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May 17, 2016 13:46:29 GMT
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I've had a rebate at work an feel like I can spend a good £300 on a welder. Unfortunately £300 isnt quite enough for a great welder, but enough for a good welder. With that in mind I'm looking at a couple of options for welding my banger of a car. www.r-techwelding.co.uk/xcalibur-eurostar-150/Any feedback welcome
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May 17, 2016 14:04:10 GMT
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Best place to ask would be on the MIG welding forum, just google it they are easy enough to find and friendly enough + you'll recognise a few usernames from here too!
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May 17, 2016 14:06:50 GMT
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I did have a quick look on there. There are a couple of recommendations and at least one person I can see has used one with success.
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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May 17, 2016 14:24:09 GMT
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Buy 2nd hand. Theres plenty of used migs out there. Buy a decen setup Just budget and extra £50 or so for a new torch and maybe feed wheels.
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May 17, 2016 15:45:46 GMT
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Where do I look for reliable second hand migs? Ebay must be full of dodgyness
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May 17, 2016 16:06:36 GMT
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Where do I look for reliable second hand migs? Ebay must be full of dodgyness Hi, Again I think the answer is the mig welding forum. There's a lot of knowledge on there with people who weld professionally and some who sell and hire all sorts of kit out. There will be advise on individual machines and suppliers. There'll be machines for sale as well. Personally I'm wary of machines with hard wired umbilical,s they are usually at the hobby or cheap end of the market. I get the machines with 'euro' type torches because if it gets damaged too much it can work out easier and cheaper to change it completely. Colin
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May 17, 2016 16:07:41 GMT
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I opted for the clarke 151te around 10 years ago and its been great, I'm sure it was around that price. I upgraded the earth to a longer lead but everything else is as supplied. I was considering the euro torch conversion on it at some point.
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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May 17, 2016 18:48:05 GMT
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Theres not really anything that will go wrong with pre 'digital era' migs.. (Assuming you don't count the afformetioned torch and feed wheels which need replacing semi regularly anyway and aren't expensive.) You'd be unlucky to get a duff one, expecially if you check it out first.
EBay should be just fine. Local machinery auctions often turn up cheap welders too.
I find for car stuff you can't really go wrong with 160-200amp jobbies even if they are just at the sealey or clarke end of the price range. So long as it's euro torch your away.
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May 17, 2016 19:51:46 GMT
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if it's mainly for bodywork make sure it goes low on the amps, some welders min amps is way too high (over 30A) for bodywork and they will be bastards to use for it. look at the duty cycle too, better welders will have better duty cycle and a larger amp range. Edit: ok downloaded the sheet for that welder, i wouldnt touch it with a barge pole. I'm looking for a welder myself and the r-tech 180A one here is high on the list: www.r-techwelding.co.uk/mig-welder-r-tech-i-mig180/ but i prefer 2nd hand stuff tbh.
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Last Edit: May 17, 2016 19:57:32 GMT by sausage
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I rang R-tech yesterday for their ten peneth. They recommended the Mig180 based on the low min amps. The hardwired torch for the first machine I mentioned is also a big problem.
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Anyone use the Blue Mig? Seems to have some positive reviews The Welding Warehouse also have a good reputation.
I'm put off the Clarke's because the torch is hardwired and would make replacement difficult.
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alecf
Part of things
Posts: 424
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brought a sealey supermig 180 with a eurotorch about 2 years back, its been great for the thinner stuff and when cranked right up will do the big stuff. Even sued it for alloy welding not an issue it was on offer on ebay via eurocarparts, about £100 cheaper then anywhere else. paid just under £300 if I remember
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mattiwagon
Part of things
Just got a work truck
Posts: 445
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I looked on the welding forums before and the rtech machine comes recommended by a few people I believe its praised for its consistant welds and the customer service is supposed to be excellent, from what I read there chinese machines that get vetted and re-built/specced and warrantied by rtech so if you do have a duff one they swap for a good machine and away you go. I have heard looking at Clarke machines at machinemart when they have a 'no Vat' sale is a good way to pick up a decent bit of kit as well. I have a Sip autoplus 130 (not recommended)
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If they cant be nice f**k em!
84 low t25 panel 1.9td beige and rust combo 97 Goped Bigfoot G260RC with clutch conversion 97 Impreza turbo 2000 builders wagon 76k sold 04 Fabia vRs 50mpg pocket rocket 04 battered T5 pickup in blue! Chainsaws lotsa Chainsaws
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Go with the rtech - they have been around and are a respected company , and you have someone easy to deal with for spares or the worst . replacement.
don't worry about the torch , it will be replaceable , just a bit more undoing . You wont need to replace it for years anyway . You need to change the liner[ a thing piece of nylon ] , the torch tips the wire comes out , and the shroud which lets the gas out - all cheap consumable parts .
Don't buy second hand if you don't really know what to look for .
Remember that if you buy new and keep it looking tidy and not dusty and dented you will always retain a good amount of what it cost you , maybe 2/3rds. Always demand for tidy maintained secondhand machines
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Jun 12, 2016 15:55:06 GMT
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Afternoon, I've got 500 pounds to throw at a welding and think I'm going to go down the r tech route at the end of the month.
If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know so I can research.
Does anyone have any advice or know any websites relating to panel shaping or welding
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mattiwagon
Part of things
Just got a work truck
Posts: 445
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Jun 12, 2016 16:56:56 GMT
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If they cant be nice f**k em!
84 low t25 panel 1.9td beige and rust combo 97 Goped Bigfoot G260RC with clutch conversion 97 Impreza turbo 2000 builders wagon 76k sold 04 Fabia vRs 50mpg pocket rocket 04 battered T5 pickup in blue! Chainsaws lotsa Chainsaws
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Jun 12, 2016 17:55:12 GMT
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I think I'm going to go for the R-tech Mig 180 unless I can find anything better. My welding tutor at college hadn't heard of them which didnt improve my confidence but I imagine he's not aware of budget welders as the college use Kempii which seem to have a good reputation.
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mattiwagon
Part of things
Just got a work truck
Posts: 445
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Jun 12, 2016 18:05:59 GMT
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Look up the welding forum as others have said and see what s said about the welder, personally I will be getting ne when the time comes. What I read has convinced me!
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If they cant be nice f**k em!
84 low t25 panel 1.9td beige and rust combo 97 Goped Bigfoot G260RC with clutch conversion 97 Impreza turbo 2000 builders wagon 76k sold 04 Fabia vRs 50mpg pocket rocket 04 battered T5 pickup in blue! Chainsaws lotsa Chainsaws
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Jun 13, 2016 11:37:54 GMT
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R-tech seem to import Chinese machines and supposedly change a few bits inside and make sure they work porperly, but I think they upset the mig welding forum a while back as one of their employees was bigging them up on there without saying he worked for them. Meant to have very good aftersales service but virtually identical machines can be had in a different colour case for quite a bit less money. You're paying for the warranty I guess.
The GYS 162 gets good reviews for similar money. Transformer based rather than inverter so possibly going to last longer. I was in a similar situation recently and picked up a second hand, barely used Portamig 185 with euro torch, 95% of a spool of wire and gas reg for £400.
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Last Edit: Jun 13, 2016 11:39:19 GMT by lufbramatt
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