Practically Classics Forum

I have been welding in various forms for the last 40 years - started on gas in the early days and eventually worked my way through the range as access to kit became available - I have a very dependable industrial Lincoln 250 amp mig - it's about 10 years old - but like most older MIGS it's based on transformer technology and the problem with this is that amperage is switchable in steps / phases - biggest problem being is you can never get them to switch down to a low enough amperage for thin panel welding - they are some smaller machines built for home / DIY use but I have never found them dependable or capable on the bigger jobs. I also occasionally need access to a TIG but workshop space is at a premium and I didn't want to invest in two separate bits of kit. Technology of the last few years has made a huge difference to the welding market with transformers being replaced by invertors which give stepless control - some MIG's can now weld as low as 5 amps - and the control in amperage becomes seamless - alongside this quite a few of the brands have added synergy control thus virtually making MIG welding 'Plug & Play' - just dial in the wire diameter, metal type being welding and amps - the machine does the rest and will alter the wire speed / voltage as you weld - sounds too good to be true but there is only one way to find out.

So after quite a bit of research online then quite a bit of thought over what you get for your money vs differences / brands / warranties etc - problem with the online welding supplies companies is that whilst they appeared to offer a competitive price for a machine by the time you added the torch / accessories / delivery into the price it then became a uncompetitive price - that and few unanswered questions that I had and I gave up and searched out a local welding equipment supplier - who offered personal service & promptly answered my questions - then gave me a choice of 4 machines and made an offer I could not refuse - net result is this Parweld XTM182i - 180 amp MIG / TIG / MMA (arc / stick) - complete package with leads / torch / tips / gas regulator - delivered the following day - 3 year warranty - So just how good is it well here is the first weld - I cut a damaged panel of circa 0.8 mm thickness - pressed the set up on machine - (takes seconds) - camped the earth on and pressed the torch button Result - the flattest, cleanest MIG weld that took no time to dress back - Now I have probably spent a few hundred quid more than the most of you need to - I needed something portable / on wheels - I could have purchased a smaller machine and put it on a welding trolley but what I purchased gave me the one stop / professional quality machine solution that I needed at very sensible price of £599 + vat - MIG - inverters can be purchased for circa £200 + whilst MIG / TIG inverters can be had for £350 + - Being a true believer in 'value for money' vs 'you get what you pay for' - personally I would avoid the cheap no name brands that offer short term warranties - but if you are thinking of purchasing / replacing your MIG at any stage don't think twice about going down the MIG inverter route.

Want one! When you consider what an entry level TIG machine would have cost just a few years ago, that has to be the bargain of the moment.

That's really impressive!
I have a Clarke 120e mig welder, bought over 25 years ago, which has served me very well, after many, many hours of (amateur) welding. The only thing I have ever had to replace is the liner, which wore out, causing the feed wire to stick.
I have wondered if it was time to replace it, I think I now have the answer!

I have a Clarke 190EN, it's not a bad welder but the cord is a bit short and do is the duty cycle when you have big jobs like building doors. The biggest problem with the Clarke is that it's a throw away welder. It's made in China and not well supported so when something goes out, I'm going to have have a hard time finding a replacement.

I've been looking to buy a new Hobart Ironman 230. Hobart is the cheaper of the big 3 names (Lincoln, Miller, Hobart) in welding and is owned by Miller.
Everyone I know raves about it and at around $1600 shipped, it's about $500-600 cheaper then anything else comparable unless it's made in China.

I'd love to have a TIG welder, but the reality is that I'll never been good enough or see a use for one.

another Machine that seems to get very good reviews on another forum I frequent is Portamig. Their 165 goes down to 15 amps...

UK built too

alabbasi wrote:I have a Clarke 190EN, it's not a bad welder but the cord is a bit short and do is the duty cycle ......The biggest problem with the Clarke is that it's a throw away welder. It's made in China and not well supported so when something goes out, I'm going to have have a hard time finding a replacement.

Apparently the weight of the transformers in Clarke welders is far lower now than in the past, which probably means cheaper materials, less windings, etc.

I picked up a Clarke Pro 90 recently that had been little used. It is actually in very good condition considering it is a few years old. I know this is a low amperage unit but as it is for a few small body work repairs, that one seemed a good buy, especially as it was under £80. And .. I'm a novice when it comes to welding (as in I've NEVER welded anything!), so once I'm better at it, I'll sell that one on and buy something more substantial (or borrow one!).

I pulled the trigger on the Hobart Ironman 230 after finding a killer Black Friday deal. It's arriving LTL tomorrow and should be fun unloading it. It's spool gun ready but the spool gun is $500 so I picked up a smaller 170amp welder with a spool gun for aluminum work. Exciting stuff for my boring life.