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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Wimmera
    Posts
    96

    Default Michigan welders - Anyone have any experience with them.

    Was in Total Tools, Ballarat yesterday and spotted these welders.
    Several sizes but there was a small inverter welder for $199 with a kit.
    Too small for my work but a mate wants one for light and infrequent jobs.
    Anyone had any experience with this brand?

    Thanks,

    John

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    It is a Total Tools house brand, Jack.

    The price point alone makes me wary. They are inverter style but just barely.
    The Kit includes: -
    1) 20-140amp DC Arc (MMA) welder suitable for 2.0-3.2mm General Purpose (GP) Electrodes
    2) Auto darkening Welding Helmet (Shade 3-11)
    3) 400mm (16") leather welding gloves with kevlar stitching
    4) 2.5m twist lock electrode holder and earth clamp with DINSE sockets
    5) Chipping Hammer

    If the machine is for sale at $200 it costs money to add the goodies above - meaning the money actually spent on building the welder alone is really not enough to ensure a quality build.You can bet items like the earth clamp are extra light and the woven strand copper strap is as thin as possible and the earth and welding handpiece cables are short to boot.

    The price determines the quality of the chip and chip maketh the machine.

    People say that's all they want for light duty, but sooner or later they are used to the point beyond their duty cycle and the blue smoke gets let out.

    There is better value around for not much more.

    Cheers
    Grahame

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Posts
    1,836

    Default

    I have a similar inverter dc stick welder like this not the same brand mine is Mech Pro or something like that just another cheapy off loaded by Repco for $330 mine is also a tig welder, it is pretty hard to get consistent welds with it it seems the amps spike and causes problems when welding, its good for smaller jobs like welding a nut onto a snapped and seized bolt or the odd fence fixing but a bit more expensive machine would pay off 10 fold, if u buy a dc stick welder look for accessories like added tig torch and pay a little bit more for it because when u go to sell it down the track tig machines hold value whereas just basic stick welders sell for nothing at all

    i would also look at duty cycle 10% 10mins is just about the lowest on the market you would just warm up the stick and you'll be dam i hit the duty cycle already...

    try find a machine that cuts out when u reach the duty cycle as with these cheaper machines if its up to the operator to keep an eye on the over load warning light u may just keep on welding thru it..

    when u buy these cheap Chinese machines u need to factor in the price of a handles welding mask i donno why but the Chinese seem to always include a very basic hand held mask that is absolutely useless

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