Single phase stick welding

[Retired]

Hi,

I have Parweld Tig for my aluminium and an oil cooled 180a Pickhill Bantam for my steel; I would never recommend an oil cooled welder for site work; it's just too heavy to move around; it took two of us to lift the bantam into and out of the car when I bought it. My welding is done in my workshop hence the bantam is an excellent welder for me. I have the Bantam on a 32A circuit protected by a "C" type breaker.

Duty cycle is important and has already been mentioned.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[oilcooled :)]

Fronius transpocket, lorch or ewm. oilcooled are fine but there a lot harder on power and your working of a stepped current system with big jumps in power between gears, also no hotstart, and long leads are a must which cost a fortune you need 60 feet leads with oil cooled.

 

[doubleboost]

I have just reviewed a small R Tech unit
It amazed me both weight size and duty cycle

 

[Memmeddu]

I have just reviewed a small R Tech unit
It amazed me both weight size and duty cycle

My stamos too amazed me 2 hours non stop running 3.2 E7018s rods while resurfacing some plates .
But even if it's a small good welder ,I wouldn't recommend it to everyone.
I've had to replace electrode holder , ground clamp,power cord and plug .
And now it's going to need to check connections again (electrode holder, ground clamp,dinse connectors)

 

[Feet 'n Inches]

If I couldn't house safely an oil-cooled welder with enough power to run 4 mm rods at the site, then I think I'd opt for an inverter with an equivalent level of power; as has been said, much easier to cart around.

 

[Munkul]

FYI a true 160 amps DC inverter is enough to run 4.0mm, but 180 will give you more headroom and duty cycle.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Why would anyone reccomend an oilcooled AC welder for paying site work?

The OP didn't actually say that was in his future plan(s), just that it was for a self-build project.

Without knowing what facilities he has at present for the project, it's difficult to say.

 

[Munkul]

The OP didn't actually say that was in his future plan(s), just that it was for a self-build project.

Without knowing what facilities he has at present for the project, it's difficult to say.

My bad, I misread the OP and thought he was putting buildings up as a business

I'd still have a DC inverter though.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

My bad, I misread the OP and thought he was putting buildings up as a business

I'd still have a DC inverter though.

You may well be right in the long run, as he may diversify into that line of work - who knows?
Also your recommendation re suitable machine type could well be the more suited.

 

[duncans]

an 180 amp oilcooled would be good. you can pick them up for less than a ton sometimes . you can burn rods with them all day long

they are a great machine but they are heavy buggers they are one thing you will not see anyone trying to steal it running down road with it hahaaaa

 

[brightspark]

they are a great machine but they are heavy buggers they are one thing you will not see anyone trying to steal it running down road with it hahaaaa

i have mine on wheels but have long heavy leads on it. its ideal for static use and who cares if it uses a bit more juice than an inverter its not running 24 seven

 

[Memmeddu]

i have mine on wheels but have long heavy leads on it. its ideal for static use and who cares if it uses a bit more juice than an inverter its not running 24 seven

Theorycally a transformer has 90% efficiency

 

[duncans]

Theorycally a transformer has 90% efficiency

they produce a loverly arc I've noticed when I used mine

 

[duncans]

Hi,

I have Parweld Tig for my aluminium and an oil cooled 180a Pickhill Bantam for my steel; I would never recommend an oil cooled welder for site work; it's just too heavy to move around; it took two of us to lift the bantam into and out of the car when I bought it. My welding is done in my workshop hence the bantam is an excellent welder for me. I have the Bantam on a 32A circuit protected by a "C" type breaker.

Duty cycle is important and has already been mentioned.

Kind regards, Colin.

I'm 63 and I managed to lift the pickhill bantam into my car haha as it was a lady I purchased it off as her hubby had died so I couldn't ask her to help I went 1 a 2a 3a then up hahaaaa i did it

 

[duncans]

I could life ours too, but really dislike doing so, now if I got another good one on the cheap, I could forgive myself for
lifting it, otherwise, inverter is fine for me.

try taking it up 10 flight of stairs hahaha now that's a challenge geez

 

[Retired]

Hi,

I'm a 6' tall bean pole and a ten stone weakling so could only manage to tip the Bantam welder in order to get it into the base of it's new welding trolley which is on wheels. Many years ago my chum at work told me I looked like I'd been through a famine to which I replied he looked as though he'd caused the famine.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[duncans]

Hi,

I'm a 6' tall bean pole and a ten stone weakling so could only manage to tip the Bantam welder in order to get it into the base of it's new welding trolley which is on wheels. Many years ago my chum at work told me I looked like I'd been through a famine to which I replied he looked as though he'd caused the famine.

Kind regards, Colin.

hahaha hey you do well I've seen the garden you did you did a fantastic job colin

 

[Barking Mat]

Time and a place for everything, can't beat reliability and duty cycle of an oil filled.

But, as said you can't sling it over your shoulder.

Depends on application.

More from detail from OP, ideally.

 

[brightspark]

nearly every farmer ive seen has one along with knocked off oxyacetylene gas welding gear ici must have lost dozens of bottles as they were allways scattered about on site just laying there to be borrowed was easy to hire one set between 3 of you and share the cost of rental and get the others swapped on the one ticket till they ringed and bar coded the bottles

 

[nickk]

Regards the CE (shortly to be replaced with UKNI),that will only apply,if he’s placing the frame on the market for sale as a product,unless he can prove it’s a one off,not many insurers know about cE marking BTW.