Clarke Weld 145ED Arc Welder

The Clarke Weld 145ED is a small arc welder, which is better suited to heavier fabricating jobs than a hobby MIG, given the higher current output.

Out of the box, the build quality is obvious - strong steel construction, which can take a lot of abuse. Supplied with the welder is a plastic or fibre facemask, and a combined wire brush/chipping pick.

The instructions are comprehensive, a good point given that arc welding is a difficult skill to master, compared with the relatively easy MIG.

The 145ED will take rods up to 3.25mm, ideal for DIY and semi-professional fabricating jobs. Another handy feature of this machine is the dual voltage facility, meaning that the welder will operate on 110 or 240 volts - which may prove useful in a construction site.

These welders are available from Machine Mart, priced very reasonably at the eighty pound mark. Also available at the same price is the 145 Turbo, a 240v welder with cooling fan, which considerably extends the duty cycle of the machine, meaning less time waiting for the welder to cool down. The Turbo version may prove better to some people, but the dual voltage of the ED model makes it a very handy machine.