So I bought a used MIG welder...

[RJY]

Hi! First post, just registered. I have some little experience with MMA but not MIG. My old vehicle has some rusty sills so I thought I'd have a go at it when the weather warms up. This is a general questions post so if there are better forums to go to, please say!

Note: money for me is very much an issue.

The welder is a Snap-On "PRO MIG 187" it says on the front, probably fairly elderly. It would be good to have a manual, but I can't find one anywhere, indeed the welder seems a rarity (it may be a Cebora thing from what I've seen online). Any ideas where to find a manual online (or otherwise)?

The machine is said to work. It has a Euro torch, a little battered but looks OK (can't see a name on it, maybe originally came with the welder), a return lead, a regulator, a reel of coppered steel, and a reel of "aluminium", has chain to restrain a gas cylinder, and powers up (at least, the fan runs...). It was previously used by a vehicle body repair place which has bought an expensive replacement. Is there some useful test I can do before I buy gas?

Looking at gas, which is the next thing, there is both an SGS supplier and a Hobbyweld one fairly close. Perhaps a 10L 200 bar SGS bottle rather than a Hobbyweld might be best for me?

I have already got a Tacklife Auto Darkening Welding Helmet PAH03D which says it has 4 arc sensors and has been OK for MMA. I wear glasses. It seems OK? But a bit flimsy.

 

[gaz1]

info for you

Snap-On Pro Mig 187 Manual

Hi I'm looking for a site to download a new user manual for my mig as a can of wd40 has leaked all over my one.......cant see anything on the Snap-On site or Cebora. Cheers Ken

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[T689]

I think the Snap On welders were made by Cebora

This may be the manual?... >> LINKY << (Cebora 833 Compact Mig 190 - very similar in the image below)

 

[T689]

This is a general questions post so if there are better forums to go to, please say!

Welcome to the forum as well - there isn't a better one!

 

[Barking Mat]

How to find out if it works?

Bit of clean steel, earth clamp attached, point fairly closely, and squeeze that trigger.

Check wire tension, and all that, read the tutorials on here.

If it melts wire is a good starting point.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[RJY]

info for you

Snap-On Pro Mig 187 Manual

Hi I'm looking for a site to download a new user manual for my mig as a can of wd40 has leaked all over my one.......cant see anything on the Snap-On site or Cebora. Cheers Ken

www.mig-welding.co.uk

Thank you. The salient post seems to be marlinspike's "The SnapOn 187 looks very similar to the Cebora Autostar 180, if that helps. I notice that Weldequip seem to list the Cebora 160 and the SnapOn 187 as the same for spare parts, so the 160 or 180 would be the equivalent models I assume".

I had a look on the Cebora site, can't see a manual (closest looks like "Art.260 Sound 160ST", whatever that is). However, a search for:

Cebora autostar "160" OR "180" "manual"

Returns amongst others:

https://www.specialisedwelding.co.uk/manuals/Redline_Turbo_Machines/Mig%20180-210%20Turbo%20Manual.pdf

Which might be something like it, I don't know. It may be generally relevant, hopefully all these sorts of machines are the same sort of thing?



"

 

[RJY]

Welcome to the forum as well - there isn't a better one!

Thank you. I have been doing lots of online searching, and this place does seem to come up pretty often!

 

[RJY]

How to find out if it works?

Bit of clean steel, earth clamp attached, point fairly closely, and squeeze that trigger.

Check wire tension, and all that, read the tutorials on here.

If it melts wire is a good starting point.

Welcome to the forum.

Oh, OK. With no gas? I Shall go and try it.

Thank you too.

 

[dave h 2]

The gun shroud is missing and the wire has been cut. I'm betting someone had a bit too much burn back and the tip has melted wire jammed in it.

 

[RJY]

I think the Snap On welders were made by Cebora

This may be the manual?... >> LINKY << (Cebora 833 Compact Mig 190 - very similar in the image below)

Oh! Thanks! It does look simialr, from the pics, I have downloaded it before it disappears or gets lost in a frenzy of googling!

 

[Red'n'Black]

Welcome aboard. Looks like a good machine, better than the one I started with!

 

[RJY]

The gun shroud is missing and the wire has been cut. I'm betting someone had a bit too much burn back and the tip has melted wire jammed in it.

I have dragged the thing into the kitchen, since it's 1°C in the workshop. There are two shrouds (a little battered), 4 contact tips (0.6mm, 0.8mm, look OK). The contact tip holder is a bit rough. I cut off a piece of wire from the reel and successfully pushed it from the welder end out through the contact tip. Not much resistance to pushing, but a bit of vibration as the cut end of the wire goes up the tube through what appears to be a piece of glorified curtain wire.

The wire on the reel seems to be quite hard in the jaws of the pliers. I assume it's a relatively high carbon steel?

 

[RJY]

Welcome aboard. Looks like a good machine, better than the one I started with!

Thank you too. It had better work as I was told it did! If not I will have been done, and I don't want that! I hope your early experience was a good one. I know nothing of MIG welding, I just happened on this machine with no planning at all.

 

[RJY]

How to find out if it works?

Bit of clean steel, earth clamp attached, point fairly closely, and squeeze that trigger.

Check wire tension, and all that, read the tutorials on here.

If it melts wire is a good starting point.

Welcome to the forum.

I got it in the kitchen, and had a better look.

The spool of 1.6mm coppered steel wire spool has a bit broken out of the plastic sides. That does not seem to make problems.

The spool of 0.8mm "aluminium" wire is mounted on what looks like an ordinary piece of cadmium-plated studding or maybe a set bolt. Not original I assume.

I fed some of the 0.6mm steel wire through the feed roller, plugged the welder in, fed wire up the torch, OK. A couple of pauses in feed along the way. Either my fingers letting go, or a poor connection somewhere?

I got a bit of metal and attached the return cable to it, trimmed the wire as close to the gas shroud as possible, and while resting the shroud on the bit of metal shut my eyes and pulled the trigger. It vaporised a short length of wire.

Maybe I should take that as "might be OK" and buy some gas (maybe SGS is best value?) tomorrow?

 

[Scalarocco]

Maybe I should take that as "might be OK" and buy some gas (maybe SGS is best value?) tomorrow?

I went with SGS but haven't had to get a refill yet as I'm still at college in the learning phase. I got the 10 litre one but looking at the amount I go through at college I don't think it will last too long.

 

[500e]

With SGS you get a discount on first purchase I think you send your paid invoice and head office send the discount
The deposit is fully refundable as well if things have not changed
There is a thread some where on here

 

[Turbo]

With SGS you get a discount on first purchase I think you send your paid invoice and head office send the discount
The deposit is fully refundable as well if things have not changed

The owner of SGS @Agautosport is a member on here, if you send him a copy of your invoice you get £10 back on a 10l bottle.

 

[RJY]

I went with SGS but haven't had to get a refill yet as I'm still at college in the learning phase. I got the 10 litre one but looking at the amount I go through at college I don't think it will last too long.

Gordanus Bennetus. It's a minefield!

Hobbyweld "Plus" 93% argon, 5% CO2, 2% Oxygen 20L 230 bar=4.86 m3
SGS..............................95% argon, 5% CO2......................... 20L 200 bar= ?.?? m3

I s'pose I will have to call, get prices, and guess. Can there be much difference? FWIW, the chap I bought the machine from was using Hobbyweld gas in his shop.

 

[hotponyshoes]

For car bodywork hobbyweld 5 or the equivalent from one of the other suppliers.

If you can stomach the deposit the the hobbyweld Ultra bottles come with a regulator & quick connect and work out cheaper for the gas.

I'm not sure if that welder is made by cebora as the data plate says "made in prc" and I thought cebora were still making them in Italy at the age?
Yours looks pretty standard though.
Rotary switch for course power,
Rotary knob for fine power,
Rotary knob for wire feed speed.

There is a guide on here that will explain what they do and what settings to get you started

 

[RJY]

For car bodywork hobbyweld 5 or the equivalent from one of the other suppliers.

If you can stomach the deposit the the hobbyweld Ultra bottles come with a regulator & quick connect and work out cheaper for the gas.

I'm not sure if that welder is made by cebora as the data plate says "made in prc" and I thought cebora were still making them in Italy at the age?
Yours looks pretty standard though.
Rotary switch for course power,
Rotary knob for fine power,
Rotary knob for wire feed speed.

There is a guide on here that will explain what they do and what settings to get you started

These Hobbyweld Ultra bottles look good, but as you say, £190 deposit, ow!

From their website: capacities (standard temperature and pressure, something else? I don't know):

Original 1.4 m3 gas 137 bar
Plus 4.86 m3 gas 230 bar
Ultra 6.34 m3 gas 300 bar

So since it looks as though I'll just be spoiling scrap metal for a while, perhaps I'll start with 20L.

Unfortunately SGS does not state a "gas volume" (at whatever pressure), only that it's "intended fill capacity" is 200 bar so presumably roughly 15% less gas than the HW 20L one.

Can you point me at the guide and settings you mention, please? There is so much information here!