Clarke mig welder???

[kaptnkaos]

Hey Guys,

Is anyone familiar with Clarke mig welders?
Are they any good to are they something to stay away from???
I'm really leaning toward either a Hobart or Lincoln 140.
The Clarke is a little less expensive...

KaptnKA S

[The Good Humor Man]

I bought one last month, and took it out to do a small job yesterday.

1st, I should have practiced before jumping into welding on a project I spent 2 hours fabricating.
2nd, I should have started with less power before I melted my metal.
3rd, I should have removed the towel under the work bench before I started to weld.

So, I will sum up my experiance.
It went together easy, and appeared to work as it should, would have been easier if I read the instructions before starting.
Worked well enough to get the metal welding together, but ruined the project due to not knowing what I am doing.
Learned I can run faster than I thought when I see 2 foot flames shooting from under the work bench.
My sign plotter (under the towel) can handle fire better than a towel.
Towels smolder a long time even though they are pounced into a snow bank.
Welding + fire makes for a very smokey garage.

I stopped my welding experiance, and will try it again after I get the trucks out of the garage so when I burn down the shop, I won't loss my trucks.

[kaptnkaos]

I'm sorry Man... but, I'm about to fall outta my chair...

I am a very visual person, so I can see the whole thing in my head, in widescreen technicolor...
Now, I know why yer called the "Good Humor Man".. 'cause that's funny right there...
I will definitely take those things into consideration, before I start anything...
I will also be learning from scratch...
I'm still in the fact finding mode and haven't decided what to get.
I'm really leaning toward a Hobart or Lincoln 140...
They seem to have the biggest bang for the buck...
Still 110v but at 140amps, either is supposed have enough penetrating power to weld 1/4 inch mild steel, yet sensitive enough to weld 22 gauge sheet metal without warping it.
They seem to be the most versatile overall.
For anything bigger, I see Lincoln 220 Arc welders all over for around $100-$150.
Most of what I plan on doing a 140 amp mig will be plenty...
Anyways... thanx for the grins...

KaptnKA S

[DDfab]

I have 2 of the 110 versions. I have used them for over 10 years before having any problems. I have a miller 251 now for heavier usage.