Clarke Mig Welder

shvl73 · Oct 7, 2006

Any input on these? Are they ok or are they a waste of money? I've seen two on E-bay, a 130amp and a 180amp model. The price is reasonable but will it last and are parts available? Any input you can provide would be appreciated.

MadReferee · Oct 7, 2006

Seems to me that the Clarke was discussed recently on either the Miller MotorSports forum or the Hobart Welders forums. You might want to go over to one of those forums where you might find someone with frst hand experience with a Clarke unit.

shvl73 · Oct 7, 2006

Thanks Mad, I'll check those out.

rayc45 · Oct 8, 2006

Don't forget about replacement parts. You'll need extra contact tips, nozzels, liners and so on. Nothing too exspensive but Hobart, Miller, and Lincolns are easy to find. Hard to beat these brands. Better off in the long run.

shvl73 · Oct 9, 2006

Thanks,
I looked at a Lincoln 175 at Lowes yesterday, maybe I should just wait and get one like that.

rayc45 · Oct 9, 2006

shvl73 said:
Thanks,
I looked at a Lincoln 175 at Lowes yesterday, maybe I should just wait and get one like that.

You would ENJOY using it!

shvl73 · Oct 10, 2006

rayc45 said:
You would ENJOY using it!

I know, I'm holding off a bit because right now, its a want, not a need.
I sure do want it though.

rayc45 · Oct 10, 2006

shvl73 said:
I know, I'm holding off a bit because right now, its a want, not a need.
I sure do want it though.

It's one of those "I should have had one of these years ago" or "how did I get along without one?"

shvl73 · Oct 16, 2006

rayc45 said:
It's one of those "I should have had one of these years ago" or "how did I get along without one?"

OK, you were right. I picked up a Lincoln yesterday and I am amazed at the quality of the weld. I'll keep playing with it and I think I'll cut a few pieces apart to check penetration. I haven't tried flux core yet, I picked up a bottle of gas and it is the cleanest weld I've ever been able to do.
I am very pleased!!

PBinWA · Oct 16, 2006

I had a Clarke 130EN before I got my Miller 175. The Clarke 130 was really good. I think it fed wire better than my Miller does. I seem to get more wire issues with my Miller then I had with my Clarke.

No real comparison can be made as far as the welds go. My Miller 175 is really good but the Clarke was pretty good for a machine that runs off 110V. I'd recommend them for someone looking for a cheap starting machine for occasional welding.

The Clarke welder uses a Tweeco style gun so it is easy to get parts for the gun. It uses the same contact tips as a Lincoln gun.

I bought my Clarke 130 on sale as a kit with everything except gas and it was only $300. If you can get one for that price I would recommend it. They typically list for higher.