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.