Invertor welders - any good?

[benji]

I'm building a 'dog guard' at the moment. Whilst I'm happy with the quality of the welds I'm having a really hard time striking the arc.
Whilst using wia rods have made it a lot better, at 80a (2.5mm rods) the rods are still sticking, and occasionally the arc will go out even with a arc gap of 3 or 4 mm.

As it's only a 140a cheap cig weld welder, I'm thinking the stability isn't that great, and I've had to repair the cable, so there's a possibility other parts of it are frayed also.

There's an inverter welder through boc gas for $270 that's got an easy start function. Would anyone knows of this function makes a difference? And if it's possible to weld thinner material with an
invertor welder?

Thanks.

[Don 130]

I'm no expert on welders, but I've got an old Esab Caddy and at 80 amps with a 2.5 mm rod, I'd be running the rod pretty hot, almost gouging.
Makes me think there's something wrong with yours.
Don

[Homestar]

Yeah, sounds like it is on the way out. Mine is also very hot at 80 amps with a 2.5 rod - I would weld 5 or 6mm plate at that setting. For small stuff I put mine on its low setting and drop it to 40 or so - a bid fiddly to strike an arc, but fine once it's going.

As for Inverter welders - good ones a great to use - we have them in our hire fleet and I have borrowed one to see what difference it made. It was very easy to strike an arc with. If your up for buying a new welder, have you thought about a MIG?

[benji]

Thanks for that. I've noticed on heavy material or runs out of puff after about 40 seconds. So doesn't spell well for its health.

At 80 amp I can comfortably weld 2.5mm plate - so that's interesting with what 80a will do on your welders.

Great to know the inverter welders are better to strike an arc, thanks.

[Judo]

I just recently bought a Unimig brand inverter stick welder. It has a "hot start" feature. Is that the same as "easy start"? I have no welding experience and it is a piece of cake to start an arc. No challenge at all.

The reason I went Unimig brand was to get DC TIG to play around with as well. If you only want stick welding, I haven't heard anything bad about the really cheap ones. There was a thread on one for something like $39 recently!!! That makes me somewhat regret my Unimig (purely on price). At $39 for a stick welder, you don't have much to lose.

What size material do you call "thin"?


Edit: here is the thread. I've replied to see if there is an update as I'm curious too.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/193302-cheap-welder-39-a.html

[Gumnut]

I believe that inverters do not do so well if run off a generator. And definitely do not do so well if they get a gut full of grinding sparks and dust.

I have a few inverters and an old yellow copper coil transformer, and they are chalk and cheese. Inverter wins hands down, but as said, not in the dust, not off a genny, probably not in the rain.... In which case, the heavy yellow clunker gets a run and a win.

And, the rep told me that you can buy a card for unimig cheaply and easily if it gets fried.

Cheers,

Gumnut

[roverrescue]

U m m m m m
stating that WIA rods (2.5mm) are not giving you mojo might be a little dis-ingenious

what flavour rods are you playing with?

No offense intended to your "As it's only a 140a cheap cig weld welder"
but "a welder does not make a weldor"

Now having said that - the BOC inverter unit you speak of is a nice piece of kit and it is quite likely I would break the tibia of anyone who tried to run away with mine... but perhaps some more info and some pics of your welds could help someone give you a few pointers?

Steve

[benji]

As said the quality of the welds are quite okay once I get going. I've been around agricultural and marine fabrication all my life so I know what a good weld looks like. The reason I went with the wia rods was mainly because they've a clearer flux, and as a result I'm getting less undercutting at the sides of the pool.
In saying that I'm definately no expert, but am learning and the welds are getting better.

The thin material I have in mind is 2mm or less.

Great to know the boc inverter works well, it sounds like a goer for me.

[crash]

How old are your rods? Have they been stored in a sealed container? Have you tried a different rod?

[101RRS]

I found that my small BOC inverter welder fails to live up to the hype. Works OK but is really not any better than my 40yo domestic CIG stick welder.

The real difference is the weight of the old welder is about 40-50kg where the inverter is a few kg and easily moved around.

If in the market for a new welder by all means get an inverter but in my experience they do not live up to the hype.

I use my 20yo mig with my own D sized gas bottle - cheap and easy to use and delivers on the results.

Garry

[Ancient Mariner]

U m m m m m
stating that WIA rods (2.5mm) are not giving you mojo might be a little dis-ingenious

what flavour rods are you playing with?

No offense intended to your "As it's only a 140a cheap cig weld welder"
but "a welder does not make a weldor"

Now having said that - the BOC inverter unit you speak of is a nice piece of kit and it is quite likely I would break the tibia of anyone who tried to run away with mine... but perhaps some more info and some pics of your welds could help someone give you a few pointers?

Steve
Better tie it down to something solid then or TC might get it

Noel:o

[benji]

I bought the wia rods yestetday. All my rods are stored in a water tight plastic container.

[De Ranged]

start with your leads.... after you have run a weld are either warm to the touch, damaged sections will show up as warm zones, don't forget your plugs clamp and torch bad connections will steal power from your weld
If there is no heat the leads are good then I'd say your windings are dieing and your welder is on its last legs

Don't stress the technology, inverter tech is where all welders are going, the new ones run better off a genny yes I am contradicting a previous post lol my miller comes with specific comments in the warrentee about genny's... the inverter tech allows them to run off alot smaller gen sets too
Lighter... this is something that is insanely different!
And if you believe the hype more robust..... I just get nervous on this circuit boards and abuse, yea

As for the BOC brand... it is a chinese welder made under licence.... read into this what you will
My BOC Mig run very nicely (even being a **** and radically screwing with the settings it tried to weld lol) there were some issues with parts that well are just plain underbuilt.... now mine was working in a commercial workshop with ham fisted staff lol if there is a chance it can be broken yea.... my answer was to make new overbuilt parts myself
Given these I would still buy another the improvements in weld qaulity for the price and try and get the staff to under stand plastic isn't as strong as steel lol