The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

The Number One Club for owners of Triumph's range of small saloons from the 1960s and 1970s.
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 Post subject: Mig welder
PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:00 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:33 pm
Posts: 94
I have decided to buy my own welder and to give it a go after some practice. Have thought that one with a range of 30 to 130 Amp would be sufficient for my needs,have looked around and machine mart do a good range as well as SIP brand. Looking for views and experiences of other forum users for opinion etc. Have welded about 15 years ago so understand the basics so I suppose it's picking the knack again.


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 Post subject: Re: Mig welder
PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:36 pm 
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Really the mig-welding forum is the place for info.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/

Saying that,Clarke are one of the better cheap migs. I have had clarke and SIP, clarke way better. But I am now using a Butters mig, and that is another step up....

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 Post subject: Re: Mig welder
PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:55 pm 
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Location: Shetland / here & there
Can't agree with Clive more, the fount of all welding knowledge! We had a chat around welders recently on the forum so have a search, Smartmig (my choice), Portamig and of course the ubiquitous Clarke came up.

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 Post subject: Re: Mig welder
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:17 am 
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The Clarke welders have the advantage of being easy to obtain and deal with through Machine Mart. They do tend to do quite well in tests too. Whatever you do though don't go gasless, they give horrible results.

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Mark

1961 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Sportswagon
1980 Dolomite Sprint project using brand new shell
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 Post subject: Re: Mig welder
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 11:56 am 
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Location: Filey, North Yorkshire
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The Clarke welders have the advantage of being easy to obtain and deal with through Machine Mart. They do tend to do quite well in tests too. Whatever you do though don't go gasless, they give horrible results.
I have to admit that I do like being able to wander into the nearest machine mart and buy replacement tips or liners if I need to (not that it's very often, but it does seem to be when I'm right in the middle of something)

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 Post subject: Re: Mig welder
PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 1:54 pm 
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Location: Hampshire
Get this....

https://www.weldequip.com/portamig-165-mig.htm

Runs from your 13 amp socket and I have it on good authority that it welds wings together flawlessly! :wink:

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You also need to think about a gas supply. DONT USE BOC unless you want to take out a second mortgage! I have been using Hobbyweld recently and found them good value. In 2015 I got an 5 Ultra bottle, it did a load of welding on NWL, created a load of frames for various projects and did all the welding on RUK, had about 1/3 bottle left.


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 Post subject: Re: Mig welder
PostPosted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 11:43 pm 
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I would add a note of caution about the Clarke welders, they are the best of the cheap machines, but they are still cheap machines.

Some of them are lower quality ones that don't match the older design and the quality of the newer machines isn't quite up to the older ones. The circuit board burnt out on mine and comparing it to older boards you could see the cost cutting.

The other issue is the design of torch and wire feed. Once again the best of the cheapies, but still done to a cost. The gas valves can stick and the torch is clarke only design which is made to cost. They work, but aren't problem free.

I replaced mine with a bluemig, which has a much more heavy duty wire feed, better gas feed and robust torch. Still a cheap mig and would dearly love one of the more expensive ones, but better made than a Clarke. However it is gas only I'm afraid.


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