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Is This Welder Worth It?


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#31 wolfie

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:23 AM

if you're using a decent welder to learn on when you change to a cheap/diy one you will notice quite a difference.
clarke stuff is CHEAP CHINESE JUNK. the mark up on it is massive.

you would be best to buy a decent sized set second hand or cobel welding on fleabay do some decent stuff, it's chinese but decent kit for the price.



Considering there made in the Telwin factory in Italy you can hardly call the chinese.

Clarke are the best of the budget makes by a long way, you cannot compare a clarke to any make like murex ESAB or Lincoln there in a different price range.

Plugging a chinese make like Cobel and calling the Italian made Clarkes chinese shows you dont know what your talking about when it comes to these makes, clarke welders are well screwed together the lower price bracket models use aluminium transformers but there still a fair quality they also use fairly decent feed motors, personally i would not touch a cheap chinese cobel you are asking for trouble imo, clarke spares can be easily got though weldequipe and MM unlike a cheap Cobel.

I have a BOC badged Murex 20+ years old in perfect working order and cosmetically mint, you can pick welders up like this within your budget that cost 6-800 new, buy a decent welder and you will have the best chance of sticking at welding and not be frustrated by it.

Edited by wolfie, 13 December 2010 - 10:26 AM.


#32 ANON

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 08:32 PM

Considering there made in the Telwin factory in Italy you can hardly call the chinese.

Clarke are the best of the budget makes by a long way, you cannot compare a clarke to any make like murex ESAB or Lincoln there in a different price range.

Plugging a chinese make like Cobel and calling the Italian made Clarkes chinese shows you dont know what your talking about when it comes to these makes,


if that's the case then i stand corrected. just going off what i was told by one of the old managers at the liverpool store.
had a cobel tig and hammered it for about 12 months without any issues whatsoever. sold it on to a friend 12 months ago and its still going strong.

Edited by ANON, 13 December 2010 - 08:34 PM.


#33 wolfie

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:04 PM

Loads of the cheaper welders are made by Telwin i know 100% Clarke are and i am very sure sealey and Cebora are also, not sure why Telwin badged welders are not popular in the UK as clarke/sealey/cebora there as good.

Tigs imo are a different kettle of fish you dont have a transformer or wire feed and you need good quality components in both in order to mig weld well i think the chinese tigs are not so bad for this reason, the only good mig that i know of out of china is the R-tech range these are made to UK specs cost a little more but are still cheaper than nearly all of the middle road struff, R-tech has a very good range of Tigs as well.

Edited by wolfie, 13 December 2010 - 10:09 PM.


#34 minidream94

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:29 PM

right i no i keep going on about them, but i need to find a decent welder.

found this one, what do you guys think?

http://www.screwfix....0A#BVRRWidgetID

Nick

#35 ANON

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:48 PM

Loads of the cheaper welders are made by Telwin i know 100% Clarke are and i am very sure sealey and Cebora are also, not sure why Telwin badged welders are not popular in the UK as clarke/sealey/cebora there as good.


last 240 mig i had was italian and it was a decent set, have never got on with cheap/small mig's though. i mean 4 bloody power settings!!


right i no i keep going on about them, but i need to find a decent welder.


how soon do you want one? i've got to go and pick up a 150 boc set this week, should be ready for sale around christmas time.

as for the one in the link i'm a bit sceptical so would say its just a small welder in a big box :)
as has been said try to go for something with a euro torch.

can you go for 3 phase or are you working from home?

#36 minidream94

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:52 PM

i want one for as soon as possible after xmas so i can get cracking with the rebuild on my estate. How much do you want for that set? pm me with a price and some piccies please :)

Yeah i was abit sceptical about that welder but judging by the reviews it seems a good welder, just the wire speed that is abit cruddy :/

Im working from home so cant get 3 phase :huh: only normal household electrics.

Nick

#37 dhende84

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:55 PM

How about this

#38 Shifty

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:56 PM

The screwfix one is only uselful as a door stop!!

Its got a minium current of 60amps, which is feck all use for welding minis up with, you need a min of 30amps

60amps could blow holes in 3mm plate!!

I don't agree that you need a eurotorch either, you won't find one one on a welder under £3-400, if you do it will be a gimmick and at the expense of other features.

I've got a 180amp Butters welder, eurotorch, spotweld timer, that cost me £450 5 years ago, made in Eastern Europe and a cracking bit of kit.

#39 Shifty

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:57 PM

How about this



Thats an arc welder

#40 dhende84

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:59 PM

Hmmm. Doh! Should've looked twice I guess.....

#41 Shifty

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 11:12 PM

This is the kind of thing you want

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item255f89f542

#42 dhende84

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 11:28 PM

Ta Da

#43 ANON

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 11:33 PM

i want one for as soon as possible after xmas so i can get cracking with the rebuild on my estate. How much do you want for that set? pm me with a price and some piccies please :)

Yeah i was abit sceptical about that welder but judging by the reviews it seems a good welder, just the wire speed that is abit cruddy :/

Im working from home so cant get 3 phase :huh: only normal household electrics.

Nick


will give you a shout when i get it, no idea on price yet as i haven't seen it, just bought it blind but it will be well under your budget. will be all checked out and anything that needs sorting will be done. will come with 15kg of wire, your choice of thickness, brand new binzel euro torch 3m or 4m and a handfull of tips and shrouds.

can sort you any other bits you might need, decent esab auto mask, gloves, welders sleeves/jackets etc...


I don't agree that you need a eurotorch either, you won't find one one on a welder under £3-400, if you do it will be a gimmick and at the expense of other features.


best thing about euro is you can stick nice long 4m on and it saves dragging a welder when you want to move around the car.

#44 Shifty

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 11:41 PM

A 4m lead is fine, as long as you have a decent wire feed motor, if you don't then the 4m lead will cause you no end of problems. For most home machines I wouldn't use any more than a 3m lead.

You'll get the wire bunching up at the roller, an erratic feed and can make a good welder feel awful.

#45 ANON

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 11:48 PM

have got a decent cemont set so i'm sorted :) 4m lead on the wire feed and 3m from that to the main unit. the joys of having 3 phase!!

know what you mean about home sets, tried a nasty thing from halfords (?) that mate was having problems with, i swear if the lead wasn't dead straight it would struggle to push the wire through!!




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