Tanshanomi
Well-known member
When Clarke went under a couple years back, several people assured me that the Italian manufacturer was still up and running, and they expected somebody to eventually pick up parts distribution in the U.S. Well, it's been two years, and I can't find anybody here or overseas to source repair parts from. Anybody have a source, or know if the factory in Italy is still viable?
I'm asking because the Miller feeding frenzy got me thinking more seriously about a small 110 welder, and there are still some left-over Clarkes available. Northern Tool has an 85 amp model with a spool gun for $299. I'm considering it because I want to learn to weld aluminum, and this whole outfit is not a whole lot more than just a Miller spool gun by itself. And when (or if) I step up to a larger welder at some point, I could still have aluminum capability with the little one.
I don't do a whole lot of fabrication now, so I can't justify anything higher priced, but it's a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg syndrome: it's been a while since I've done any welding, and I mostly want something small to keep in practice and hone my skills until I really have a legit reason to wire the garage for 220 and buy a "real" welder someday.
Even if new parts aren't available, I still might go for it and gamble that I won't need to do any repairs soon. It won't see a tremendous amount of use.
I'm asking because the Miller feeding frenzy got me thinking more seriously about a small 110 welder, and there are still some left-over Clarkes available. Northern Tool has an 85 amp model with a spool gun for $299. I'm considering it because I want to learn to weld aluminum, and this whole outfit is not a whole lot more than just a Miller spool gun by itself. And when (or if) I step up to a larger welder at some point, I could still have aluminum capability with the little one.
I don't do a whole lot of fabrication now, so I can't justify anything higher priced, but it's a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg syndrome: it's been a while since I've done any welding, and I mostly want something small to keep in practice and hone my skills until I really have a legit reason to wire the garage for 220 and buy a "real" welder someday.
Even if new parts aren't available, I still might go for it and gamble that I won't need to do any repairs soon. It won't see a tremendous amount of use.
