How is this welder

i agree, i'd look at miller, lincoln and hobart.

Clarke isn't really a bad brand, per say, but its not built as well as some other brands. But the biggest point I want to make, is that a 110 welder is not sufficient for doing frame work. You need a 220 welder, even if its a low end welder. Its even more important if you are not an experienced welder. Personally, I would look into the Miller 180. You won't regret ti and it will do anything you need and you probably won't ever upgrade. The Hobart 180 is about the same thing, however it has a more limited heat and wire speed selection. Thats really the only difference between Miller and Hobart now. Personally, I would stay away from Lincoln machines of that size, unless you can find one used that is about 10 years old. Lincolns quality on the low end welders has really dropped off over the years. However once you get up in the 300 to 500 range their welders are simply flawless.

Regardless of what you get, upgrade the gun as soon as you can afford it. None of the low end welders come with a quality gun. Look into Tweco or Bernard.

My Miller was about $650 new. Thats cheap for a quality welder. Period.

and when you have such a small welder you should be using flux core wire with no gas when welding on thick stuff. the gas is to allow you to weld on thin stuff and to help purify the weld. once you get in to the bigger welders you want to use the gas at all times.



-justin

Is this a better welder and a good deal? I think it might even have free shipping.

nice welder! thats what you wanna pick up dude.

Thats the one. Just get rid of the gun ASAP.

this is the welder i just picked up -

lincoln power mig 255c
I've used 3 or 4 different versions of the 255 ranging from my dad's thats prolly like ten years old, to a fairly newer one at school, to another fairly new one at work every day, and now this 2007 model 255c(my new toy at home). they are all excelent machines in my opinion. we've got 8 or so of them at the shop i work at and they never have problems. used for sheetmetal, frames, and random crap.
This is a write up from lincoln's website:
Consider the new Power MIG 255C, which replaces existing Power MIG 255 models, for these great features:

Continuous Voltage Control
Dial in exactly the right heat input for demanding applications.

Diamond Core Technologyâ„¢
Delivers great arc starting, low spatter, a wide sweet spot and outstanding performance on stainless and aluminum.

Patented Split Wire Guide System
100% wire support through the drive system for trouble-free wire delivery.

Industrial Drive System
Rugged cast housing with brass-to-brass gun connection for better connectivity and a separate drive gear for improved motor reliability.

Spool Gun Ready - Two Top Choices
Now with Second Gas Solenoid -- Built-in on the front panel for easy Spool Gun use!
Display preset Voltage and Wire Feed Speed when using the Prince® XL spool gun!
Chose economical Magnum® SG or premium Prince® XL spool guns.
Both guns feature wire feed speed setting at the gun.

115 VAC Auxiliary Power!
Power lights, grinders or tool battery chargers at your workstation!