Comments on Aldi arc welder?

[Owain]

That'll be the two ratings for "switched off" and "switched on"

Owain

[dingbat]

Stick welding is great fun, but it's really of very little use. Go for wire-feed (aka MIG), where are least you can start making things with it.

This is OK for > 1/8" steel, so if you've got a garden gate needing doing, then go for it and have fun.

[dennis]

Shocking thing to do!

[Owain]

Not best current practice.

Owain

[Dave Liquorice]

Well the figure quote (48v and 145A) gives 6960W or 30A at 230v. No idea what the regulation is like on these things but the voltage would have to drop to something like 22v @ 145A for it not to draw more than 13A, I shouldn't think they are that bad.

I suspect if you do fit a properly fused 13A plug to it make sure you have good stock of 13A fuses... Or never wind it much above 50A.

[Guy King]

The message from "Dave Liquorice" contains these words:

The regulation's worse than that! I've never blown a fuse in mine even when wound flat out to do silly things with. The cutout's operated a few times though.

[John Rumm]

To be fair the fan is worth having! (I bought a SIP Merlin many years ago that does not have a fan - poxy thing only runs for about 15mins before getting too hot and cutting out).

[John Rumm]

held plastic thing that comes with these.

The "plug not fitted" note is a probably a good indication that it can draw more than 13A and ought to be wired to a dedicated circuit.

Other than that, it will probably stick things together if they are of decent thickness (or make a swiss cheese of them if not). ;-)

If I were buying one again I would get a mig and not an arc welder.

[Andy Hall]

I thought it had potential, but that idea met with resistance

[AJH]

I have cause to grateful of the use of a mig welder with fans from a PC added just for this eventuality, care of one of the denizens of this group, when a large bore pipe fell off an engine many miles from home.

AJH

[Mark]

ARC is the hardest of all to start with. You will spend more time trying to un-stick the electrode from the work or blowing holes in light metal sheet then ever actually joining two bits together. A small Mig welder would be much better to start with.

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[Anonymous]

I've welded car bodies up before with a stick welder, but that was before the days of MIG, and before bodyfiller was fround upon on the MOT.

I've done upside down welding on Landie chassis, I've brazed car sill's on with the carbon brazing rod attachment.

All good experience.

But I would go for the MIG any day.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I was thinking more of a proper butt weld repair rather than just passing an MOT. But for an MOT repair, a seam welded patch is ok, and that might still be possible with a stick welder. I can make a pretty good job of those - it's butt welding that defeats me.

[Guy King]

The message from Guy King contains these words:

Then again, in a while they're selling a toaster with "Built-in controls". Saves losing the remote, I suppose.