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Thread: Rossi welders.

  1. #1
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    Default Rossi welders.

    Are these Rossi migs/3 in 1 welders any good? I've read a few reviews and haven't seen too many negative reviews. Anyone have one and can give advice?

  2. #2
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    Just be aware that should something go wrong, the whole thing will need to go back for repairs.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  3. #3
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    There are some questions you need to ask in buying a welder?

    Is it sold through a group of dealers? Or is it just one entity that sells a bit of everything.

    How long is the warranty period for?

    Is there a group of essential spare parts available? you know the sorts of things that will wear over time and need replacement or indeed,can the welder be repaired at all if it fails?

    Is there a repair facility/agency close to you, that can repair your welder if it should fail.

    In fact it is not a bad idea to ring a shop that repairs welders and ask their opinion of the machine. You should be able to find out if the machine is common,repairable and that spares are available all at the same time.

    Does industry use this brand?
    If it can survive the rigors of commercial use it is generally OK.

    Is there a loyal following of purchasers of this brand? Watch out for some reviews as they are the sales people reviewing their own products. Whirlpool and Australian product review are places where you can get honest answers.

    If the brand is not discussed there it might be telling that there is not a high volume of this brand sold.

    Grahame

  4. #4
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    Some further thoughts for you as you are located in Adelaide -

    Arguably the best welding supplier in Adelaide is WESS up on Cormack Rd. They are one of the few suppliers who actively talk about repairing welding power supplies and have a policy that if it is not something they sell (which is most brand name gear), they will not repair it. (They will tell you that unless they actually sold it, they won't repair but I find that a bit of a stretch myself) It costs too much compared to the unit purchase price and parts are always hard to get.

    As a result, if you buy a brand like that from the internet, you probably can't get it repaired here if it goes toes up. Therefore you would be buying a 'disposable' power supply. That is not so bad if it is a second unit or just for a particular job, but if you want something to be your prime supply and still be going strong in 10 or 15 years...

    Usually when recommendations for non brand name supplies are sort here, the suggestion is made to talk to Token Tools. The owner is sometimes seen on this forum and all the reports I've seen talk about good advice and necessary parts being available.

    Michael

  5. #5
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    Any repair shop will only repair brands they sell.

    Rossi are available from Stratco.

    Were does this leave CIG welders and all the brands sold by Bunnings?

  6. #6
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    I have been told by repairers that if the repair cost estimate exceeds half the purchase cost that the recommendation is to scrap the machine and buy another.

    Going on todays prices workshop labour for and electrician would have to be around $100/hr and a repair could be over budget real quick.

    Even the Cigwelds 130s and 150s were bin jobs should anything more than a minor problem beset them.

    Grahame

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    I think all the inverter welders are throw away machines at least in the consumer orientated market.

    Someone I know has a BOC inverter mig and they just blow up the same as the cheap no name ones.

    I have a transformer Mig for 15 years and while I can melt 15 amp plugs with it, I have never had any issue.
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  8. #8
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    Hi RC ,
    Is it a Cigweld Transmig or better a Transmig rural pack?
    Both of them are still highly regarded.
    Grahame

  9. #9
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    I once made the mistake of purchasing a Rossi Inverter stick welder 250amp.
    Not even an hours worth of work and POOF up in smoke she went.
    Absolutely no way to get in contact with the seller, no point trying to ring them as the phone was never answered.
    I would never buy anything with that name on it......

    I replaced it with a 250amp inverter from Magnum Welders and it has never missed a beat. I also have a 250amp tig and a 60amp plasma cutter from Magnum. I use this gear daily and it has never let me down....

    Matt

    PS.
    Sorry for my rant............
    Warning Disclaimer

  10. #10
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    I was talking to the bloke that imports the Magnum range on Saturday at the Lucindale Field Days, and he seems to be a straight up guy. and he does carry parts for them.
    If I were looking for a new machine, that's where I'd be going.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    Hi RC ,
    Is it a Cigweld Transmig or better a Transmig rural pack?
    Both of them are still highly regarded.
    Grahame
    It is a Transmig 250 single phase with remote wire feeder. It apparently has a thermal overload. But I have never been able to get it to click out.

    I am sure the inverter migs are more efficient and easier to carry, but to be honest I would just buy another Transmig or whatever they call them these days. They can be carted around OK like here. If anyone wants to know, the oval slots were just plasma cut with a guide onsite.
    20190301_085551.jpg

    In saying that I have a super cheap Rossi 200 amp stick welder ($140) and I cannot kill it despite all the abuse I throw at it like 4mm low hydrogen rods. And it welds like this with a packet of 5kg for $10 chinese 3.25 rods
    20180426_161129.jpg
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  12. #12
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    I had a look at the Magnum range, they have a 200 amp 3 in one that looks pretty good but the price left me a little flat. I'm not a professional welder anymore so its a bit out of my league. I was considering the CIG Weldskill 3 in 1 at a little less for $600.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    Hi RC ,
    Even the Cigwelds 130s and 150s were bin jobs should anything more than a minor problem beset them.

    Is it a Cigweld Transmig or better a Transmig rural pack?
    Both of them are still highly regarded.
    Grahame
    Some interesting points here but could be contradictory in a minor way. I understand exactly what you are saying though GC and it's not possible to avoid.

    I'm currently experiencing the minor problem / bin job scenario with my Cigweld 130, so I tend to agree with the first call. I've replaced the broken plastic wire feed with a generic for very little money but it remains to be seen if the repair is effective or not. Even if it is, it then also remains to be seen for how long. I visited Token Tools with the unit and a more substantial wire feed unit simply will not fit. The proprietor there is very helpful and he did point out that the little generic plastic wire feed units are themselves prone to internal gear stripping with any wire jamming. It is still highly likely that what should be a minor repair to an Australian made Transmig machine will result in binning the whole machine. Very disappointing for a machine that is otherwise quite robust and functioning as it should.

    The contradiction is that the 130 Twin is a Cigweld Transmig. Even though I've had it for 15 years or more, I no longer hold it or the Cigweld brand in high regard. The product reviews for the Cigweld Weldskill 135 MIG are atrocious so it is clearly off my list of possible replacements even though I can buy one for $277.00. However, I'm not sure if I'm completely put off the Cigweld brand or not.

    Back to the OP topic of Rossi Welders, it would appear that many are being sold but they are online only. As far as I can see there is no store front availability and the biggest online retailer of these appears to be Edisons. A Rossi 280E MIG/MAG/MMA is currently available for $479 (save $420). Being an online sale the Save $420 is pure fluff. However, these do have Duty Cycle: 280A-12%, 89A-100% but only Australian Statutory Warranty and a 12 month Voluntary Warranty on all products excluding Spare Parts and Consumable. (Edisons) The thing is that Cigweld only have 12 months warranty on basic models and 2 years on slightly some better ones. https://www.cigweld.com.au/product/weldskill-185/ You have to spend a bit of money to get 5 years warranty on a welder.

    My questions to myself at the moment are:
    1) Multi purpose welder or multiple welders?
    2) Do I really need or even want TIG capability?
    3) Inverter or Transformer?
    4) Brand / reputation?
    It's all a bit of a gamble at under $1000.

  14. #14
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    Hi Glivo,

    I fully get it that you don,t care for the current and recent series Cigweld product.

    When talking about Cigweld and particularly Transmig product names, I do sometimes tend to forget to make a distinction between the older/better Cigweld from the newer cigweld products.

    The " original" Transmig and Transmig Ruralpaks were stuff of legend AFA reliability goes.

    Given reasonable care those machines were pretty much bullet proof and are still sought after to this today.

    Old Cigweld was a wholly owned part of Commonwealth Industrial Gases that put the CIG in Cigweld not the now watered down subsidiary of Miller whom I think, own the brand.

    I believe Miller are just trading on the past good reputation of Transmig and Transtig with the newer same named machines that will never ever approach the awesome toughness and durability that the older machines have.

    The question is ,will we see inverter units that are twenty or thirty years old. I think not.

    But we are not going to see that as we live in an age of planned obsolescence.

    Sorry as I did not explain the Cigweld difference too well but some of those older transformer units were just awesome as they were made to a standard and not a price. I will add that WIA and and Lincoln Electric made some pretty good stuff too.



    Grahame

  15. #15
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    Just for those who are interested Cigweld is now owned by ESSAB, Over the last 6 years they have changed ownership 4 times

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