like this

http://store.ineedparts.com/store/viewitem.asp?idProduct=2784

or do I just pony up the extra 250 for a hobart 175?

There made in Italy. My buddy has one and the only place for parts is from the factory rep on the east coast.

I had one, worked very well and uses standard Tweco consumables.

Is that the same brand they sell at tractor supply? I see drill presses and parts washers made by Clarke there.

Ill let you know on the 29th. Thats when mine (180 mig) will be here. Got mine from .here (http://store.weldingdepot.com/cgi/weldingdepot/WE6524.html) $308 I spent 380 w/ accessorys and shipping.

a few differences I noticed:

mig cord length: hobart 10ft/clarke 6ft

duty cycle: hobart 30%/clarke 20%

regulator and gas hose: hobart included/clarke about $50 more

oh, and:


heat settings: hobart 4/clarke 6

I had a 150 clarke mig 220V and I wore it out fairly quickly. I got frustrated finding parts so a bought a different welder. I also didnt like the way you have to choose your voltages, high\low, A\B, it is handier to have an infinite knob so you can fine tune your arc. I'd save my money and get the Hobart, its made by Miller.:)

the Hobart only has 4 heat adjustments, even worse than the Clarke. I have used a Hobart 175, and this was a huge problem in my opinion. Wasn't nearly as nice as the Miller 250x at the place I used to work at :D

I have a clark and I argee with everything said above.

My buddy has a 90A Clarke, just a little one but it's set up for gas. He needed a new gun and had to special order it, it very well may have been from the east coast supplier mentioned above. Otherwise it seems to work.

From what I've seen Clarke is lower end stuff, just based upon the prices for most of their power tools. They're sold on some of the "generic" tool trucks, at least around here. Personally I'd avoid it.

EDIT: here's the catalog for the "generic" tool truck (most of their prices are WAY inflated, but they have a whole line of Clarke stuff:

http://www.toolweb.com/manlistdev.cfm?listman=Clarke%20Power%20Products%2 0Inc&strtrec=1

I believe the printed catalog even has Clarke roll-a-ways (tool chests) and they're MUCH cheaper than Waterloo, etc... leading me to believe their quality is lacking. There's cheap and then there's cheap..........

I had that 180EN and had never could find tips locally. They also use a strange size gas hose that is a bear to find regulators for. I used mine with flux core wire and got OK results, but eventually changed over to a bigger machine to get more power.

I have one (180EN 220V) W gas I have no complants yeah its no Cadillac but for the fab I do it works fine, as long as you know how to weld, consumables are off the shelf around hear,

A good tip thow is use a ear plug as a wiper on the wire before it enters the feeder so they last longer, I use it about 2-3 times a week,

I said it before but I have seen lots of people buy $1000.00 + machens and yet they cant weld worth a shit :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

hears some examples of what the machen is capable of doing

http://imageshack.us/files/pad1.JPG

traler parts

http://imageshack.us/files/weld1.JPG


making dads boat traler about 2-3 years ago
I have a way beter helmet now ;)

http://imageshack.us/files/me welding.JPG

Originally posted by jays68yak
I have a clark and I argee with everything said above.

Which part one

I had one, worked very well and uses standard Tweco consumables.

or the

I had a 150 clarke mig 220V and I wore it out fairly quickly. I got frustrated finding parts so a bought a different welder. I also didnt like the way you have to choose your voltages, high\low, A\B, it is handier to have an infinite knob so you can fine tune your arc. I'd save my money and get the Hobart, its made by Miller.


Oh and TRed, when you say had, did you upgrade? or just didn't want a welder anymore.

The Clarke welders are very popular here in the UK.
I've had mine for a few years, I've never been very happy with it, only seems to work half decent at high amps and wirespeeds.
The wire speed fluctuates badly on mine, making a decent arc impossible.
I've changed a few consumables, but now I've thrown in the towel and ordered one of these
http://www.axminster.co.uk/default.asp?part=06515
Albeit cheaper through eBay.
I'm expecting great things :-)

I had the 130 amp before giving it to my father after I bought a Hobart. The only thing I really did not like about it was the short leads. Made it a real pain to do many tasks. Otherwise, it was good enough for what I used it for. (Bumpers, sheet, and basically anything 3/16" and lower)

Originally posted by Gary E




Oh and TRed, when you say had, did you upgrade? or just didn't want a welder anymore. I bought a 220 Lincoln and a Ready welder, so I sold the Clarke. I wish I had it still, it worked very well in my workshop, and I liked the welds it made on my projects. Yea the settings were a bit tuff to set right, but as long as the duty cycle was not exceeded, the unit welded without glitching or having problems. My Lincoln gets the job done too, but the Clarke seemed to weld cleaner and more consistant on small stuff under 1/4 inch. On another note though, I bought a Clarke grinder, and it was shit from day one!:D

I have the 180EN use it with flux core right now because all my welding is outside. Only thing I hate is the short whip. Other than that it works well for the price.