Is this a good deal
Michael C
looks like a good deal but I thought I'd ask.
http://www.migomag.com.au/products_detail.asp?id=136
Thanks,
Michael
John_H
Proably not. It hasn't even got a traveler (remote wire feed), which
is essential with any large mig.
The brand is unknown (to me) and the rrp is highly questionable. I
recently paid just a little over $2,000 for a new Transmig 250, which
included a traveler and a heap of accessories. (Transmig is a leading
brand with excellent backup.)
A dubious brand is likely to be nothing but trouble... I'd suggest you
take at look at what the welding/fabrication shops are using, coz I've
never seen anything called a Migomag in any of 'em.
--
John H
atec77
not a wonderful welder , should be able to get a copper core 200 plus
for a bit more
Michael C
news:gdulle$rda$1...@aioe.org...
> I thought migomag went bang a decade ago , horrible things to repair and
> not a wonderful welder , should be able to get a copper core 200 plus for
> a bit more
Ok thanks guys, I might just stick with the one I've got which does
everything I need and is portable. I must have bought it 10 years ago and
you can still get them new I just found out. The only thing I don't like
about it is that the amperage only has 6 steps.
http://www.unimig.com.au/Product%20Guide_2006%202.pdf
(mine is the unimig 172)
Thanks,
Michael
Noddy
"Michael C" <mi...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:4902bcfd$0$31800$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Second hand Migomag 260 mig welder for $1000? They say rrp of $3700 so it
> looks like a good deal but I thought I'd ask.
>
> http://www.migomag.com.au/products_detail.asp?id=136
In a word, no.
Migomag is probably one of the more famous "crappy" brand of welders, and
that suggested retail is absolute bullshit. For around that kind of money
you could get a used Transmig 250 which is one of the best machines you
could buy, and would absolutely snot any cheap machine senseless in ability.
I've had a Transmig 250 for years. It cops an absolute pounding, never
causes a drama and performs faultlessly every time you switch it on. I've
never used a Migomag machine, and I'd be highly unlikely to ever want to
either.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
Pit
SIR NO NO NO NO
I am no welder but clients who had those
had nothing but trouble
Lucas CIG Air liquide transmig (I think ) Appear to be bullet and
soldier proof
Lot of Lucas stuff around the mines and farmers and Universities Tafe
etc I see often
appear to have no problems except operator related problems
But we used to factor a crowd when I was in Finance land who had
indepth involvement with mogomag
and even they said it was shyte warranty and complaints history .
But again this is second third hand I have never used one or know
much about welding any way
Michael C
news:179b9e48-b307-48a6...@e1g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
> SIR NO NO NO NO
>
> I am no welder but clients who had those
> had nothing but trouble
Ok, I've canned the idea. The one i've currently got has never done anything
wrong except for dumb shit I've done to it like destroy the tip by holding
it too close etc.
Michael
Noddy
> Ok, I've canned the idea. The one i've currently got has never done
> anything wrong except for dumb shit I've done to it like destroy the tip
> by holding it too close etc.
If you're relatively happy with the one you have (which seems small from the
specs you posted), then I assume you only ever do light gauge stuff?
If that's the case then a 250 amp mig might be a tad on the over-kill side
as such a machine is bordering on industrial type usage. It might be a
better idea for you to look at a Chinese inverter tig. 200 amp DC units can
be had for around 350 bucks new, they're not much bigger than a loaf of
bread, most of them perform pretty well and although it's a totally
different welding technique it's *ideal* for light gauge work with minimum
heat, distortion and cleanup.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
Michael C
news:49045162$0$47013$c30e...@lon-reader.news.telstra.net...
> If you're relatively happy with the one you have (which seems small from
> the specs you posted), then I assume you only ever do light gauge stuff?
Yeah, that's probably true, I use a bit of 5mm plate but mostly it's 1.6mm
box or 3mm angle. Is that what you'd consider light?
> If that's the case then a 250 amp mig might be a tad on the over-kill side
> as such a machine is bordering on industrial type usage. It might be a
> better idea for you to look at a Chinese inverter tig. 200 amp DC units
> can be had for around 350 bucks new, they're not much bigger than a loaf
> of bread, most of them perform pretty well and although it's a totally
> different welding technique it's *ideal* for light gauge work with minimum
> heat, distortion and cleanup.
Cool, I'll have a look into it.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Noddy.
>
>
>
Noddy
"Michael C" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:4905b935$0$31801$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Yeah, that's probably true, I use a bit of 5mm plate but mostly it's 1.6mm
> box or 3mm angle. Is that what you'd consider light?
Pretty much.
If that's most of your normal welding use then a 250 amp mig is not going to
be taxed very much. You could get away with a smaller (and somewhat cheaper)
unit, like a Transmig 150 or so. With welders (and especially mig welders)
it's more important to consider the quality of the machine rather than the
claimed performance, and most of the transmig range are excellent. The older
"blue" machines generally all have copper coils and are very durable and
reliable, and BOC stocks parts for machines that have been around for quite
a while.
Most of them have also been fitted with very good torches for many years,
with the Tweco "Eliminator" being popular amongst them. A nicely balanced &
comfortable torch to use, with cheap replacement tips in plentiful supply.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
John McKenzie
>
> In a word, no.
>
> Migomag is probably one of the more famous "crappy" brand of welders, and
> that suggested retail is absolute bullshit. For around that kind of money
> you could get a used Transmig 250 which is one of the best machines you
> could buy, and would absolutely snot any cheap machine senseless in ability.
>
> I've had a Transmig 250 for years. It cops an absolute pounding, never
> causes a drama and performs faultlessly every time you switch it on. I've
> never used a Migomag machine, and I'd be highly unlikely to ever want to
> either.
If you happen to see a used transmig 250 going for around the grand
mark, could you let me know? I'm pulling bullshit hours right now, which
means I can afford to do things, but I can't find the time. I'll tip the
balance back to deadshit eventually though.
For that matter, if you see a transtig around for a good price, let me
know too.
--
John McKenzie
tos...@aol.com ab...@yahoo.com ab...@hotmail.com ab...@earthlink.com
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$LOGIN@localhost world's #1 sardine whisperer ro...@mailloop.com
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John McKenzie
>
> "Michael C" <mi...@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:490442c6$0$31800$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
>
> > Ok, I've canned the idea. The one i've currently got has never done
> > anything wrong except for dumb shit I've done to it like destroy the tip
> > by holding it too close etc.
>
> If you're relatively happy with the one you have (which seems small from the
> specs you posted), then I assume you only ever do light gauge stuff?
>
> If that's the case then a 250 amp mig might be a tad on the over-kill side
> as such a machine is bordering on industrial type usage. It might be a
> better idea for you to look at a Chinese inverter tig. 200 amp DC units can
> be had for around 350 bucks new,
DC for tig though? I'm not that keen on that, though I'm not suggesting
I've had enough experience with tig to make a definitive call.
Ron
news:4906DA...@bigpond.com:
> Noddy wrote:
>>
>> In a word, no.
>>
>> Migomag is probably one of the more famous "crappy" brand of welders,
>> and that suggested retail is absolute bullshit. For around that kind
>> of money you could get a used Transmig 250 which is one of the best
>> machines you could buy, and would absolutely snot any cheap machine
>> senseless in ability.
>>
>> I've had a Transmig 250 for years. It cops an absolute pounding,
>> never causes a drama and performs faultlessly every time you switch
>> it on. I've never used a Migomag machine, and I'd be highly unlikely
>> to ever want to either.
>
> If you happen to see a used transmig 250 going for around the grand
> mark, could you let me know? I'm pulling bullshit hours right now,
> which means I can afford to do things, but I can't find the time. I'll
> tip the balance back to deadshit eventually though.
>
> For that matter, if you see a transtig around for a good price, let me
> know too.
>
>
What thickness of metal will the Transmig 250 handle and what is the amp
rating?
Noddy
"John McKenzie" <jmac_me...@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:4906DA...@bigpond.com...
> If you happen to see a used transmig 250 going for around the grand
> mark, could you let me know?
Will do.
> I'm pulling bullshit hours right now, which
> means I can afford to do things, but I can't find the time. I'll tip the
> balance back to deadshit eventually though.
Catch-22's are a pain in the ring, that's for sure.
> For that matter, if you see a transtig around for a good price, let me
> know too.
One just sold on ebay a few days ago for 500 bucks or so, which was a *very*
good price for a Transtig 180. It was three phase, but most of them can be
wired for 240. I'm kicking myself for not buuying it myself.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
atec77
> Noddy wrote:
>> "Michael C" <mi...@nospam.com> wrote in message
>> news:490442c6$0$31800$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
>>
>>> Ok, I've canned the idea. The one i've currently got has never done
>>> anything wrong except for dumb shit I've done to it like destroy the tip
>>> by holding it too close etc.
>> If you're relatively happy with the one you have (which seems small from the
>> specs you posted), then I assume you only ever do light gauge stuff?
>>
>> If that's the case then a 250 amp mig might be a tad on the over-kill side
>> as such a machine is bordering on industrial type usage. It might be a
>> better idea for you to look at a Chinese inverter tig. 200 amp DC units can
>> be had for around 350 bucks new,
>
> DC for tig though? I'm not that keen on that, though I'm not suggesting
> I've had enough experience with tig to make a definitive call.
>
>
with attachments around 20 years old ( dc tigs are kinda average), if
you have 3 phase thats the right direction but if you only want to
joining light sheet a new 150 amp with copper transformer winding .
Noddy
> DC for tig though? I'm not that keen on that, though I'm not suggesting
> I've had enough experience with tig to make a definitive call.
Quite okay if all you want to do is steel, and for sheetmetal or exhausts
they're brilliant.
The main advantage is that DC inverter tigs are ridiculously cheap, and most
of them give results that would put a mig worth four times the money to
shame on anything up to around 5mm thick.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
Noddy
"Ron" <xnews.com> wrote in message news:Xns9B45C6...@74.209.136.90...
> What thickness of metal will the Transmig 250 handle and what is the amp
> rating?
It depends on what model you're talking about, as they've been around for a
while.
Mine's around 10 years old and is one of the last of the "CIG" blue machines
with the copper coil. For mine the rated current output is 30 to 250 amps
with duty cycles of 250amps @ 50% and 180 @ 100%. It has 16 output voltage
values and supports wire sizes from .6 to 1.2mm in both flux cored and
solid. It has stitch and spot support (to use the spot function you need a
special nozzle for the gun), continuous opertation for long runs (where you
press the trigger once to start the wire feed and then again to stop it) and
has an adjustable burnback setting which basically allows the wire to "burn
off" at the right length from the tip to start the next weld.
They're a great all round machine, with the only regret I have about mine is
that these days I wish I'd opted for the remote wire feeder version rather
than the compact model. Still, it's been a brilliant machine and works
exceptionally well.
As for material suitability, that depends largely on what you're welding,
the wire you're using and the gas you're using to shield the weld with.
You get better penetration using carbon dioxide as a shielding gas, but you
also get a lot more heat which makes it less than ideal for a lot of things.
Regular Argon based mixed gasses produce far less heat, but at the cost of
all out penetration which, for the most part, is just fine. While the
maximum thickness of the material it will handle is limited by how much work
you want to put in to the job at hand, the documentation that came with the
welder only lists recommended settings for 5mm thick mild steel.
That said, I've welded *much* thicker than that on a regular basis without
any problems at all, and only yesterday I was using the machine to weld some
20mm thick plates onto my ute tray to mount a tailgate loader using nothing
but good old Autocraft LW1 wire in .9 and Argoshield Universal as my
standard use shielding gas, and it handled it easily. The thickest material
I've ever welded with it in one pass doing nothing more elaborate than
putting a sufficient bevel on the butted edges has been 1 inch thich mild
steel, and that was for a towing eyelet on the back of a forklift. It was
*way* beyond the normal expected capacity of the machine, but it worked well
and as far as I know is still in place.
If I was doing anything like that (or bigger) on a regular basis I'd want a
bigger machine, but for my normal use (which is anything from sheetmetal up
to around half inch steel plate) this thing works exceptionally well.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
Ron
news:4906eb15$0$15685$c30e...@lon-reader.news.telstra.net:
Thanks Noddy,
I'll keep that info.
I have a cheap pathetic Arc and Mig Welder.
I'm going to replace them.
Cheers,
Ron
John_H
>
>If you happen to see a used transmig 250 going for around the grand
>mark, could you let me know? I'm pulling bullshit hours right now, which
>means I can afford to do things, but I can't find the time. I'll tip the
>balance back to deadshit eventually though.
>
>For that matter, if you see a transtig around for a good price, let me
>know too.
You can buy the compact 250 for around $1800 (GST included). I paid
very close to $2200 for a brand spanking remote feed model a few
months ago.
A traveller is essential for the type of work mine does.
--
John H
Noddy
"John_H" <john...@inbox.com> wrote in message
news:7n2fg4p6h3bvqe3ka...@4ax.com...
> You can buy the compact 250 for around $1800 (GST included). I paid
> very close to $2200 for a brand spanking remote feed model a few
> months ago.
Bastard :)
That's actually not a bad price considering I paid close to that for mine
ten years ago.
> A traveller is essential for the type of work mine does.
They're very handy, and becoming incresingly more desirable around this
place with every new day.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
Michael C
> Quite okay if all you want to do is steel, and for sheetmetal or exhausts
> they're brilliant.
>
> The main advantage is that DC inverter tigs are ridiculously cheap, and
> most of them give results that would put a mig worth four times the money
> to shame on anything up to around 5mm thick.
What is the speed like when welding?
Michael
Noddy
> What is the speed like when welding?
A little slower than mig, as you have to melt the base metal and add filler
to the weld pool as you go. It's actually the same as oxy welding, only
using electricity to generate heat rather than flame. However the overall
process is probably quicker as the welds are much neater and need no cleanup
when finished. They're also vastly superior to mig welds with much better
quality.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
Feral
Would you like that in *posted* or *conditions* format Mick?
;-)
--
Take Care. ~~
Feral Al ( @..@)
(\- ;-) -/)
((.>__oo__<.))
^^^ % ^^^
John McKenzie
aren't they a drama on alloy though?
atec77
> Noddy wrote:
>> "John McKenzie" <jmac_me...@bigpond.com> wrote in message
>> news:4906DA...@bigpond.com...
>>
>>> DC for tig though? I'm not that keen on that, though I'm not suggesting
>>> I've had enough experience with tig to make a definitive call.
>> Quite okay if all you want to do is steel, and for sheetmetal or exhausts
>> they're brilliant.
>>
>> The main advantage is that DC inverter tigs are ridiculously cheap, and most
>> of them give results that would put a mig worth four times the money to
>> shame on anything up to around 5mm thick.
>
> aren't they a drama on alloy though?
>
>
>
Noddy
> aren't they a drama on alloy though?
Only in as much as they don't work on alloy :)
DC Tig is only any good for steel or stainless, and you need AC for ally. If
all you're doing is steel (which is predominently what I do, and sheet-metal
in particular with mine), then DC is perfect. The advantage is that DC tigs
work fine, and are pretty cheap. For example, my little DC unit is a Chinese
inveter type rated at 200 amp with high and low frequency pulse, arc start
(which is essential if you want to avoid continually sharpening your
tungstens and produce nice clean welds) and cost 400 bucks brand new. The
cheapest AC tig of comparable spec is around 2 grand, with the only
difference being that the AC function allows you to weld aluminium.
I was in my local BOC on Friday getting some gas and mig parts when I looked
at their cheapest "brand name" AC/DC tig, which was a little Kempi inverter,
and it was on special for 5500 bucks. Nice welder, but you'd need to be
welding a shitload of ally to justify it.
I'm still looking for an AC tig to replace the Transtig 180 I lost years ago
after it got flooded, but the need isn't great enough for me to pay lots for
it.
--
Regards,
Noddy.
Noddy
> Alloy generally requires the addition of HF
It's not essential.
A lot of the older "scratch start" tigs used in industrial applications on
alloy aren't high frequency and they work pretty well. The problem with them
is that they're not particularly neat. If your welds are going to be dressed
up or aren't visible then you can life without it. However if you're going
to make fancy car parts like sheet-metal manifiolds with lots of raw exposed
welding that you want to look nice and pretty then it's a definite plus.
--
Regards,
Noddy.