BOC MIG 170p

[Karim8697]

Hi folks.
I'm fairly new to welding and very new to this forum! I've just bought my first MIG welder. It's a BOC MIG 170p.
I bought it on the advice of some experienced welder friends who said it's probably a good machine, but I can't seem to find any information about it online. I guess it's made by Kemppi as it says made in Finland on the back and when I googled 'welder made in Finland' loads of Kemppi stuff came up.
Has anyone had experience with these machines? My plan is to convert it to eurotorch and I'm a bit confused about weather I would need a solenoid valve or not. I guess a pdf manual would be really helpful if anyone knows where/if I can find one?
Also it's got this funny wire setup at the bottom

That cable coming out of the bottom left side plugs straight into the +'ve I guess that's the torch and the other one is earth. Does that mean I can unplug the torch and use this for stick welding? Any info regarding this machine would be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance Karim.

 

[brokenbiker]

you wont be able to stick weld with that unit i dont think as its a transformer based mig which is constant voltage supply, MMA needs constant current supply.

also the cable arangement at the bottom could be to allow reverse polarity for welding flux cored wire

 

[Karim8697]

Ah yeah, that'll be it! Useful to know, thanks brokenbiker!

 

[Screwdriver]

Looks like a damn fine machine. Nice and chunky. Bet it has a really decent wire feed mechanism.

 

[brokenbiker]

Looks like a damn fine machine. Nice and chunky. Bet it has a really decent wire feed mechanism.

i bet you say that to all the welders...i'll get my coat

 

[Screwdriver]

OMG. Have I turned into a geek?

 

[brokenbiker]

OMG. Have I turned into a geek?

it sure does sound that way...

 

[Screwdriver]

I want to see that mechanism

 

[evobilly666]

Certainly looks like a Kemppi by design. If so, sould be a good set

 

[brokenbiker]

I want to see that mechanism

me too...

 

[mike 109444]

Not the same model, not even same hemisphere (was on a NZ web site !) but a very good manual (for any welder) all the same
Worth a read....

 

[Karim8697]

Here's some sexy pics from under the hood for you screwdriver

 

[brokenbiker]

i must admit, thats a good looking wire feed unit

 

[Screwdriver]

i must admit, thats a good looking wire feed unit

Lol

Beat me to it.

 

[Karim8697]

Thanks mike, i'll certainly take a look through that!
I'd really like to get the euro torch connection on this. Do you think it will be a lot of modification? the wire feed comes out at a funny angle so presumably I'll have to make a matching angle on the box before mounting the euro adapter.
I found this same model, but with a euro torch online, looks like it was built with it rather than an adaptation.

 

[brokenbiker]

its not too difficult to convert a welder to a euro torch, but if you arent having issues with the current torch i wouldnt bother unless you cant get consumables for it anymore or you like swapping torches often

 

[mike 109444]

Think someone done similar with this Autolynx but made the mount as external rarther than inset

 

[Karim8697]

Yeah the current one is missing some parts, and they're not very easy to source. I showed a chap at a fabrications place next to where I work and he said it was a pretty crappy torch anyway and it's probably worth upgrading.

 

[Karim8697]

ah that looks a bit easier to do. Might that not create some potential issues by being a bit too far away from the wire feed though?

 

[mike 109444]

You could do as some manufactures do and have a brass tube to go from the out feed of feeder to the input of euro socket