Welding Tips and Tricks

MORNING ALL,
Hey I have this boating dilemma whereby I have lots a welding to do on the boat but it costs $ 45 a day at the powered work jetty, and no others have power.
To make a short story long, I wanna get one of those 3 in 1 things and was wondering if anyone here has any info on 'em.

Are there any lite, quiet powered welders in existence? I have to be able to trolley it and man-handle it onto the boat.

I was also considering one of those proper flash inverter generators that are light and quiet but do any have the testicular metal to drive my 10 amp WIA 140 amp welder,?????????????????????????????????
THANKS. PAT A.

yachtweld3mm wrote:MORNING ALL,
Hey I have this boating dilemma whereby I have lots a welding to do on the boat but it costs $ 45 a day at the powered work jetty, and no others have power.
To make a short story long, I wanna get one of those 3 in 1 things and was wondering if anyone here has any info on 'em.

Are there any lite, quiet powered welders in existence? I have to be able to trolley it and man-handle it onto the boat.

I was also considering one of those proper flash inverter generators that are light and quiet but do any have the testicular metal to drive my 10 amp WIA 140 amp welder,?????????????????????????????????
THANKS. PAT A.

THIS IS THE BLOKE I'M LOOKING AT
https://www.mygenerator.com.au/gentech- ... honda.html

I think they're a waste of money especially since the compressor ain't worth a darn. Youd be much better off buying a good generator and welder separately, and perhaps integrating them in a custom roll-able cage/trolley.

Oscar wrote:I think they're a waste of money especially since the compressor ain't worth a darn. Youd be much better off buying a good generator and welder separately, and perhaps integrating them in a custom roll-able cage/trolley.

Thanks Oscar,
I also had a feel for the weight of those 2 0r 3 in ones and they weigh more than I do which aint gunna be fun lifting onto a boat deck.

But I did find the old Italian mob. MOSA make a 34 kilogram 150 amp welder/generator which looks a bit interesting. its 3 grand with leads and would be perfect.

https://www.mygenerator.com.au/mosa-2kv ... d-150.html

ANYONE USED ONE OF THESE BABIES ?

Still seems overly expensive for what you're getting, but that's just my take on it. It would be cheaper to make a heavy duty extension cord. Anywhere you can plug in within about 30-50meters of the boat at 240V?

I've used one of those Mosa welders a few times in a pinch but really can't say I liked it - no way would I buy one - they have very poor arc strike & snuff out real easy ( I presume but can't confirm very low OCV ) I also don't feel they put out what is claimed in amps but this was a well used example ! maybe a new one is better - also the mains output is a weird square wave not sine & as such can only run brush type power tools or incandescent lights anything else it will damage - even with power tools don't try ones with variable speed or soft start - as others have said getting some kinda deal to plug into real mains power is the best option or buy a decent sized normal generator & an inexpensive inverter welder - if you want cheap air then Aldi / Lidl supermarkets regularly do compressors usually a 2.5 hp on a 25lt tank around £79 or a 3hp on 50lt around £99 - maybe not the most industrial quality but light easy to carry & they warranty them 3years I have a couple that get carted around on site & they have been fine - why not pick up a 2nd hand generator ? they don't make much money as a rule.

Oscar wrote:Still seems overly expensive for what you're getting, but that's just my take on it. It would be cheaper to make a heavy duty extension cord. Anywhere you can plug in within about 30-50meters of the boat at 240V?

Yeah I was thinking it was damn dear for a toy size, considering you can get a big banger for the same price. That light 34 kg weight appeals to me so maybe mr. Masa reckons I'll pay extra for the privilege.

I'm no where near any power outlet so maybe I have to pay the fifty plus bucks a day to sit at the dockyards powered fitout jetty.
thanks.

I have no idea which one is best, but I absolutely know you must be careful where the exhaust fumes go. Many a retched soul has been dispatched to the promise land by exhaust in an enclosed space. Good luck with it.

noddybrian wrote:I've used one of those Mosa welders a few times in a pinch but really can't say I liked it - no way would I buy one - they have very poor arc strike & snuff out real easy ( I presume but can't confirm very low OCV ) I also don't feel they put out what is claimed in amps but this was a well used example ! maybe a new one is better - also the mains output is a weird square wave not sine & as such can only run brush type power tools or incandescent lights anything else it will damage - even with power tools don't try ones with variable speed or soft start - as others have said getting some kinda deal to plug into real mains power is the best option or buy a decent sized normal generator & an inexpensive inverter welder - if you want cheap air then Aldi / Lidl supermarkets regularly do compressors usually a 2.5 hp on a 25lt tank around £79 or a 3hp on 50lt around £99 - maybe not the most industrial quality but light easy to carry & they warranty them 3years I have a couple that get carted around on site & they have been fine - why not pick up a 2nd hand generator ? they don't make much money as a rule.

THANKS,
That was a big concern, I'd be willing to pay the high price for the mere 34 kilogram weight but what if its a junk welder. Buying one would be hit or miss so I think I'll choose miss. I was planning on getting a quiet invert genny for just running grinders etc.
It occurred to me overnight, for 3 grand I could spend 2 months on the powered jetty and come to think of it for 3 grand, I could pay the dockyard welders to do the job and I could take the rest of the week off !
THANKS

An inverter generator to power small tools is a good idea - they drink less fuel & are quiet - obviously powering a welder is a bit different - the size required alone is a problem. I would not call the Mosa junk - I know quite a few small service vans that carry one around as they are very restricted on total weight & don't expect to weld much - but if you go out to do a service & find a small problem that needs welding they work OK enough to not need to go back to the yard to get a normal size engine drive like a Ranger / Trailblazer. I don't know how much your welding per day or how much power you need - but I got a few random thoughts ! if you need sporadic use of power tools over the course of a day & it's say a drill & 5" grinder it's not really worth having a generator running all day drinking fuel how about having some decent size batteries in your truck & running a cheap 12volt inverter to run the tools - does'nt help welding I know but it's a very cheap option - next is have you looked into mains power / welding power alternators - they again are a bit like the Mosa would not be the first choice if out on a pipeline ! but fit one to your truck & just start it when you need to weld would be fine for smaller jobs - bonus is they have great charging power too that would recharge the battery bank for the inverter quickly so assuming you can park somewhere fairly close to the boat you can power everything from the truck - again I seen this on service vans - last option is a bit more involved but add an electric clutch drive on the front of the truck engine & run a PTO drive underneath to run a decent size generator & / or compressor - most of the utility companies run set ups like this so they don't have to tow a compressor - their vans are mostly replaced regularly & can be bought cheaply at auction sites complete with the all the gear - lastly if your welding thin material ( you seem to like 3mm ? ) using flux core welding uses less power & can run on a smaller power source - hard to say what will suit your needs but it's some other things to think about.

https://www.mygenerator.com.au/gentech- ... honda.html
from the same mob, better capacity, better known brand, cheaper.

I’ve tig welded at 150 amps and stick welded at 80 -90 amps off of a 6.5 kw generator for days on end. Wouldn’t want a generator much smaller then that if I was stick welding. The initial strike up can make the generator surge, takes a bit of getting used to till the arc stabilizes.