

If you would be interested in a british hand built machine to order, with a highly recommemnded parts and service back up, machine warranty for 2 years (Transformer warranty for 5 years) and all at half the cost (700-00 quid approx)...??????????

If so look at the top of this page for Weldequip> Mig Welders>Portamig>View Details.

Then order one...

Problem>>>>>Sorted.......

Agree

 

[MR-HIPPO]

Have a look at at this thread about the Oxford Migmakers. I posted some very good info on page 3.
They are built in the same factory as the Portamigs with the same warranty. both machine share several common parts.

The Britarc machine that you listed in your origional post are also built in the same place as the Oxfords and Portamigs, Technical Arc Ltd in York make all three machines.

 

[Marc.]

Have you considered a Lorch M-Pro 252? German made, 3 yr warranty, semi synergic automatic choke, 5 yrs on the Copper Transformer.

The EWM and Kempii will also be good units. Atleast 1 Class above the other names you mentioned.

Oh dont mention your migs, otherwise i will have to save up for one to go with my tig now! LOL.

 

[steve.h]

I am surprised you have found any comment that is not good about Portamig. I bought the 215 and it had been a brilliant machine, why pay twice the price for no better a machine, the Portamig is a tough old machine, will take a lot of abuse which is impotant if it is in a commercial set up with several users as nobody usually cares for the machine they just abuse them as "I didnt pay for it".
I would but a tig Portamig if I had the money too, they are top quality machines.

 

[floggy]

FYI, a few comments in the following thread was what put me off.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=30480&page=4

 

[madkayaker]

That wouldn't put me off the supplier got the bits sent out and machine now works! I would be happy getting parts sent with instruction instead of getting machine collected then re delivered etc

 

[steve.h]

Yeah I read that post on the forum before I bought min, but Have you looked through the posts for all the other makes of welder, there are a few comments on the Portamig but it is a tiny amount compared to a lot of the other manufacturers. If you put it into context with all the posative comments it really is a tiny percentage. All makes sometimes have a few problems, the sign of a good manufacturer is their helpfulness in putting th eproblem right asap, like a few of the posts say they sent replacement parts, which is a LOT quicker han returning the machine and waiting for it to be delivered back to you.
I can only go on my own experience, I have had no faults what so ever with my Portamig, it works without fault whenever I want, I run it on full power quite a lot and have never had duty cycle problems, Steve at Weledequip has been a great help whenever I have wanted any info. So it is a thumbs up from me.
As I said have a scan through the posts about other makes and see how many problems a lot of the "big" makers have. Portamig is Weldequips own brand name, it is the same as oxford and many other makes all built by the same british company, they are all well respected machines of a good quality. I wouldnt think twice about buying another Portamig in the future.
It is a mine field, it is sometimes hard to know which one to pick, I dont think you would regret buying one though, and they are half your budget so thats a bonus too.....

 

[Exuptoy]

As SteveH says, they are really a superb machine. I got mine unpacked, set it at course voltage 2 and fine voltage 1 so basically setting 7 out of 12 with 0.6 wire as that was all i had, set the wire speed at 4-5 and did a weaving run straight away on 1.5-2 mm with no blow though.

Only started blowing holes when I dropped down to 1mm steel and had the voltage on 6 and couldn't carry the pool for as long as I wanted. Basically down to MY ineptitude rather than the welder. This thing will go down to 15amps so should weld 0.5mm with someone who can weld

 

[brewdexta]

I read the comments about portamig and initiatially it put me off, but when I realised that people rarely mention when something turns up ok, only when its not and that other welders seemed to have much worse quality problems I bought a 185.

Turned up fine with all the necesary bits and pieces, only problem is the monkey operating it Having said that, although my welding may not win any beauty parades, I've done a fair amount now and have a couple of projects under my belt and its coming on. Mainly due to this forum and a decent welder I suspect.