Transformer arc unit vs. sticks in my inverter tig?

[julianf]

My friend has just offered me a stick welder - an old 90amp cebora unit, with a load of copper in it, rather than an inverter. The Cebora would come with no leads, so id have to buy / make them.

I have a modern dc tig with HF start - 160a reinham (or something?) branded - basically Chinese, branded to look like German.


Anyhow, my question -

Would the 90amp unit be for anything? As i have no leads, id have to get more, so i could make them to fit the TIG unit, if i wanted to.


The Cebora is being offered to me, by a friend, for probably less than its scrap price (ie £5) but there's no point in me having it if itll be redundant. Ive got enough junk about here that "might come in useful one day" and just continues to hinder me by its existence up until that point...

 

[Liquid Metal]

Not being funny, but a stick welder that tops out at 90 amps isnt going to be much use i wouldnt have thought, maybe for 1.6 rods, but id tig anything that small as most 1.6mm rods ive tried are a nightmare, and a 2.5 will have it near its max output perhaps tripping the thermal cutout all the time

 

[Wallace]

Clean it up and sell it on to fund a stick holder and lead for the inverter, you have the other lead already!

 

[rich r]

As above - it'll be fine for 2.0mm or short runs with 2.5mm - which may be fine for some people. But given you can get reasonable fan cooled 160A buzzboxes for £30, it's not really worth doing too much with it.

1.6mm are difficult, but not impossible. And for those of us that only weld occasionally so can't justify the outlay for mig or tig, they have their place.

 

[Bill Edwards]

No contest, just get some leads for your inverter.

90 amp will allow it to run a 2.5mm rod. Don't bother trying anything smaller, they work but you have a TIG!
But as it'll be flat out the thermal trip will cut out after a few rods and so it's only suitable for the tiniest of jobs.

I was using a 160a fan cooled welder just today (not used it for a long time) and did 7 rods before it cut out. And I measured up and positioned the second piece to be welded mid way through...

 

[Liquid Metal]

As above - it'll be fine for 2.0mm or short runs with 2.5mm - which may be fine for some people. But given you can get reasonable fan cooled 160A buzzboxes for £30, it's not really worth doing too much with it.

1.6mm are difficult, but not impossible. And for those of us that only weld occasionally so can't justify the outlay for mig or tig, they have their place.

I agree there, about them having a place, and not everybody can afford a Mig or Tig set, was only that the guy says he has a tig welder which was why i said id tig it myself.
After a few times pushing my patience with 1.6mm rods, the only conclusions I came to, were that they are a royal pain in the Harris lol

 

[julianf]

Thank you for all the info. Looks like, if i need to get some cables, i may as well just get a suitable electrode holder for my TIG unit.

In which case my friend will sell the arc unit to someone else. The £5 he offered it to me for was a "dont make money out of friends" kind of thing, so what do you think he should ask for it on the open market?

Its a Cebora 101, same as this chap was selling -

http://www.vct2.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=15957

(although my friends has no leads - i did confirm it worked ok though, with borrowed leads)

Im guessing around £25?

 

[Bill Edwards]

I think so. Having no leads I'd probably suggest £20, but it is a Cebora so I would try £25.

 

[Richard.]

For what you would actually get for it I personally would not sell it. I'd get a lot more satisfaction giving it a clean up and passing it on to a friend or relative that is genuinely interested in learning and would appreciate a little set to get going with.

 

[julianf]

...remember, its not my unit : )

I had the option of buying it, if it were to be good for me, but it will be up to its owner what happens to it now. He just asked me to see if i could get an idea of market value for it.

 

[Richard.]

...remember, its not my unit : )

I had the option of buying it, if it were to be good for me, but it will be up to its owner what happens to it now. He just asked me to see if i could get an idea of market value for it.

Ah I see I thought you buying it for a fiver.

 

[rich r]

It's probably ideal for someone wanting to learn to arc weld - give them a bundle of 2.5mm rods and a chunk of 4mm steel and directions to the tutorials on here and Youtube. So yes, I'd price it around £20. It's a good make, but there are good brand new buzzboxes with a warranty for not a lot more money. Then if they find they outgrow it (ie start to want to use 3.2mm or 4mm, or need something lighter), they can move on to an inverter knowing they've learnt the techniques. And if they can't get the hang of it, it's not cost them a fortune.