good inverter bad inverter chinese inverter??

[oilcooled :)]

three welders all of interest which is best in terms of duty cycle and lastability. opinions please



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=130331868173&Category=11774


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIG-WELDER-MM...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item25573c928f


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIG-WELDER-MM...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item27acf9bc17

 

[weldequip]

A good Inverter costs 2-3 times more, so make your own mind up
weldequip

 

[Drains]

three welders all of interest which is best in terms of duty cycle and lastability. opinions please

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=130331868173&Category=11774

Poo

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIG-WELDER-MM...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item25573c928f

Poo

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIG-WELDER-MM...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item27acf9bc17

Also Poo.

 

[matt1978]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=130331868173&Category=11774

Poo

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIG-WELDER-MM...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item25573c928f

Poo

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIG-WELDER-MM...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item27acf9bc17

Also Poo.

To the point as always

 

[HughF]

I have a 125a chinese special, cost me just the wrong side of 100 quid. The only thing to have gone wrong is the power switch - £1.50 from farnell..... I have burnt boxes of Bohler Phoenix 6013 and Lincoln Fleetweld 5P+ with it.... when it blows up, I'll grab a new one...

These chinese inverters have they're place imho.

 

[Drains]

To be fair... I think the issue with many chinese welders is inconsistent quality, much like 1970s BL cars. A pot luck situation, and don't expect too much help from the supplier if you get a bad 'un. However, you might get a good 'un, for not many pounds (or euros)

 

[GeorgeB]

three welders all of interest which is best in terms of duty cycle and lastability. opinions please

You might not be surprised that my opinion is a bit different to the first few responses, based only on my own personal experience as well as the reasonably favourable review which one of my cheap inverters received from Malcolm and others at our meeting last year.

The inverter which I took to the arc welding get-together was a Wolf of about 80 amps. It still works well and has not yet gone wrong! For only about £50 or £60 I saw it as a bargain and I've already had my money's worth. I know it's not professional quality but it meets my needs. Wolf has now gone bust so it rules that model out but I bet the 3 models you list on eBay are of similar construction. Make sure you get a guarantee from a firm likely to honour it, though (if they don't go bust)!

I reckon the £150+ for those eBay units is equivalent to the £50 or £60 I paid, but times have changed.

I have another cheap inverter which also cost about £50. It's a Silverline 75A and it also works well but has had less use than the Wolf. You can see the 75A here, with other models:

http://www.silverlinetools.com/index.html?code=566839

The price of these inverters has also shot up since 2008. I suggest the Silverline units and backup may be safer than buying off eBay., That said, I'm not sure I'd be as happy taking a risk for £150+, as I was for £50, for exactly the same piece of kit.

 

[clem dog]

I have one of the giant 200 amp inverters. Ok to use away from the workshop on an extension lead off a 13 amp plug. DC is nice and they are easy to strike.

They seem cheap and probably are but dont forget, built to a price not a standard.
Factor in a set of decent length leads, earth clamp and electrode holder and they dont seem just so cheap anymore.

Dont know if I would buy one full price, if I had the choice would be inclined to buy a better one if mine goes tits up.

Suppose they have their place

Just my opinion!

Clem

 

[irondarren]

Did like the Cos power factor on one of those machines 0.85, dam i think i have had transformer welders that have had a better power factor than that. check the power factors on some thing like a lorch, a world of difference

 

[oilcooled :)]

well the giant plasma cutter went fairly very well for me i must say:P im stuck between a rock and a hard place

 

[Sam]

three welders all of interest which is best in terms of duty cycle and lastability. opinions please



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=130331868173&Category=11774


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIG-WELDER-MM...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item25573c928f


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIG-WELDER-MM...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item27acf9bc17

Keep well away from the last one, would make a great taning unit tho.

 

[GeorgeB]

Factor in a set of decent length leads, earth clamp and electrode holder and they dont seem just so cheap anymore.

My two inverters (£50 or £60 each in 2008) came with all these bits included in the price. The quality of these accessories is fully fit for purpose, in my opinion. The leads are not 5m long but neither are they on, for example, Clarke gear and I've never heard anyone register concern about that.

The seller of the last one (Giant MMA) says "Suitable for welding thin plate specially...Able to welding plate which thickness is from 0.3mm to 10mm"

Would I buy that inverter if the price was back to 2008 levels and I needed one? Yes. The brand and country of origin does not put me off. But to say you can arc (MMA) weld thin plate easily is, in my opinion, a gross misrepresentation, no matter which unit you have. I've had some partial success welding 0.8mm plate with an inverter which also goes down to 10A but you could never say it's easy. I'd like to see the seller join two pieces of 0.3mm steel with that welder. I doubt very much if he could do it. There's no mention of the need to add a TIG torch in his description.

 

[clem dog]

Factor in a set of decent length leads, earth clamp and electrode holder and they dont seem just so cheap anymore.


Yes George they do come with accsesories but they are not of great quality and the leads too short to be really useful.

So new leads, a decent earth clamp and electrode holder and you add a fair bit to the price.

Clem

 

[oilcooled :)]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/INVERTER-FUSI...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item56347a02e5


thats what i bought, seems like an excellent price, what ye think ?

 

[wyn]

Inverter fusion are supposed to be good. I was expecting to see a curved black plastic case though.

 

[oilcooled :)]

older model i think

 

[scarecrow]

looks good let us know what you think of it compared to the pickhill

 

[oilcooled :)]

i will but it wont see much use only bought it for portability reasons :O

 

[Bsmith]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/INVERTER-FUSI...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item56347a02e5


thats what i bought, seems like an excellent price, what ye think ?

Same make as mine, great welders, good luck with it oilcooled. Brian (",).

 

[GeorgeB]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/INVERTER-FUSI...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item56347a02e5
thats what i bought, seems like an excellent price, what ye think ?

Is that model actually designed and assembled by Inverter Fusion in Devon or could it be a range which they buy in from China?