Amazingly Cheap Welder

[Chris CrewParticipant @chriscrew66644]

I chanced upon this item on eBay earlier:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266489286316?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230906090541%26meid%3Dfc39842f818c4fa18661bf62108fee1b%26pid%3D101816%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D266489286316%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRelatedTopicsV2WithSimilarCategoriesPurchaseSuppression&_trksid=p4375194.c101816.m5063&_trkparms=parentrq%3A7c650ad318c0aab3d3af6f33fffe484a%7Cpageci%3A3e846ec0-9d8d-11ee-bc42-229073fea50e%7Ciid%3A2%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage

An amazingly cheap stick welder. It states in the description it is a TIG welder too but from the pictures I cannot see any facility to supply the argon gas but in any event its a very cheap welder. I know some people will dismiss this as Chinese junk but I have lots of ‘junk’ in my workshop and it all performs perfectly well and does what it says on the tin. In fact, I bought a similar product earlier this year at what I thought at the time was a very good price, although not as low this but it is equipped for MIG & TIG gas, and it has done everything I have asked of it.

Anyway, see what you think bearing in mind ‘caveat emptor’ but if I hadn’t already made the earlier purchase I would probably be clicking on the ‘buy it now’ button

 

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

It’s stick only

Too cheap really, like a very basic lidl stick welder

At least with a Lidl job you get a decent guarantee

If anyone wants to do easy stick welding don’t get less than 200 Amps

My early learning centre welders gave me a hard time because there isn’t enough heat to clear the slag out properly unless you go 180 Amps plus

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

I have to disagree with Ady on the need for 200+ amps for easy stick welding ! The open circuit voltage could be said to make life easier rather than huge amps. I have one very similar to this which is fine for small work, another inverter unit that is 175A I use for bigger stuff. 2 oil cooleds at 110A and 180A, 2 MIGs at 160A and 180A and a 3 phase MIG at 375A, though this last one will go down to doing car body repairs, as well as blow the edge off a 1/2″ girder if you wish !

SIZE may matter but knowing what to do with it is better, also being able to weld properly is important

At that price if it gets you out of a hole then money well spent ! The construction may not be great but a few simple mods like good connections to be able to take the current or beefing up tracks with solder are worth the effort. Note that the duty cycle is only 40% !

If you want to use it on TIG you will need Gas, a regulator, and a TIG torch kit. This will cost more than the welder. It will be scratch start.   Noel.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Chris, the Argon gas doesn’t have to be supplied via the welding machine, although it is more convenient for supplying it to the touch only during welding, and of course it will be a touch and lift to get the arc started. It won’t be any good for aluminium TIG welding though.

Regards Nick.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Proper tig welders are actually quite advanced and have extra knobs for varying the voltage, pulse duration etc

A decent tig machine can probbly be used as a very good stick welder, and prduce a better more stable arc etc

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

This Old Tony

did a review of something similar, including successfully Tig welding with it. But …

it only made around half the rated output current

it had a low open circuit voltage

it had no chassis earth wire (!)

The listed item may be different, but a lot of similar reviews of similar units highlight similar issues, so I would pass on one of these.

Nigel B.

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Most of the inverter welders have the TIG ability so you just have to buy the extra TIG torch etc. my machine Mart one certainly does.

I don’t think I have even used it at full power as the stuff I weld tend to be reasonably thin and having 200plus amps would just melt right through the work. Lower amps also means you can simply plug into a household 13amp socket

[Ady1]

On Ady1 Said:

Proper tig welders are actually quite advanced and have extra knobs for varying the voltage, pulse duration etc

A decent tig machine can probbly be used as a very good stick welder, and prduce a better more stable arc etc

They also have a lot of extra £’s added to them as well.

Regards Nick.

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