- Thread starter mechman
- Start date
frank horton
V twins are great but 4"s rule.........
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if ur working in just one place buy an oil cooled welder....old fashioned but sooooo much better.....from £50 or less...
if i have to work mobile I have a 160amp buzz box off a jenny....
if i have to work mobile I have a 160amp buzz box off a jenny....
mdr
Collector of welding machines
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- 346
- Location
- wye-on-earth
I have two Röhr welders. I have:
DC TIG/MMA 160amps:
https://unionmart.co.uk/product/rohr-mma-tig-welder-hp-160l-01/
Gasless "MIG" 135amps:
https://unionmart.co.uk/product/rohr-mig-flux-wire-welder-mig-135a-03/
Do they weld? Yes.
Have they broken in the last couple of years of light hobby use (haven't used the TIG function on the first yet)? No.
Would I buy again? No. Learnt too much from using them to know I can buy better.
The MMA 160amps welds cold for me. I thought the digital amp screen on the front would be great for accuracy when compared to just a knob with printed dial.
I have a Parweld 142 (I'd recommend that as an option to consider over the Röhr). If I burn a 3.2mm (1/8th inch) e6013 electrode I can have the Parweld set on the front of the welder to 100amps. The Röhr has to go up to at least 140.
I am normally on a long extension cable and that will probably affect things. However, the Parweld handles it better. I did compare what the both machines were set to on the front and what a clamp meter was picking up. The Parweld was off a bit; the Röhr was off more.
Yes Röhr welders do weld (as your mate has shown to you). The MMA ones claim hot start and anti-stick. You probably could buy a lot worse. However you can buy better - probably if you can throw a bit more money at it.
Oh, and if you have read all of those five star reviews...Union Mart give money back if you leave a nice one. I didn't take them up on their offer.
DC TIG/MMA 160amps:
https://unionmart.co.uk/product/rohr-mma-tig-welder-hp-160l-01/
Gasless "MIG" 135amps:
https://unionmart.co.uk/product/rohr-mig-flux-wire-welder-mig-135a-03/
Do they weld? Yes.
Have they broken in the last couple of years of light hobby use (haven't used the TIG function on the first yet)? No.
Would I buy again? No. Learnt too much from using them to know I can buy better.
The MMA 160amps welds cold for me. I thought the digital amp screen on the front would be great for accuracy when compared to just a knob with printed dial.
I have a Parweld 142 (I'd recommend that as an option to consider over the Röhr). If I burn a 3.2mm (1/8th inch) e6013 electrode I can have the Parweld set on the front of the welder to 100amps. The Röhr has to go up to at least 140.
I am normally on a long extension cable and that will probably affect things. However, the Parweld handles it better. I did compare what the both machines were set to on the front and what a clamp meter was picking up. The Parweld was off a bit; the Röhr was off more.
Yes Röhr welders do weld (as your mate has shown to you). The MMA ones claim hot start and anti-stick. You probably could buy a lot worse. However you can buy better - probably if you can throw a bit more money at it.
Oh, and if you have read all of those five star reviews...Union Mart give money back if you leave a nice one. I didn't take them up on their offer.
Hi,
I like my oil cooled Pickhill Bantam 180A arc welder. It weighs a ton and being a ten stone weakling I can't lift it; I only ever weld in my workshop but I made a welding trolley for it allowing it to be wheeled around. The trolley doubles up as my arc welding table and Tig welding table. This Bantam kept tripping the 32A "B" type mcb so I installed a 32A "C" type mcb; it still occasionally trips but if I push the plug home gently it seems to help. I've been arc welding for over 55 years taught on industrial machines like the big Oxford's; I always wanted an Oxford but now in retirement decided at last to buy the Bantam; I'm well pleased with it.
For years my arc welding was done with an SIP 140A Weldmate which served me well and was cheap bought new; if pushed it would overheat and cut out meaning a 30 minute wait until it cooled down but whilst waiting I got on with other work; I never went above a 2.4mm rod size using it.
Recently my lovely wife treated me to a Parweld Tig welder which is brilliant but obviously a lot more expensive; I'm now set up for all my welding needs in my home workshop; material like angle iron and box section steel I use the Bantam but now I can also weld aluminium with my Parweld.
I've never used a Mig welder always managing with my arc welder so welding for me was very cheap indeed not needing gas unlike the Tig welder which is expensive for pure argon gas. Years ago whilst visiting a guy he was very proud to show me his Mig welding where he'd attempted to repair weld a trailer chassis; I wouldn't have dared tow the trailer to his gates; the worst welding I've ever seen it being like bird droppings; sure enough to put anyone off Mig welding for life.
When it comes to choosing a welder it depends on what is to be welded and of course available funds; you make your choice and pay your money.
Something I'll never ever fully trust is anything at all with a circuit board; I'm sure our wonderful Skoda Yeti will end up in the scrap yard due to onboard electronics long before the engine wears out. How long will modern tinny inverter welders work; as long as the Bantam?
Kind regards, Colin.
My Pickhill Bantam welding station.
My Parweld Tig welder; so far only used for welding aluminium.
I suffered lots of problems at first settling down with Tig welding aluminium but here are two mower petrol tanks with the original tank top right.
I like my oil cooled Pickhill Bantam 180A arc welder. It weighs a ton and being a ten stone weakling I can't lift it; I only ever weld in my workshop but I made a welding trolley for it allowing it to be wheeled around. The trolley doubles up as my arc welding table and Tig welding table. This Bantam kept tripping the 32A "B" type mcb so I installed a 32A "C" type mcb; it still occasionally trips but if I push the plug home gently it seems to help. I've been arc welding for over 55 years taught on industrial machines like the big Oxford's; I always wanted an Oxford but now in retirement decided at last to buy the Bantam; I'm well pleased with it.
For years my arc welding was done with an SIP 140A Weldmate which served me well and was cheap bought new; if pushed it would overheat and cut out meaning a 30 minute wait until it cooled down but whilst waiting I got on with other work; I never went above a 2.4mm rod size using it.
Recently my lovely wife treated me to a Parweld Tig welder which is brilliant but obviously a lot more expensive; I'm now set up for all my welding needs in my home workshop; material like angle iron and box section steel I use the Bantam but now I can also weld aluminium with my Parweld.
I've never used a Mig welder always managing with my arc welder so welding for me was very cheap indeed not needing gas unlike the Tig welder which is expensive for pure argon gas. Years ago whilst visiting a guy he was very proud to show me his Mig welding where he'd attempted to repair weld a trailer chassis; I wouldn't have dared tow the trailer to his gates; the worst welding I've ever seen it being like bird droppings; sure enough to put anyone off Mig welding for life.
When it comes to choosing a welder it depends on what is to be welded and of course available funds; you make your choice and pay your money.
Something I'll never ever fully trust is anything at all with a circuit board; I'm sure our wonderful Skoda Yeti will end up in the scrap yard due to onboard electronics long before the engine wears out. How long will modern tinny inverter welders work; as long as the Bantam?
Kind regards, Colin.
My Pickhill Bantam welding station.
My Parweld Tig welder; so far only used for welding aluminium.
I suffered lots of problems at first settling down with Tig welding aluminium but here are two mower petrol tanks with the original tank top right.
mdr
Collector of welding machines
- Messages
- 346
- Location
- wye-on-earth
I concur.
We are in this post-plastic-fantastic era where we don't know what to trust. We only really trust things that have proven themselves to be long-lasting. The problem with "long-lasting" is that it takes time in a busy, fast-paced, and impatient world. Everything else is a gamble and a trade off between performance and price.
I'm sure some purely shun modern electronics due to a rose-tinted view of everything yesteryear (probably due to "Fading affect bias"). However, there is too much evidence of a throwaway society to deny most of the stuff produced today is designed from the start to last to one year plus one day (if it comes with a twelve month guarantee). Recommended Retail Prices calculate in the percentage of returns with no regard to the frustration caused, time wasted, vans zig-zagging around the country, or landfill.
Want to fix the climate? Put a penalty on planned obsolescence and make the manufacturer responsible for the item for five years unless it can be proved it was broken with malice or ignorance.
Too much quaffing tonight I think!
Last edited:
willie.macleod
Member
- Messages
- 861
- Location
- Western Isles, Scotland
Your Bantam shouldn't have been tripping a 32A type B, and I fear install the type C has masked the real problem - have you had the lid up to check if it has the proper amount of clean oil in it? Also worth double checking all the connections internally. Be careful of the oil (if it has any in it) as it can be nasty stuff.
The Parweld on the other hand as well as the tanks look lovely.
Hi,
I couldn't agree more mdr; we are heading to a time in the near future when a car will become a throw away item; this mad dash for electric cars; what will happen once the battery needs replacing; if it works out like replacing a washing machine control panel then it will be almost as cheap to replace the car; our last washing machine for example; call out charge £30 plus £100 for a new circuit board; the washing machine was dumped replaced by a brand new basic Beko at under £200 for the whole machine with warranty; this is absolutely barking mad. Years ago the government outlawed petrol cars saying diesel was much better; many switched to diesel now diesel is bad and we've got to replace these with electric; during really bad weather we suffer power cuts due to electricity demand so how will the national grid cope with everyone in electric cars and assuming this does come about will the government then force us to have special electricity meters just for car charging; I don't trust the government a bit.
As a child over 60 years ago we suffered severe but short winters; smogs and fogs due to fossil fuels in home and industry but did these actually slow down melting of the polar cap because of the atmospheric shielding provided; look now when the air is much cleaner how faster the polar cap is now melting but then I'm just a dinosaur with silly ideas.
Many thanks willie.macleod for your excellent information/suggestion; it's well worth investigating but I also used to own a big transformer that too used to trip the mcb due to surge at power on and as previously been said if power is applied quickly once again the welder and the big transformer work fine; it's worth looking into though; there is oil in the welder because it's gradually seeping through the lid retaining set screws. Thanks also for the oil warning; it's so easy to end up with dermatitis which I had to leave my job as glass fiber laminator for in 1972. Further thanks for your kind comments regarding the tanks.
Kind regards, Colin.
I couldn't agree more mdr; we are heading to a time in the near future when a car will become a throw away item; this mad dash for electric cars; what will happen once the battery needs replacing; if it works out like replacing a washing machine control panel then it will be almost as cheap to replace the car; our last washing machine for example; call out charge £30 plus £100 for a new circuit board; the washing machine was dumped replaced by a brand new basic Beko at under £200 for the whole machine with warranty; this is absolutely barking mad. Years ago the government outlawed petrol cars saying diesel was much better; many switched to diesel now diesel is bad and we've got to replace these with electric; during really bad weather we suffer power cuts due to electricity demand so how will the national grid cope with everyone in electric cars and assuming this does come about will the government then force us to have special electricity meters just for car charging; I don't trust the government a bit.
As a child over 60 years ago we suffered severe but short winters; smogs and fogs due to fossil fuels in home and industry but did these actually slow down melting of the polar cap because of the atmospheric shielding provided; look now when the air is much cleaner how faster the polar cap is now melting but then I'm just a dinosaur with silly ideas.
Many thanks willie.macleod for your excellent information/suggestion; it's well worth investigating but I also used to own a big transformer that too used to trip the mcb due to surge at power on and as previously been said if power is applied quickly once again the welder and the big transformer work fine; it's worth looking into though; there is oil in the welder because it's gradually seeping through the lid retaining set screws. Thanks also for the oil warning; it's so easy to end up with dermatitis which I had to leave my job as glass fiber laminator for in 1972. Further thanks for your kind comments regarding the tanks.
Kind regards, Colin.
jim noonan
Member
- Messages
- 34
- Location
- Shrewsbury
Respectfully dermatitis is not the only hazard arising from oil cooled transformer fluids. Until the 70s and 80s large power distribution units contained pcbs, chlorinated phenols with carcinogenic properties and capable of bio accumulation in animals and environment. I don't know if they were used in smaller transformers but their dielectric and heat dissipation properties might have made them a good choice for smaller applications.
