Choosing a mig welder

danny1888

Hi all looking at a swp 280/4 plant but reading a lot about in being made in China , I want a plant that will last a while and want 280amps single phase

So does any one have experience with this plant or any suggestions on another make , bare in mind I want to spend up to 1k

kay 9

I'd keep an eye for a second hand miller or esab instead. 1k should be a good budget

T5180

It is going to be difficult to buy a welding plant in this range that is not made in China or has Chinese components .There is some good Chinese equipment out there but I have seen a new TIG and a New Plasma unit bought online which needed repairs straight out of the box before they would work correctly .
I was in a similar situation two years ago when choosing a single phase 300 A unit for a client and went with Parweld , when the machine gave trouble six months out of warranty the service was deplorable and it cost €300 for replacement parts alone, never again .
I would not dismiss Draper , I know of a 180 amp MIG which gave good service for years and parts are not a problem .
A quick search online shows Oxford in the UK do a 300A for about £1000 stg. never used one but the company has been making Oil filled stick units for decades. I would ask if they are still manufactured in the Uk and what the spares availability is before buying . oxfordwelders.co.uk/singlephasemig.html
Make sure to check the duty cycle as this will give an indication on the quality of the internal components and design , the higher the duty cycle the better. Also check that the torch consumables are available locally .
Good Luck .

danny1888

The swp duty c is quite good , but getting mixed info , some people are saying there a good make and been told that particular plant is made in China but their other plants are not, and that's why it's cheaper than the eg. 271

Desolation Of Smug

Trawl ebay uk for a used 1ph Kempi. Nothing else comes close. Even the tiniest looking Kempi will eat other makes for breakfast. I have a little porta-mig that runs off 13amp - a doll of a welder. I have big feck off 3 phase ones too, but that little 13amp welder is just brilliant. Literally no downside. Kempi do good welder.

ubs69

How about a porta mig ,hand built in Britain , lads raving about them

T5180

Portamig dont appear to do a 300A , but the specification and build quality looks excellent , and the price is good too.