What cordless MMA machine

[Revs1972]

i have several jobs coming up that have little opportunity to provide a power source for the welding set my erectors need to use to complete the job. One is on a roof around 30 metres up, the other in the middle of nowhere with no vehicular access ( it's a 200 metre walk).
Luckily I can lose the cost in the job, so I might as well invest now and add to the arsenal.
Job mostly involves welding 40 x 40 box section to each other, and 6mm plates to the same box section.

So it's down to the Lorch Micorstick 160 with the separate battery , or the Fronius Accupocket 150

I've done a bit of research and they both have their advantages.

I like the idea that the lorch is in two separate units , so they need only carry the battery pack when needed , and run it off the mains where possible . Therefore , light weight.
Best price I've found so far is £430 (control pro accu ready unit + £1330 (battery) + £170 (charger), so around £2k all in (+ VAT) .Back pack looks useful , but £330 is pretty pricey for it.
Supppsedly allows you to run 28 2.5 rods, but I'll take that with a pinch of salt in a VW emissions type hype.
Disadvantage seems to be longer charge time on battery, and requirement for a larger KVA generator if needed to be charged away from electricity source.

Fronius comes in at around £2550 + VAT all in.
Single unit, with quite a large charger unit, but has a far quicker charge time, and the advantage you can charge and weld at the same time from a 2kva generator ( which should be small enough to chuck in the van and carry around - plus I can certainly find other uses for one too)
Run time is more conservative at 18 2.5 rods, but as mentioned above could be used all day teamed up with the generator.

Does anyone have real time experience of either unit ? It's not going to be pushed all that hard, but would like it to be reliable and ready to work whenever it's called upon in the future.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Hasn't robotstar5 got a few of the Lorch units, And I'm fairly sure he thinks they are great,

 

[Robotstar5]

Hasn't robotstar5 got a few of the Lorch units, And I'm fairly sure he thinks they are great,

Yes we have 3 of the battery welders on backpacks in our building and they've saved the day a few times the nice thing about having more than one unit is we can "borrow" the battery from another machine to keep welding.

 

[Revs1972]

Yes we have 3 of the battery welders on backpacks in our building and they've saved the day a few times the nice thing about having more than one unit is we can "borrow" the battery from another machine to keep welding.

I think that was one of my concerns.
Nice to have another battery as back up .....
But at £1330 a pop.....

 

[Hitch]

I'll throw in a suggestion...Mosa Magic weld.
Not exactly what you were asking about but... Will also run a 5" grinder.

Not quite as portable, and noisier, but no battery running out mid way issues...

 

[Revs1972]

I'll throw in a suggestion...Mosa Magic weld.
Not exactly what you were asking about but... Will also run a 5" grinder.

Not quite as portable, and noisier, but no battery running out mid way issues...

I did look at that one too, but in almost Studios we are not allowed to use generators inside. The issue when working inside is there are so many trades working in one tight area that trailing leads are a PITA (nightmare trying to tell people to stay out the way when doing welding / grinding operations )

All the other kit is cordless , so it's just the welding set that needs to go that way

 

[Brad93]

The small mosa magic welds are pants in my opinion. Rough and unrefined. Look at a shindaiwa. Its on wheels, super silenced, energy efficient, a really nice bit of kit. Heavier than the mosa though so need two strong people to carry up stairs.

I'd recommend the Lorch Micorstick 160 or wait a little while till their tig version is rolled out. As you say the batteries aren't cheap but neither is a engine drive. I have the Micorstick but haven't invested in the battery pack yet.

The fronius is another option but the batteries are inside the machine whereas with the lorch you can change the battery for another one once depleted.

 

[Brad93]

@matt1978 is your man

 

[Robotstar5]

I think that was one of my concerns.
Nice to have another battery as back up .....
But at £1330 a pop.....

The initial costs were also my concern when I suggested the welders to my manager, but as he pointed out, a line stopping breakdown is costed at £30k a minute so they paid for themselves on the first breakdown in terms of time to set up extension leads etc.

 

[Revs1972]

The initial costs were also my concern when I suggested the welders to my manager, but as he pointed out, a line stopping breakdown is costed at £30k a minute so they paid for themselves on the first breakdown in terms of time to set up extension leads etc.

In that context , £1300 is a mere 2 1/2 seconds. Probably take longer to finish your brew before moving

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Fronius shouldn’t be costing you £2500 + VAT

Around £2100 is the going I think?

 

[Revs1972]

Fronius shouldn’t be costing you £2500 + VAT

Around £2100 is the going I think?

Good shout, a little Googlefoo and I've seen one for £2003.30 + VAT
First time that's come up whilst I've been looking

The two other companies I looked at were both £2550 + VAT
I've got a rep for a localish company that I've known for a few years to get me a price too

 

[balmerchris]

We have the lorch micorstick 160 with the battery and its top notch. Im getting 25 2.5mm rods on a full charge and thats on the high end of their range. Battery is fully charged in about an hour.

The inverter its self is very nice to use, i use it in the workshop on 240v a lot. I think there is a newer "control pro" version with a digital readout which would be nice because the dial on the old one is quite an odd layout.

We have a carry handle with ours which holds the inverter and battery pick side by side. It is mostly kept in this handle when used with the battery however we also have the backpack frame and remote control. The backpack is very well made and very comfortable even on long climbs or hikes up god forsaken mountains.
The remote would probably be good if i learnt how to use it but i cant seem to get the hang of it.

 

[matt1978]

Also need to factor in the warranty when comparing costs. Lorch MobilePower and the MicorStick both have 3 yrs as standard or 1000 charge/discharge cycles, I think you have to buy any more than 2 years on the Accu with the other guys.

 

[Revs1972]

Also need to factor in the warranty when comparing costs. Lorch MobilePower and the MicorStick both have 3 yrs as standard or 1000 charge/discharge cycles, I think you have to buy any more than 2 years on the Accu with the other guys.

Mmm, they seem to offer something called accucare that can be a one off payment , or spread over time to give 5 years cover. I wonder if that explains the big price difference......?

Matt1978, are you able to give me a quote (by pm) for the Lorch (control pro accu ready) with a battery and charger ?

 

[matt1978]

I think the prices you find online will be for the standard 2 yr warranty, not including the accu-care package.

How many units are you looking for? Also where are you located?

Cheers,

Matt

 

[Revs1972]

Just the one. Only a small company.
Located in Torquay.
Best price I've seen so far on the Lorch is from Wasp Supplies

 

[matt1978]

Located in Torquay.
Best price I've seen so far on the Lorch is from Wasp Supplies

Wasp committed to a lot of stock and received some additional price support from the factory, they would be a good bet as/when you decide to buy

 

[Revs1972]

Ah that's why their control pro version is cheaper than most basic ones then.
Is the warranty a return direct to Lorch( I.e door to door) or send back to the dealer ?

 

[matt1978]

The Accu would have to go back to the factory as it’s too dangerous for a 3rd party to repair. You also have to ship it in it’s original packaging, or atleast a box with the correct signage on as it’s classed as dangerous goods by the couriers.