Parkside (Lidl) Inverter Welder: Any Good?

[Cobbler]

Thats where the ol' timers go to organise the swingers/wife swapping parties later on in the evening .

Damn you, caught out again I wuz in there this afternoon

 

[slim_boy_fat]

...Jeez, remind me never to go to Lidl on a Thursday afternoon at 4pm.
Like walking round a nursing home, with the old buffers leaving their trolleys all over the place, having chats blocking the isles

One day you too will be old

 

[Revs1972]

One day you too will be old

One day.......as i overhead my father once say...be good to your children, as they are the ones who choose your nursing home ....

 

[Revs1972]

Thats where the ol' timers go to organise the swingers/wife swapping parties later on in the evening .

Not round here they don't , you'll find them in M & S with their twin sets, pearls, and blue rinses doing their "big shop"

 

[Michael G7x]

Can I ask a stupid question, please? If you could find a torch with the right connector, could you use a TIG torch with the Lidl inverter welder, or is there a reason why it couldn't work? No HF start for one, I guess, but interested to hear nonetheless.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Can I ask a stupid question, please? If you could find a torch with the right connector, could you use a TIG torch with the Lidl inverter welder, or is there a reason why it couldn't work? No HF start for one, I guess, but interested to hear nonetheless.

It should do scratch start which is the most basic method (but it does work). The torch would be easy enough to get, you'd need the type with a gas valve built in as you need to control that manually as the machine isn't set up for gas.

 

[ronan]

It should do scratch start which is the most basic method (but it does work). The torch would be easy enough to get, you'd need the type with a gas valve built in as you need to control that manually as the machine isn't set up for gas.

Where i started my apprenticeship, thats all the tigs were, manual gas valve on the torch and scratch start. Worked fine, but no post flow or down slope obviously. When i started using plant with all the bells and whistles, i thought i'd died and gone to heaven.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Where i started my apprenticeship, thats all the tigs were, manual gas valve on the torch and scratch start. Worked fine, but no post flow or down slope obviously. When i started using plant with all the bells and whistles, i thought i'd died and gone to heaven.

Of course you have post flow, just don't turn off the valve for a bit
In all seriousness I don't think that works well as you have to pull away to break the arc (but I'm not a TIG man, yet).

 

[Michael G7x]

Thanks Bill, Ronan, if I can find the right torch it sounds like a cheap way in to learning TIG (the harder way).

Mike

 

[Wildefalcon]

Well, I pul

led the trigger and bought one of these yesterday, not had a chance to play yet, but i like what I see so far.

The leads disconnect, using what looks to the inexperienced eye like a dinze (spelling?) connector, allowing them to be reversed. The 3 pin plug looks heavy duty, it comes with a strap, and the manual has a circuit diagram. The duty cycle looks reasonable.

The "mask" is 1 step up from a joke, I might give it to the youngest so he can photograph the sun or something.

I think I'm going to have a play tomorrow, and will report back, it cant be any worse than my £40 B&Q buzzbox.

 

[Wildefalcon]

And at 80 amps I can play with alu rods, see if I can do puddle welds to join Landrover panels!

 

[Bill Edwards]

Welding ali LR panels with a stick welder - now there's a good joke!

 

[cumbriasteve]

Still a few of the welding sets in store this morning.

I was tempted with the set of pliers and the magnetic adjustable angle clamps, the pliers are cheap and cheerful but work nicely and for the price no complaints at all.

The magnetic clamps are something else, they are certainly strong magnets and take a bit of pulling off when placed on some flat bar, they will obviously draw every bit of steel debris onto them but for that awkward angle tacking up are going to be a winner and make life a lot easier.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Still a few of the welding sets in store this morning.

I was tempted with the set of pliers and the magnetic adjustable angle clamps, the pliers are cheap and cheerful but work nicely and for the price no complaints at all.

The magnetic clamps are something else, they are certainly strong magnets and take a bit of pulling off when placed on some flat bar, they will obviously draw every bit of steel debris onto them but for that awkward angle tacking up are going to be a winner and make life a lot easier.

You just need to be aware of arc pull when tacking up, maybe aiming the torch slightly towards the part furthest away from the magnet.
If you look close you can see the magnet pulling the arc away form the weld pool.

 

[Andymig]

Well, I pul

led the trigger and bought one of these yesterday, not had a chance to play yet, but i like what I see so far.

The leads disconnect, using what looks to the inexperienced eye like a dinze (spelling?) connector, allowing them to be reversed. The 3 pin plug looks heavy duty, it comes with a strap, and the manual has a circuit diagram. The duty cycle looks reasonable.

The "mask" is 1 step up from a joke, I might give it to the youngest so he can photograph the sun or something.

I think I'm going to have a play tomorrow, and will report back, it cant be any worse than my £40 B&Q buzzbox.

 

[Andymig]

I bought this welder this morning from lidle Stowmarket @£69.99 ...omg how do they do it!
I've been welding with it constantly using 2.5 mm rods, it welds very well,occasional sticking rod( that's down to me more than the welder. It has run 4 rods simultaneously without cutting out and the output air is mildly warm. I think the best protection for potential over heating and stressing the welder is to leave it on for say 3 mins after welding to allow it to properly cool. This way you don't allow the components to overheat from the residual heat.

The internal PCB is well made and does have the modern surface mount technology as you would expect. If it did go wrong potentially you might be able to repair it if it's outside the warranty period.

Great little welder only time will tell but with 3 years warranty cannot go wrong, yes the plastic face shield is flimsy but it does what it needs to for the model engineer,or diy welder.

I'd recommend it especially at that price.

 

[Revs1972]

When i was in there buying clamps and magnets, i saw some belt files @ £29.99. These came with loads of belts and different arm types.
Shame i bought a Black and Decker one a few days earlier for more money and everything was an optional extra !

 

[Cobbler]

When i was in there buying clamps and magnets, i saw some belt files @ £29.99. These came with loads of belts and different arm types.
Shame i bought a Black and Decker one a few days earlier for more money and everything was an optional extra !

Got one of those, really good, the supplied belts are rubbish on metal, but are cheap as chips from Screwfix. Never used the other arms though.

 

[FergalFarty]

I bought the belt file as well on impulse. Great little tool. Small enough to get into nooks and crannies and a lot quieter than an angle grinder.

The articulated magnets are good as well, much stronger pull than my existing right-angle magnets and only £4!

 

[ronan]

They are doing small dehumidifiers this week, might be good in a damp shed.