Mattycoops43
Member
- Messages
- 119
- Location
- Newport, South Wales
Hi peeps.
I have a question, but I would like to give some context. I know you get what you pay for, and I know most cheap stuff is rubbish.
BUT-I have gone self employed, and can only justify or afford certain budgets for certain things. I am simply not earning enough money yet to go and spend hundreds on tools. I am reasonably well set up so far, but always looking for things that will help. I am mainly servicing and repairing boat trailers, and doing some minor fab jobs. A lot of it is modifying boat trailers to fit certain boats.
So, I have a SIP 130t that I have done all the mods to, and it welds pretty well. I used to do mostly car stuff, so it was all thin sheet, but I am now mostly working on 3-5mm cutting and joining bits of tube. The SIP works ok up to about setting 4, then the limitations of a 13A plug start to interfere.
I was thinking of picking up an ARC welder (I used to do stick welding years ago) and was looking around and saw the very small inverter welders coming over from China. Now, I am highly sceptical, it all looks far too good to be true. (I also know it doesn't eliminate the 13A plug issue) But, when they are on offer for £60, and weigh 2.5kg, it would be a whole lot easier than carrying a whole big Mig and gas bottle around, I thought it might be worth investigating.
I found this review:
(nothing to do with me, I am genuinely just an interested potential customer)
He is a down to earth Aussie, and he really rates it. I am just thinking it might be a nice little bit of kit to chuck in the van for the odd bit of repair work?
My experience of buying electrical components from China is that they are quite capable of specing stuff to be very good, but models/manufacturers vary hugely, so if you can find the model that is being made, or has been designed to a good spec, then they can be very good value. ( I used to buy electric brushless motors from China).
So, I know it will not be anything like a top end welder, but I suppose I am asking, has anyone tried one for themselves? Is it going to work enough to do bits of work, hopefully to earn me enough money to buy some nicer kit? Or is it a total waste of time? Am I better off picking up an old full size ARC welder as they seem to be going for not much.
I have a question, but I would like to give some context. I know you get what you pay for, and I know most cheap stuff is rubbish.
BUT-I have gone self employed, and can only justify or afford certain budgets for certain things. I am simply not earning enough money yet to go and spend hundreds on tools. I am reasonably well set up so far, but always looking for things that will help. I am mainly servicing and repairing boat trailers, and doing some minor fab jobs. A lot of it is modifying boat trailers to fit certain boats.
So, I have a SIP 130t that I have done all the mods to, and it welds pretty well. I used to do mostly car stuff, so it was all thin sheet, but I am now mostly working on 3-5mm cutting and joining bits of tube. The SIP works ok up to about setting 4, then the limitations of a 13A plug start to interfere.
I was thinking of picking up an ARC welder (I used to do stick welding years ago) and was looking around and saw the very small inverter welders coming over from China. Now, I am highly sceptical, it all looks far too good to be true. (I also know it doesn't eliminate the 13A plug issue) But, when they are on offer for £60, and weigh 2.5kg, it would be a whole lot easier than carrying a whole big Mig and gas bottle around, I thought it might be worth investigating.
I found this review:
(nothing to do with me, I am genuinely just an interested potential customer)
He is a down to earth Aussie, and he really rates it. I am just thinking it might be a nice little bit of kit to chuck in the van for the odd bit of repair work?
My experience of buying electrical components from China is that they are quite capable of specing stuff to be very good, but models/manufacturers vary hugely, so if you can find the model that is being made, or has been designed to a good spec, then they can be very good value. ( I used to buy electric brushless motors from China).
So, I know it will not be anything like a top end welder, but I suppose I am asking, has anyone tried one for themselves? Is it going to work enough to do bits of work, hopefully to earn me enough money to buy some nicer kit? Or is it a total waste of time? Am I better off picking up an old full size ARC welder as they seem to be going for not much.