- Thread starter jordan1
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Bill Edwards
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At the end of the day it all depends on what kind of usage you have for it and whether you are willing to go through the eBay/PayPal system to sort things out if it packs in within the PayPal protection time limit and whether you're willing to take the risk of it packing up out of that cover period, in which case you are highly unlikely to get anything in the way of warranty. And don't expect Trading Standards to be able to help because chances are they can't/won't.
If it's a machine that you'll do odd bits and bats with where it's never going to be depended upon and a breakdown is going to cause no major problems then it's probably going to be a very cheap welder - though don't take much notice of the claimed duty cycle, they print whatever the customer asks for...
If having it let you down will be a problem then you're taking a far smaller gamble by buying a machine that's from a well regarded brand with UK support where you can expect a quick turnaround time if things go wrong, and the warranty will actually be honored.
There's not really a right or wrong, it's down to your circumstances.
If it's a machine that you'll do odd bits and bats with where it's never going to be depended upon and a breakdown is going to cause no major problems then it's probably going to be a very cheap welder - though don't take much notice of the claimed duty cycle, they print whatever the customer asks for...
If having it let you down will be a problem then you're taking a far smaller gamble by buying a machine that's from a well regarded brand with UK support where you can expect a quick turnaround time if things go wrong, and the warranty will actually be honored.
There's not really a right or wrong, it's down to your circumstances.
Arclikeharrypotter
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Second hand fronius transpocket went on there for 150 notes the other day. Bloody bargain.
If you want a cheap mma welder for occasional use why not buy a buzz box. You'll get one in Aldi/Lidl for £40, when they have them in and come with a 3 year no quibble warranty. Not that they will go wrong as they are so simple, no electronics to worry about. Ok they are not as nice to use as an inverter but will still stick metal together in the right hands. I used one for years and nothing I made has fallen apart yet!
If you are spending £100 on a welder why not consider a used Oxford or Pickhill oil cooled set. Very nearly as easy to use as an Inverter and you'll never have to worry about exceeding it's duty cycle. I would guess those cheap Chinese welders would have a poor duty cycle & you'll spend more time waiting for the welder to cool than doing any actual welding!
If you are spending £100 on a welder why not consider a used Oxford or Pickhill oil cooled set. Very nearly as easy to use as an Inverter and you'll never have to worry about exceeding it's duty cycle. I would guess those cheap Chinese welders would have a poor duty cycle & you'll spend more time waiting for the welder to cool than doing any actual welding!
WorkshopChris
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Had a reply from seller:-
"Hi there
Thanks for your message
My friend, you are correct,this welder has 2 wires to be connected,there is no cable to connect the earth.
Best regards
ALLEN"
"Hi there
Thanks for your message
My friend, you are correct,this welder has 2 wires to be connected,there is no cable to connect the earth.
Best regards
ALLEN"
Brad93
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Whilst that may seem a bargain its an old machine with no service or support backup if something goes wrong. Mine has played up a few times, but luckily ive managed to resolve the issues.
Cobbler
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If your ever down this way or can get someone to pick it up, I have a 140a stick welder you can have. It did have fixed leads, but I cut them off to use on another one, so it wants some leads reterminating. It's an old French one, according to the front, has copper coils in it & unusually has some form of electronic control, not the normal sliding transformer segments.
I've had it about 25 years & it wasn't new then. Yours if you want it, but too heavy to post.
I've had it about 25 years & it wasn't new then. Yours if you want it, but too heavy to post.
Bill Edwards
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They're a good welder, well regarded on here. But for ally you need an AC TIG (the Parweld is DC) and they're big money.
Bill Edwards
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It's all down to the intended usage. An oil cooled is brilliant but they need to be permanently positioned under a bench or on a good wheeled cart as they're just not practical to move. They also require a hefty power supply.
Buzzbox machines are great for some jobs but are seriously limited on the duty cycle. Six rods can see a fan cooled one cut out. Nice for dragging round a farmyard to run off bad generators and long cables to weld a set of crooks for a gate but they are useless for some jobs.
Hood
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Had dealings with him, never again I am afraid.
First tig went on fire first switch on, replaced next day delivery with another, I took ill and was in and out of Hospital for 3 months so only managed a few hours welding with it when it blew up.
Asked for a refund, sent it back and never heard. Contacted and they said it was damaged in transit so to claim off courier, pics they sent showed damage to the box lower corner and damage to the welder was totally different position. Knobs supposed to be ripped off but closer inspection of the pics showed indents where set screws had been but no groove where they supposedly got pulled off, in other words they had been unscrewed before removal.
I said I would get it collected, courier went there 3 times and each time they said there was nothing to collect.
Anyway that is my experience of them, maybe others have had better experience but I wont be dealing with them again.
Bill Edwards
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Sadly this is the risk with buying from these people. You only have any coverage while within the time limit for PayPal to refund you, after that you're on your own. There are plenty of crooked sellers on there.
Hood
I am obsessed.
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Well PayPal didn't want to know as it was over 90 days. Trading standards said nothing to do with them as I was a business. Courier wouldn't even give me the minimum £50 that you are supposed to be insured as they said pics didn't show transit damage and sadly they were right.
Could have instructed a lawyer but what would that have cost? So just cut my losses and hope no one else gets stung like I did.
I think if I had been happy to take another I would have got it but because I asked for a refund they acted this way.
Oh and BTW just looked again at the pics, damage to welder was lower left at the back, damage to box was upper left front, must have been bendy forklift tines or something.
Could have instructed a lawyer but what would that have cost? So just cut my losses and hope no one else gets stung like I did.
I think if I had been happy to take another I would have got it but because I asked for a refund they acted this way.
Oh and BTW just looked again at the pics, damage to welder was lower left at the back, damage to box was upper left front, must have been bendy forklift tines or something.
This guy seems to weld ali with a DC unit?? see the link on post #10 http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/...m-this-thick-with-a-170-amp-mig-welder.67653/
Yes. But that is alloominum he is welding ! Not available in Ireland or the UK nor mainland Europe either.
Arclikeharrypotter
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You can if I remember rightly correctly tig weld aluminium if you run straight helium gas.
slim_boy_fat
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Why does that reply have a sniff of scam to it - maybe I'm just ultra-suspicious, but the use of the term "My friend" puts me in mind of.......
Bill Edwards
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I've not read through the linked to post but that appears to be using a MIG, whereas the Parweld xti160 is a stick/TIG unit and so very different.
Welding ali with stick is something I have looked into, you're probably as well to forget hearing about it.
Ali with DC TIG isn't completely impossible but it's not the done thing and there are reasons for that. AC TIG's are becoming more affordable for the hobbiest but you are still looking at a very large chunk of money to get something new from a reputable source, people wouldn't be spending a minimum of £900 upwards to get an AC unit if DC was a practical alternative.
