Thread: WIA Inverter MMA welder

Has anyone had any experience with the WIA Weldarc 180i inverter stick welder?
It's time to finally retire my faithful Peerless buzz box after 40 years of hard service and the WIA is one of the potential replacements.
I was recommended a Kemppi Minarc 150 but I understand that they are big $$ to buy.

My stick welding needs are contradictory and probably mutually exclusive, I currently use the stick for outside structural welding up to 3/8" material but ideally I'd like to be able to take the new unit to the race track to do emergency repairs to the karts which are 30mm x 2mm CrMo tubing. In the workshop I have MIG and AC/DC TIG but neither are suitable for taking to the track as I run G size bottles on both and the MIG requires a 20A circuit (plus the MIG weighs 80 kg+). I can't justify the cost of a 3rd, smaller, gas bottle just for race track use though so that would probably rule out a smaller 2nd MIG or TIG unit.

The stick would be less than ideal for the CrMo work in the pits but better than nothing which is what we have trackside now.

I don't know anything about that model, but inverter welders in general are just magic compared to the old transformer type arc welders.
Get one you'll love it.

kempi on gum tree Gavin

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mandurah/other-tools-diy/kempi-minarc-150/1081202971

One word of caution about WIA products, they ain't what they one was. By that I mean that they are no longer all Australian built and built to last, most are now Chinese. Their Mig welders have definitely suffered and a current model Weldmatic 270 for example, is nowhere near the machine that the Australian built model was - it hasn't got any cheaper though.
An inverter stick will serve you very well for your intended usage, remembering of course that anything bigger than say 130-140A will have a 15A plug attached. How you handle that on site and at the track is up to you, but there are several options of varying legality.
The Lincoln Powercraft range and the Cigweld 130 and 170 inverters would be well worth a look.

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

One word of caution about WIA products, they ain't what they one was. By that I mean that they are no longer all Australian built and built to last, most are now Chinese. Their Mig welders have definitely suffered and a current model Weldmatic 270 for example, is nowhere near the machine that the Australian built model was - it hasn't got any cheaper though.
An inverter stick will serve you very well for your intended usage, remembering of course that anything bigger than say 130-140A will have a 15A plug attached. How you handle that on site and at the track is up to you, but there are several options of varying legality.
The Lincoln Powercraft range and the Cigweld 130 and 170 inverters would be well worth a look.

Thanks Karl, I did wonder about the "parentage" of WIA stuff these days. I'll have a look at the machines you mentioned.

I've got the Kemppi 140. It's exactly the same machine as the 150 but with a 10A plug and a couple of different stickers. It even comes in a box labeled as the 150. It's a great machine but I've only used it once since getting my Dynasty.

Originally Posted by Gavin Newman

Thanks Karl, I did wonder about the "parentage" of WIA stuff these days. I'll have a look at the machines you mentioned.

To be fair, both the Lincoln Powercraft and the Cigweld are made in China as well and their price point reflects this. The WIA may well be a decent machine, but i just wanted to let you know that old yellow was sleeping with the oriental gentleman now. How much is the WIA retailing for?
My personal inverter is a Lincoln Invertec 170, which I think is now a $1200+ proposition. At work we run a Cigweld 170 and it runs quite nicely and doesn't have a VRD, making it more attractive for those not accustomed to a VRD.
The gap between the performance of a $300 and a $1000 inverter is a lot less than you may think and not noticed by the majority of users.

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

To be fair, both the Lincoln Powercraft and the Cigweld are made in China as well and their price point reflects this. The WIA may well be a decent machine, but i just wanted to let you know that old yellow was sleeping with the oriental gentleman now. How much is the WIA retailing for?
My personal inverter is a Lincoln Invertec 170, which I think is now a $1200+ proposition. At work we run a Cigweld 170 and it runs quite nicely and doesn't have a VRD, making it more attractive for those not accustomed to a VRD.
The gap between the performance of a $300 and a $1000 inverter is a lot less than you may think and not noticed by the majority of users.

The WIA box is $349 at one of our industrial suppliers.

The pricing is about right and the 2 year guarantee also bodes well. The leads are a little shorter than I like, but that's not a big issue.
I'd be sorely tempted to grab it.

Thanks to all of you for your input. I was all set to get the WIA unit when I was offered an insanely good price on a new Fronius Transpocket 1500 welder.

Man I wish these things had been around 40 years ago when I started welding! It's certainly easier to lift than my old Peerless

that's what I use Gavin...........awesome little welder. I think you will indeed love it !!