which MIG welder?

[jimmy shoes]

hi guys,

i have finally decided to get a MIG welder and would like some advise from you lot, i want this welder to be able to weld a wide range of thickness's e.g car body work to maybe 3-4mm and would like it to run from a 13A fuse (house supply).

any ideas

p.s i have heard of good things from clarke

thanks

 

[Wozzaaah]

What's your budget Jimmy?

 

[jimmy shoes]

as im still in college at the moment i'd say no more than £150-200

 

[Wozzaaah]

That really won't get you much if you buy new I'm afraid . Even a Clarke 135te is about £25 above your budget without extras and tbh, will only just about cope with 3mm, let alone the claimed 5mm. If you only occasionally need to weld 4mm and it isn't structural then you'd probably get away with the 135 but if you work with 4mm a lot then you really need a machine that can comfortably handle 8mm.
Don't forget to add in the cost of a helmet, spare tips, shrouds etc. it soon adds up .

 

[jimmy shoes]

would ebay be a good place to search?

how far should i lower my requirements?

this will be used for hobby projects mostly

 

[Hitch]

Have you looked in the for sale section here?

How soon do you want it? Might be worth eyeing up local papers for a bit...

 

[jimmy shoes]

is this any good?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-SEALEY-PR...3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:4|65:3|39:1|240:1318

i should be able to get a mask etc from my brother

 

[fingers99]

Minimum amperage is really too high for car body stuff.

 

[Wozzaaah]

This one would be ok if the price stays low and you don't need to weld heavier stuff. Worth putting it into your watched list and seeing what happens.
Here's another 135

 

[jimmy shoes]

just two questions about that second link,

1) can it really weld up to 8mm thick steel?
2) how come theres only two options with regards to selecting how many amps you want, i'm a little confused with those buttons

 

[Wozzaaah]

8mm? Not on your life!!
More like 4 at a push with the correct prep.
The two switches give 4 voltage settings, 1 min, 1 max, 2 min, 2 max.

 

[shenion]

It can do 4mm, barely. 8mm no way.

There are 4 power settings via the two switches:

1-min
1-max
2-min
2-max

 

[zardoz]

If i were you i would give Weldequip a pm and see if he can get you an entry level Clarke hobby MIG. He might just be able to do you one at little more that price. The Clarke range is better quality than the cheap second hand SIPs that you see on ebay. Also of course bieng new you get a gurantee. Or maybe Weldy will do you a second hand one from his shop ?

whatever you do, make sure you contact hiim first, he has done many people on this forum good deals on Clarke machines. Just tell him what you can spend and see if he can help you.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Only thing is though, he would like to have the capability for 3-4mm, an entry level one like a 100e just wouldn't be up to it.
Even though the specs say it will do 4-5mm we all know in the real world it would be nigh on impossible to get a sound weld without some serious prep.
There's been some cracking machines offered for sale recently due to people getting their shiny new ones, well worth biding your time and seeing what comes up.

 

[zardoz]

Indeed Wozzah you are of course correct. However as you also say with preparation it can be done. IF you can get access to the metal to be welded to put a beval on it first, then do a root run and a cap run, im sure it could easily be done with a 100e. Although for bodywork the entry level clarke would be fine, due to its ability to go as low as 20 amps or so. Also as Woz says, if you can bide your time and keep the lookout on ebay or on here for a good quality secondhand Clarke 160 or a 151 or similar.

or.......

Contact Weldy and see how much can do a new 151 for. If that means waiting till after xmas till you have saved up a bit more, then id do that if I were you.

 

[jimmy shoes]

ok thanks guys, just out of curiosity is the clarke 135te the most powerful mig welder which can run from a 13A socket as it says it here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MIG-WELDER-CL...:1432|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318#paymentmethods

 

[Wozzaaah]

Pretty much any single phase mig can be run off a 13A supply if you can get the conductors into the plug terminals, it's a matter of how high you can run it on 13A which is the issue.
A 135te (130A) will run flat out with no problems whatsoever, a 150A mig might pop the 13A fuse if run on full power for extended periods. I have run my Butters 211 (220A) on a 13A plug and occasionally have had to replace the fuse but still managed ok with it.
Don't forget, the plug fuse is always the weakest link so you won't damage your machine or supply by using one.
My 360A Portamig is fitted with a 63A 3 pin blue plug, like the 16A caravan type but huge!

 

[Archie]

My 360A Portamig is fitted with a 63A 3 pin blue plug, like the 16A caravan type but huge!

Mine's on a 32A red one. I nearly bought the 64A 'just because'!!!

 

[madkayaker]

I one fitted a 120A 3ph on a generator to power two submersible pumps 24inch inlets!