15 replies to this topic

[elliot341]

Hi everyone. I'm looking to buy a welder to do some panel work on my mini. In an ideal world I would be able to get hold of a Clarke welder, but my current options are as follows;

- Second hand Cebora Pocket Mig 130

- New Giant Mig 195 (1 year guarantee)

http://www.localtool...portable-welder or http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIG-WELDER-195-AMP-SUPER-OVER-6000-SOLD-/161505161254?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item259a753026 

 

Please can people offer advice as to which would be better to buy, postives/negatives and any experience people have had with either. (If people could limit their advice to the two machines above I'd really appreciate, like i say I'd get a Clarke if I could and yes a £400 machine will be better than these etc etc)

 

I'm based near Bolton. Thanks in advance : )

[castafiore]

I haven't heard of the Giant brand to be honest, but I have a Cebora Autostar and it is a very good welder. Cebora are considered a good brand and spares are readily available.

If the Giant is basically set up as a no gas mig, you will need to buy some bits and pieces to convert it to gas. The Wedequip site has a kit for about £38. That brings you quite near the price of a Clarke. If you register with Machine Mart they often send out 20% off vouchers - or have a look on the Mid Welding forum, people often offer the codes for MM on there.

There are a few Chinese cheap welders, like Wolf, but they tend to get poor reviews on the mig forum, so I would be minded to choose a quality brand even if it means paying a bit more or buying used.

[mini-auto]

I have a Clarke 120TE that I bought 2nd hand around 1990, nearly 25 years ago, I have restored a number of classic cars with it over the years.

 

A  couple of years back I bought a Wolf Mig welder to replace it, I didn't have the Wolf for long, I still have the Clarke.

[69k1100]

I wouldn't bother with any plans to go gas less or use a kit to convert to disposable bottles. It will cons you way more to do it this way.

Generally what you're buying with the better quality welder a is duty cycle and feed quality. The cheap ones tend to use cheap liners that can bind up the wire. Also the drive pullies and such are sometimes rubbish.

You can weld for longer per minute with a higher duty cycle but that won't necessarily be a problem if your doing spot welds, not seam welding.

Whatever you go for put money aside for an argon regulator (for mild steel) and a decent gas bottle (4.3m2 here in aus is $75 and $18 per month rental)

[Ben_O]

I would go for the Cebora mate.

 

I have a Cebora 130 but it is branded as a Snap on Mig 130 (same machine) and it fantastic.

 

The Clarke machines are very good but certainly no better than the Cebora so if you can find one for a good price and it has been looked after then go for it.

 

spares are still readily available so no worries there.

 

i paid £100 for mine second hand with a toolbox and duffle bag full of spares, gloves and an auto shield and i can honestly say it is the best Hobby welder i have used.

They can be converted to accept a Euro torch which brings the price of consumables down to pennies.

 

A lot of people have bad things to say about the wolf welders but they aren't bad at all and are cheap and easy to use. I recommended one to a fellow TMF member and he says it's great.

 

Ben

[elliot341]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I think I can get a little used Cebora for about £70 which is only the welder, a couple of tips, 1.5 spools of wire. I'd need to get all gloves, mask, regulator etc additionally, does that sound a decent deal?

[Ben_O]

Sounds good to me mate.

 

Auto dimming shields are cheap on eBay. My 1st one was £25 and worked perfectly.

[castafiore]

If you can get a working Cebora for £70 that sounds a bargain. A regulator if you need one is about £40, a pea shooter type gas flow meter is about a tenner. If you have a lot of welding to do the Volkszone deal for argoshield lite gas at BOC is about the cheapest - big thread on the mig forum about it. Don't buy the cheap gas disposables - expensive and don't last any time at all.

Edited by castafiore, 03 December 2014 - 03:27 PM.

[elliot341]

Ben_O - if possible would you be able to recommend a specific auto dimming mask that is reasonable? Just so I can avoid buying an iffy one if possible!

[Ben_O]

Ben_O - if possible would you be able to recommend a specific auto dimming mask that is reasonable? Just so I can avoid buying an iffy one if possible!

Of course, Bare with me

[Ben_O]

This is the shield i use now..

 

http://www.hobbyweld...rkening-helmet/

 

and this is the one i bought off eBay which i only replaced because it got, shall we say, very wet 

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3a96c3cea8

 

These gauntlets are VERY good if you need them?

 

http://www.hobbyweld...mium-gauntlets/

[elliot341]

I'm starting from scratch so I imagine I'll need to get gauntlets, so thanks 

[MINIMADrt]

hi im not sure if this is in ur budget. 

 

 

this is in the Christmas special mag from mac tools the mac man came in today and showed me and said all offers run till the 23 dec. 

 

look like a decent welder for a reasonable price??

[Ben_O]

hi im not sure if this is in ur budget. 

 

 

this is in the Christmas special mag from mac tools the mac man came in today and showed me and said all offers run till the 23 dec. 

 

look like a decent welder for a reasonable price??

That looks like a re-branded Wolf welder which you can get with the Wolf name for around £150

[MINIMADrt]

ok i belive it also the same as a sip and very similar to a clarke as well just a thought was all  

 

i also have the same welding mask you have posted up Ben-o  not to bad at all are they.