Welder for body metal

dgc333 said
I certainly due know what duty cycle is and the Lincoln I mentioned is rated for continious use which to me means 100%. In any case I have had the thermal breaker trip on my neighbors Clarke when using it and have never had the breaker trip on my Lincoln.

I understand. I thought you did because I've seen you talk about in other posts. But I can almost garrantee you with 100% certainty that if that Clarke was havin problems, somethin was wrong with it. It wasn't because it was a Clarke that it was malfunctioning.

dgc333 said
Also, a number of years ago I took a course in welding and the last couple of weeks of the class I used all the different 120 volt mig welders the school had (Lincoln and Miller brands) figuring that if that was what I was going to own I should get as much practice with them as I could and understand the differences. I never had the thermal breaker trip on any of those either.

Agreed. If you can afford the price tag, go for it. BUT remember on even those that if you're lookin for somethin American made, you better look CLOSE.

dgc333 said
Now, my neighbors Clarke may very well have something wrong with it, he purchased it used too. But that does not change the fact that parts are not readily available for them. The two welding supply houses near where I live do not have any parts for them at all. One of the places knew of them the other place had never heard of them. Both of those places sold Lincoln and Miller products and had parts for Hobart.

Really? That's surprising to me. They have the same torch and spools as comparable models in other brands. That stuff is kinda universal. We have a big weldin outfit in Macon and they actually sell a lot of different makes including Clarke. Industrial Welding down on Broadway.

dgc333 said
To the original poster: Before making the decision to buy this welder check around to your local welding supply houses and see if they have at least the normal wear items; tips, hoods, drive rolls for differnent wire sizes, torches. You can get this stuff on line but it certainly is an inconvience. Also, if you need repair parts like a wire feed motor, or voltage control board you will be stuck dealing directly with the company in the UK. Clarke welders are imported by retail suppliers and they do not have a presence in the US.

Yeah and I'll go a step further. See what's popular in YOUR area. Because from what Dave is sayin, it looks like not every brand is stocked everywhere. Maybe one brand is more popular than another where you live.