For anyone reading this that has never welded, if you use those welding glasses to weld, you can expect to look like a fool that visited a tanning bed, wore goggle and fell asleep. The reason why a welding helmet is a helmet is the UV skin burns. Don't get it twisted, it's every bit as bad as a sunburn. I found this out by watching a colleague do some welding while holding a spare welding glass (oblong shaped) over my eyes. Not one of the old guys warned me, but they sure laughed the next few days as I was in pain and had a visible square of white skin around my eyes.
One huge problem I see is hot sparks flying into the unit and melting the insualtion on transformer or something on PCB considering how close is the electrode to the actual unit. A DIY shield in front would help with this problem I think.
For a first time weld, this isn't bad! You should've seen me! Just a couple things that really helped me, strike the rod like a match, it is a lot less likely to stick. Next, try a rod called 6011, it is nicknamed "garbage rod" because it will weld through the nastiest rust and paint so you don't have to be as picky cleaning up your steel. Third, with 6011, use a "whip" technique, thats where you hold still for a second, then rapidly move forward about an inch and then back to the front of the melt puddle, this will give you a good strong weld, you got it down when it gets that nice stack of coins laid sideways look. Also, definitely DON'T weld anything galvanized, the white/ yellow fuzz that forms is a dead giveaway if you do get into it. The fumes from it are BAD news! And don't forget the most important part, HAVE FUN! Welding is just cool!!
for a first attempt at welding you had a right good go at it. i can actually see a use for this, it would be much better if they gave you an electrode holder on a lead and put the main circuitry in a box at the other end with the grounding clamp
I’m a reasonably skilled welder and I think this thing isn’t terrible. It’s cheap and compact enough to be worth keeping one in your van just in case - and it will clearly do light duty welding ok. Typically for working in difficult locations you have a compact inverter that goes on a harness or belt. Not sure if this is really better or worse for that application. The bulk of the unit will definitely get in the way for a lot of tasks though, compared to a normal electrode holder. If they did a cheap spool gun like this I would say that’s more useful.
You can get those little compact inverters with conventional cable connections for as little as $50 (plus cables) on eBay, probably the same welder in a more sensible box.
That did better than i expected TBH. For someone with no other welder and a need to make really basic random one-off things like a bracket for your workbench or fixing something i could actually see it being useful.
That's my take. It's not ideal pro kit but for a hobbyist it's the ticket. I have a big welder and I could see myself breaking that gun out for some things.
keeping the unit on (and its fan running) but having the clamp not connected (or on something safe and out of hands reach so you cant possibly create a short) Would be a good idea to help it cool down, as just turning it off after you are done might heatsoak all the components and kill them
Quite impressive performance for it's size. 70-80 A on stick is fine for small repair jobs up to 3/8 in. Not for big jobs, and I can see the weld sparks eventually shorting out the boards especially doing overhead jobs.
so it welds - 12 minutes in only to see that it works? for a person that might need to do a few inches of welds per year why would this be a bad thing? I don't understand why there are so many channels shitting on people being able to use cheap equipment to do small jobs. rate it at homeowner grade or less but this thing welded better than a harbor freight mig welder.
@@sarinsarin7898 The west copies much also that you know little about. Today, advances in science in the west are being driven by Chinese students. Pick up an impactful scientific journal sometime and look at the names. Hmmm, I wonder why!
@@ocayaro lol, riddle me this, for instance, why is it that your friends the chinese built an almost exact replica of the f25 or f35 cant remember now stealth fighter jet yet the US had ALREADY built such a aircraft?????????, have the US forgotten how to make stealth aircraft?. Oh and why is it that when you can buy an electrical item designed by a western country yet built in china (to cut costs) the chinese factories all of a sudden are building the EXACT same thing with no brand name on it????????. Your journals mean absolutely nothing when it comes to copywrite laws and patents, im not trying to discredit the intellectual people of china, they are an intelligent people, thats not my point. My point is that because most things designed by the west (because of greed mainly). The chinese do copy ALOT of designs because they know it sells (who wouldn't). I think its smart if you can get away with it, thats my point. I have had my say and am now done with this section.
when the stick is in dc reverse or negative, ⅔ of the heat is in the rod and ⅓ is in the base metal. that's for thin metal. if you put the welding rod in the ground handle and made the welder clamp to the base metal ⅔ of the heat would be in the base metal and ⅓ in the rod. that's for welding thicker metals. over a quarter inch.
I just wanna weld some thin patches on my truck floor, just ordered one of these type machines, so far it looks like it’s gonna do what I need it to do, gets here Monday.
well my welder weighs about 80lbs its a portable hobart mig135 A 120v and for the size and weight of that unit it would be worth it just to tuck in a tool box for short welds and dang 15% duty that would be suitable for small repair stuff on a short notice.
I own a lipo battery version of these welders. I work as a car recovery driver, we attempt a repair on a car before we tow it. This has been handy for repairing exhaust brackets, small things that have broken away etc. The weld from them is rough to say the least as you can not get a stable amperage, But if you are stuck at 3 in the morning, miles away from home. It did repair a broken car spring hanger on the side of the motorway, The family on their way to a holiday, this would have been a major dissapointment to the kids. 25 minutes of jacking and welding they were happily on their way. I know these are cheap Chinese crap and they don't last that long. But for my application of the welder, it may be used only for a few minutes, once every few months. I would not use this for any prolonged welding. Plus I can weld anywhere, even on the side of a motorway if you shield the flash from passing motorists.
Awesome vid and info! lmao @ Take it apart first to have a look before you plug it in and melt it. I love it! I have the Arc-130 digital version coming in today. Just curious to see how well it will bead together thin stuff like old couch hardware, bed frames and such. What rods would go well with it. Would be nice to have for quick easy on the spot repairs, something to pair with an old 2.5 kw gen set for temporary mobile fixes. I'm a disabled retired army combat engineer and I always found welding to be very relaxing. If not for myself but to also help out family and friends. Plus I find not as many people bug you while your welding lol
I’m a skilled stick welder, I’m tempted to buy one and try it for the lols. However with that volt/amp curve, that’s not going to weld very nicely. The output connector looks like a standard dinse socket so you could swap the polarity relatively easily
It sure looks like it welds, but it also looks terrible ergonomically, I feel like it'd be better to have the power supply at the ground clamp and have a lead running to the electrode, holding the entire welder in your hand and trying to weld can't be comfortable.
It is welding and doesn't seem short of current. It has a thermal trip. What more do you want. It looks like just the job to bodge stuff in the field, its obviously not intended for welding long seams. But looks ok for me.
Maybe also the same for other welders, but the 80 volts open circuit voltage seems a bit on the borderline in terms of safety, considering that there are exposed electrodes and DC current involved...
@@dimitar4y I used to work in the plating business. That is all DC currents. I did reel to reel plating, and when you got between the two strips while setting up or splicing, you certainly feel that limited amount of current. The large barrels would knock you on your ass, frankly.
Yay!!! A new video from mikeselectricstuff !!!! You've been missed! Also, I want to commend your bravery for using that death trap, and even more daringly putting your first-ever welds on worldwide social media. Huge bollocks, Mike. Huge.
Holy fuck Mike. You're the ONLY person EVER to glow a stick, bend it numerous ways AND keep it's flux intact. 100% legend. also. this video was funny af.. MOAR!!
Positive electrode in the arc heats up more(like anode in vacuum tube). If you connect + to ground clamp you are heating welding rod less and metal more. (This is more common polarity). If you swap leads, rod will get more heat and metal less, good for welding thin sheets as you are less likely to burn a hole.
@@user255 electric welding was invented about 130 years ago, are you suggesting that they have it wrong after all those years? and why would it be counter intuitive? electrons fly out of the negative taking energy with them, electron smash in to positive heating it ...
@@fuzzy1dk Sure electrons fly in vacuum carrying energy, but plasma is bit different. It has positive ions and electrons, and thus energy is carried to both directions (perhaps not equally, but still). Also the arc is so short that it is almost just hot spot, which would radiate and conduct heat to both directions. I just looked some videos and it's very hard to see much difference. It seems the metal pool gets more spread, when using positive in the stick, which might be caused by blowing effect rather than temperature difference. I'm physicist and I don't weld. I'm sure these guys know how to weld, but their explanation about the physics might not be correct (very common among many things). Also I suspect the effect is bit exaggerated. But I haven't seen enough to really say.
I don't like the way they have crushed the mains inlet cable but as a tool I can see it has it's uses. There have been times when I wished I could weld a bracket or something small and could never really justify the cost or the space requirements of a full size welder. Be handy for some contractors to keep in the back of the van etc. I think it has it's place.
I've got a Chinese plasma cutter and a Chinese Tig welder in the garage, but I've never plucked up the courage to plug them in. The similarly lack EMC and fuses.
By the time I ever tried stick welding I'd been gas welding for a while. So I was used to looking at a puddle and walking it. But when I was done and my bead had flux on it I was horrified until I chipped it clean.
@@1pcfred It's definitely a lot harder then would appear. When I first started I welded a chair that broke together (overly confident), then it broke when my father sat in it. I've only welded a few things since, maybe got a little better lol!
@@fjs1111 welding is a skill developed through practice and training. The people really good welding all have a lot of experience. There's no shortcuts that I know of. I guess being trained by someone that's good can save a lot of time figuring things out for yourself. You still have to develop the mental pathways for it all though. The muscle memory and what have you.
@@fjs1111 I don't weld frequently myself so I do a few practice beads before I try to weld something I care about. I try to practice on something like what I'm going to do the weld on. Same thickness metal. Then once I'm getting a good bead I tackle the actual weld. Of course if practice goes good and the bead on work doesn't that ticks me off. That's happened.
I have a large Hobart 230 amp 240v welder and I think this thing is awesome. I did not think it would work nearly this well. By the way the hotter you can run it without burning a hole the better, because you want good penetration for a strong weld. And don't travel too fast, you have to give it time to make a good puddle. It's always easier to weld if you can lay the work flat.
A lot of modern welders drop the open circuit voltage down to reduce the risk of getting a decent belt off of an isolated power supply. That thing will give you a pretty noticeable zap at 80v open circuit. As for the welds, it looked like it did quite well, the voltage and current can very wildly with arc length so measuring those parameters with an experienced welder using the machine is a better idea.
That is actually very nice piece, i will buy one for sure it is very handy literally for quick fixes and if you wanna be accurate it seems fairly easy to add an extension cable with proper stick holder. i love it!
Yeah that's my only gripe with the unit. Holding it all up looks to be a bit much. But for its size it's got some power. It was going over 170 Amps. For hobbyist use I'd say it's all you need. It'd tack together some garden furniture or what have you.
I do some welding as a side job, mostly FCAW and MIG, and (rarely) SMAW when doing heavier stuff. I'm not convinced there's an advantage to this thing's "portability" over a traditional SMAW source, especially when you've got to wield the entire weight of it in your hands. That's not great when the quality of your welds very much depends upon your ability to control your hand movements, and I'd imagine that after a few minutes straight of welding, one would be struggling to hold it up, let alone steady. I do think you're right that it needs to be given a fair shake by an experienced stick welder, and I'd like to see a follow-up video.
I've never done stick welding only mig. It was my dad's and haven't had a need for a weld since moving that would be worth renting a unit for a 2 minute job or buying a light use welder. However, for a person that would make only a few small welds a year max, not having to refill the argon bottle every time because of a leak or left the valve open and just being able to throw this in a drawer, it doesn't seem half bad.
Personally I'm interested in getting one solely on the fact it takes up very little space and I could use it at home, as opposed to going to a friend's metalwork shop just to weld a couple bits of steel together
welding duty cycle is 10mins. So 15% is 1.5 minutes at 120a followed by 8.5 mins of rest I'm guessing to keep the unit cool. most welders are 70% duty while industrial are 100% literally never need a cool down.
You can make it a lot more reliable, change all the IGBT's and electrolytic caps to parts from a reliable distributor like RS, Farnell, Digikey and so. The IGBT's and electrolytic caps are usually low quality and under rated as these are the most expensive components.
That´s just a different PCB-layout for the power-side of a mini-welder, and mini-welders function reasonably good. I don´t think it´s even lower quality than my 17€ mini-welder (althought mine claims 25% and not only 15% duty cycle), since this thing costs 9-10 times more (only based on reasons of "novelty", of course, but still...). What all of them miss, is a soft-start, and a rod-anti-stick-feature. Both features demand costly and voluminous components (intergrated circuits get cheaper and smaller, but power-resistors and iron-powder-ring-coils cannot get even cheaper or smaller), and so, would´t fit the price- and size-tag any more.
Because it have the Standard Terminals i give it to a professional Stick weder and with normal Stick welder handle it works great. We both was shocked that it realy weld and dont get to hot at all But please let it cool down a little bit after use (Fan blowing)
@@deeperlayer "high air flow"... even if the fan is high airflow - I don't think the airflow is high enough to push splatter away at the other end where the transformer is.
Most people don't know what a duty cycle is and how it's measured, most professional welders are around 50-60%, home welders 20-30%. the duty cycle is measured as, how long you can weld at full power, in a 10 minute period of time, example: 20% duty cycle , you can weld for 2 minutes and then stop welding but leave it on so the fan can cool it. 15% would be 1 minute and 30 seconds of welding. the reason there is no trigger is so you can leave it on to cool it when you aren't welding. Believe me a non welder is going to fry those circuit boards long before the transformer.
@@actionjksn no doubt you have an inverter welder, fine if you can do the jobs you have with that welder then your well suited for each other. I don't have a problem with that.
@@robinborkowski5598 it's just a plain old ARC welder. I would probably get more use from a mig or tig welder,but this is just what I happen to own. I don't really use it that often the last time was I fixed the mount for a foot peg on my buddies motorcycle, it worked perfectly for that.
@@actionjksn I didn't say they are bad , and even with inverter welders you can get up to 40% duty cycle, but they cost a fortune. If your making your living with a machine, you want the best you can afford, if your using it for odd jobs you buy the one that will do the anticipated jobs.
I'm actually kinda impressed by this. Not commenting on the safety or sketchiness of it but it seems like it's more than capable of laying down a bead.
I bought a similar shape handheld welder from aliexpress last year, but it was for stud welding, rather than a stick welding. Basically welding nail-like studs directly onto automotive panels so you have something to pull out dents with. It worked pretty well.
I've had to go up a ladder to weld stuff, the small factor stick welder i needed worked just fine. I'd imagine it would be absolutely horrible to weld up with this. :))
Yes welding is by definition a good RF transmitter, broadband enough to go almost from DC to light, and 1 kW plus of power. No mains filtering will stop that from being reflected back to the supply, and will just kill the filtering quickly. After all you have got what was the first radio transmitter there, no tuned circuit, and broadband RF noise source in a compact form, modulated at roughly mains frequency from the ripple on that capacitor.
@@SeanBZA Yup :) I've done my share of sleeping on EMC/EMI lab floors in the past 10 years (i've been through EMC compliace testing of a 30kW induction heating generators) emc rules for industrial machines are way much loose than consumer/commercial. The Electrical safety reg. Compliance is a completely different thing though:)
Never saw Mike struggle so much in a video. Welding without gloves is crazy, but at least he moved the electrode in the right direction. No need to worry about millions of dollars in hospital bills in the UK.
Hahaha i laugh at those guys bellow saying how bad his welds are, as if he advertised himself as a welder! Welders are among the biggest know-it-all jerks on the planet. I don't respect anyone's experience and knowledge if they act like a jerk, if you're new to welding and listen to those guys' opinions you're going to hate it before you even start with it, they will criticize your first welds and your machine like you're supposed to pay 10.000 just to learn how to weld, they will kill your ambition and they'll behave like they're dead serious about you doing a huge harm to something and wont listen a crap from you. Don't listen to anyone unless you wanna sit in the corner like a wet cat and happy welding everyone!
That's right. I also see this way of thinking in the field of electronics hobbies, here in Europe there have often been heated debates in relevant forums in which some "specialists" with their large factories boast their fine equipment and kill the enthusiasm of young people for expressing their "one and only rights" views. In the past, these disputes have concerned components and their procurement, the lion's share of "specialists" think that it is only wise to buy semiconductors from a special reseller, who of course does not sell these 1-2 components to the average citizen. Then, these "professionals" offer to sell it themselves for 3-4 times the price of Mouser, for example. Actually, I have been forced to buy parts from China couple of times due to circumstances (because it is not easy to get elsewhere), even the power controllers and PFC, LLC etc. converter IC circuits have so far arrived 100% working, even from China, where they are also sold to large and well-known resellers. So it really isn't always necessary (not listen to these stories like "you must have and you must buy") that you have to have a fancy and expensive fleet of equipment to operate in a certain field or you only need to get equipment or details from the places with the highest mark-up andonly with the most famous names to create something. No, sometimes you dont really need to this, even not listen this rumors. Well, it really seems that electronics as just a hobby has actually been killed for a last decade now. Added to this is the junk thinking that "everything can be bought in a store" and the negative general attitude towards manual creation ... the result is that the "makers" sit in bed all day long, grow fat with burgers and boast that only IT (gaming junk, betting junk, cryptojunk, etc.) is all what world need.
Welding action starts at 12:00 a better design would be to have all the circuitry in a small box compartment with only the electrode wire going to the gun, which only holds the electrode, that would be lighter and easier to handle!
Well, yes. There are quite a lot very small stick welding machines now n the market which most probably use exactly the same electronics, but are laid out exactly like your description and just like a tradtionally laid out machine.
I think, u can simply swap the stick-holder for a broadly spread plug-format of cable carrying a stick-holder. I even think he de-touches the plug, and you can see where to plug the cable at 0:30, and at 5:20 u may anyway recognize the plug-form-factor. The only think I don´t like, is the handle (with the capacitor inside it) sticking out the side, cause else, the form-factor, size and weight are adorable. I have to carry all of my tools with a scooter, and as u can imagine, big tools, or even longer distances in windy, rainy weather are impossible... If those get cheaper, I´d 3d-print a new case, without a handle, but with room for the capacitor in the main case-core instead... For now, my 17€-mini-welder is still just good enough, and 10-fold cheaper... ;-)
@@klausbrinck2137 At 5:22 it looks like the electrode holder has been taken out and put next the combo wire brush/chipping hammer. The connector appears to be a small-sized Dinse connector, perhaps a 25mm or smaller. Most industrial and consumer/DIY welding machines use 35mm Dinse connectors, it's pretty-much the de facto standard size. EUR $17 is pretty darn cheap for any sort of welding machine, I don't really believe this handheld one could possibly be any cheaper.
@@dj1NM3 This handheld one costs 150-170€, so, 9 to 10 fold... My mini-one costed 17€, but had no soft-start, so, the house-fuse would be out when turned on. Connecting 2 series-light-bulbs in-parallel to the switch for 2-3 seconds, before turning on the actual switch, solves the problem, but it´s clumsy... All those cheap or novelty-ones are restricted, but also have big advantages... Mine weights 1kg and has 25% duty-cycle. With 68€ (70$), u can have 4 of them, which means 100% duty-cycle on the cheap, by a still tiny size.
14:24 - that's an angry little box if it can do that without bursting into flames. 10/10 China, well done. I feel more high power devices need to come with Type 2 EVSE sockets on them. I know I can get 3kw out my wall socket, but there's a 7kw cable right outside my front door...
I'd argue the opposite, a 32A industrial socket is cheaper to install than an EV charge point, and you can charge your EV off it at 7kW with a suitable adaptor cable... :D
For a Chinesium product im actually quite impressed. For the odd welding job here and there i guess its actually ok. If you had clean metal joints i think you could get a reasonable result with it. Your material had rusty surfaces, so the result was never going to be great. Arc welding is about the hardest of all to do. As you have to "Strike" the arc and then maintain your hand movement to keep the rod tip and a constant 5mm from the surface while at the same time feeding the rod as it burns away.
@mikeselectricstuff Very useful, straight to the points. Concise, clear and cover all essential things This is how video should be presented Thanks Watch your voice and health
Even if you were only going to use it a once a year I think you'd still be better off with one of the inverter lunchbox ones. There's less working against you with that and the price point isn't too dissimilar. I did see a cordless version which is probably a fair bit cheaper than any other cordless welding option but that's a real niche use.
Yes, this form factor has too many drawbacks - can't switch polarity, can't weld where space or angle are restricted, just painfully heavy thing to hold comparing to standard rod holder. And I just don't see any benefits over conventional corded design at all.
Actually I am surprised with the performance of that unit, not bad at all! Best place for those glasses is the bin, nothing worse than UV radiation burn of the eyes so investing in good quality welding mask is a good idea. Good to practise on that heavy piece of metal, 100 amps is a good current setting to start with and try and run straight weld lines ( slowly and consistently to deposit the weld metal ). The light guage metal I suggest 70 amps or less as it will blow holes in the tube, tack the pieces together first to hold them. A ventilation fan is a good idea, smoke from the welding process is toxic especially metals containing Zinc and Cadmium. Welding is a great skill to have, grab plenty of old metal offcuts to practise on and a box of general purpose welding rods, have fun!
That’s how all arc welders work though - you leave it on all the time with the fan running, and just don’t touch the electrode to the work when you’re not using it.
@@evan010101 Sure, I get that, but its not really a valid reason to continue the design choice. Especially considering this thing is targeting first-time welders or welding in unusual locations. People who aren't going to understand the heating and duty cycle implications of switching it off between welds. Or situations where it might be super useful to set this heavy thing down for a moment.
DaZZled and impressed. Far more power than I would have guessed. As a long time (garage) "stick welder " (aka Buzz Box). I could "HEAR" that is sounded useful. The heavy weighted hand-unit seemed to be the only downer. I would grab that in a heart beat for small jobs (not general work, mainly do to the goofy factor:). You gave it some heartache and it continued to work. Bravo! That was a shock (no pun intended). Little bit off your area of expertise... but your job was weld done. Thanks so much. p.s. I generally despise any off shore equipment like this. But you can always dream :) Cheers!
I don't mind off shore stuff (even chinese) if it's well made to standards... problem with chinese stuff especially is they are MORE than happy to cut corners if pushed on price... and if they're told to do it as cheap as possible, this is what you get. :) I was impressed by the bead on Mike's first ever weld, till the thing he was welding to the box section just lifted off...
@@TheChipmunk2008 Stick welding isn't the easiest thing to pick up. By his second bead he'd improved a lot. Heck I can fail to tack stuff sometimes myself and I've had a few goes at it by now.
@@TheChipmunk2008 I do agree with that Chip'. My bad for putting all off shore tools in the same tool bad.. Clearly tools of varying quality are available. As we know, it's basically ALL made across the pond (somewhere). I've just run into some stinkers. But like they say, if you need it and it's the only tool you have available.. it's worth a $1,000,000 :) Thanks for the comment. 200 points awarded. p.s. If mike just accounted for thickness.. well, that's a pass (pun intended)
My Oxford oil cooled welder will run longer than I can, never felt it warm up with my use. It also has a built in anti-theft mode, i can only just about lift it on to its wheels which are about 2 inches high let alone carry it. So one like that would be good for use on the other side of the garage ;-)
It’s melting away the material like its set to high isn’t the issue. You are not close enough. The arc is flopping around blowing material away. You want to start the arc. Move in to create a pool. Bring the rod closer to the pool then pull away. Do this all the way across.
Not a welder but I've seen people carrying their machines up with a shoulder strap. They are quite light (2kg) and then you have full control over the rod. The diagram in the manual shows that the electrode is negative and clamp positive, but hard to make out what they're trying to communicate. Ergonomics aside, looks like a useful product to have somewhere, not taking up space, for quick jobs. The penetration issue is probably due to either dirty surfaces or improper technique (welding thin to thick is a bit more challenging).
Negative on the rod end would be a problem. You get less penetration, does not weld the same at all unless you're doing some thin stuff, at least with 6010 or 7018 rods (standard stuff) . I guess that works for this then heh Also as for portability the welding truck I run has 100 feet of thick copper cable (2/0) on reels and a small rod holder /Stinger on the hot end which I know is more useful up a ladder lol. Neat though.
Those 'welding glasses' are going to give you a nice face tan. My guess is that you are supposed to poke them through newspaper or cardboard to protect your face.😂
GREAT video, thank you. It doesn't break the bank, and an average guy could use it t do light repairs around the house for a low price. Of course, a box of warm, dry 7018 will weld pretty good just connected to a couple starting batteries, so that might be a good place to start. Thank you for going to the trouble to review this.
As you say, amazing that it is even possible. Great portability, good little repair machine for the tool bag. If it could be paired with a car starter battery pack and battery powered angle grinder, one could do 5 minute(?) bodge jobs in any location. Certainly not for serious work.
I dont think I will be rushing out to get one of these, ok it works , sort of but why would you want to be waving the whole welder about. Inverter welders are pretty small these days and you can swap the leads if you want. Love the glasses supplied, imagine the panda eyes after a welding session.
I can see extending the + bus bar to a heavy lead with the rod attached and it would be quite a portable welder that still keeps the classic form factor of a box on the floor and a light, easy to maneuver rod holder
When Mike detaches the rod holder at the beginning of the vid, you can see it fits in a Dinse connector in the end of the gun. These connectors are standard on welding cables and available from any decent welding supply shop.
The maximum allowed fusing (breaker) on a standard EU outlet is 15A, the normal input current of this thing is 15A, so the socket branch breaker is actually the correct overcurrent protection for this, so it does need any extra overcurrent fuse within the device. If I remember well, UK's socket system requires that fuse (I guess the 13A would be the proper one for 3kW intermittent power) to be within the plug, so again any extra fuse within the device would be useless (I mean the main power path; the small aux supply likely uses just a fusible resistor).
@@Sixta16 I don't know the official UK regulations nowadays, but 40 years ago when I wired a house it was 30A breakers for a ring circuit, and the UK flat I currently live in has 30A breakers for the plug circuits, so I assume it's still the same. A 15A breaker is only 3.6kW and would trip if I had my kettle and microwave on at the same time (kettle = 3kW, microwave = >900W) Each UK plug top is fused with a max rating of 13A, so is the primary protection.
Positive ground for shallow wide welding beads (thin stock), Negative ground for deep penetration narrow welding beads... 220-240V be fine. Galvanized and aluminium rich coatings reject weld fusion. Best to practice on plain mild steel with freshly ground surfaces to remove all oxides. Biggest issue with that machine is the weight and awkwardness of it, much easier with a normal hand piece. Probably find 40-60 amps is more than enough with thin wall tube. You have picked some rather difficult learning materials.
Couple iterations later they should have it basically opposite of what it is now. Why would you put all the stuff by the stick holder, when you could have it integrated/near ground clamp and have a cord with normal stick holder to swing around? Is there some novelty value in that pistol grip form factor, which makes it seem totally different from classic welders that would go away with things being other way around?
I suspect most people who actually use these things, if it survives that long, is altered with a couple meters of cable and a traditional rod holder. Little pocket welders with a pair of cable jacks have been around a while, so cheap you supply the cables, they only give the fittings. I guess the packaging is a marketing gimmick.
Yea, chinesium level. My made in china corded impact wrench died after using it twice. 1st was hub/bearing nut, 2nd was control arm bolts. At 3rd attempt to use it, it started throwing sparks all around. Opened it to check whats going on, brushes misaligned, eaten half way. The thing was so shoddy inside I tossed it into electrical garbage bin instantly. You gonna buy a tool, buy a solid one, not the cheap one. In the end had to get another one, Milwaukee this time.
As someone who has purchased some crap welders before, I will say that is not the worst welder I have seen. Definitely hard to use as the bulk would prevent you from getting in the proper position.
I have no idea why, but for some reason the comments on this video are absolutely hilarious compared to other videos of yours. Apparently cheap shitty chinese welder machines draw in a special kind of crowd...
It's actually much better than I expected so I guess I'm too pessimistic. I was expecting there to be just a wire connecting the mains to the tip inside with a weight attached.
I can imagine the target audience for this is hole-in-the-wall repair shops in developing countries that bike and motorbike UA-cam tourists end up at when something snaps. Any welder is better than no welder…
Welders are not exempt from EMC regulations but some things are not as extreme as other equipment must meet. It is also into a load because the arcing would never pass. That is built a lot better than I would have thought given the description and sketchy look. No one should actually use this but it could be car worse
After welding in board shorts and a tee-shirt for "a small quick job", just once, I can fully recommend 10 minutes of gearing up leathers even in 100% humidity is worth it.
tig welding is a much more pleasant experience... need argon though but I think it is worth it. No smoke, no spatter. Much more control and you can weld all sorts of materials and do small delicate work.
The downsides being it doesn't work outside and it's harder to get way down in crevice or acute angle. That said the stinger hangs on the wall, unused for years now!
I design electronics and can weld (quite well...). Interesting that there were no ferrites on the IGBT legs to slow down edges. My guess is that it's a push pull design across the mains, so you really don't want both to be on at the same time... From looking at the pitting on the 1" block, this little toy looks ok. Perfect for light, occasional work, but never replace my 3ph 'shop unit.
If you are a crew of wild off roaders and have a generator (or serious inverter) with you, this could be handy for a few make shift repairs to be able to limp home if you got wild and bust something simple. If you are a decent stick welder you can definitely put this to good use in a mobile situation.
Realistically it should be able to butt/fillet weld 1/4 mild steel alright. Wouldn't go thicker without a really nice bevel/good joint prep. . And you could easily use 3/32 and 1/8 rod with it. Usually about 8 5A for 3/32 and 110A for 1/8. You could definitely build some stuff or fix some stuff on the cheap with it. If you stick a rod though you'd definitely want to shut the power off before pulling the rod off as i don't think the rod connection would last long arcing off a stuck rod.
I'm sure Mike knows this, but anyone else watching, make sure your camera has a UV filter, or be sure to put one on the lens. Image sensors can be fried as easily as retinas by these things. That said, having no welding experience but having seen lots of cheap electronics, that welder isn't as bad as I might have thought it would be. Could also be a useful problem solver, or something to keep in the truck tools. I think I'd personally prefer the lighter stick electrode though.
I believe it thermal cut off because you kept turning off the power switch. There is no circuit to keep the fan running with the switch off. You need to run the fan for a bit after your done welding. Same as any other welder with a fan. My mig is the same.
Was just about to say the same thing..just seen the FLIR He showed, it did look a teensy bit Red Hot! lol.. same as your car fan cooling the motor after a long drive, it keeps going after removing the keys to get rid of that residual heat, like you say, Welders need to do the same thing
I have arc weleded a bit. I thtink your results are fairly consistent with someone's first attempts ;) IMO you are right, the weight would be annoying.
i got to say! i have a very big welder with a old school transformer inside that weight about 40kg. it is unusable and cannot keep a good steady ark. it take me a good 5mins of scratching the rod like a match in order to first start the ark. when i first saw you using this i was very impressed! it seems to have alot of power! where i live we only have 110V 15amp from the wall, so it might explain my failling and your success.
I think it is all about the modern semi like mikeselectricstuff said! You could probably make this output like 10x++ more amps using a bit more expensive semiconductors :P
First welds on the internet? Brave man!
Very used wire brush for a virgin welder
_"Significant amounts of ignorantry welding"_
😂😂
The 15% duty cycle acts as EMF noise protection, because it would be difficult for anyone to locate you and fine you.
For anyone reading this that has never welded, if you use those welding glasses to weld, you can expect to look like a fool that visited a tanning bed, wore goggle and fell asleep. The reason why a welding helmet is a helmet is the UV skin burns. Don't get it twisted, it's every bit as bad as a sunburn. I found this out by watching a colleague do some welding while holding a spare welding glass (oblong shaped) over my eyes. Not one of the old guys warned me, but they sure laughed the next few days as I was in pain and had a visible square of white skin around my eyes.
Makes me laugh even now
One huge problem I see is hot sparks flying into the unit and melting the insualtion on transformer or something on PCB considering how close is the electrode to the actual unit. A DIY shield in front would help with this problem I think.
For a first time weld, this isn't bad! You should've seen me! Just a couple things that really helped me, strike the rod like a match, it is a lot less likely to stick. Next, try a rod called 6011, it is nicknamed "garbage rod" because it will weld through the nastiest rust and paint so you don't have to be as picky cleaning up your steel. Third, with 6011, use a "whip" technique, thats where you hold still for a second, then rapidly move forward about an inch and then back to the front of the melt puddle, this will give you a good strong weld, you got it down when it gets that nice stack of coins laid sideways look. Also, definitely DON'T weld anything galvanized, the white/ yellow fuzz that forms is a dead giveaway if you do get into it. The fumes from it are BAD news! And don't forget the most important part, HAVE FUN! Welding is just cool!!
6011, a farm hand’s favorite! I can’t tell you how many of those I go through in a year!
you wont die from zink you'll just get a nasty taste and a headache.
for a first attempt at welding you had a right good go at it. i can actually see a use for this, it would be much better if they gave you an electrode holder on a lead and put the main circuitry in a box at the other end with the grounding clamp
I’m a reasonably skilled welder and I think this thing isn’t terrible. It’s cheap and compact enough to be worth keeping one in your van just in case - and it will clearly do light duty welding ok.
Typically for working in difficult locations you have a compact inverter that goes on a harness or belt. Not sure if this is really better or worse for that application.
The bulk of the unit will definitely get in the way for a lot of tasks though, compared to a normal electrode holder.
If they did a cheap spool gun like this I would say that’s more useful.
You can get those little compact inverters with conventional cable connections for as little as $50 (plus cables) on eBay, probably the same welder in a more sensible box.
That did better than i expected TBH. For someone with no other welder and a need to make really basic random one-off things like a bracket for your workbench or fixing something i could actually see it being useful.
That's my take. It's not ideal pro kit but for a hobbyist it's the ticket. I have a big welder and I could see myself breaking that gun out for some things.
Honestly that is FAR better than I expected!
keeping the unit on (and its fan running) but having the clamp not connected (or on something safe and out of hands reach so you cant possibly create a short) Would be a good idea to help it cool down, as just turning it off after you are done might heatsoak all the components and kill them
"Convenient at high Altitude" translated into "working up a ladder" really did make me chuckle!
Thank you - that whooshed right over my head!
Quite impressive performance for it's size. 70-80 A on stick is fine for small repair jobs up to 3/8 in.
Not for big jobs, and I can see the weld sparks eventually shorting out the boards especially doing overhead jobs.
Big Clive would have fun with this
AvE would cause all of us to have fun with it.
so it welds - 12 minutes in only to see that it works? for a person that might need to do a few inches of welds per year why would this be a bad thing? I don't understand why there are so many channels shitting on people being able to use cheap equipment to do small jobs. rate it at homeowner grade or less but this thing welded better than a harbor freight mig welder.
Very eloquently put.
Quite frankly I think people just want to shit on things because they find it fun, and popular to do so.
Say what you like but I give the Chinese 100% for balls and 100% for industriousness.
the chinese copy EVERYTHING that is a good brand so use at your own risk.
@@sarinsarin7898 The west copies much also that you know little about. Today, advances in science in the west are being driven by Chinese students. Pick up an impactful scientific journal sometime and look at the names. Hmmm, I wonder why!
@@ocayaro lol, riddle me this, for instance, why is it that your friends the chinese built an almost exact replica of the f25 or f35 cant remember now stealth fighter jet yet the US had ALREADY built such a aircraft?????????, have the US forgotten how to make stealth aircraft?. Oh and why is it that when you can buy an electrical item designed by a western country yet built in china (to cut costs) the chinese factories all of a sudden are building the EXACT same thing with no brand name on it????????. Your journals mean absolutely nothing when it comes to copywrite laws and patents, im not trying to discredit the intellectual people of china, they are an intelligent people, thats not my point. My point is that because most things designed by the west (because of greed mainly). The chinese do copy ALOT of designs because they know it sells (who wouldn't). I think its smart if you can get away with it, thats my point. I have had my say and am now done with this section.
I agree harbor freight is killing less Americans overtime compared to police brutality.
when the stick is in dc reverse or negative, ⅔ of the heat is in the rod and ⅓ is in the base metal. that's for thin metal. if you put the welding rod in the ground handle and made the welder clamp to the base metal ⅔ of the heat would be in the base metal and ⅓ in the rod. that's for welding thicker metals. over a quarter inch.
I just wanna weld some thin patches on my truck floor, just ordered one of these type machines, so far it looks like it’s gonna do what I need it to do, gets here Monday.
Impressed that it didn't end up in the bin! I guess a nice unit for Mike to have around. Would love to see an experienced welder give it a go.
Seeing your welding technique I think you're a natural and may have found your new vocation.
well my welder weighs about 80lbs its a portable hobart mig135 A 120v and for the size and weight of that unit it would be worth it just to tuck in a tool box for short welds and dang 15% duty that would be suitable for small repair stuff on a short notice.
I own a lipo battery version of these welders.
I work as a car recovery driver, we attempt a repair on a car before we tow it.
This has been handy for repairing exhaust brackets, small things that have broken away etc.
The weld from them is rough to say the least as you can not get a stable amperage,
But if you are stuck at 3 in the morning, miles away from home.
It did repair a broken car spring hanger on the side of the motorway,
The family on their way to a holiday, this would have been a major dissapointment to the kids.
25 minutes of jacking and welding they were happily on their way.
I know these are cheap Chinese crap and they don't last that long.
But for my application of the welder, it may be used only for a few minutes, once every few months.
I would not use this for any prolonged welding.
Plus I can weld anywhere, even on the side of a motorway if you shield the flash from passing motorists.
Awesome vid and info! lmao @ Take it apart first to have a look before you plug it in and melt it. I love it! I have the Arc-130 digital version coming in today. Just curious to see how well it will bead together thin stuff like old couch hardware, bed frames and such. What rods would go well with it. Would be nice to have for quick easy on the spot repairs, something to pair with an old 2.5 kw gen set for temporary mobile fixes. I'm a disabled retired army combat engineer and I always found welding to be very relaxing. If not for myself but to also help out family and friends. Plus I find not as many people bug you while your welding lol
I’m a skilled stick welder, I’m tempted to buy one and try it for the lols. However with that volt/amp curve, that’s not going to weld very nicely. The output connector looks like a standard dinse socket so you could swap the polarity relatively easily
It sure looks like it welds, but it also looks terrible ergonomically, I feel like it'd be better to have the power supply at the ground clamp and have a lead running to the electrode, holding the entire welder in your hand and trying to weld can't be comfortable.
I was just thinking the same thing a few seconds before reading your comment. Put the power supply on the fixed end.
It is welding and doesn't seem short of current. It has a thermal trip. What more do you want. It looks like just the job to bodge stuff in the field, its obviously not intended for welding long seams. But looks ok for me.
"What more do you want." Penetration? Just a thought.
"doesn't seem short of current." - and you base this on your welding experience, do you? You must do a lot of welding, golly!
@@railgap That's the beauty of the word "seem" in that sentence. He doesn't need to justify it further.
@@benjasper5165 good point well made!
@@railgap He is probably basing it on the measured current shown during a weld.
It's like trying to write with a pen, attached to a sledgehammer....
hahaha lol
Maybe also the same for other welders, but the 80 volts open circuit voltage seems a bit on the borderline in terms of safety, considering that there are exposed electrodes and DC current involved...
Even a 19vdc tig welder will light you up if you get between the sparky end.
60 can zap you quite powerfully if DC. Like car/scooter batteries. 40 can get through wet hands/wounds.
@@dimitar4y I used to work in the plating business. That is all DC currents. I did reel to reel plating, and when you got between the two strips while setting up or splicing, you certainly feel that limited amount of current. The large barrels would knock you on your ass, frankly.
@@TechGorilla1987 Oh, I was thinking the hf start on tig welders. Those don't really hurt that much. Or damage.
@@dimitar4y Ahh. I have never had the pleasure of TIG welding yet. I'll have to leave the floor to you on that, my friend. Stay well!
Yay!!! A new video from mikeselectricstuff !!!! You've been missed! Also, I want to commend your bravery for using that death trap, and even more daringly putting your first-ever welds on worldwide social media. Huge bollocks, Mike. Huge.
Great review as always. Fuck the haters, we all know this is an electronic channel not a welding one.
Holy fuck Mike. You're the ONLY person EVER to glow a stick, bend it numerous ways AND keep it's flux intact. 100% legend. also. this video was funny af.. MOAR!!
Positive electrode in the arc heats up more(like anode in vacuum tube). If you connect + to ground clamp you are heating welding rod less and metal more. (This is more common polarity).
If you swap leads, rod will get more heat and metal less, good for welding thin sheets as you are less likely to burn a hole.
That is quite counter intuitive. In vacuum there is good reason for it, but for such a short arc I would guess the effect is very small?
@@user255 afaik ~2/3 of the heat ends up in the positive
@@fuzzy1dk I need to see some real world tests!
@@user255 electric welding was invented about 130 years ago, are you suggesting that they have it wrong after all those years? and why would it be counter intuitive? electrons fly out of the negative taking energy with them, electron smash in to positive heating it ...
@@fuzzy1dk Sure electrons fly in vacuum carrying energy, but plasma is bit different. It has positive ions and electrons, and thus energy is carried to both directions (perhaps not equally, but still). Also the arc is so short that it is almost just hot spot, which would radiate and conduct heat to both directions.
I just looked some videos and it's very hard to see much difference. It seems the metal pool gets more spread, when using positive in the stick, which might be caused by blowing effect rather than temperature difference.
I'm physicist and I don't weld. I'm sure these guys know how to weld, but their explanation about the physics might not be correct (very common among many things). Also I suspect the effect is bit exaggerated. But I haven't seen enough to really say.
I don't like the way they have crushed the mains inlet cable but as a tool I can see it has it's uses. There have been times when I wished I could weld a bracket or something small and could never really justify the cost or the space requirements of a full size welder. Be handy for some contractors to keep in the back of the van etc. I think it has it's place.
It would be even more convenient if the welder be combined with spare tire or a jack. /s
It would be great for welding rebar together.
would make a great B movie prop laser gun/scifi gun with that big winding in the front. great vid!
I've got a Chinese plasma cutter and a Chinese Tig welder in the garage, but I've never plucked up the courage to plug them in. The similarly lack EMC and fuses.
Mike, it worked a lot better than I expected and your weld wasn't that bad, not as messy as mine first was.
By the time I ever tried stick welding I'd been gas welding for a while. So I was used to looking at a puddle and walking it. But when I was done and my bead had flux on it I was horrified until I chipped it clean.
@@1pcfred It's definitely a lot harder then would appear. When I first started I welded a chair that broke together (overly confident), then it broke when my father sat in it. I've only welded a few things since, maybe got a little better lol!
@@fjs1111 welding is a skill developed through practice and training. The people really good welding all have a lot of experience. There's no shortcuts that I know of. I guess being trained by someone that's good can save a lot of time figuring things out for yourself. You still have to develop the mental pathways for it all though. The muscle memory and what have you.
@@1pcfred It's going to take me a lot of chairs then :-))
@@fjs1111 I don't weld frequently myself so I do a few practice beads before I try to weld something I care about. I try to practice on something like what I'm going to do the weld on. Same thickness metal. Then once I'm getting a good bead I tackle the actual weld. Of course if practice goes good and the bead on work doesn't that ticks me off. That's happened.
I have a large Hobart 230 amp 240v welder and I think this thing is awesome. I did not think it would work nearly this well.
By the way the hotter you can run it without burning a hole the better, because you want good penetration for a strong weld. And don't travel too fast, you have to give it time to make a good puddle. It's always easier to weld if you can lay the work flat.
A lot of modern welders drop the open circuit voltage down to reduce the risk of getting a decent belt off of an isolated power supply. That thing will give you a pretty noticeable zap at 80v open circuit.
As for the welds, it looked like it did quite well, the voltage and current can very wildly with arc length so measuring those parameters with an experienced welder using the machine is a better idea.
That is actually very nice piece, i will buy one for sure it is very handy literally for quick fixes and if you wanna be accurate it seems fairly easy to add an extension cable with proper stick holder. i love it!
Yeah that's my only gripe with the unit. Holding it all up looks to be a bit much. But for its size it's got some power. It was going over 170 Amps. For hobbyist use I'd say it's all you need. It'd tack together some garden furniture or what have you.
I do some welding as a side job, mostly FCAW and MIG, and (rarely) SMAW when doing heavier stuff. I'm not convinced there's an advantage to this thing's "portability" over a traditional SMAW source, especially when you've got to wield the entire weight of it in your hands. That's not great when the quality of your welds very much depends upon your ability to control your hand movements, and I'd imagine that after a few minutes straight of welding, one would be struggling to hold it up, let alone steady. I do think you're right that it needs to be given a fair shake by an experienced stick welder, and I'd like to see a follow-up video.
Yeah, this has zero advantage over a regular lunch box inverter welder, which you can also buy dirt cheap from china, and probably has better cooling.
I've never done stick welding only mig. It was my dad's and haven't had a need for a weld since moving that would be worth renting a unit for a 2 minute job or buying a light use welder. However, for a person that would make only a few small welds a year max, not having to refill the argon bottle every time because of a leak or left the valve open and just being able to throw this in a drawer, it doesn't seem half bad.
Personally I'm interested in getting one solely on the fact it takes up very little space and I could use it at home, as opposed to going to a friend's metalwork shop just to weld a couple bits of steel together
welding duty cycle is 10mins. So 15% is 1.5 minutes at 120a followed by 8.5 mins of rest I'm guessing to keep the unit cool. most welders are 70% duty while industrial are 100% literally never need a cool down.
You can make it a lot more reliable, change all the IGBT's and electrolytic caps to parts from a reliable distributor like RS, Farnell, Digikey and so. The IGBT's and electrolytic caps are usually low quality and under rated as these are the most expensive components.
That´s just a different PCB-layout for the power-side of a mini-welder, and mini-welders function reasonably good. I don´t think it´s even lower quality than my 17€ mini-welder (althought mine claims 25% and not only 15% duty cycle), since this thing costs 9-10 times more (only based on reasons of "novelty", of course, but still...).
What all of them miss, is a soft-start, and a rod-anti-stick-feature. Both features demand costly and voluminous components (intergrated circuits get cheaper and smaller, but power-resistors and iron-powder-ring-coils cannot get even cheaper or smaller), and so, would´t fit the price- and size-tag any more.
Because it have the Standard Terminals i give it to a professional Stick weder and with normal Stick welder handle it works great. We both was shocked that it realy weld and dont get to hot at all
But please let it cool down a little bit after use (Fan blowing)
My initial concern is the transformer windings enamel being exposed to spatter.
Yeah it's pretty wide open up front there lol
there high air flow forward so that wont be an issue
@@deeperlayer "high air flow"... even if the fan is high airflow - I don't think the airflow is high enough to push splatter away at the other end where the transformer is.
@@rkan2 it is enough unless you wanna weld all the way to the stick end... if you have a stick holder you would know it wont reach
Welder duty cycle is a percent of time over 10 minutes. My
Not long and your standard 200 Amp arc welder has the look and size of a typical ball pen and indeed has a Bluetooth ground clamp...
Not quite the size of a ball pen, but I could see this being much smaller. Wonder what you could do with GaN transistors and the like.
Most people don't know what a duty cycle is and how it's measured, most professional welders are around 50-60%, home welders 20-30%. the duty cycle is measured as, how long you can weld at full power, in a 10 minute period of time, example: 20% duty cycle , you can weld for 2 minutes and then stop welding but leave it on so the fan can cool it. 15% would be 1 minute and 30 seconds of welding. the reason there is no trigger is so you can leave it on to cool it when you aren't welding. Believe me a non welder is going to fry those circuit boards long before the transformer.
True
My Hobart is rated for 20%. Plenty enough for me. Most welding jobs don't require you to weld long periods uninterrupted.
@@actionjksn no doubt you have an inverter welder, fine if you can do the jobs you have with that welder then your well suited for each other. I don't have a problem with that.
@@robinborkowski5598 it's just a plain old ARC welder. I would probably get more use from a mig or tig welder,but this is just what I happen to own. I don't really use it that often the last time was I fixed the mount for a foot peg on my buddies motorcycle, it worked perfectly for that.
@@actionjksn I didn't say they are bad , and even with inverter welders you can get up to 40% duty cycle, but they cost a fortune. If your making your living with a machine, you want the best you can afford, if your using it for odd jobs you buy the one that will do the anticipated jobs.
It's got a style to it of some random tool from 15yrs ago that you find at a boot sale.
There's a bit of Buck Rodgers going on with it. It reminds me of the old soldering guns.
I'm actually kinda impressed by this.
Not commenting on the safety or sketchiness of it but it seems like it's more than capable of laying down a bead.
I bought a similar shape handheld welder from aliexpress last year, but it was for stud welding, rather than a stick welding.
Basically welding nail-like studs directly onto automotive panels so you have something to pull out dents with.
It worked pretty well.
That at least makes actual sense. But stick welder as handheld? Insane...
I've had to go up a ladder to weld stuff, the small factor stick welder i needed worked just fine. I'd imagine it would be absolutely horrible to weld up with this. :))
In practical use the noise would probably not matter all that much. A burning arc emitts alot of rf noise anyway.
Fair point.
Yes welding is by definition a good RF transmitter, broadband enough to go almost from DC to light, and 1 kW plus of power. No mains filtering will stop that from being reflected back to the supply, and will just kill the filtering quickly. After all you have got what was the first radio transmitter there, no tuned circuit, and broadband RF noise source in a compact form, modulated at roughly mains frequency from the ripple on that capacitor.
@@SeanBZA Yup :) I've done my share of sleeping on EMC/EMI lab floors in the past 10 years (i've been through EMC compliace testing of a 30kW induction heating generators) emc rules for industrial machines are way much loose than consumer/commercial. The Electrical safety reg. Compliance is a completely different thing though:)
Never saw Mike struggle so much in a video. Welding without gloves is crazy, but at least he moved the electrode in the right direction. No need to worry about millions of dollars in hospital bills in the UK.
lol 5 mins of welding isn't going to send you to hospital with arc burn is it, the nhs would laugh you out the building
I don't often weld.
But when I do, I do it naked.
🤣
Hahaha i laugh at those guys bellow saying how bad his welds are, as if he advertised himself as a welder! Welders are among the biggest know-it-all jerks on the planet.
I don't respect anyone's experience and knowledge if they act like a jerk, if you're new to welding and listen to those guys' opinions you're going to hate it before you even start with it, they will criticize your first welds and your machine like you're supposed to pay 10.000 just to learn how to weld, they will kill your ambition and they'll behave like they're dead serious about you doing a huge harm to something and wont listen a crap from you.
Don't listen to anyone unless you wanna sit in the corner like a wet cat and happy welding everyone!
That's right.
I also see this way of thinking in the field of electronics hobbies, here in Europe there have often been heated debates in relevant forums in which some "specialists" with their large factories boast their fine equipment and kill the enthusiasm of young people for expressing their "one and only rights" views. In the past, these disputes have concerned components and their procurement, the lion's share of "specialists" think that it is only wise to buy semiconductors from a special reseller, who of course does not sell these 1-2 components to the average citizen. Then, these "professionals" offer to sell it themselves for 3-4 times the price of Mouser, for example. Actually, I have been forced to buy parts from China couple of times due to circumstances (because it is not easy to get elsewhere), even the power controllers and PFC, LLC etc. converter IC circuits have so far arrived 100% working, even from China, where they are also sold to large and well-known resellers. So it really isn't always necessary (not listen to these stories like "you must have and you must buy") that you have to have a fancy and expensive fleet of equipment to operate in a certain field or you only need to get equipment or details from the places with the highest mark-up andonly with the most famous names to create something. No, sometimes you dont really need to this, even not listen this rumors.
Well, it really seems that electronics as just a hobby has actually been killed for a last decade now. Added to this is the junk thinking that "everything can be bought in a store" and the negative general attitude towards manual creation ... the result is that the "makers" sit in bed all day long, grow fat with burgers and boast that only IT (gaming junk, betting junk, cryptojunk, etc.) is all what world need.
I can confirm that. Of all blue collar workers I have meet welders have been of the most arrogant pieces of excreta I have ever meet.
Ordered a different version of one of these it works good for what it is. Nothing wrong yet. It’s cheap but great for small projects.
Welding action starts at 12:00
a better design would be to have all the circuitry in a small box compartment with only the electrode wire going to the gun, which only holds the electrode, that would be lighter and easier to handle!
Well, yes.
There are quite a lot very small stick welding machines now n the market which most probably use exactly the same electronics, but are laid out exactly like your description and just like a tradtionally laid out machine.
@@dj1NM3 i see!!
I think, u can simply swap the stick-holder for a broadly spread plug-format of cable carrying a stick-holder. I even think he de-touches the plug, and you can see where to plug the cable at 0:30, and at 5:20 u may anyway recognize the plug-form-factor. The only think I don´t like, is the handle (with the capacitor inside it) sticking out the side, cause else, the form-factor, size and weight are adorable. I have to carry all of my tools with a scooter, and as u can imagine, big tools, or even longer distances in windy, rainy weather are impossible... If those get cheaper, I´d 3d-print a new case, without a handle, but with room for the capacitor in the main case-core instead... For now, my 17€-mini-welder is still just good enough, and 10-fold cheaper... ;-)
@@klausbrinck2137 At 5:22 it looks like the electrode holder has been taken out and put next the combo wire brush/chipping hammer. The connector appears to be a small-sized Dinse connector, perhaps a 25mm or smaller. Most industrial and consumer/DIY welding machines use 35mm Dinse connectors, it's pretty-much the de facto standard size.
EUR $17 is pretty darn cheap for any sort of welding machine, I don't really believe this handheld one could possibly be any cheaper.
@@dj1NM3 This handheld one costs 150-170€, so, 9 to 10 fold... My mini-one costed 17€, but had no soft-start, so, the house-fuse would be out when turned on. Connecting 2 series-light-bulbs in-parallel to the switch for 2-3 seconds, before turning on the actual switch, solves the problem, but it´s clumsy... All those cheap or novelty-ones are restricted, but also have big advantages... Mine weights 1kg and has 25% duty-cycle. With 68€ (70$), u can have 4 of them, which means 100% duty-cycle on the cheap, by a still tiny size.
200 amp’s on a 10 gauge rod is why the box section has holes blown through it
14:24 - that's an angry little box if it can do that without bursting into flames. 10/10 China, well done.
I feel more high power devices need to come with Type 2 EVSE sockets on them. I know I can get 3kw out my wall socket, but there's a 7kw cable right outside my front door...
question is do you really want 7kW in the palm of your hand? 🤔
@@thetooth it's only three and a half really ;-)
@@thetooth no, but that would allow for things like electric pressure washers that work as well as a gas one.
I'd argue the opposite, a 32A industrial socket is cheaper to install than an EV charge point, and you can charge your EV off it at 7kW with a suitable adaptor cable... :D
The performance is surprisingly good…
For a Chinesium product im actually quite impressed. For the odd welding job here and there i guess its actually ok. If you had clean metal joints i think you could get a reasonable result with it. Your material had rusty surfaces, so the result was never going to be great. Arc welding is about the hardest of all to do. As you have to "Strike" the arc and then maintain your hand movement to keep the rod tip and a constant 5mm from the surface while at the same time feeding the rod as it burns away.
5 mm distance from the surface no no no. The rule is a constant steady short arc length
@mikeselectricstuff
Very useful, straight to the points. Concise, clear and cover all essential things
This is how video should be presented
Thanks
Watch your voice and health
Even if you were only going to use it a once a year I think you'd still be better off with one of the inverter lunchbox ones. There's less working against you with that and the price point isn't too dissimilar. I did see a cordless version which is probably a fair bit cheaper than any other cordless welding option but that's a real niche use.
Yes, this form factor has too many drawbacks - can't switch polarity, can't weld where space or angle are restricted, just painfully heavy thing to hold comparing to standard rod holder. And I just don't see any benefits over conventional corded design at all.
Actually I am surprised with the performance of that unit, not bad at all! Best place for those glasses is the bin, nothing worse than UV radiation burn of the eyes so investing in good quality welding mask is a good idea. Good to practise on that heavy piece of metal, 100 amps is a good current setting to start with and try and run straight weld lines ( slowly and consistently to deposit the weld metal ). The light guage metal I suggest 70 amps or less as it will blow holes in the tube, tack the pieces together first to hold them. A ventilation fan is a good idea, smoke from the welding process is toxic especially metals containing Zinc and Cadmium. Welding is a great skill to have, grab plenty of old metal offcuts to practise on and a box of general purpose welding rods, have fun!
I wish it had 2 switches, one to disable the output and one to fully shut it off, that way the fan could keep running all the time.
That’s how all arc welders work though - you leave it on all the time with the fan running, and just don’t touch the electrode to the work when you’re not using it.
@@evan010101 Sure, I get that, but its not really a valid reason to continue the design choice. Especially considering this thing is targeting first-time welders or welding in unusual locations. People who aren't going to understand the heating and duty cycle implications of switching it off between welds. Or situations where it might be super useful to set this heavy thing down for a moment.
DaZZled and impressed. Far more power than I would have guessed. As a long time (garage) "stick welder " (aka Buzz Box). I could "HEAR" that is sounded useful. The heavy weighted hand-unit seemed to be the only downer. I would grab that in a heart beat for small jobs (not general work, mainly do to the goofy factor:). You gave it some heartache and it continued to work. Bravo! That was a shock (no pun intended). Little bit off your area of expertise... but your job was weld done. Thanks so much. p.s. I generally despise any off shore equipment like this. But you can always dream :) Cheers!
I don't mind off shore stuff (even chinese) if it's well made to standards... problem with chinese stuff especially is they are MORE than happy to cut corners if pushed on price... and if they're told to do it as cheap as possible, this is what you get. :) I was impressed by the bead on Mike's first ever weld, till the thing he was welding to the box section just lifted off...
@@TheChipmunk2008 Stick welding isn't the easiest thing to pick up. By his second bead he'd improved a lot. Heck I can fail to tack stuff sometimes myself and I've had a few goes at it by now.
@@TheChipmunk2008 I do agree with that Chip'. My bad for putting all off shore tools in the same tool bad.. Clearly tools of varying quality are available. As we know, it's basically ALL made across the pond (somewhere). I've just run into some stinkers. But like they say, if you need it and it's the only tool you have available.. it's worth a $1,000,000 :) Thanks for the comment. 200 points awarded. p.s. If mike just accounted for thickness.. well, that's a pass (pun intended)
@@1pcfred Stick welding is pretty hardcore :) Or is that flux core? Cheers
@@ovalwingnut I've never done flux core. I imagine it's a lot like stick welding though There's flux involved.
My Oxford oil cooled welder will run longer than I can, never felt it warm up with my use. It also has a built in anti-theft mode, i can only just about lift it on to its wheels which are about 2 inches high let alone carry it. So one like that would be good for use on the other side of the garage ;-)
I don't think this device was made for heavy fabrication.
Those “welding glasses” hahaha 🤣 great way to melt plastic right to your eyeball directly
It’s melting away the material like its set to high isn’t the issue. You are not close enough. The arc is flopping around blowing material away.
You want to start the arc. Move in to create a pool. Bring the rod closer to the pool then pull away. Do this all the way across.
Not a surprising result for someone who says "I've never done any welding before". The fact that it functions at all is the amazing part.
Not a welder but I've seen people carrying their machines up with a shoulder strap. They are quite light (2kg) and then you have full control over the rod.
The diagram in the manual shows that the electrode is negative and clamp positive, but hard to make out what they're trying to communicate.
Ergonomics aside, looks like a useful product to have somewhere, not taking up space, for quick jobs. The penetration issue is probably due to either dirty surfaces or improper technique (welding thin to thick is a bit more challenging).
I think the only reason for this is for the manufacturer to save on copper cable to the electrode clamp.
Negative on the rod end would be a problem. You get less penetration, does not weld the same at all unless you're doing some thin stuff, at least with 6010 or 7018 rods (standard stuff) . I guess that works for this then heh
Also as for portability the welding truck I run has 100 feet of thick copper cable (2/0) on reels and a small rod holder /Stinger on the hot end which I know is more useful up a ladder lol. Neat though.
Those 'welding glasses' are going to give you a nice face tan. My guess is that you are supposed to poke them through newspaper or cardboard to protect your face.😂
While it appears to be working, it must be difficult to use with that big and heavy handle.
GREAT video, thank you.
It doesn't break the bank, and an average guy could use it t do light repairs around the house for a low price.
Of course, a box of warm, dry 7018 will weld pretty good just connected to a couple starting batteries, so that might be a good place to start.
Thank you for going to the trouble to review this.
As you say, amazing that it is even possible. Great portability, good little repair machine for the tool bag. If it could be paired with a car starter battery pack and battery powered angle grinder, one could do 5 minute(?) bodge jobs in any location. Certainly not for serious work.
I'm sure you can find some nice 12V welders that eat this for breakfast :D
I dont think I will be rushing out to get one of these, ok it works , sort of but why would you want to be waving the whole welder about. Inverter welders are pretty small these days and you can swap the leads if you want. Love the glasses supplied, imagine the panda eyes after a welding session.
Serious sun tan!
I can see extending the + bus bar to a heavy lead with the rod attached and it would be quite a portable welder that still keeps the classic form factor of a box on the floor and a light, easy to maneuver rod holder
When Mike detaches the rod holder at the beginning of the vid, you can see it fits in a Dinse connector in the end of the gun. These connectors are standard on welding cables and available from any decent welding supply shop.
The maximum allowed fusing (breaker) on a standard EU outlet is 15A, the normal input current of this thing is 15A, so the socket branch breaker is actually the correct overcurrent protection for this, so it does need any extra overcurrent fuse within the device. If I remember well, UK's socket system requires that fuse (I guess the 13A would be the proper one for 3kW intermittent power) to be within the plug, so again any extra fuse within the device would be useless (I mean the main power path; the small aux supply likely uses just a fusible resistor).
16A where I live, not 15A. 15A as I recall is an american thing, with their 115V circuits.
@@Sixta16 I don't know the official UK regulations nowadays, but 40 years ago when I wired a house it was 30A breakers for a ring circuit, and the UK flat I currently live in has 30A breakers for the plug circuits, so I assume it's still the same. A 15A breaker is only 3.6kW and would trip if I had my kettle and microwave on at the same time (kettle = 3kW, microwave = >900W) Each UK plug top is fused with a max rating of 13A, so is the primary protection.
Positive ground for shallow wide welding beads (thin stock), Negative ground for deep penetration narrow welding beads... 220-240V be fine. Galvanized and aluminium rich coatings reject weld fusion. Best to practice on plain mild steel with freshly ground surfaces to remove all oxides. Biggest issue with that machine is the weight and awkwardness of it, much easier with a normal hand piece. Probably find 40-60 amps is more than enough with thin wall tube. You have picked some rather difficult learning materials.
Couple iterations later they should have it basically opposite of what it is now. Why would you put all the stuff by the stick holder, when you could have it integrated/near ground clamp and have a cord with normal stick holder to swing around? Is there some novelty value in that pistol grip form factor, which makes it seem totally different from classic welders that would go away with things being other way around?
I suspect most people who actually use these things, if it survives that long, is altered with a couple meters of cable and a traditional rod holder. Little pocket welders with a pair of cable jacks have been around a while, so cheap you supply the cables, they only give the fittings. I guess the packaging is a marketing gimmick.
Yea, chinesium level. My made in china corded impact wrench died after using it twice. 1st was hub/bearing nut, 2nd was control arm bolts. At 3rd attempt to use it, it started throwing sparks all around. Opened it to check whats going on, brushes misaligned, eaten half way. The thing was so shoddy inside I tossed it into electrical garbage bin instantly. You gonna buy a tool, buy a solid one, not the cheap one. In the end had to get another one, Milwaukee this time.
As someone who has purchased some crap welders before, I will say that is not the worst welder I have seen. Definitely hard to use as the bulk would prevent you from getting in the proper position.
Looks great for the home handyman.
I have no idea why, but for some reason the comments on this video are absolutely hilarious compared to other videos of yours. Apparently cheap shitty chinese welder machines draw in a special kind of crowd...
It's actually much better than I expected so I guess I'm too pessimistic. I was expecting there to be just a wire connecting the mains to the tip inside with a weight attached.
I can imagine the target audience for this is hole-in-the-wall repair shops in developing countries that bike and motorbike UA-cam tourists end up at when something snaps. Any welder is better than no welder…
Wouldn't they just buy a normal cheap Chinese welder instead of a cheap portable Chinese welder?
Good point, altho they probably have one of those enormous welders made in Pakistan from scraps of anything, in a roadside shop
2 car batteries and wire works as well as this unit.
Grinder and paint mike, grinder and paint...
...me the welder I ain't!
Surprisingly good I would say, but ive only used TIG. Nice to see the safety worked great review...cheers.
Welders are not exempt from EMC regulations but some things are not as extreme as other equipment must meet. It is also into a load because the arcing would never pass.
That is built a lot better than I would have thought given the description and sketchy look. No one should actually use this but it could be car worse
After welding in board shorts and a tee-shirt for "a small quick job", just once, I can fully recommend 10 minutes of gearing up leathers even in 100% humidity is worth it.
Even just a long sleeve shirt + jeans, no need to go full leather...
To be honest they way it lit up the arc seems pretty good. There is not much use for (small) old transformer type welders anymore.
You could also mount the Standard clamp thing on it and use it with Standard Stick welding clamp, i have this setup and it is great
tig welding is a much more pleasant experience... need argon though but I think it is worth it. No smoke, no spatter. Much more control and you can weld all sorts of materials and do small delicate work.
Depends what you're doing. Though strictly from a 'comfort' view it is the most pleasant.
buying a tig setup isn't such a pleasant experience though
@@cliveramsbotty6077 I have a PRIMEWELD TIG225X and I love it thought you can get a dodgy DC only tig for $100.
and peeing is a more pleasant experience than pooping. not to mention faster and cleaner 😉
The downsides being it doesn't work outside and it's harder to get way down in crevice or acute angle. That said the stinger hangs on the wall, unused for years now!
I design electronics and can weld (quite well...). Interesting that there were no ferrites on the IGBT legs to slow down edges. My guess is that it's a push pull design across the mains, so you really don't want both to be on at the same time...
From looking at the pitting on the 1" block, this little toy looks ok. Perfect for light, occasional work, but never replace my 3ph 'shop unit.
If you are a crew of wild off roaders and have a generator (or serious inverter) with you, this could be handy for a few make shift repairs to be able to limp home if you got wild and bust something simple. If you are a decent stick welder you can definitely put this to good use in a mobile situation.
Realistically it should be able to butt/fillet weld 1/4 mild steel alright. Wouldn't go thicker without a really nice bevel/good joint prep. . And you could easily use 3/32 and 1/8 rod with it. Usually about 8 5A for 3/32 and 110A for 1/8. You could definitely build some stuff or fix some stuff on the cheap with it. If you stick a rod though you'd definitely want to shut the power off before pulling the rod off as i don't think the rod connection would last long arcing off a stuck rod.
I'm sure Mike knows this, but anyone else watching, make sure your camera has a UV filter, or be sure to put one on the lens. Image sensors can be fried as easily as retinas by these things. That said, having no welding experience but having seen lots of cheap electronics, that welder isn't as bad as I might have thought it would be. Could also be a useful problem solver, or something to keep in the truck tools. I think I'd personally prefer the lighter stick electrode though.
I believe it thermal cut off because you kept turning off the power switch. There is no circuit to keep the fan running with the switch off. You need to run the fan for a bit after your done welding. Same as any other welder with a fan. My mig is the same.
Was just about to say the same thing..just seen the FLIR He showed, it did look a teensy bit Red Hot! lol.. same as your car fan cooling the motor after a long drive, it keeps going after removing the keys to get rid of that residual heat, like you say, Welders need to do the same thing
I have arc weleded a bit. I thtink your results are fairly consistent with someone's first attempts ;) IMO you are right, the weight would be annoying.
i got to say! i have a very big welder with a old school transformer inside that weight about 40kg. it is unusable and cannot keep a good steady ark. it take me a good 5mins of scratching the rod like a match in order to first start the ark.
when i first saw you using this i was very impressed! it seems to have alot of power! where i live we only have 110V 15amp from the wall, so it might explain my failling and your success.
I think it is all about the modern semi like mikeselectricstuff said! You could probably make this output like 10x++ more amps using a bit more expensive semiconductors :P