Norman Parker The description was actually changed after this video (see other comments talking about it) Other ads still say 250. It's also not even 160 amps. It's probably not even 125.
The welder welds well. You can also get it to tig. Does what it should . Small , light good looking. But you cant recomend it because it might pack up ?
Well I just looked, 98.90 for the machine. Delivery? Oh that's a cool 100.99 to the UK. I think I'll pass if its all the same to you. By the time I've put import duty and VAT on top, I'm too close to 300 for comfort.
I actually used a similar arc welder to rebuild a steel sailboat in the caribbean off of a generator while sitting in the water. One thing I can say, is it fits in your luggage, burns 3/32 great, and it works with the amperage turned way up. It was perfect for what we needed it for.
All we really need is a drill, some duct tape, copper pipe, and a hammer. We'll just turn it in to an induction cooler and pull that keg through it one beer at a time.
To someone like you it may be novel and not work for long, but to the DIY person that just needs to do a quick light weld, without a lot of room in their garage it would be perfect!
Yeah, for $100 and no more than I would use it that little welder is just right. I don't weld anything that I need more than 125 amps anyway. You can weld thick steel with that if you do some beveling and pre-heat and prep.
Yep that’s why I got one. I had NO idea they were so small before seeing them on the shelf 😂 it wasn’t $98 but it wasn’t $980 either. Works great and it’s a WELDER that takes up about as much space in the toolbox as a good soldering station
@@TheLexiconDevils you can make your own with 2 power supplies from a micro wave oven and some heavy wire to replace the coils. These welders are really simple, best part, confined spacers,, up on the roof or ladder. Too easy. Sling it over shoulder and away you go. I used one to build a 20ft trailor, magic to get overhead or underneath. Don't even get tired carrying it around.
You're right. He has one of the smallest welders I've ever seen. And he made sure we knew how big his hands are. My guess is he drives a monster truck too. Yes, I'd say he has a very, very small welder indeed.
It seems to be pretty good for the money. It would be great for light duty / hobby use. I was quite impressed that it didn't go up in smoke during your 12 burnt rod test in a very hot room. Definitely a thumbs up from me. Thank you for the video!
El Nigel I'm sure I'm only 5% of what he know in knowledge and practice but I dont have to be a pro to see a person with bias review ... a novelty was in his mind from the get go. Again why he did not show the weld or test the quality of the weld ... was it good enough.... will never know.
My Dad's old stick welder was plug n play to change settings. Before that it was a forge, hammer, anvil, and tongs (that he made himself). A little machine like that would have been a miracle in those days. We're very spoiled.
@Daniel Vazquez you'll get more amps when you sacrifice volts. Altering 120 volts AC to 50-60 volts DC(that's what these use on idle) you can crank up the amps. Not the most scientific way to say it put this is pretty much how it'll go. I bought similar thingy and i'm rather satisfied with it. I'm no pro nor i am going to use it to build a solid steel shed nor even weld rust holes shut on my car but use it on random small projects i have. For that small purpose these things are great.
Its actually NOT good value. I've got one... You don't get ANY power plug or leads. By the time you buy the bits to make it work, it turns out dearer than buying a complete machine. Plus they are NOT very robust at all, mine dropped a blade off the cooling fan (a tiny little computer fan) the first time I used it, which necessitated a pull-down to replace. The seller wasn't interested in any warranty.
Welding Junkie yeah but I’m interested in it’s construction, do you get a switch mode power supply or a big transformer. Does it have decent protection circuitry or will it burn your house down as it overheats? Where did they cheap out on the board and components. For the price it might even make a decent power supply if you can hack it a little to adjust the voltage. Yeah it’s a piece of crap that won’t weld properly, but for its size and form factor it could have may potential uses, or at least be a better alternative than winding MOTs to do stick welding, provided that it’s safe.
I could see this being super useful in my line of work. We do a lot of breakdown work on coal wash plants and draglines. A lot of the repairs are to guards and handrails that have cracked from vibration. I’d rather have one of these in my tool bag than carry my tools and another case with a larger caddy welder. Our welders don’t last very long anyway with all the water and dust so the company buys el-cheapo machines for us so I’d happily give one of these a go.
The Fabrication Series we’ve looked into them, but they’re a lot bigger than most caddys on the local market, and they didn’t last long enough to justify the massive cost of them.
ItsDicko Well in your case it sounds like this machine would be ideal. You probably have good leads and just need the proper plug. I would suggest doing some tests yourself as to the quality of the welds. particularly for handrails, but it would definitely save you and your body from lugging around a heavy welder.
I got one of those about a year ago ...been burning rods with it like crazy ever since ! It's even taken a 20 foot fall and the amp knob flew off somewhere but it still works lol !!!
What brought me to your channel is I am looking for something like this for my model building. So while not useful for the serious welder it appears to be a perfect fit for someone like me...;) Thanks for the review!
I travelled to a job welding a trailer frame completely empty handed once on the promise of them having an arc welder on site,arrived to find what looked like like not much more than a battery charger of similar size to this thing which would weld for about two minutes before thermally tripping for five minutes,it wasn't frustrating!
Due to it being so very small I could see having that as an emergency backup rig that doesn't take up a lot of space. Just as long as you didn't need to weld anything very thick. I'd also like to see some kind of exact current reading taken externally via a clamp meter or something. I'm really surprised that you had to give up before the machine did. that type of result on the stress test is actually pretty impressive. Obviously it's not a serious machine for a professional but I like it. I'm no welder though.
I spent $200 for one that does 110 amps and that was 20 years ago. Still works to this day. Best $200 I ever spent. Unless you count that one trip to Reno.
It would probably work better with 6013 rods as the open circuit voltage is rather low. Could be a useful bit of kit to keep on a service vehicle. I keep a little Italian machine that I purchased back in the mid to late 90's that is almost as small but only claims to run to 95 amps it does not have a meter on it but as I tend to drive a welder by feel that is of no import at all, I did check with a clamp meter and it tops out at 110 amps not the 95 claimed.
Seen even slightly smaller one at store. Was realistically rated 130amps and came complete with leads (really short),plug and warranty for price equal to near 50$. I'd say it can be really good for someone that has no welder at all and needs to fix a fence or something like that.
Никита Надеин his review was not fair , actually he had his mind made up before he decided to make this video. I think it works just fine for thin metal. I wouldn't be surprised if it works with a 220 car power inverter too.
Have it there ready with some cheap cables and when a neighbor or friend wants to barrow your welder, this is the one you want to lend. I have a couple of Hobart machines (Stick Inverter and a MIG) and those I don’t lend. Instead, I do the welding for free. Thanks for the review and take care Justin.
See what the thinnest metal you can weld with it is, looks like you can turn the power down really low. It might arc weld less than 1mm metal, it could be useful if it works.
I'm sure this would be a great welder for someone that does like hobby rc rock crawler chassis and all kinds of other low amp projects. The 1/2 amp dial might even work to someone's advantage.
I use this welder, it has 125 Amps max, shows the double on digital readout. But, for a 125 Amp welder, it is the best I ever had, the arc force regulation in it is absolutely top notch. For the all day use, it is just the best for the buck you can get. Only issue I had, the internal low Voltage power supply blew away after just 6 month of use, So, keep it as a lovely gadget you use some times. I just bought my second one a few days ago, just for fun
I would like to see you run some more sticks with a clamp meter measuring the amperage. also kind of curious to see the inside of it, especially after the torture test to see if any of the components look heat stressed or under rated.
Man, things have come a long way! They now sell a similar welder for $84, with the same beautiful case and an arc force adjustment, amperage adjustment, a copper ground clamp, 120v/220v plug adapters on the power cord.
AMAZING space saver! This is Ideal if one likes to travel and Baja and your in the middle of knowwhere using generator or inverter power. It'll get the job done and you can transport it in a fanny pack!! SICK!
I have a Klutch ST80I (Northern Tool store brand) welder that is very similar to this except it actually works. I definitely stand behind it. Its inverter style, runs off of 110vac, only runs up to 75-80A but being inverter based it is more efficient than a transformer style welder and works well for most common applications. I also hooked up a power block and a valve style tig torch to it for a scratch start setup and it works flawlessly, featureless but flawless. I recommend them for a cheap, effective, very portable little welder.
LOL, Those eBay purchased turbos are no longer a good comparison. I remember when they would literally split is two, now I've seen some decent success stories from them. Good video either way.
I have a stick welder the size of a shoe box (smaller than your mini welder). I've had it for 20 years, paid £10 for it at a car boot sale, and it is the best stick welder I've worked with so far. I've taken it to motorcycle rallies, even welded up a broken cargo rack on someone's bike once. I've taken it to motorcycle rallies, even welded up a broken cargo rack on someone's bike once. Damn useful as a portable emergency carry with you welder. No internal amperage control, just a big external resistor spring with a plug in jumper U shaped rod. Great for welding tin cans together with a micro arc when alone without the need for a friend to operate the amperage control wheel if using a conventional full size welder. Pretty much start the arc on the thick starting plate and pull the jumper whilst steadily carrying the now micro arc over to the thin sheet metal. (I had a professional maritime welder demonstrate the trick by welding two tin cans open end to open end (without blowing a hole!!) whilst I operated the amperage control wheel on his stick welder way back in the early 1980's).
I bought a 110/220 Hitbox arc welder just for shitz and giggles and was half impressed. It isn't something I would trust to use every day but it's a good little "rescue welder". Easy to pack and run off of the inverter in my truck. I can drive it anywhere on the ranch for a get the tractor home repair and always bring it on off road search and rescue call.
As I was watching and you stated you would bought it just because....I started laughing because sometimes that's exactly what I do....as always thanks for another interesting video!
The thing that makes this useless compared to the slightly larger SMAW welders is that this uses the high voltage plug while like the Harbor freight mini welders use a standard household 115/120V wall outlet. And it is actually more expensive than the Harbor Freight one, despite both being chinese.
Makes me wonder how he came to his conclusion. Something doesn't add up in the video. How does he know the current? How come it was fine with sticks and not good with tig? Surely the same? Personally I think he fried the circuit doing the stick test and once he went to tig the machine was already fried - shame he doesn't actually tell us more. For me I'm not subscribing. The channel is full of inaccuracies.
The way I understand it, there's a difference between duty cycle and thermal cut-out. Duty cycle is the mfgr suggestion so you don't eventually burn out the machine. SOME welders have a thermal cut out in case you forget about the duty cycle.
I had one that was smaller in height (square from the front) slightly longer in length. I was an Italian Rossi. Stick / Tig. Welded amazingly even wet rod started & welded smooth as silk. Lent it to a friend … never got it back.
i have a older L175 mig but i am a full time RVer and i was on the road and got stuck needing this . my unit is way to big but some thing like this small that i can hid in a bay could really work
What you're interpreting to be amps is more likely "power" or percentage of output capability expressed in decimal from an 8 bit encoded value (256). The actual upper and lower bound are probably mechanically limited or are interpreted from a poorly calibrated analog potentiometer - 254 was shown in this video.
Mr. Holmes you've gone way too far with that. They sell it like 250A welding machine. 4:58 even on the seller's page at AliExpress there're pictures of the machine with rubbed off sticker.
Hey man just watched this video and realised what the issue is straight away, your running it at half volts being that your in the states 120v mains so amps need to be double to compensate, here in aus being 240v mains the amps would read a little low because the machine is rated for 220v input. Nothing wrong with the machine but you will kill it running it at half it’s required volts like trying to run an 18v drill with a 9v battery
@@TheFabricatorSeries this guy is right.. that is your problem. In the states we have 2 hot legs that are 180 degrees out of phase. Each leg is 120 volts. When we combine this we say 240 but it really isn't. Over in China, my understanding, is the hot leg truly is 220 volts. Not two 110s put together. I hope I've explained this well enough.
Amazed it cost you so much, I’ve just bought one for a third of that price! 😳 As such, I’m hoping the current anomaly isn’t standard, but I don’t do a lot of welding anyway, so I’m sure she’ll do what I need either way 😊 Great review though. Thanks.
First time viewer: subbed because there was no bs, no theatrics or drama and no "f" bombs. I'm not new to life or welding, just like to see new & potentially "interesting" things on you tube. Have a great day.
at 98 dollars it should be a must "give" present to every guy/gal you know...hey honey we're going to the Andersons for dinner should we bring flowers, wine or a welder?... hey honey your nephew turning 12 what should we give him?... hey Mike from accounting going through a divorce you wanna pitch in for a cheer him up basket or give him this welder?...
Thanks for the great videos, could you consider doing a review on one of the cheap 200A Chinese ebay tig welders for us tig beginers, I've many years always using mig but you've inspired me to try tig, thanks again for a great channel
I'd have to say, your videos are pretty damn good! I currently want a tig welder. Although i have never welded before, tig is the way I want to go so I can do my own stainless stuff and aluminum.
This is the 1st video of yours i have ever watched and glad i did as was going to buy one for myself ever tho it only be for hobby use and the reason i was going to buy it because of the size and be ideal for storage I wont be now ive watched your video .. . Thanks for doing the review
i like your video, w the lunch box welder. something i didn't hear u mention. Adding the additional leads, plus the jumper cable attachment. Creates amperage drop. For what the unit cost, i was impressed. though
Well.... Let us face it..Does it work...Mmmmmm.....Yeahhh!!! good product, mmmmeeeehhh but if you consider that you are a welder and that is what you do for a living....It will do an awesome Key Chain!! you can use it a s a personal conversation piece as you make the mention... and yes like ducks don't swim well, don't fly well, don't walk well or snorkel well... but it actually does it!
Exactly, and they always piss on the little guys toys. We are not building skyscrapers out back in the tool shed. These hobbyist machines are awesome for the price and in most cases the application. I'm building artwork, go carts, and bicycles these machines do the job everytime.
I dont build skyscrapers either. I never have. But a piece of junk is a piece of junk. If I see no value in it for even a hobbyist (which I once was), I'm gonna say it. It's really a piece of junk.
I have the same machine , same low power problem until.......switch the rod polarity and its a whole new machine. I don't know if there marked wrong or if it has some funky output, but it will chew 1/8 rods and run larger no problems. If you still have it its worth a try.
I saw guy assemble entire deck with roof and everything for caffe near building I lived. He had only grinder and this tiny welder and tube steel was quite big. I asked him about it and he told me it's usable and best thing for him is he can bring all tools with him on bicycle.
Honestly, when you said it goes to 250A, My first thought was "there's no way that little thing does 250A". The question remains however; How would you rate it if the display was actually accurate? Let's say the display maxed out at 125A, would you rate it as a reasonably decent welder for that amperage?
It has nothing to do with duty cycle. Duty cycle is how long you can run it at a specific load before you need to cool it down for a specific time. This machine doesn't reach the rated output, it only goes to about half. That is either blatantly misleading advertising or bad design..... maybe both.
Mr. greens boat tanks and aluminium welding its chinglish .... its expected to fail at advertising like anything coming from China. But it works ... I'm getting one for sure.
It actually doesn't do what it says haha. That's the problem. 12 electrodes at an unknown amount of amps with an unknown amount of duty cycle means you'll never know what it will actually do. The amount of rods is actually irrelevant since just about any machine will burn without exceeding its duty cycle if you weld way below it.
Před 6 lety+4
If you still have the welds cut them and see how far they penetrated then will know if it can weld.
12 3/32 even in an industrial setting that's good. I'm not sure what people are expecting. Most people are not building 1000 psi vessels or skyscrapers in there garages or small shops unless I'm missing something.
You can drill a hole with a $150 Makita drill or with a $20 crappo drill. Take your pick, it’s your choice. But in a few yrs time, which one will still be drilling holes! Buy once, cry once.
S. White If I lived in the Philippines ... The average person makes 200 pesos per day. To feed their families plus other expenses. $100.00 dollars = 5.000 pesos My personal system was $3.500.00 plus. 1,865,500.00 Philippine Peso @ today's marker Most 3rd word country does average 200.00 their money per day $4.00 per day .... that will be 25 days of 100% savings plus shipping plus material .... I'll say about 50 days to have a novelty. Any questions? THIS VIDEO IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE USA VIEWER. CZcams is view worldwide in exception to China and some other countries where American ideology is sensor.
You should know that typically welder machines that has 250 in its name actually can achieve barely 180 Amps (160 is most common case). It's because its schematics was designed by some engineers who can fix it easily and was able to tune it up to 250 Amps (using expensive electronic components and fine tuning). But in mass production they don't use expensive components (or even they don't use all needed components) and therefore machines must be tuned down a little to reliability improvement.
Hey man love the channel and videos you do, please do a test on the kemppi minarc 150 small welding machine. It's so small and light but can you test and see how good it TIGs and welds.
👇👇Here is the link to the Mini MMA-250
👇👇
amzn.to/2scNeDb
Other Tools & Gear We Use and Recommend
www.amazon.com/shop/thefabricationseries
Should've tried reading the description it's not 250 is 160
Norman Parker The description was actually changed after this video (see other comments talking about it) Other ads still say 250. It's also not even 160 amps. It's probably not even 125.
The welder welds well.
You can also get it to tig.
Does what it should .
Small , light good looking.
But you cant recomend it because it might pack up ?
Mind Freshener It was running on 220v, not 110. It's a 220v machine.
Well I just looked, 98.90 for the machine. Delivery? Oh that's a cool 100.99 to the UK.
I think I'll pass if its all the same to you. By the time I've put import duty and VAT on top, I'm too close to 300 for comfort.
The half current thing seems common with these. I wish they'd just rate it as what it is. It still has use as a 100A welder.
Would love for you to tear one apart! They seem great, but i agree on the current thing. The companies are just trying to outdo themselves
It even can TIG. And yes, all of these use 1/2A as unit. I see this and similar others as a good deal for the hobbyst.
Agree. Works great on sheet metal. Wasn't meant to be a shop welder. Good for around the house/hobbyists stuff.
Good to keep in my truck. Gotten myself out of a bind before with that and a generator. So it has uses; not every welds day in and day out.
chinese amps, to get real divide by 2 or 3
I actually used a similar arc welder to rebuild a steel sailboat in the caribbean off of a generator while sitting in the water. One thing I can say, is it fits in your luggage, burns 3/32 great, and it works with the amperage turned way up. It was perfect for what we needed it for.
This is what I'm saying!
A mini fridge won't hold a keg but you can still get a cold beer out of it!😁
Dam that statement is legit.
right!!
@Dirt Nap307 you can definitely fit a keg in a mini fridge. You just have to modify it.
All we really need is a drill, some duct tape, copper pipe, and a hammer.
We'll just turn it in to an induction cooler and pull that keg through it one beer at a time.
To someone like you it may be novel and not work for long, but to the DIY person that just needs to do a quick light weld, without a lot of room in their garage it would be perfect!
Yeah, for $100 and no more than I would use it that little welder is just right. I don't weld anything that I need more than 125 amps anyway. You can weld thick steel with that if you do some beveling and pre-heat and prep.
It's exactly what I need! I'm about to embark on learning to Tig and I'd rather not spend $1000 just to learn.
works perfectly for me, gets a brief usage maybe once every couple of months...
Yep that’s why I got one. I had NO idea they were so small before seeing them on the shelf 😂 it wasn’t $98 but it wasn’t $980 either. Works great and it’s a WELDER that takes up about as much space in the toolbox as a good soldering station
@@TheLexiconDevils you can make your own with 2 power supplies from a micro wave oven and some heavy wire to replace the coils.
These welders are really simple, best part, confined spacers,, up on the roof or ladder. Too easy. Sling it over shoulder and away you go.
I used one to build a 20ft trailor, magic to get overhead or underneath. Don't even get tired carrying it around.
You know what they say about a guy with a big phone and big hands don't ya? He has a tiny welder.
--cLAsic-- Quick wit. That was good.
Hahaa, it's about weld penetration, don't know if that one will do it....
lol low amperage.
Remember it's not the size of the fabricators welder, but how he lays a bead with all the amperage he's got.
You're right. He has one of the smallest welders I've ever seen. And he made sure we knew how big his hands are. My guess is he drives a monster truck too. Yes, I'd say he has a very, very small welder indeed.
I’ve got one similar in my repair van, it takes up so little space and weight but it welds brilliantly.
It seems to be pretty good for the money. It would be great for light duty / hobby use. I was quite impressed that it didn't go up in smoke during your 12 burnt rod test in a very hot room. Definitely a thumbs up from me. Thank you for the video!
From Dominican Republic, I'm going to the welding school and u can say that you have help me more than my school for sure. Thank you!
El Nigel
thank you
I really think he was an ass.
magaiver everyone has a personality, I take the good things I think he a badass
A cual?
Victor Rodriguez. Infotep
El Nigel
I'm sure I'm only 5% of what he know in knowledge and practice but I dont have to be a pro to see a person with bias review ... a novelty was in his mind from the get go. Again why he did not show the weld or test the quality of the weld ... was it good enough.... will never know.
My Dad's old stick welder was plug n play to change settings. Before that it was a forge, hammer, anvil, and tongs (that he made himself). A little machine like that would have been a miracle in those days. We're very spoiled.
if you had to take your welder, climb a tower, plug in up there and weld something, you might grab this welder.
I keep one in my Jeep. Works great. Not what you'd use in a shop all day but broke down on the trail in the middle of nowhere....
Where do you get 240v broken down in the middle of nowhere ?
@@gurjindersingh199 dual battery set up. Instructions are in the box.
125 amps for $100 in a tiny compact size that doesn't quit? That sounds like a damn good welder
Yes I thought he was a bit harsh in his conclusion. Plus I've swapped out the adjustment pot in cheap machines before and they've proven fine.
@Daniel Vazquez you'll get more amps when you sacrifice volts. Altering 120 volts AC to 50-60 volts DC(that's what these use on idle) you can crank up the amps. Not the most scientific way to say it put this is pretty much how it'll go. I bought similar thingy and i'm rather satisfied with it. I'm no pro nor i am going to use it to build a solid steel shed nor even weld rust holes shut on my car but use it on random small projects i have. For that small purpose these things are great.
Its actually NOT good value. I've got one... You don't get ANY power plug or leads. By the time you buy the bits to make it work, it turns out dearer than buying a complete machine. Plus they are NOT very robust at all, mine dropped a blade off the cooling fan (a tiny little computer fan) the first time I used it, which necessitated a pull-down to replace. The seller wasn't interested in any warranty.
Also they're only $50 on ebay.
क्या कितनी कीमत है भारत में कहां मिलेगी बताएं धन्यवाद
Send it to someone like AVE, to tear it apart and look at its guts!
Jack Eagan I think we can all tell the quality lol
Welding Junkie yeah but I’m interested in it’s construction, do you get a switch mode power supply or a big transformer. Does it have decent protection circuitry or will it burn your house down as it overheats? Where did they cheap out on the board and components. For the price it might even make a decent power supply if you can hack it a little to adjust the voltage. Yeah it’s a piece of crap that won’t weld properly, but for its size and form factor it could have may potential uses, or at least be a better alternative than winding MOTs to do stick welding, provided that it’s safe.
THIS
I second that. Ave can see what it is actually putting out and maybe why
Reno Simpson they both are cool, but Clive would do it better.
I could see this being super useful in my line of work. We do a lot of breakdown work on coal wash plants and draglines. A lot of the repairs are to guards and handrails that have cracked from vibration. I’d rather have one of these in my tool bag than carry my tools and another case with a larger caddy welder. Our welders don’t last very long anyway with all the water and dust so the company buys el-cheapo machines for us so I’d happily give one of these a go.
ItsDicko Look into the Fronius Accupocket. It's perfect for just that type of work including the dust and water. Mine goes with me everywhere.
The Fabrication Series we’ve looked into them, but they’re a lot bigger than most caddys on the local market, and they didn’t last long enough to justify the massive cost of them.
ItsDicko Well in your case it sounds like this machine would be ideal. You probably have good leads and just need the proper plug. I would suggest doing some tests yourself as to the quality of the welds. particularly for handrails, but it would definitely save you and your body from lugging around a heavy welder.
@@TheFabricatorSeries Sweet Jesus, those are about $3000 list. Hardly comparable. You must be doing well off your CZcams advertising bucks. :- )
@@insulglass lmao, you could trashed 30 of this little things and it will weld so much more sticks than accupocket with its 17 minutes continuous use
You hit it right on head in the beginning, it's so adorable you just want to hug it LOL. Love your videos so keep them coming.
I got one of those about a year ago ...been burning rods with it like crazy ever since ! It's even taken a 20 foot fall and the amp knob flew off somewhere but it still works lol !!!
That is the cutest fire hazard I have ever seen!!!!
Cryingggggg 😂😂😂😂
Cool comment! The operator burned out before it did though, even under a sweltering day! Just sayin,
Reminds me of the old equalizer/amplifier for our car stereos back in the 80's
400 watts quadrophonic by Pyramid!
What brought me to your channel is I am looking for something like this for my model building. So while not useful for the serious welder it appears to be a perfect fit for someone like me...;) Thanks for the review!
I travelled to a job welding a trailer frame completely empty handed once on the promise of them having an arc welder on site,arrived to find what looked like like not much more than a battery charger of similar size to this thing which would weld for about two minutes before thermally tripping for five minutes,it wasn't frustrating!
Due to it being so very small I could see having that as an emergency backup rig that doesn't take up a lot of space. Just as long as you didn't need to weld anything very thick. I'd also like to see some kind of exact current reading taken externally via a clamp meter or something. I'm really surprised that you had to give up before the machine did. that type of result on the stress test is actually pretty impressive.
Obviously it's not a serious machine for a professional but I like it. I'm no welder though.
125 Amps for 99 bucks sounds like a good deal to me. It reminds me of the 3000w stereo amplifiers and 6000w speakers. Marketing takes over often.
Amps and speakers you had to read the fine print, they show the peak to peak output, which is more than double the RMS...
I spent $200 for one that does 110 amps and that was 20 years ago. Still works to this day. Best $200 I ever spent. Unless you count that one trip to Reno.
@@MrRatkilr I bought a Maxstar 150 back in the day, just under $1000, made that money back first weekend I owned it at the race track...
and the 10000mAh 18650 batteries that perfectly drive the 6000W stereos:)
I got one ,edon brand from china,same size but shoots out 350Amps, I used edon for years they are the best.
I paid maybe equivalent of 50 for it.
Thanks again for the creative hook up and thorough demo!!!!
It would probably work better with 6013 rods as the open circuit voltage is rather low. Could be a useful bit of kit to keep on a service vehicle. I keep a little Italian machine that I purchased back in the mid to late 90's that is almost as small but only claims to run to 95 amps it does not have a meter on it but as I tend to drive a welder by feel that is of no import at all, I did check with a clamp meter and it tops out at 110 amps not the 95 claimed.
Seen even slightly smaller one at store. Was realistically rated 130amps and came complete with leads (really short),plug and warranty for price equal to near 50$.
I'd say it can be really good for someone that has no welder at all and needs to fix a fence or something like that.
Никита Надеин
his review was not fair , actually he had his mind made up before he decided to make this video.
I think it works just fine for thin metal. I wouldn't be surprised if it works with a 220 car power inverter too.
What store?? You have a name of it?
220 Vols needed :) And the Battery Clamp , there is no way this many amps will go trough .... Hook it up again ! Dont give up ! :) Dankeschoen !
Have it there ready with some cheap cables and when a neighbor or friend wants to barrow your welder, this is the one you want to lend. I have a couple of Hobart machines (Stick Inverter and a MIG) and those I don’t lend. Instead, I do the welding for free. Thanks for the review and take care Justin.
See what the thinnest metal you can weld with it is, looks like you can turn the power down really low. It might arc weld less than 1mm metal, it could be useful if it works.
Oliver Taylor true
i`m welding with 18amp 1.3 and 1.6 all day.
that will be interesting to see.
I'm sure this would be a great welder for someone that does like hobby rc rock crawler chassis and all kinds of other low amp projects. The 1/2 amp dial might even work to someone's advantage.
@@DanielCardei Thats on regular steel, isnt it?
@@henryrollins9177 yep
There is a valid use-case for this, for those of us with small shops but need a welder.
I use this welder, it has 125 Amps max, shows the double on digital readout. But, for a 125 Amp welder, it is the best I ever had, the arc force regulation in it is absolutely top notch. For the all day use, it is just the best for the buck you can get. Only issue I had, the internal low Voltage power supply blew away after just 6 month of use, So, keep it as a lovely gadget you use some times. I just bought my second one a few days ago, just for fun
That welding machine is perfect for a tinkerer, around the homestead repairs, and for a kid to start on. Pretty decent for $100.
But 100 bucks gets ONLY the machine and nothing else. You'll be 400 into a machine that isn't worth it before you can lay down a bead.
I would like to see you run some more sticks with a clamp meter measuring the amperage. also kind of curious to see the inside of it, especially after the torture test to see if any of the components look heat stressed or under rated.
10:50 "TIG Toaster, it's a novelty" LOL.
Man, things have come a long way! They now sell a similar welder for $84, with the same beautiful case and an arc force adjustment, amperage adjustment, a copper ground clamp, 120v/220v plug adapters on the power cord.
Thank you, yet for another great episode!
AMAZING space saver! This is Ideal if one likes to travel and Baja and your in the middle of knowwhere using generator or inverter power. It'll get the job done and you can transport it in a fanny pack!! SICK!
Exactly what i was thinking as well as those odd jobs at home
Just enough for home service repair gates and some repair steel stuff. Cheap light and good to travel for home service
Dude thank you for these videos! Inspiring, super informative!
I have a Klutch ST80I (Northern Tool store brand) welder that is very similar to this except it actually works. I definitely stand behind it. Its inverter style, runs off of 110vac, only runs up to 75-80A but being inverter based it is more efficient than a transformer style welder and works well for most common applications. I also hooked up a power block and a valve style tig torch to it for a scratch start setup and it works flawlessly, featureless but flawless. I recommend them for a cheap, effective, very portable little welder.
It's a continuum transfuctioner!
you can use it to make an arc forge, cheap enough that you can dedicate it to that purpose
Best thumbnail to video transition I've ever seen.
You are my new Sensei! I now must go back for all the older vids.
LOL, Those eBay purchased turbos are no longer a good comparison. I remember when they would literally split is two, now I've seen some decent success stories from them. Good video either way.
Well, here's your problem. Those were METRIC amps! ;-)
Amps, volts, and watts are METRIC units of measure. Always have been.
@@kooldoozer it was a joke.
r/woooosh
Right. Very funny
@@kooldoozer r/overyourhead
I have a stick welder the size of a shoe box (smaller than your mini welder). I've had it for 20 years, paid £10 for it at a car boot sale, and it is the best stick welder I've worked with so far. I've taken it to motorcycle rallies, even welded up a broken cargo rack on someone's bike once.
I've taken it to motorcycle rallies, even welded up a broken cargo rack on someone's bike once. Damn useful as a portable emergency carry with you welder.
No internal amperage control, just a big external resistor spring with a plug in jumper U shaped rod. Great for welding tin cans together with a micro arc when alone without the need for a friend to operate the amperage control wheel if using a conventional full size welder. Pretty much start the arc on the thick starting plate and pull the jumper whilst steadily carrying the now micro arc over to the thin sheet metal. (I had a professional maritime welder demonstrate the trick by welding two tin cans open end to open end (without blowing a hole!!) whilst I operated the amperage control wheel on his stick welder way back in the early 1980's).
I bought a 110/220 Hitbox arc welder just for shitz and giggles and was half impressed. It isn't something I would trust to use every day but it's a good little "rescue welder". Easy to pack and run off of the inverter in my truck. I can drive it anywhere on the ranch for a get the tractor home repair and always bring it on off road search and rescue call.
"Junk or Not, I Gotta Have One"
regardless it went thru 12 rods and tired you out lol
Great Review. i Like, OLE!
Will you ever review the Vulcan from harbor fright?
As I was watching and you stated you would bought it just because....I started laughing because sometimes that's exactly what I do....as always thanks for another interesting video!
Awesome introduction real smooth
It's just pocket stick welder for small repairs. But it's cute! :D
The thing that makes this useless compared to the slightly larger SMAW welders is that this uses the high voltage plug while like the Harbor freight mini welders use a standard household 115/120V wall outlet. And it is actually more expensive than the Harbor Freight one, despite both being chinese.
could you put a clamp meter on the output lead and measure how much it's *actually putting out?
Merlin Zener my thoughts exactly.
I was thinking the same. Id rather see hard evidence of what exactly it is putting out than a guesstimate.
Merlin Zener, Yep, inductive amp meter (amp clamp) would tell the tale exactly, I’m kinda surprised he didn’t do that in the video...
Makes me wonder how he came to his conclusion. Something doesn't add up in the video. How does he know the current? How come it was fine with sticks and not good with tig? Surely the same?
Personally I think he fried the circuit doing the stick test and once he went to tig the machine was already fried - shame he doesn't actually tell us more.
For me I'm not subscribing. The channel is full of inaccuracies.
Every video ive watched ive never seen any body put an amp clamp on the welding lead
The way I understand it, there's a difference between duty cycle and thermal cut-out. Duty cycle is the mfgr suggestion so you don't eventually burn out the machine. SOME welders have a thermal cut out in case you forget about the duty cycle.
I had one that was smaller in height (square from the front) slightly longer in length.
I was an Italian Rossi. Stick / Tig. Welded amazingly even wet rod started & welded smooth as silk.
Lent it to a friend … never got it back.
The eBay seller: "Ah great! someone managed to R&D it for us!. Okay, 160 amps."
I thought that it was a pretty impressive “paper weight” even if it didn’t have that many amps
The thumbnail to the video is the smoothest thing I've ever seen in youtube
i have a older L175 mig but i am a full time RVer and i was on the road and got stuck needing this . my unit is way to big but some thing like this small that i can hid in a bay could really work
Actually those Ebay turbos have come a long way in the last couple years :)
William Zoom I agree. They aren't what they used to be. I know of a few brands that last more than a mile (a few years actually).
no they havent ur cars instantly worthless if you were that dumb
The Fabrication Series what brands)
Izaak Bennett DNA
Emusa
What you're interpreting to be amps is more likely "power" or percentage of output capability expressed in decimal from an 8 bit encoded value (256). The actual upper and lower bound are probably mechanically limited or are interpreted from a poorly calibrated analog potentiometer - 254 was shown in this video.
that actually may be it
Mr. Holmes you've gone way too far with that. They sell it like 250A welding machine. 4:58 even on the seller's page at AliExpress there're pictures of the machine with rubbed off sticker.
Thank you for making this video... cool.
Good fun to watch, as always
Hey man just watched this video and realised what the issue is straight away, your running it at half volts being that your in the states 120v mains so amps need to be double to compensate, here in aus being 240v mains the amps would read a little low because the machine is rated for 220v input.
Nothing wrong with the machine but you will kill it running it at half it’s required volts like trying to run an 18v drill with a 9v battery
You must have skipped the part where I added a 240v plug and said it's on 240v input.
@@TheFabricatorSeries this guy is right.. that is your problem. In the states we have 2 hot legs that are 180 degrees out of phase. Each leg is 120 volts. When we combine this we say 240 but it really isn't. Over in China, my understanding, is the hot leg truly is 220 volts. Not two 110s put together. I hope I've explained this well enough.
Amazed it cost you so much, I’ve just bought one for a third of that price! 😳 As such, I’m hoping the current anomaly isn’t standard, but I don’t do a lot of welding anyway, so I’m sure she’ll do what I need either way 😊 Great review though. Thanks.
Thanks a lot just what I need to know very helpful
First time viewer: subbed because there was no bs, no theatrics or drama and no "f" bombs. I'm not new to life or welding, just like to see new & potentially "interesting" things on you tube. Have a great day.
at 98 dollars it should be a must "give" present to every guy/gal you know...hey honey we're going to the Andersons for dinner should we bring flowers, wine or a welder?... hey honey your nephew turning 12 what should we give him?... hey Mike from accounting going through a divorce you wanna pitch in for a cheer him up basket or give him this welder?...
iPANZERSCHRECKu Fantastic idea
100$ gifs? You guys are generous! We become squimish at anything over 25$.
If it all goes wrong in any of the situations they can always fill up the tub plug it in and weld that pesky leaking pipe and end everyone's problems!
will this be enough for me to start learning stick welding from ground?
No
Thanks for the great videos, could you consider doing a review on one of the cheap 200A Chinese ebay tig welders for us tig beginers, I've many years always using mig but you've inspired me to try tig, thanks again for a great channel
That intro where he fades from the thumbnail was amazing
GET THEM ON EBAY!! 75 bucks or best offer! 10 bucks shipping
Were you running it off 110 or 220 volts? I wouldn't be surprised if it's output changes based on the input voltage.
I'd have to say, your videos are pretty damn good! I currently want a tig welder. Although i have never welded before, tig is the way I want to go so I can do my own stainless stuff and aluminum.
This is the 1st video of yours i have ever watched and glad i did as was going to buy one for myself ever tho it only be for hobby use and the reason i was going to buy it because of the size and be ideal for storage
I wont be now ive watched your video .. . Thanks for doing the review
Since its junk can i have it?
jack daniels for real though.
what is the best chinese MMA (inverter) you could possibly recommend?
Riland 👍
i like your video, w the lunch box welder. something i didn't hear u mention. Adding the additional leads, plus the jumper cable attachment. Creates amperage drop. For what the unit cost, i was impressed. though
Sounds great
Well.... Let us face it..Does it work...Mmmmmm.....Yeahhh!!! good product, mmmmeeeehhh but if you consider that you are a welder and that is what you do for a living....It will do an awesome Key Chain!! you can use it a s a personal conversation piece as you make the mention... and yes like ducks don't swim well, don't fly well, don't walk well or snorkel well... but it actually does it!
The trouble with these reviews is you have a professional welder reviewing a hobbyist machine.
Exactly, and they always piss on the little guys toys. We are not building skyscrapers out back in the tool shed. These hobbyist machines are awesome for the price and in most cases the application. I'm building artwork, go carts, and bicycles these machines do the job everytime.
I dont build skyscrapers either. I never have. But a piece of junk is a piece of junk. If I see no value in it for even a hobbyist (which I once was), I'm gonna say it. It's really a piece of junk.
@@TheFabricatorSeries Sure , and I'm gona that advice from a guy with an Alfalfa hairdo.
@@iguanapete3809
That's not Alfalfa.
That is a fake mohawk.
@@iguanapete3809 LOL
I have to agree that is just cool... before I even see the rest of the video I want one.
I have the same machine , same low power problem until.......switch the rod polarity and its a whole new machine. I don't know if there marked wrong or if
it has some funky output, but it will chew 1/8 rods and run larger no problems. If you still have it its worth a try.
Swarfman64 what do you mean switch the rod polarity exactly?
How could something that small, not be under-Powered?
So, it's a 125 Amp Welder?
Different design to a traditional welder. Uses switches rather than coils. Like modern phone chargers compared to ones 10 years ago.
Did y use it on 110v. Product page says it is for 220 Volt. Of course amps are half if y have lower Voltage supply it needs.
I don't weld (want to) but my knowledge of electricity says you have to be correct!
hmmm interesting thought
It was plugged into 240v power just as stated and shown in the vid.
@@TheFabricatorSeries said it over to bigclive he'll take it apart and tell us what's going on inside of it
we had an old welder (SMAW only) from the 20s or 30s in high school. it was about the same size. technology has always been there , no body wanted it.
I saw guy assemble entire deck with roof and everything for caffe near building I lived. He had only grinder and this tiny welder and tube steel was quite big. I asked him about it and he told me it's usable and best thing for him is he can bring all tools with him on bicycle.
Dont judge a bomb by it size, or else you underestimate atomic bombs
Honestly, when you said it goes to 250A, My first thought was "there's no way that little thing does 250A". The question remains however; How would you rate it if the display was actually accurate? Let's say the display maxed out at 125A, would you rate it as a reasonably decent welder for that amperage?
Mind Freshener hes running it on 240volt.
Gary Baris C
Mind Freshener, he's running at 240v "didn't you see the plug"?
It is all about duty cycle. And how much the fans and heat sinks and fans can dissipate the heat
It has nothing to do with duty cycle. Duty cycle is how long you can run it at a specific load before you need to cool it down for a specific time. This machine doesn't reach the rated output, it only goes to about half. That is either blatantly misleading advertising or bad design..... maybe both.
That Zoltan part had me rolling I swear lol love your videos
Thanks for the honest opinion dude!
Just checked the link and it says 160 amps. Maybe they saw this and changed it.lol!
Mr. greens boat tanks and aluminium welding They'll probably jack up the price too haha.
The Fabrication Series yeah justin, they probably will. Lmao!!!
Mr. greens boat tanks and aluminium welding
its chinglish .... its expected to fail at advertising like anything coming from China. But it works ... I'm getting one for sure.
Zoltan 😂
Zoltan!
Dude. what does mine say? Dude. What does mine say? DUDE! What about mine! Lol
Very nice welding machine.
I’ve had the industrial easy mini100 for 10+ years still goes fine lol
12 electrodes and it carried on so it does weld and does what it says.
It actually doesn't do what it says haha. That's the problem. 12 electrodes at an unknown amount of amps with an unknown amount of duty cycle means you'll never know what it will actually do. The amount of rods is actually irrelevant since just about any machine will burn without exceeding its duty cycle if you weld way below it.
If you still have the welds cut them and see how far they penetrated then will know if it can weld.
12 3/32 even in an industrial setting that's good. I'm not sure what people are expecting. Most people are not building 1000 psi vessels or skyscrapers in there garages or small shops unless I'm missing something.
So is a 125 amp welder for 99$ not OK?
Max Headflow
Not for this guy.
He need a welder for skyscrapers with a million dollar crane to lift it for him. On the 2nd floor.
You can drill a hole with a $150 Makita drill or with a $20 crappo drill. Take your pick, it’s your choice. But in a few yrs time, which one will still be drilling holes! Buy once, cry once.
@@SWhite-hp5xq not the Makita
@@SWhite-hp5xq that's will-fuck-yee to you
S. White
If I lived in the Philippines ...
The average person makes 200 pesos per day. To feed their families plus other expenses.
$100.00 dollars = 5.000 pesos
My personal system was $3.500.00 plus.
1,865,500.00 Philippine Peso
@ today's marker
Most 3rd word country does average 200.00 their money per day
$4.00 per day .... that will be 25 days of 100% savings plus shipping plus material .... I'll say about 50 days to have a novelty.
Any questions?
THIS VIDEO IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE USA VIEWER. CZcams is view worldwide in exception to China and some other countries where American ideology is sensor.
You should know that typically welder machines that has 250 in its name actually can achieve barely 180 Amps (160 is most common case). It's because its schematics was designed by some engineers who can fix it easily and was able to tune it up to 250 Amps (using expensive electronic components and fine tuning). But in mass production they don't use expensive components (or even they don't use all needed components) and therefore machines must be tuned down a little to reliability improvement.
Hey man love the channel and videos you do, please do a test on the kemppi minarc 150 small welding machine. It's so small and light but can you test and see how good it TIGs and welds.