Jasic 160 vs Autostar 160

[RogerH]

Hi,
I am looking to buy an inverter MIG welder for use on body panels amongst other stuff. I was attracted to the Jasic because it suggests that it can operate from 10A whereas the Autostar starts at 25A. I worrry that the Autostar might pose a problem on thin body panels.
Any thoughts/advice?
regards
Roger

 

[Rrobson]

They’re the same machine aren’t they? So which ever is cheaper. 25 amps is plenty low enough for panel work. Probably too low for vehicle bodywork….

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

When I was looking for a mig years ago I noticed all sorts of inconsistent claimed lower power levels (manufacturers focus on max power)...I suspect most inverters can be dialled right down. As @Rrobson says...they're probably identical inside the box and this is a spec sheet difference?

 

[oilcooled :)]

I have autostar 250 and a Oxford 410 and the auto star is twice the welder of the Oxford a lot more refined.

 

[RogerH]

Thanks for the comments. Looks like Autostar it is !

 

[eddie49]

I doubt if a current flow of 10 Amps is enough to strike an arc and melt MIG wire, even 0.6mm wire.

Manufacturers and resellers of imported MIG welders seem to have a tough time specifying and labelling their minimum current capability. This has been discussed on the Forum before, most recently in this thread:

Choosing between these 2 welders for car repairs (thin sheet metal)

Hi, I'm new to this forum and new to welding in general. I'm interested in purchasing a MIG inverter welder that would mostly be used for car repairs (thin sheet metal...) and other occasional tasks around home. I would use argon+CO2 gas as well. For the welder, I'd say my budget is roughly...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

Sometimes it seems to be because they are simply copying the data plate from a previous transformer machine, with four course steps starting at 50 Amps or more...

Basic dial-controlled machines are just big switched-mode power supplies with voltage- and current-controlled feedback. The front-panel potentiometers and digital displays may be labelled Volts, Amps, or Wirespeed, but when they are set at "Zero" that is usually what you get out of the machine, when under load.
This may not apply to newer semi-synergic machines, where the knob(s) or buttons can only select parameters in a predetermined program.