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Nov 16, 2020 21:30:29 GMT
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So ive had a trusty old Sealey 130XT Mightymig (using co2), which was secondhand about 15 years ago, been fine with no maintenance and infrequent use. But its started playing up mid way thru welding a new step, inner and outer sill on my sprinter campervan and rather than spend on the old welder I'm going looking to replace it. (It stopped working, after a cool down was fine again but then loses its power after welding for a while - ie would not even blow holes thru 1.2mm on max power) Most popular one seams to be this - clarke 135te or the 135en at £300 www.machinemart.co.uk/p/135te-turbo-mig-welder/but i cant see any real advantages over this clarke 151en - infact i think the option of using flux wire is a bonus. at £265 www.machinemart.co.uk/p/mig151en-turbo-no-gas-mig-welder/then theres this clarke 145 - min amps is 35 instead of 30 on the other ones will this be noticeable when doing bodywork bits? at £230 www.machinemart.co.uk/p/010110125/Also tempted with another sealey as this old one has been fine - never even changed the liner and stored in a not perfectly dry garage all its life. Can get a sealey Mightymig 150 for about £210 Which one would you guys get, happy to spend up to £300 - leaning towards a Clarke simply because machinemart is down the road and spares will be easier to get. Any opinions? cheers
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Nov 16, 2020 22:10:12 GMT
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I have a ancient clarke turbo 130 something or other. It was second hand 20 years ago. It's been kicked around unit's, very badly stored, hasn't even had any casework on it for years (just don't go near it when it's plugged in 😂).
I was going to replace it with an r tech but it just keeps going. It's been welding better than ever recently. Great steel welds, even played ball with some aluminium welding.
Not sure what I'm getting at other than this size of clarke welder has done all I wanted and has put up with savage abuse so I'd either get a clarke, or go more expensive and buy an r tech.
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sounds abit like my old sealey, until this last time using it.
Front runner now is the clarke 145 - £206 delivered straight from clarke. I cant see where the extra £90 goes for the 135 model.
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LowStandards
Club Retro Rides Member
Bigging Up The Sum Sum Man Since '99
Posts: 2,620
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I'm a fan of welders that go really low on the ampage, much better for bodywork repair.
It's not that often you'll be needing 15000000 amps of power to stick some bits of 10mm together. And even if you needed to, you could probably get to both sides.
My Murex drops down to 15A
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Nov 17, 2020 20:39:50 GMT
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just get one of thesethey weld much better than the older style welders, and come with a 4 meter torch, ive restored my mini with one of these, and its been fantastic. [and i just run it from a normal 13amp plug]
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Nov 17, 2020 21:18:54 GMT
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so the 145 is much cheaper as its made in china, where as the 130 and 151 are italian made - which see to be better regraded for reliability. I'm a fan of welders that go really low on the ampage, much better for bodywork repair. It's not that often you'll be needing 15000000 amps of power to stick some bits of 10mm together. And even if you needed to, you could probably get to both sides. My Murex drops down to 15A cant justify the budget needed for such a machine i simply wont use it enough. just get one of thesethey weld much better than the older style welders, and come with a 4 meter torch, ive restored my mini with one of these, and its been fantastic. [and i just run it from a normal 13amp plug] looks good, but how long is it going to last? I want something i can leave for a year then plug it in and go.
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Nov 17, 2020 21:40:24 GMT
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ive had mine for maybe 2-3 years so far. it is not industrial grade, but it is defo more than ample for the home gamer, it is more substantial than any of the ones linked above for sure.
BTW, my job is partly welding and i have a cert 165 in welding in fabrication, i know that dosnt really mean much but, for the price, you wont be disopointed. just you also need a pub c02 bottle set up, or what ever gas you want to use. I use c02, it works fine for me
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LowStandards
Club Retro Rides Member
Bigging Up The Sum Sum Man Since '99
Posts: 2,620
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cant justify the budget needed for such a machine i simply wont use it enough. I paid £120 for mine
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thomfr
Part of things
Trying to assemble the Duett again..
Posts: 639
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I use a Cebora (made in Italy) Evo 160 which has a low power setting for welding thin steel (especially handy while working on youngtimers with their paperweight steel), Like it a lot but it is a bit more expensive (around 500,- pound). Please do not forget to check at whatever you buy if it fits a bit bigger bundle of welding thread (correct English??), the little things make you poor very fast if you have to do so welding to a project. Thom
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73' Alfa Giulia Super 64' Volvo Duett 65' Volvo Duett 67' Volvo Amazon 123GT 09' Ford Focus 1.8 06' Citroen C4 Exclusive
71' Benelli Motorella 65' Cyrus Speciaal
The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys
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Nov 18, 2020 13:15:19 GMT
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I use a Cebora (made in Italy) Evo 160 which has a low power setting for welding thin steel (especially handy while working on youngtimers with their paperweight steel), Like it a lot but it is a bit more expensive (around 500,- pound). Please do not forget to check at whatever you buy if it fits a bit bigger bundle of welding thread (correct English??), the little things make you poor very fast if you have to do so welding to a project. Thom My last welder was a Snap On 130 which was made by Cebora. Vary capable little thing but when I buy another I think I’m going for a R-Tech unit as I’ve heard nothing but good things about them.
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Nov 24, 2020 22:52:43 GMT
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I've used a couple of R-tech MIG's and apart from the bloody irritating noise they make, they really can't be faulted.
I've just spunked on a new R-tech tig welded based on the experience of the others I've used so that goes some way towards saying how much I like them.
Now is a great time to be buying a new welder, IBGT technology is cheaper then it's ever been and they're super smooth.
I'd buy the best up-to-200A machine you can find. I'd recommend R tech.
Whatever you end up with, make sure it's got euro torches. I wouldn't worry about having flux core, it welds like curse word and only really useful if you're doing really high power twin shielded welding or doing it somewhere windy but when it that ever really a consideration for the hobbyist?
You want something from a company that will be around for a while incase you ever need any parts.
(All the R-tech's are rebadged EVERLAST welders so you can see people on youtube using their machines).
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Nov 25, 2020 11:32:20 GMT
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Also putting a good word in for R-Tech, I've been really happy with the Mig180. The infinite adjustment of power and wire speed settings makes this worth every single penny over the ones that have stepped adjustment. I kind of like the noise - sounds like a Class 87!
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Was never going to buy an r-tech welder, the most i was ever prepared to spend was £300 as anything more is just a waste for my amount of usage.If i was using it plenty i wouldn't hesitate. I had settled on the Clarke 151en and was waiting for a no vat day at machine mart - however they seen very few and far between these days, they always seemed to do it on black Friday/cyber Monday...but no. The clarke been £260 and me been a tight git i still has the echos of the blackline machine in my head and also this 160amp Uptime inverter mig/mma that was £165 delivered that a few people had recommended to me, this thing even had a euro torch for that price. herePricing it up i thought id try the cheap one...worst comes to it ive got an expensive euro torch conversion. Well ive been messing with it in the garage and so far I'm very happy, its welding nice, feeding perfect and its pretty small and nice and light even with a 5kg reel of wire in it. Ill change the earth lead as its only 2m and the torch is 4m. Ill update how it goes when i start properly welding, under the van and making some double swivel seat frames.
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