40-160 Amp Arc Welder £39.99

[shenion]

I have seen the opposite: all I can find is 0.5lb packs of 1.6mm rods.

I did find a 5lb box on ebay of MG500's that are similar to 6013's. I don't really care for them. With rods this small, ther is just as much flux as metal so slag inclusions are a real issue unless you keep the heat up. They do strike easy.

I picked up some Weldit (Lincoln Electric) 1.6mm 7014 rods. These are real easy to use; they go down like 7018's but don't need to be kept dry. They are a medium to low penetration. I have welded 1.2mm steel with it with no problem.

1.6mm rods are hard to keep steady, I have to brace them with a finger until they get about 1/3 the way down.

I like the 2mm 6013 rods I have also, easy to use and don't flop around like the smaller ones.

Keep an ehy on ebay, aslo places that sell the cheap welders will have the smaller rods. They are usually in small packs though.

 

[woopud]

I'm more a MIGer myself but this has to be a good deal eh?
3 Year Warranty too

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/2867_7157.htm

I have the exact same welder, here they're sold as Harbor Freight, mine was on sale for $99

Bert

 

[GeorgeB]

you shouldn't blow the fuse at 115A

I'm surprised too, but how does anyone know it's set to 115A? It could be way out. If the design is like my cheap arc welder, the current is controlled by shunting a block of metal in and out of the transformer. A crude metal strip claims to give an indication of the current but how accurate can that be? I hope to get a clamp meter to measure the current on mine, out of interest.

Anyway, I've run mine on max, which I think is more than 115A, without it blowing a fuse, or even cutting out.

 

[Superbad]

aha...so someone has already made a post about the offer. I was at Aldi last night and saw the offer.

 

[aero]

If thats a 110 amp machine a 3.2 mm rod is just a touch over what it can handle.

While at less then £40 it represents good value for money you'll prolly find the rating figures are 'optimised'

I find that 3.2s work well at 110 amps up, below and they seem a little unstable, although useable if I've run out of the other sizes. Try running off your cooker socket to ensure you get a good supply, it be rated at 45 amps. (if you have an electric cooker on off switch with a socket on it.)

Try the 2.5s. Like the cheap MIG sets there are ways you can weld fairly thick bits of metal with a light duty welder. (see the tips for 90 amp migs on here), you might find you get significantly better results with the smaller rods.

 

[kerrandy]

I picked one of these machines up today. It was reduced to £29.99 who can refuse.

Andy