Advice on reselling price of "as new" Thermal Arc 185; Tig, stick, HF.

[Bobbin]

Hi can anyone help please. I bought this welder, a Thermal Pro-Wave Arc TIG unit after seeing and using one whilst working in the states. It is a single phase 240v 50hz version on a large 13amp plug. My idea was that I would use it in my retirement to earn a few 'bob', but at 17kg for the unit and the weight of the bottles (if I had any) was too much for a knackered spine.
I have never used the TIG side of the welder so the gun tubes etc and three sizes of nozzles are all new. I only used the stick function and this was less than about 20 mins in total. The gas was about £180+ to set-up with BOC and, as my wife put it, "you can get a lot of welding for that price"
It has a good pedigree if you look at the words about it on the internet .... but basically its got to go, as I have just bought a new Thermal Arc Inverter stick welder at 6kg! I am going to put it on Ebay in the next few weeks, but what do I put as the reserve price and what can i expect for it....I have not a clue. It must be at least 10yrs old but as new.....Can anyone help please ...in Hope Bob

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Stick it on ebay, for a machine of that quality around that age but in good condition you'll get around £300/£350 for it.

 

[Robotstar5]

If you 'sell' the BOC gas bottle with the welder, expect to carry on paying the rental.

The bottle isn't yours, you didn't buy it and you're not contractually allowed to sell it/pass it on to someone else.

The way I read it, the cost of gas was too much so the welder is up for sale (without any gas) to be replaced with a stick only unit?

 

[Bobbin]

If you 'sell' the BOC gas bottle with the welder, expect to carry on paying the rental.

The bottle isn't yours, you didn't buy it and you're not contractually allowed to sell it/pass it on to someone else.

You do however own the gas, but I don't fancy your chances of getting it out of the bottle into carrier bags


Edit: there's no such thing as a 'large' 13A plug btw, it's either 13A or it isn't.

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No I dont have the welding gas bottle.. that is the sole reason why it hasn't been used, Re "large" 13 amp plug, sorry but there are plugs with small cable entry and those with large. As the mains supply cable is 16mm dia it HAS to be physically big £350 is a bit of a sad resell price as it cost me about £1400 new ..Bob

Mod Edit: Unsafe electrical details removed

 

[Bobbin]

The way I read it, the cost of gas was too much so the welder is up for sale (without any gas) to be replaced with a stick only unit?

Yes 100% correct ... the new inverter welder turned up yesterday and it looks like the small brother of the one for sale (same make) but this one is so portable and hence usable fore with the bent back!

 

[Richard.]

Hi Bobbin.
This is by the sound of it one of the sanrex machines that was once badged up TA by victor technologies. Yes they are simply superb units built by Panasonic. High end gear all the way.
Unfortunately your sale paid price of well over a grand isn't that relavent here which is a shame as they are top class but the reason why is they ain't that common any more, they are not that well supported in the UK now since victor don't use sanrex now and only people who know them for what they are will see it's true value. (Not many people know of them too well) taking all this into account it's not going to fetch much over £400. They tend to sit on eBay for months priced up high and not sell.
The other thing as well your up against the fact that everybody wants an ACDC nowadays and they can be bought so affordable under the same brand as your unit which makes it difficult to shift a dc only priced close to a new Acdc.
It's a shame because the sanrex gear was/is top gear and worth every penny. I hope you get a good return on it.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Just a friendly reminder:

Any mention of non standard electrical practices will always be deleted, please remember someone with little or no knowledge may copy what they read thinking it is normal practice, leaving property or even life at risk.

Thank you.

 

[Bobbin]

Just a friendly reminder:

Any mention of non standard electrical practices will always be deleted, please remember someone with little or no knowledge may copy what they read thinking it is normal practice, leaving property or even life at risk.

Thank you.

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Yes I do realise that it was a bit foolish to state in a public domain something that is strictly not allowed, but widely carried out in practice. I have been a research electrical engineer for 40 years (20 for the MOD) and a 13amp socket is heavily over engineered. If you look at the simple two pin plugs as used in Europe and especially Greece (where I used to live) there is no fuse in the plug and very often work forever at a lot more than 13amp and with an electrical contact surface area far less than the UK standard 13Aplug. A normal 2.5mm cabled ring main, feeding a twin 13amp socket will actually supply 40 amps without overheating.

 

[Bobbin]

If a 13a socket/plug is so overengineered, why do they melt?

And, it's very brave of you to state that a normal ring main will supply 40 amps without overheating, like with not knowing the environment of every single install in the country. They're fused at 32A not 40A for a reason.

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They melt because people dont tighten up the wire clamp screw correctly and an old practice (now stopped) of tinning the lead ends with lead, which in time "flows" and loosens the connection ....hence PAP testing. but what's all this got to do with welding anyway ?