shenion
Tool Pack Rat
- Messages
- 7,586
- Location
- Stone Mountain, GA USA
Im guess here by the way you talk that your from the US, if thats the case speak to shenion (here on the boards), he is another one of your country men, and seems to know whats good and bad. If your from the UK then take a look at the clarkes range of machines, reasonable prices, easy spare parts etc
Clarke machines are available in the US. I have a 130EN and it has performed almost flawlessly. I recently was in Fla and let my dad and brother try the Clarke; they have never welded before. I gave them a 10-second description of how to do MIG. They both laid perfect beads their first try. Changed wire speed so they could hear/see it being wrong. They would have been able to go from there. The machine performs consistently.
Read through the beginner forum and you see users posting pictures of "chicken poop" welds. Part is inexperience, but most often it is these cheap welders that are completely useless.
If yours feeds at 12 inches/sec as you say (62/feet min) then there is something seriously wrong. Probably a shorted feed transistor. But it is a no-name machine from someone who does not service/support them. So you are lost as how to get it fixed.
What scares me is I am starting to see new SIP machines appear on ebay in the US.
Paul, where are you in GA? I'm in Stone Mountain.