aldi buzz box

[pondy]

has any one tried the new arc welder at aldi. Its marked at 40 -100a and can be used on a 13 amp plug. I planned on getting this and some branded rods just to give arc a go. I have never arc welded before but fancy giving it a go, is this any good for learning before splashing the cash on a good set? Don't want to spend a load on money only to find im no good!

 

[cumbriasteve]

It will weld and was in my local Aldi at the reduced price of £19.99 at the weekend, which is a bargain.

it is obviously not as good as other more expensive welders but many of us learnt the skill on similar machines and at the price it can always sit there as a back up if you enjoy the hobby and move into better equipment.

 

[super noob]

Duty cycle is non existent but welds nice enough, my mate got one to do small jobs with and I tripped the overheat twice after trying to do a pair of vertical welds on 3mm plate

 

[PTvor]

It's 40 to 80A I recall, so much less of a machine than the previous one. Also, it doesn't say it's got a fan, so it probably hasn't, and so has a terrible duty cycle.

The problem with learning with something like that is that you need practice, which means burning lots of rods, and since they overheat after two or three rods and you have to wait 10 to 15 minutes for them to cool down, it's frustrating and there's a lot of wasted time.

However, you could argue that a lot of very useful jobs only involve laying down a few inches of weld, and if you had to pay someone to do them, it would cost far more than that welder, or they'd be a bodge with nuts and bolts, or they just wouldn't be done.

I think you'd do better to look out for a second hand buzz box, the older the better, on ebay or the local boot sales, or better still save your pennies up and buy an inverter.

 

[BrokenBiker]

my missus father bought one when they were on offer for repairing his gates after everytime the local drunks broke them.

he is a welder and he threw it in the bin after 2 days. I used it and it seemed ok but personally I would prefer a second hand unit of fleabay with a fan and maybe a few more amps

 

[rich r]

Hold out and see if their 160A one comes back in, it's a much better unit, with a decent fan. I've burned several 2.5mm rods one after the other and not tripped the thermal cutout on mine. Only downside is that it really needs a 16A or higher feed, so if you choose to put a 13A plug on it, you've got to remember to keep the power down below about 110A. Or go for a second hand inverter if you're serious about arc welding. I only use my to fix gates and bits and garden equipment - a task it's very well suited to though.

 

[bill_gj]

has any one tried the new arc welder at aldi. Its marked at 40 -100a and can be used on a 13 amp plug. I planned on getting this and some branded rods just to give arc a go. I have never arc welded before but fancy giving it a go, is this any good for learning before splashing the cash on a good set? Don't want to spend a load on money only to find im no good!

My local Aldi has a few plunge cutters that take about a 4" blade and are supposed to be usable on metal, wood and tile. 20mm max depth of cut - anyone bought one?

 

[cumbriasteve]

My local Aldi has a few plunge cutters that take about a 4" blade and are supposed to be usable on metal, wood and tile. 20mm max depth of cut - anyone bought one?

Got the same one under a different brand name and they certainly have their uses, however they are not serious metal cutting machine, ok for hidden nails etc.

The tile cutter is also not much good, great for removing grout though, regarding woodwork.. this is where they are certainly good, laying some flooring the other week was a breeze, the cutter simply took 10mm from the bottom of the door frames with ease, so worth having without a doubt but has limitations.

 

[bill_gj]

Thanks Steve - I have plasterboard and cursed chipboard flooring to replace. Might be worth a punt then?

 

[brightspark]

Thanks Steve - I have plasterboard and cursed chipboard flooring to replace. Might be worth a punt then?

and heres where u can get all the blades the cheapest http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_t...0.Xsaxt&_nkw=saxton+blades&_sacat=0&_from=R40

 

[cumbriasteve]

Thanks Steve - I have plasterboard and cursed chipboard flooring to replace. Might be worth a punt then?

Yes for that purpose it's a good tool, I also bought the exact kit from ebay mentioned in brightsparks reply.

I used mine yesterday to notch out some UPVC windowsills, made a good job of them with nice clean cuts.