Which type of welder is the most reliable?

[johnyev]

Edit apologies
“Mig welder”

I suppose by definition, if something is working fine then you are less likely to shout about it on a forum than if it’s not.
However it still begs the question, which 230V machine company makes the most dependable bits of kit?
Perhaps we could split into

Sub£300
Around £500
Around £1000

Thanks
J

 

[brightspark]

a pickhill oilcooled

 

[oilcooled :)]

Oil cooled pickhill oxford Olympic Cytrigan.

inverter fronius Lorch Lincoln thermal arc Kemppi stel

Cea oxford ine be some of the better migs

 

[mike os]

Miller... mine is 20 years old, occasional use and fires up perfectly every time

Most of the big names will git the same bill I guess

 

[minimutly]

A dry one..

 

[Barking Mat]

I think he said mig....

 

[Barking Mat]

Something transformer based, not inverter.....

 

[Spark plug]

If your talking specifically about reliability then because they are much simpler and contain less components a transformer based machine would be preferable to an inverter machine.

 

[minimutly]

I think he said mig....

I meant dry as in not damp, but take your point.

 

[stuvy]

Hobby use or day to day

what capacity

 

[minimutly]

If your talking specifically about reliability then because they are much simpler and contain less components a transformer based machine would be preferable to an inverter machine.

Agree, though I've heard a Lorch for example welds beautifully, I 'm not sure the extra electronics are worth the risk once you're out of warranty. My 150A murex had had nemerous new rectifiers, but has allways been repairable.

 

[Spark plug]

I’ve never had the opportunity to use an inverter mig but I’m sure they will be much more refined.

 

[Barking Mat]

I’ve never had the opportunity to use an inverter mig but I’m sure they will be much more refined.

Not that much difference in my opinion.

Sorry I'm referring to Arc welders.

 

[johnyev]

Hobby use or day to day

what capacity

200 amp
Hobby use

 

[stuvy]

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/suggestions-for-welders-running-off-13amp-plug.68908/

 

[zzr1200]

Old but has served me well over many years...I just needed an upgrade ampage wise or it would be staying here...

Link:-

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/easb-compact-160-mig.106959/

 

[johnyev]

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/suggestions-for-welders-running-off-13amp-plug.68908/

Thanks for that,
I’m in the lucky position of having a 32 amp socket.

 

[johnyev]

Old but has served me well over many years...I just needed an upgrade ampage wise or it would be staying here...

Link:-

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/easb-compact-160-mig.106959/

Hi thanks for the link,
160 amp is possible enough for me but I sometimes do some welding for brother in law for the farm. Could perhaps setup with mig and finish with stick I know, but I was thinking more around the 200 amp mark.

 

[Adam Marshall]

I have an inverter machine (migatronic flex 400) which has been a total pig to me the past 2 months but worked fine for 4 years of near daily use. I currently have a jasic 350 on hire and I love it. I know they are Chinese and all that but it does weld really nice for what i need it for. I have also bought a kemppi ra450 which is an old transformer machine but this welds nice like an inverter machine and it is bullet proof, just need a forklift to move the thing. Jasic do a 200 amp portable mig which I hired to use at home for a project over lockdown and that is a decent machine also. About £1000 if you don't get the synergic version.

 

[Rrobson]

What about an Oxford / tec arc? Various outputs and prices, transformer machine, supposed to be pretty reliable and still made in the Uk