oxford migmaker experiences

[hillman]

Might be a bit late with this, but. Ive had an Oxford 180 migmaker for a couple of years and i'm very pleased with it.
I've welded all sorts of stuff with it and it's not missed a beat. I've welded thin car bodywork etc no probs, also fitted roll cages and fabbed work benches. It seems a very smooth welding machine if that makes sense. I like the was the wire is supported flat on it'e side as it makes changing the reel much easier. The wire feed is one of the best i've come across too.

 

[bigtip]

would agree hillman, the wirefeed on it's side works very well. it gives you a space in the wirefeed area to keep things aswell, like pliers and spare tips which is handy. although it does mean that things you dump on top of the welder have to be moved off when you need access.

as regards the performance mr hippo, i am happy with the oxford. i have not actually done any car body work yet though i have done several thin materials like stainless flue pipe and sheets less than 1mm. although i have had a few problems getting a nice bead on thin stuff it was not due to burn through and i think it was because i was using too low a voltage so i would say there is plenty of scope with very thin material i.e. 0.7mm renaults and such, if you had the time to set up correctly.
on heavier stuff i have been always impressed with the easiness of using this machine. i must admit that i usually arc weld when i can but when i have used the oxford on 4 or 6mm it does weld very smoothly. although i am only 3/4 through my first 20kg gas cylinder i could say honestly that i have had no problems at all so far with this machine.

 

[MR-HIPPO]

Thanks Guys.

Does the lid on the Oxfords hinge backwards for access, or do you have to remove the screws to open it?

Has anyone got experience of running the Oxford migmaker 200 from a 13amp supply?

Many thanks, Hippo.

 

[bigtip]

hippo the lid hinges backwards, no screws.

i have only run mine for a test when i got it on a 13amp plug/socket and then i wired it with a 32a plug and installed a 32a socket in my workshop. it should perform ok upto a certain output level on the 13amp socket but might not at full power. and if it did it would probably get your plug pretty hot.
i am going to make up a flylead with a 32a skt and normal domestic plug so that i can use it outside of the workshop on certain items that don't require too much power.

 

[bigtip]

this is just for further info for anyone who is researching the oxford, as i was.
i welded up an exhaust yesterday which i know from past experience is a pain. in fact someone had already tried to weld this one and done the usual pigeon **** which had not fused well at all to the parent metal. so, i fabbed a couple of 'straps' to take the stresses as i have before, and welded them on with real satisfaction as i managed to lay down pretty decent beads, in fact in exhaust welding terms, very good beads. my skills haven't improved that much so i give credit to the welding machine.

john.

 

[MR-HIPPO]

The following should be of interest to any one else trying to decide between a Portamig 185 and the Oxford 200-1.

In an attempt to get some more info on how the Oxfords compare with the Portamigs I emailed Les Ford from Technical Arc where both machines are made, and asked him some questions about the two machines.

I am looking to buy a welder that will last me a lifetime. I am currently torn between the Portamig 185 and the Oxford Migmaker 200-1, I have done an awful lot of reading online, and the Portamig units generally seem to get good press, but there is very little info on the Oxford Migmakers and I am trying to figure out how they stack up against the Portamigs, better, worse or just different?
I understand that you make both machines, and I was hoping that you could answer a few questions for me.
Thank you for taking the time to read and hopefully respond to this.

- Hi
Thanks for your enquiry. Below are answers to your questions. In my opinion the Oxford 200-1 is a better machine because it has capacitors fitted which gives it a slightly smoother weld and it also has a more robust feed system. The wire feed motor is slightly bigger and more powerful and the Feed plate is made from metal and has the pressure roller geared to the bottom roller giving extra push on the wire.


1- Do the two machines (portamig 185 & oxford 200-1) share any common parts, ie. Board, Rectifier, transformers, rotary switches etc?
And, If different, are the components on the Oxford more or less robust that the ones on the Portamig unit?

- The two machines do share common parts such as the voltage selector switches, control PCB, spool holder, rectifier, and fan. The transformer and choke are slightly different designs because the Oxford has capacitors, but both transformers are wound in copper by us.


2- Does either machine have a separate contactor relay?

- The Oxford 200-1 has a separate contactor. The Portamig 185 uses a 30A relay on the PCB. The Portamig 215 has a separate contactor.


3- I understand that the Portamigs have a "choke" transformer to smooth the welding current. Does the Oxford have a "choke transformer" and smoothing capacitors? or just capacitors?

- Both the Portamig and the Oxford have chokes fitted to smooth the weld but the designs are slightly different due to one having capacitors and the other not.


4- Does the Oxford produce a better weld quality than the Portamig?

- There is not a great difference in the weld between the two machines, but the Oxford is slightly smoother due to the capacitors.


5- Is the geared wire feed assembly on the Oxfords better than the Swedish assembly fitted to the Portamigs?

- The feed system on the Oxford is better than the Portamig due to the motor being bigger and more powerful, the feed system is metal and more robust, and the pressure roller is geared to the bottom roller giving extra push on the wire.


6- Are there any other major differences between the two machines?

- Apart from what I have mentioned above and the cabinet design, there are no other major differences between the two. The Portamig will weld down to 15A min, whereas the Oxford is 20A min. The duty cycle of both machines is very similar.


7- The Oxford is stated as needing a 13/16 amp supply, will this machine run from a 13amp supply?
The Portamig states a 16 amp supply, does this machine draw more current than the Oxford?

- Both machines will run off a 13amp fuse upto about 160A. Above this both machines may blow a 13A fuse occasionally or if you are doing long runs. With the capacitors in the Oxford, it is slightly more efficient and less likely to blow a 13A fuse.

After a few more Emails to Les Ford, (a very helpful chap) I ordered an Oxford Migmaker 200-1 with a custom wound 15-200 amp transformer,
weld timer, and a few other minor mods, directly from technical Arc.
Nine days later I became a fully fledged member of the Oxford Migmaker owners club.

As you can see from the pictures below, the geared wire feed unit on this machine is fairly substantial.

 

[keith19]

Many thanks for posting this, Hippo. Many should find this information very useful, and that Oxford looks a beaut of a machine

 

[bigtip]

Well done Hippo, you've really done you're homework there. I think you'll enjoy the machine but why did you get the extra low current transformer specially wound?

 

[MR-HIPPO]

Well, what happened was:

I found THIS machine on Ebay. It seems to be a cost down 15 to 165 amp version of the Oxford with only 6 voltage steps. looks like a bloody bargain for £150 delivered though.

Anyway after seeing that Oxford with a 15 amp min setting I asked Les ford at Technical Arc if 15 amps was possible on a 200-1, just out of curiosity really, but when I found out how little it would add to the cost of the machine, it seemed wrong not to.

There is a lot to be said for getting these machines straight from source.
I ended up with a 15-200 amp range, weld timer, 6 meter mains input cable, 4 meter earth lead, extra rear castors fitted so that I can run the machine without the bottle shelf (space limitations here) and a wire feed isolator switch, so that I can test gas flow at the nozzle.

It is a real shame that there is so little information on theses machines, I am very impressed with mine so far.

 

[bigtip]

wow, if i'd found that for £150 i would have been quite tempted although i can't beleive it would have the same internal quality bits. having said that the wire feed looks good.

i know what you mean about getting the options at source because they are obviously as cheap as possible at that stage. i wish i had a longer mains cable sometimes and the longer earth and wirefeed isolator would be good as well if they were not going to cost much.

i also struggled to find much decent info on the oxford before i bought mine so your q & a post should be actually of great value to others. i'm still waiting for a 'weld-off' report between the oxford and the portamig though.

but regarding the lower current thing, i have found that the lowest setting on mine is too cold for anything i have tried yet and i have found that setting 3 is about right for very thin, less than 1mm stuff, that i have welded. maybe the lowest would be good for ally if i was ever to try that.

still very happy with my machine and i've got a bottle of co2 now which i've been using on rough stuff as it's cheaper, and the results are still good.

 

[MR-HIPPO]

wow, if i'd found that for £150 i would have been quite tempted although i can't beleive it would have the same internal quality bits. having said that the wire feed looks good.

OOPS! my bad, that should have read £550 delivered.

I wish i had a longer mains cable sometimes and the longer earth and wirefeed isolator would be good as well if they were not going to cost much.

Strangely those three mods did not affect the price of my machine.
I did have to pay extra for the transformer, weld timer and a second set of castors though.

but regarding the lower current thing, i have found that the lowest setting on mine is too cold for anything i have tried yet and i have found that setting 3 is about right for very thin, less than 1mm stuff, that i have welded. maybe the lowest would be good for ally if i was ever to try that.

You are probably right there 15 amps is good for bragging rights though, and I did manage to put a weld on the bottom of a dog food tin on the min setting with .8 wire and CO2 whilst messing around with the machine.

 

[bigtip]

ha ha, how low can you go?!

ok so, you use the co2 as well i thought pretty much everyone used the argon mix. as regards the dog food tin welding, i can't compete cos i haven't got a dog and i'm not getting one just for that.