It looks nothing like the one pictured in the Ebay BIN ad. The 'flow meter', a bordon pressure gauge of course, is decidedly non-linear and of rather suspect scale. Do these types exist, I have not seen one? The Bull nose is unusual too. Here's a comparison with the old one... again, I've not seen them using O rings. What do you think, junk to be rejected? Thanks.
The range on the gauge looks like its going to be hard to set it accurately although if you want accuracy then setting via a pea shooter at the torch would be better anyway. The o-ring seal is not unusual. It just means another consumable that you need to keep in stock/change as required.
gates hydraulic fittings use o rings too , they are great. I have a flow meter after all my regs , so i never actually use the scale printed.But then I check at the torch , adj , and mark the flow meter as a quick reference .
If it's nothing like the one pictured in the listing then it's a case of goods not as described. The scales on these "restrictor type" regulators, i.e. ones with a pin hole for the gas to pass through on the outlet side, do tend to be non-linear, to account for turbulence effects and, ideally, should have different scales for CO2 and for Argon. If the max gauge outlet pressure really is 3.5Bar, then having a pea shooter flow meter and valve should be an OK arrangement. You'll soon be able to see how good the regulation is.
Thanks for the feedback, yes I get the use of pea shooter flow meters. Maybe it's an accurate gauge but the scale is poor, as 6 to 10 LPM is but a blip of the needle. The marked MIG range is about 17 to 24 LPM, just when would the intended user need that flow rate?
If you get a refund and can add a bit more budget a few of us have these two stage regulators from TBWS; https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/cheap-dual-stage-argon-reg.105066/
Let's get one thing straight: most welding regulators have a low pressure gauge reading in flowrate, and none of them are designed to be ultimately accurate. It's just a guide. You need a flow meter for accuracy.
24lpm might be used for alloy mig. Agree that it will be hard to read though. The bigger issue is if the regulator covers the same range as the gauge as it will be impossible to adjust.
I've seen plenty with O rings, and plenty without. I'd be wary buying something safety critical from ebay unless its a genuine dealer on there.
True, Paul. It's SWP branded: https://www.specialisedwelding.co.uk/products Here's the trade catalogue, sold in boxes of 12: https://view.pagetiger.com/09-GAS/09-gas I guess they're OK? Marked as EN2503, 6 year inspect/replace, refs. to 9001 mfr, 3 year warranty. There are plenty of real cheap ones about with zero marking, which I didn't really want. I still dislike that gauge, tho...
SWP are cheap and cheerful. Are they great? No. Do they work ok? Yes, if you have a proper flowmeter as well.
