200A hobby welder on kickstarter

[irn_bru_ce]

Kickstarter Link

Just wondered if anybody had any opinions of this 5 in 1 machine, seems to have picked up quite a bit of interest on kickstarter with 4100 buyers already. I suppose it would be handy for keeping set ups small for infrequent DIY use, especally with the plasma ability, but maybe its putting too many eggs in 1 basket to rely on a single machine for everything.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Um..
Specs look like any cheap generic machines.

Plus you have to pledge $550 to get a $450 discount?
And that's against a list price that it's probably never going to sell for anyway.

I wud rather spend a fraction of that money on a barge pole that I would use to not touch that thing with.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Also, and maybe I am just being a bit cinical...
Out of the 4k+ backers there are only 23 questions about it and all the questions are about how to pay for it.
Nobody has asked what feed rollers it comes with or anything like that?

 

[Memmeddu]

I would rather prefer to buy multiple dedicated cheap units
A stick /Tig welder
A mig welder
A plasma cutter

For DIY use you'll probably going to need just the mig welder
And nowadays practically every inverter unit has stick capabilities

Later down the road a plasma cutter or a light weight stick welder

 

[hermetic]

A jack of all machines, or master of none?, the more complex any machine is, the more it costs to repair, and the less reliable itwill be! these kickstarter things can be just a moneymaking scam, with most of the ppl who are supposed to have signed up for one turning out to be ghosts to make others think it is legit. Mind your fingers!, if they don't raise enough money to build them, do you get a refund? Will all the boards come from china? how good is the warranty? All just words at the moment!

 

[Tom Orrow L]

There’s a reason you won’t find a worth their salt welding distributor stocking or selling multi process welding machines that include a plasma cutter. It’s because they’re prone to breakages due to how complicated they are and that they’re usually only manufactured by mostly unknown factories in China who’ll stick just about any paint and name on the side of it as long as they meet their minimum order quantity.

Backup and after-care in the UK will be non-existent, too.

 

[MetalMonkey]

No HF start or AC on Tig?

It's a no from me.