Giant welders??

[CaptainCrash1971]

Does anybody have any experience with Giant welders. I'm looking at a 195 amp one and just wondered if anyone had used one. It's going to be a first welder for me to learn on. The place selling them carries full spares back up for them, and the price looks really good.
I'm not going to be doing any major work on it as my chassis is almost complete, just a couple of none structural brackets, and will hopefully be doing some wrought iron work for in the garden later.
Have looked at the ones that everyone recommends such as the Clarke ones, but can't justify paying 300 quid for something that won't see much action, and have had no luck finding a second hand one!

[CaptainCrash1971]

Forgot to mention, the welder costs £129, no idea if it's a good price or not

[james3004]

sounds like a bargin to me at £129!!!!
I presume 'giant' is the make as i've never heard of them

[gingea1pom]

OK I thought ‘Giant’ was meant in the physical sense. As my knowledge of all things welding is slight I kept quiet. A wise move me thinks.

Cheers Ginge

[CaptainCrash1971]

No, it's not a very big welder, or a welder for giants (I'm only 5'3") , it's a welder maunfacturer. Never heard anything about them, so am a bit dubious, but have had pretty good experience of some of these cheap manufacturers in the past, and it won't be getting used for hour after hour, day after day.

[Coozer]

I've heard some good reports about them but personally look at them as a cheap chinese copy.

Rather than take the risk I went for a Portamig 185 from weldequip on the mig welding forum. Check it out!

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/index.php

There's tons of resource on there and all the info you need and a few jolly good projects as well!

LG,
Steve

[Enoch]

Why do you want to go welding giants?

I'll get me coat........

I have a giant inverter / tig welder, it's the mutts nuts.

[aerosam]

I bought a Giant 200 amp TIG from ebay, it lasted for about 3/4 of the chassis welds till the gas solenoid valve stuck shut and the tungsten burned out almost instantly.

Couldn't get it replaced as it had come from China, and couldn't get the valve replaced as it was a crappy chinese copy part.

Lesson learned, don't buy cheap chinese, unless it comes with free prawn crackers. After that I was GIVEN a second hand SIP Handymig that has been faultless for the last 18 months no matter how much I abuse it.

[CaptainCrash1971]

Decided against the Giant, instead found a guy selling a Clarke 135te for 60 quid.
Initially it didn't appear to work, but after stripping it down and finding a problem with the wire feed, all appears fine. Being a novice welder I won't know if it works properly until I get someone to have a look at it. But it arcs and the wire feed seems to work, so can't see there being much wrong with it.

[spud69]

Originally Posted by Coozer

I've heard some good reports about them but personally look at them as a cheap chinese copy.

Rather than take the risk I went for a Portamig 185 from weldequip on the mig welding forum. Check it out!

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/index.php

There's tons of resource on there and all the info you need and a few jolly good projects as well!

LG,
Steve

I'd go with Coozer, even though expensive, i now have mine rigged upto to a 3-phase supply and produce some beautiful smooth welding with minimal splatter.

ps cc - will be doing your bits next week, has been a long slog catching up with everything.


Cheers...AndyH