recommend a welder

vanderbadger · 19-09-2011 12:10pm #1

lads our old welder seems to be fecked, dont know much about them so was wonderng are those little inverter welders a good job? its just for small jobs, usual stuff about farm... was looking at some on interent but i dont really get all the lingo, our old welder was always blowing fuses as well so is using regular 13 amp plugs an issue?

jerdee · 19-09-2011 12:14pm

i hire one from a local hire shop and i find them brilliant and easier to use than the old one in garage.i used it to weld in s/h head locking barriers which took a while and lots of extension cables never once blew a fuse mighty yokes .

reilig · 19-09-2011 12:14pm

vanderbadger wrote: »

lads our old welder seems to be fecked, dont know much about them so was wonderng are those little inverter welders a good job? its just for small jobs, usual stuff about farm... was looking at some on interent but i dont really get all the lingo, our old welder was always blowing fuses as well so is using regular 13 amp plugs an issue?

I'm no expert on it, but I believe than an inverter is the way to go. They can be used on the regular 13amp plugs without issue. I also understand that at least a 200amp welder is the machine of choice. We have an old artika welder for the last 25 years. It has done a lot of work, but its hard on electricity. Hoping to upgrade to an inverter myself in the coming months!!

vanderbadger · 19-09-2011 12:40pm

thanks lads, have to say I find the power stuff confusing..just looking on ebay and I see lots of them have the heavy duty 16amp type socket, would it just be a csase of taking this off and putting regular plug or would you need transformer or some such? also some meantion stuff about gas?

reilig · 19-09-2011 12:56pm

vanderbadger wrote: »

thanks lads, have to say I find the power stuff confusing..just looking on ebay and I see lots of them have the heavy duty 16amp type socket, would it just be a csase of taking this off and putting regular plug or would you need transformer or some such? also some meantion stuff about gas?

You don't really want to be buying an inverter with gas (although some of the ones on ebay are dual purpose (Tig and ARC. The tig uses gas). Search for a ARC inverter. I'd be inclined to stick to the known brands as opposed to buying a cheaper chinese model of welder - many of which ar on ebay.

A buddy of mine has a sealey inverter welder for a few years now. It has an ordinary 13amp plug on it - it came with it.

towzer2010 · 19-09-2011 2:25pm

Hi Vander

I bought this one last year and it works on a normal 13 amp fuse. Its never even tripped a switch while I've been using it.

I'm useless at welding though so for any big jobs/precision jobs I get the local blacksmith to do it.

He reckons my welder should be good enough for anything I want to do when I get good enough at it.

Its only 150 amps though.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-at150-150amp-arc-tig-inverter-welder

vanderbadger · 19-09-2011 2:49pm

towzer2010 wrote: »

Hi Vander

I bought this one last year and it works on a normal 13 amp fuse. Its never even tripped a switch while I've been using it.

I'm useless at welding though so for any big jobs/precision jobs I get the local blacksmith to do it.

He reckons my welder should be good enough for anything I want to do when I get good enough at it.

Its only 150 amps though.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-at150-150amp-arc-tig-inverter-welder

sound thanks

sh1tstirrer · 19-09-2011 5:05pm

vanderbadger wrote: »

lads our old welder seems to be fecked, dont know much about them so was wonderng are those little inverter welders a good job? its just for small jobs, usual stuff about farm... was looking at some on interent but i dont really get all the lingo, our old welder was always blowing fuses as well so is using regular 13 amp plugs an issue?

13 amp plugs are too weak for welding. My welder that i bought in 1986 gave up in the late 90's. I opened it up and the coil burned away from the lead so I bolted it back onto it and it's still working to this day.

bt12 · 19-09-2011 6:37pm

would advice u to buy a thermal arc 175 inverter, bought mine of ept but
they have dropped alot in price since. whelans kilrush/ennis seems to be selling them v reasonably

martin46585 · 19-09-2011 10:10pm

I bought a 165 amp parweld inverter, next day delivery for 300 euros Inc vat,
From a firm in Dublin, it is plenty strong enough to weld fairly much everything around the yard, and has yet to blow a fuse, or trip a breaker, and unlike the other welder, it does not even dim the lights, and is said to be genie friendly though I have not tried it,
The only thing I would say against it is the leads are only 3mts, though the same firm will sell you leads off the roll for 5euros /mt...

vanderbadger · 19-09-2011 10:13pm

something like this is it?
http://www.wholesaleweldingsupplies.ie/index.php?route=product/product&path=45_69&product_id=997

martin46585 · 19-09-2011 10:26pm

It was the next one up, though it would seem the price has gone up a bit, probably reflects the price of copper, a stronger version with a greater duty cycle (60% at 155amp) which is too strong a current unless you want to burn a hole in girders etc or to burn out a bolt, good welder with a return to base guarantee, more than happy......

reilig · 20-09-2011 9:13am

vanderbadger wrote: »

something like this is it?
http://www.wholesaleweldingsupplies.ie/index.php?route=product/product&path=45_69&product_id=997

Thanks for that. I'd much prefer to buy smething like that than buy a cheap brand off ebay from the uk.

vanderbadger · 20-09-2011 9:19am

reilig wrote: »

Thanks for that. I'd much prefer to buy smething like that than buy a cheap brand off ebay from the uk.

ya and they arent even that cheap on ebay anyway except as you say the chinese ones

finbarrk · 20-09-2011 7:17pm

Just make sure it's an inverter type machine.

MikeSoys · 21-09-2011 8:26pm

Hi
Hope someone can help me out on this [this is all new to me]. -this might not be the correct place to ask this questions either ...

I bought an Aldi arc welder (cheap as chips)..it didn't have a plug attached and am aware it can be used with a low setting at 13 amps but! As I will be using this mostly on a Farm can anyone guide on on the following points below?

1)

The Farm hasn’t being lived in since 80's and understand I will prob need an electrician to add a proper connection to use this welder ideally I need a '30 amp fused spur'? --any idea what an electrician would charge to do this in the midlands(is this a big job - im wondering as the farm house is so old it could be) ??

2)
Finally I want to get an extension cable reel, so I'm guessing I should get a 16amp cable reel? [prob 50 foot to work out in the yard] but then I’m wondering for other tools like an angle grinder [which has a 13 amp plug] can I cheaply and SAFELY!! get something that I can connect the 13 amp plug to the end of the extension reel (which will have a commando plug) and it will work fine…ie: have a setup where I can run either 13 amp tools or 16 amp tools off the same connection(not at the same time)??...is this what those transformer are for (I see builders using then with tools are they for the tools requiring different volts as I see there pretty expensive)…

..anyway any guidance would be great...

Cheers

f2 · 24-08-2013 5:37pm

Just wondering did you buy the welder, I have to buy one now for farm work and the same company have a R Tech inverter for sale with two year warranty any opinions

recommend a welder

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