Never lend your welder, fuming now.

[W.olly]

Now i didnt learn for the second time on lending tools, but i did, i let my neighbour lend my Clarke 151TE mig for a chap to do some welding, well a lot of welding on a van, it was fine when it went but on return and after a full 5kg of wire, and 3 10l bottles of co2 it was returned, i could of built a new van with that lot, but it did need a lot doing as the reason i didnt take it on.
Anyway, i turned it on to do some needed work, it didnt feed the wire, all coiled up, ok i cut back cleaned the feed wheel as it was covered in scrapings from the wire, obviousley he kept jamming it, i got it going again but to find the gas continued to flow through the torch, i stripped the torch and checked it, all seemed ok si i put it back together, it flowed on tinuse for a minute but than after a quick tap it was ok again. by this time i was down the road after him to kick his ass. Oh well he wasnt in

I went back and had a brew then went back out, now i got it running but it welds like pigeon poo, no matter what setting, why is this, i had the feed speed on 6.5, 2 high, that normaly does a great weld on 3 mm plate, even 4mm as befor eit went out i just welded a table together from scaff pole.

Has he knackered alltogether?

please before he comes home

 

[octo0072000]

Cheap wire ? torch liner knackered, tip , bad earth clamp to wire or welder, to name but a few i would change the liner and tip first then wire for good quality stuff

then charge your mate to have it serviced

that's why i don't lend tools

 

[Shox Dr]

Take it back to him and state it's either returned working, or supply a new one.

 

[BrokenBiker]

i had similar thing with a cheap arc welder. had a twist grip electrode holder when i lent it out to my brothers mate. when it came cack it wouldnt twist, or grip any electrode. took it back to him and made him buy me a new electrode holder and a new earth lead too.

i'd take it back and tell him he has knackard it and you want it replaced

 

[W.olly]

I tried a new tip and shroud as he had burnt them so they were useless to start, then i checked the earth lead, that was fine, i think it could be the liner that is damaged as it looks like the chump cant weld anyway, 3 bottles of gas, one used in one day and a full reel and half of wire and 2 shrouds plus a couple of tips

I am waiting to see him later, i called machine mart to see what they thought could be wrong, either the resinator, sorry cant spell that, around £80 by time its been looked at repaired ( plus new liner and shrounds etc ) or it could be the tranformer, well we know that would beyond worth a repair.

Biggest bummer is that i was going to sell it to put towards getting my new thermo arc fabricator 200, and i have a few jobs on in the next few week, just hope he can wait for them to be done now.

Calming down a bit now, i had to laugh before as i have just got back having a ECG as my blood pressure has been high recently

Edit to say, it welds for maybe 1 inch, if that, then spits like a cobra on crack.

 

[shenion]

Take the torch apart nd check the neck liner. Mine did that when I overheated the gun (welding too close.) The neck liker got all warped.

I doubt it is the reactor or transformer. Sounds more like feed issues. A new liner may help.

 

[Wozzaaah]

So you lent it to someone to lend to someone?.......bet you never do that again!

 

[W.olly]

So you lent it to someone to lend to someone?.......bet you never do that again!

Not exactly mate, but sort of, the neighbour wanted his van welding up, welding up is being nice, i didnt want to go there, so he got a mechanic to do it but all he had was gas, to big a job for gas, so he asked if he could use mine, soft **** as i am i said yes, but he did give money for the wire and gas in the end plus a bit extra, but not enough to damage the welder.

And i know mate, i have learnt the hard and stupid way

I will see what he says first and maybe get some parts like liners and swan neck first and go from there.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Anyone who'd dare ever ask to borrow any of my machines would be greeted with two words of which the second one is 'off'.

 

[W.olly]

I must have to take that approach from now on mate, just to dam soft me

 

[keith19]

We've all been there, mate. The more complicated a bit of kit is, the more likely loaning it will come to grief.
I lent out a nice Terrex spade to a friend of the missus once. Thought only the lady would be using it. Her prat of a 17 year son got hold of it and managed to bend the steel handle at right angles to the blade before she eventually gave it back. Took me a couple of hours to cut the bend out, straighten it, and repair it.

Then once I lent out a sledgehammer. You'd think they couldn't harm that. Came back with a split handle; somebody had hit the post with the handle instead of the head...

 

[W.olly]

Not often i do lend out expensive gear but he was supposed to be a engineer/welder........LOL

Well he has taken it back now and said he will get it fixed, we will see hey, either way he got the message i wasnt happy about it

I will have to wait a bit longer know for my new welder know, guess its something to look forward to.


lesson learnt aswell

 

[Shox Dr]

At least it should be in top condition ready to sell.

 

[blacksmithstris]

Something my Dad said to me when I was little has stuck with me to this day,

"Never lend what you're not prepared to give away".

but of course I had to learn the hard way, (don't we all?) to understand what he was on about!!

 

[BrokenBiker]

my grandfather said something similar

'if you cant afford to lose it, dont let anyone take it'

also had to learn the hard way

 

[gordon stephenson]

Don't lend them out full stop!!! Anybody that needed to do as much welding as he did needs his own,

 

[W.olly]

All is good now, after he said it was ok he did realise it wasnt working properly, but he returned it yesterday and i have sold it on already in time for my new rig, thats once i sell my off road tyres to fund it, things you have to do hey.
So now its to choose if to keep with my first choice of new welder, the Thermal arc fabricator 200, so many to choose from i wish i did look at others.

And this WILL NOT be going anywhere

 

[@Turbo]

tell them it doesnet work next time or for smaller stuff you cant find it.

 

[h3rman]

tell them it doesnet work next time or for smaller stuff you cant find it.

Why beat around the bush, just tell them to F--- OFF because they broke it last time, so why on earth would he trust anyone with it again, simple as.

I don't lend stuff to people, unless they are VERY good friends and I know how they look after things. If someone ever lends me anything it gets returned 100% identical to how it was recieved and that's what I would expect if I lent something out.

If it's small and cheap, no bother, folk can borrow it, but when it comes to welders, and other things that cost 3-digits there is no chance!