Esab power compact 160 for first welder?

[Munkul]

Exactly what Mr Miller said £75 is cheap, but it's expensive for a doorstop.

You'd need a proper 200 amp class machine for railings and gates IMHO.

Stick welding railings and gates is fine, but takes a bit more skill than MIG.

 

[duncans]

@Munkul @duncans @stanbester @Windy Miller Is this a good welder. I know it's a Lincoln so it will be good and it is a good price but the guy doesn't know much about it and can't test it out because he doesn't know how to, all he says it that it turns on. Is it worth buying because it's a good deal?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lincoln-Electric-SP-170-I-Mig-Welder/223998348176?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20160908105057&meid=d3b68848841546e5ad3053cced674f02&pid=100675&rk=1&rkt=15&mehot=none&sd=223998348176&itm=223998348176&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci:b07d20e8-8dec-11ea-90b3-74dbd180eb78|parentrq:df1816a51710aa48f85125fcffc534a6|iid:1

its sold as spares or repair as it was his late fathers so it may work fine its a gamble thou

 

[duncans]

i I can gather mate you have a budget but the question is can you afford to buy twice instead of once if its no good mate

 

[Windy Miller]

its sold as spares or repair as it was his late fathers so it may work fine its a gamble thou

Try it first?

 

[Welder 1]

I can’t send it back if it doesn’t work

 

[Windy Miller]

Try it first?

I can’t send it back if it doesn’t work

Try it first, BEFORE you buy it!

 

[duncans]

what the budget you have mate you cant send it back as it's advertised as spares mate

 

[Welder 1]

I don't live near enough to try it

 

[Windy Miller]

I don't live near enough to try it

You’d best pass on it then!

 

[duncans]

the same guy who is selling the lincoln is selling this MIG welder as well

 

[Welder 1]

Yeah I think the tool probably is working because he is selling all of his tools under “spares” just because he hasn’t tested them

 

[Windy Miller]

Yeah I think the tool probably is working because he is selling all of his tools under “spares” just because he hasn’t tested them

That sounds reasonable only if he is telling the truth, that it is genuinely untested.

The “untested “ phrase is one commonly used to advertise an item that is known to be totally goosed and worth nothing, but the owner wants to shift it off to some poor unsuspecting sod who is looking for a bargain.

Buyer beware!

 

[eddie49]

@Munkul Is it a good price (£75)

That is not the price, it's the starting bid, and the auction has 4 days left to run.

In the description the Seller has written: "Plugged into the power and turned on, the fans came on and it powered on with the switch. Not tested further." To me, that means the main power switch goes on, the fan turns, and it responds to pressing the trigger on the torch.

The auction listing states "Collection in person only" and it is in Cumbria, 270 miles from London. Will you get away with a 540 mile round trip to pick up an eBay item?

[ Isn't it weird how none of the G-clamps he is selling have the swivel pad ...! ]

 

[Seadog]

[ Isn't it weird how none of the G-clamps he is selling have the swivel pad ...! ]

Probably a separate listing

 

[a111r]

I'd 'buy' / bid on that Miller in a shot, were it closer. But maybe not the much older Cebora. Similar machines, performance-wise, so it was replaced with the American machine?

I've bought around 20 MIGs off Ebay over the past few years, all with declared issues, or just no useful description, or a minimal one like 'powers on, feeds wire' etc. So have taken many punts.

I deduced from this collective experience that the sellers of a metal melting ilk are probably / likely to be good eggs. We know the general populous can't / don't fix things, even those that can weld. CBA / too complex / general malaise?

None of these old transformer models I've fixed have had major component failure at all, or even a dead PCB. Repaired all thanks to the modest experts on here.

 

[Welder 1]

https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/XqBjKFWbTWTBNL07/mig-welder-lincoln-electric-compact-185
Any thoughts on this? I know it's not worth that much, Maybe £250.

 

[Windy Miller]

Another nice machine. I doubt you’ll get it for £250 though! Still a little under powered for gates but if it all works as it should it would be great for car repairs and up to about 5 or 6mm. A bit more with careful edge prep.

You’ll need at least 200A for heavier gates. I have a 200A Esab Caddy and 8mm is about as much as it can realistically handle without edge prep. The figures quoted by the manufacturers are normally very optimistic. Or just plain lies depending on how cynical you are!

If I need to go any thicker I use the 250A Lorch or I’ll bust out the stick welder.

I don’t know your budget, but I’d suggest you get a smallish mig and also a stick welder. Then you’re covered for most eventualities.

 

[duncans]

he might as well buy a lower-powered MIG welder that he can afford then when he starts doing his gates just buy an arc welder for 100.00 or even cheaper as I doubt he will get a 200amp MIG welder with the budget he's got

 

[Welder 1]

Anyone used one of these, it looks very used but if it's working then it is a good deal.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/welding-equipment/wsab-welder-smashweld/1372012593

 

[Munkul]

The Lincoln Compacts are very good machines, probably one of the better 240v MIG welders ever made.
That 185 has a much better duty cycle than anything else mentioned so far... there's a good reason they hold their value!
We have a compact 220 and at one point it was used for contracted structural steelwork... the platforms are still standing