Arc Welders - Cheap vs Expensive

[English Steve]

I'll vouch for the Lorch ones. Completely idiot proof and almost impossible to extinguish the arc.

And I'll second the Inverter Fusion - very robust and doesn't mind getting dropped in what cows leave behind.

 

[Sid]

Cant bet a good quality inverter, my inverter fusion is almost idiot proof, basically if you cant arc weld with that then you will never learn.

Hope it is idiot proof, I've just bought one Although how sick will I be if I fail! The pressure is on.

dont be so tight buy a quality unit, cheap ones end in tears.

Thing is (as I see it), a cheap one is virtually worthless second hand, a quality unit will still be desired second hand. I imagine most of us have bought cheap tools and regretted it, I did it recently with some swan neck spanners. First time they met a stubborn bolt they bent, and with not a great deal of force. They were cheap, but need replacing as they are crap.

I will have money tied up in my welder, but it'll only ever cost me the difference between what I can sell it for. So possibly cheaper, and all the while I'll have a MUCH nicer machine, and I'll be much happier with it.

That's how I choose to look at it anyway.

 

[Sid]

And I'll second the Inverter Fusion - very robust and doesn't mind getting dropped in what cows leave behind.

Inverter Fusion could use this in their marketing....

 

[Muggins the Mug]

Welcome to the forum. I'll take your comments in good faith. There's always a risk that some trader could come on here to help rubbish these great little arc welders, if he fears he might start losing business in selling £400+ welders. I trust that isn't the case with you.

>I recently bought a dreaded Aldi arc welder (boo, hiss).
>The first one I returned because the power indicator
>was way out

Do you mean the metal strip that moves along as the core is screwed in and out of the transformer to change the current? It seems incomprehensible that much could go wrong there, being simple physics. The metal strip indicator will never be an accurate ammeter. It's just a rough indicator so it may have been performing up to spec after all.

>I got another one only to discover that the chrome
>was flaking badly off of the earth clamp -
>time for another exchange.

I doubt very much if they use expensive chrome so I'm not sure what was flaking off but a slightly rough earth clamp wouldn't put me off the entire welder. I fear you were the loser.

> I also wasn't impressed with the nicks in the
>electrode cable for a brand new machine.

Do you mean indents? That doesn't sound great but, again, was it really a show-stopper?

>Finally, I got my last one which also was
>returned for a full refund - calling this a
>"buzz box" would be an understatement.
>It was at least 2-3 times louder than the
>previous ones.
>The casing must have been badly fitted

I would have looked to see if the screws or anything could be tightened. Or add a bit of sound-deadening material to the case. I doubt if the tranformers would vary much in terms of producing noise so it must have been something simple.

>and to be honest the workmanship on that
>batch was atrocious.

It would have been good if you could post photos. Or perhaps someone else can post images of the inside of an Aldi welder so we can judge for ourselves. I look forward to the next appearance of these welders at Aldi because I hope to buy one.

>Next time I'll be far more cautious about what I buy
>and will probably do more research into the decent
>more expensive brands.

I'm not sure what brands there are in terms of transformer-based arc welders. How about the one I posted photos of? The build quality of that is first class.

Thanks for taking my comments in good faith, I'm not a dealer with an axe to grind - just someone on the dole with not alot of spare cash. I'm also a great believer in getting good value for money and not being ripped off by cheap and shoddy workmanship.

I quickly realised that the metal indicator strip was just that, a rough indicator. But if it goes down to 40 Amps, I'd expect the indicator to read roughly 40 Amps, not 50 Amps or so. I wasn't bothered about the high end readings as I wanted to start with the minimum amperage first.

Perhaps I was a little fussy about the chroming quality, but at the end of the day where else have they cut corners? Regarding the "indents" in the electrode cable, it may have been okay for most people but I'm pernickety when it comes to brand new stuff - the cable must be in excellent condition when the box is first opened. It would be a different kettle of fish if the welder was a few months old or was 2nd hand. I'm just not keen on nicks in any electrical cable.

Regarding the excessive noise from the welder, the screws were all tight and there was nothing obviously loose. The sound was far worse when the carrying handle was securely attached to the top of the casing. To me, this means that the case and handle were resonating at the same frequency of the supply current (50Hz), yet if you depressed the top of the case slightly or pulled up on the handle then the sound diminished considerably. Some of the screws in the casing were obviously misaligned and not screwed in straight. Something just new out of the box shouldn't require "adjustments" to improve on manufacturing errors, poor workmanship, etc.

All this points to bad workmanship and lack of quality control to me.

Sorry I don't have any photos of the welders to show. My local Aldi had about a quarter of a pallet load left of them, I'm sure there maybe some at your local Aldi's too. They were selling them at £39.99, even after any VAT reductions.

 

[chriskelland]

Following the advise from guys on the forum I went out and found a good local deal on a Fusion 160 MA, with free leads? and a good deal on a new auto mask. Trying it out I found that this machine practically did the welding for you. So tried the thinest sheet I had, 1.5mm I was able to hold an arc down to +/- 15 amps, mind you very little penetration, so @ 20 Amps, not a bad weld. Next time I'm in the stockholder I'll try and find some real thin sheet and see what I can do with it. It's a good challenge & I'm game to try.

All the best,

Chris.

 

[malcolm]

Welcome to the forum. I'll take your comments in good faith. There's always a risk that some trader could come on here to help rubbish these great little arc welders, if he fears he might start losing business in selling £400+ welders. I trust that isn't the case with you.

What a welcome!

Thanks for coming back after that Muggins. Could be worth starting another thread in the buying a welder section and mention what it is you want to weld. It's possible MIG or TIG might suit you better than an arc welder - they all have their niche, and we could probably make some suggestions to suit your budget.

 

[matt1978]

I'll take your comments in good faith. There's always a risk that some trader could come on here to help rubbish these great little arc welders, if he fears he might start losing business in selling £400+ welders. I trust that isn't the case with you.

Hi George,

I really dont know if you read back what you have written prior to posting, but I have seldom heard or should I say read as many posts, with a pompos and sometimes patronising attitude as the ones you often post.

I have yet to meet any dealer/distributor/professional person in this trade who would stoop to the level of pretending that he is a customer who has bought an Aldi welding machine, just so he can give a poor report of the product, in the rediculously vain hope that it his going to protect the sale of his Industrial rated equipment

They are 2 opposite ends of the market, I still have no idea why you feel the need to justify your purchase of your cheaper/economy welding machine..........your obviously happy with the performance and build quality, so why isnt that enough

 

[Archie]

It was a bit of a 'with all due respect' moment. Usually when you hear someone say that they are about to show absolutely none!

 

[Drains]

It was a bit of a 'with all due respect' moment. Usually when you hear someone say that they are about to show absolutely none!

Do you mean one of those "with all due respect, you're an ar5e", kind of moments?

George, re your comments on cheap arc welders, and your attitude with reference to the many comments from forum members young and old, pro and diy, regarding cheap arc welders and their relative worth, value, reliability and use etc, well, with all due respect...

 

[Archie]

Do you mean one of those "with all due respect, you're an ar5e", kind of moments?

George, re your comments on cheap arc welders, and your attitude with reference to the many comments from forum members young and old, pro and diy, regarding cheap arc welders and their relative worth, value, reliability and use etc, well, with all due respect...

That's exactly the kind! I think you've grasped the underlying concept.....

 

[irondarren]

Hi George,

I really dont know if you read back what you have written prior to posting, but I have seldom heard or should I say read as many posts, with a pompos and sometimes patronising attitude as the ones you often post.

I have yet to meet any dealer/distributor/professional person in this trade who would stoop to the level of pretending that he is a customer who has bought an Aldi welding machine, just so he can give a poor report of the product, in the rediculously vain hope that it his going to protect the sale of his Industrial rated equipment

They are 2 opposite ends of the market, I still have no idea why you feel the need to justify your purchase of your cheaper/economy welding machine..........your obviously happy with the performance and build quality, so why isnt that enough

you are right matt it is opposite ends of the market, a cheap aldi welder is exactly what it is cheap with no service back up. great if you do the odd thing once in a while, arent to worried if it doesnt produce xray quality welds. of course the other end of the market is totally different, you need a welder with spares and service back up a dealer at the end of the phone who will help in the unlikely event of a problem. know it must produce consistant welds every time with out fail, because if it fails then it costs you money and reputation. There is no competition.

 

[HasBean]

Well my tupence worth,

Many, many times I've bought cheap tools and then had to go back and buy what I should've bought in the first place To an extent I still do, bought el cheapo spanners in most sizes then bought the ones I use the most in good quality combination ones (one to turn the nut, one to hold the bolt ).
I had a 150A buzz box which I found impossible to use (lack of skill on my part having only used an Oxford before which was great). Got hold of an Inverter Fusion for daft money which is a joy to use in comparison (I can make the rods stick and produce really cr*p welds though )
However they are around the £380 mark as oppossed to the £50 one I had before.
Would I buy another inverter for that price given the choice again?

Having used mine and a couple of others since, definately yes!

Again, just my opinion from my (very limited) experience. Chacun a son gout

Paul

 

[GeorgeB]

Thing is (as I see it), a cheap one is virtually worthless second hand, a quality unit will still be desired second hand.

The most you can lose on one of those Aldi arc welders is whatever you paid for it - £39 originally or £29 as a clearance offer, I believe.

What do those Lorch machines cost? Approx £2500 maybe or perhaps a lot more, depending on the model. I would never suggest that a cheap arc welder could compare with one of those but if you do buy an expensive unit, you stand to lose one heck of lot more than £29 or £40 if you come to sell it or to have a service engineer even remove the cover, anytime from the day after the warranty runs out.

A 'quality unit' may be desired secondhand, but it will still cost you dear. Is anybody suggesting that an 18 month old Lorch which cost £2500 new would sell for as much as £2471 secondhand at 18 months old? Get real!

 

[Drains]

The most you can lose on one of those Aldi arc welders is whatever you paid for it - £39 originally or £29 as a clearance offer, I believe.

What do those Lorch machines cost? Approx £2500 maybe or perhaps a lot more, depending on the model.

GEORGE! STOP RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The prices quoted above are for top quality AC/DC Tig machines! Would you compare a Rolls Royce with a Raleigh Grifter? NO!

DO NOT TALK NONSENSE!!!!!!!

You've already dug yourself into a massive hole that everyone else is measuring with a stick somewhat longer than 6 foot. The fact that you are looking through a mighty high periscope does not mean the hole doesn't exist - it just means that your feet are getting wetter than you might like to admit.

 

[Archie]

George, I think the Lorch MMA inverters are more like £350+VAT. You're talking about a pulsed AC/DC TIG set which would do stick also. Not exactly in the same league.

 

[snowcat]

definitely full moon.......

 

[Drains]

definitely full moon.......

Aargh! I forgot. Sorry guys. I'll get me cage...

 

[Archie]

And I'll go and start sharpening the silver....

 

[matt1978]

I dont think George owns a el cheapo Buzz box anyway, infact I dont think he has ever welded with a stick electrode in his life...........I think he just frequents various online forums........ thinks of something to make himself sound really stupid and something he knows will antagonise other members and just says it for the fun of it!

Fair play George, you certainly got the make yourself sound stupid bit right and it would also appear the antagonising other forum members is closely following.

You'll have to forgive me George as I haven't read all of your 'drivel'....I mean posts, but what exactly is the point of what you want to say? What, from your vast and complex knowledge of welding and welding machines do you know, that we lesser folk are obviously missing the point on, please enlighten us!

 

[weldequip]

To be totally fair, I think those pictures George posted of his machine did show a pretty reasonable build quality for the money, I mean, come on! just what are people expecting for 19 quid?! You can't buy a decent pair of shoes for that!
So, George is arguing that his machine has a good build quality...for £19 yes!, it does, I'm sure. What is being argued here, however, is that a £19 set will perform equally as good as a set costing many times as much and do stuff specifically designed for other processes
weldequip