Welding Tips and Tricks

I,m a retired Tool & Die maker. I kept some of my equipment for retirement & having fun just
making stuff. I,m no welder like some of you, but I can weld fairly good. Nothing like Jody for
sure. But I have been welding Tig, Mig & stick for many years off & on. Remember I,m a machinist
not a welder.

But I have searched the net on cheap China machines. I guess the price is why. But what inspired this
post is some guy on the net said this. He said a lot of the burn down on these machines was the routing
of wires in hot places, transformers & such. I,m no sparky by any terms, OK. But can any of you guys that know
electronics think these machines can be upgraded to give them more life?

Funny how Americans can up grade ANYTHING. I love Blue & Red believe on that. My mig & Tig are both MILLER.
I would NEVER sell ether of them unless I had to. But these new ones have gone past the old Transformer ones
I have. I really would like to be able to adjust frequency as you can not with the old transformers.

That is my only thing about the ole guy machines. But if you are not a good welder you can over come that.
I,m not that good. But it would be cool for us limited income guys for some way to make the china crap
last a little longer, than the report I keep hearing.

GOD I love this form & Jody for helping us with his knowledge. the net is so GREAT with forms as this.

Thank each & every one of you for helping this Ole fellow in my retirement. God bless you all.

Fly

I think it would be theoretically possible to do so, maybe as a pet project. It may mean starting with a new case (custom user designed, of course) so you could mount things where they made the most sense, add additional cooling fans or upgrade wiring, etc. If I had the time and a machine to start with, I think it would be something that I would try.
I like to explore new things and try to make things better. I know that there are many people on this forum that are more than capable of doing just that sort of thing. For me, it would be a "learning experience"....

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Your time would be better spent buying an older mig (of a known good brand) for a steal, that would form a solid platform and then fix it up.

weldin mike 27 wrote:Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Your time would be better spent buying an older mig (of a known good brand) for a steal, that would form a solid platform and then fix it up.

+1

There is, or should be a second hand market. I'd rather buy a top notch item that has done a few years than brand new junk.

There is always someone who bought something they couldn't afford or not using much etc trying to sell.

As for Chinese Tigs, its like most things out of China, the QA isn't always there. I don't think there is any common fault in any of them that can easily be addressed with an upgrade, I think its just a luck of the draw. Careless design/assembly/selection of components, take your pick. Could have a cap or mosfet blow, loose connection or dry solder joint or just plain old lousy design.

Rupes wrote:

weldin mike 27 wrote:Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Your time would be better spent buying an older mig (of a known good brand) for a steal, that would form a solid platform and then fix it up.

+1

There is, or should be a second hand market. I'd rather buy a top notch item that has done a few years than brand new junk.

There is always someone who bought something they couldn't afford or not using much etc trying to sell.

+2
Old stuff is often a bargain.

My first TIG welder was an ESAB 252, a beast of a machine and weighed a ton.
I am perfectly happy thus far with my chinese AHP Alapha Tig 200x.
Doesn't have quite the balls the Esab did, but it isn't 750 pounds and it isn't 4800 bucks.
I had it apart to adjust the HF start "points" and it looks well built to me.

Making my point clear: I have no problem with cheap welders in the right settings. But to me, there is zero point in taking a REALLY cheap welder and trying to make it better by chooching around with the electronics. (Buy old good or new reasonable and be done with it...)

Mick

weldin mike 27 wrote:Making my point clear: I have no problem with cheap welders in the right settings. But to me, there is zero point in taking a REALLY cheap welder and trying to make it better by chooching around with the electronics. (Buy old good or new reasonable and be done with it...)

Mick

+1 here.
There are some excellent products coming out of China, and some complete junk. The trick is figuring out which is which. Everlast products are made in China, and get mostly excellent reviews for reliability and customer service. I own one of their products, a MIG/Stick welder capable of scratch TIG, and I'm happy with it. AHP has been mentioned. They too, on the whole, get good reviews for the product. I can't speak to customer service, as what I've seen is limited and mixed, but a google search would solve that if I were shopping. There's another outfit from China called Cigweld, if I remember right, that was marketing to me because of my globalspec account. They market mainly to businesses, but are worth a look for the industrial/commercial grade stuff they offer.

Just thoughts...
Steve S

One of the reasons I took a chance on an AlphaTIG is that I saw a gut shot someone posted. The interior appeared to be fairly ordinary circuit boards and capacitors. I know a little about electronics, so I'm not afraid to open the box up and fix things if I have to. To get a $700 multifunction rig, I am willing to risk it. I figure I have a 75% chance of being able to revive it if something in there gets roasted. I have oscilloscopes, a nice German soldering iron, all sorts of electronic components, and so on.

If electronics intimidate you, my advice would be to think carefully about buying Chinese with the hope you can fix it. You can probably do it with help from online forums, but you may not want to fool with it.

There's a guy on Youtube who blew an AlphaTIG up deliberately. He took one or two toasted capacitors out and replaced them with better ones in what he thought was a better location. Brave!

I just don't see a need for buying chinesium here, the local market is abound with high quality used welders.

Only if I prioritized mobility would I spring for a new machine, and even then I'd do everything I could to stick to kemppi or esab. I do know kemppi still has the majority of production in Finland. Not sure where ESAB makes it's stuff anymore, I understand they aren't even Swedish owned anymore so no idea if they got any loyalties to local production anymore, but their machines are still quality.

Still this old machine I got, it's an inverter, but simple electronics compared to most modern stuff, electrolytic capacitors are the main thing likely to fail on this and that's something that should be serviceable.

With Chinese, I got 120V capability, stick, TIG, and AC for $680 plus delivery. In my area, American with AC would have cost at least 2.5 times as much, used. I also got an inverter so I don't need a 100-amp circuit. The machine is light enough to put in my truck with one hand, too. I'm content with my choice.

I wish I lived in a place where people give good stuff away on Craigslist, but it doesn't work that way here.

My take:

I don't think I would buy any new machine with the idea that I would alter the guts to improve it. I might do something like that in the case of a really inexpensive used machine, but I work on high power electrical/electronics stuff for a living.

When faced with decisions like this I ask myself what sort of project am I looking for. Do I want a welder to weld stuff with, or do I want a welder to "BE" the project? Either approach is valid, it just depends what you want.

I don't own any of these Chinese made machines so I do not either defend nor criticism them. What is undeniable is that there are many, many people out there that have bought them and are perfectly happy with them and they do offer a lot of bang-for-the-buck. There are a few factory support horror stories around on the web, but you can find those for Miller, Lincoln, ESAB, etc too, if you look around enough.

For myself, after much mental anguish, I went with the Lincoln SW200 from a local welding supply. That way there is a front store window that I can throw the machine through if the service is really, really bad...

clavius wrote:
For myself, after much mental anguish, I went with the Lincoln SW200 from a local welding supply. That way there is a front store window that I can throw the machine through if the service is really, really bad...

I like that returns policy.

weldin mike 27 wrote:

clavius wrote:
For myself, after much mental anguish, I went with the Lincoln SW200 from a local welding supply. That way there is a front store window that I can throw the machine through if the service is really, really bad...

I like that returns policy.

+2

When money drives a good portion of your decision, you have to buy the best you can and live with the outcome. Chinese products get a mixed report, some good, some not.

I think if the warranty is acceptable to you, and you are a "hobby" welder, then there is limited downside to an Alpha or Everest machine. They would not be my choice for production work or for a tradesperson, but I can see limited reasons why they don't represent great value to a garage shop.

An inverter-based machine is a great upgrade and as long as you can withstand any factory return/downtime, you should proceed with optimism.

I have a china-tig from a lesser known brand, but one that is strongly supported by the local importer who contracted to have a specific design built and shipped to them by the container load.
The Parker Metalworking machines aren't as pretty looking as Everlast or the like, but they support them for life for the original purchaser.

All that said, local support is golden, whatever the brand.

Here is something I would like to know. Who has a china tig welder, that has had it 3 years or
longer & uses it at least once a week, with out problems?

Fly

My thermal arc is in that category.

Fly wrote:Here is something I would like to know. Who has a china tig welder, that has had it 3 years or
longer & uses it at least once a week, with out problems?

Fly

I have one of the earliest Everlast Power iMig200s. It is the very same machine Jody reviewed. As his shop got cluttered, he sent it to me. I used it very hard for several months in both MIG and MMA, and use it lightly now. I don't doubt I'll use it hard again, as it fits through a 16" manway, and I will have more of that work.

It's at least five years old. I've never had a single problem with it.

Steve S

Everlast 250 EX , 2013
still going used 1-4 hrs a week.

Steve great honest reply as Poland308. I have a Miller 200 transformer machine that is rock solid.
But as I said I would like a smaller lighter tig that I can move around. But the bad reviews I keep
hearing it makes a retired guy on a fixed income some what hesitant. Now $800 is not going to kill me.

But I have not heard from ones that have had them for a few years & had no problems. I,m looking
at the AHP 200 or Everlast. I know I could still get a lemon, but would feel better as to others success over
3 years, of moderate use.

Fly

Not sure what happened to my post,I thought I chimed in on this but don't see it,anyway I can't remember the show,but some asian ship buideas were using lincoln welders,but that's not to say that all stuff is junk! There is good and bad from everywhere,if that were not the case,we would still be driving the Ford Pinto,or the Corvair,think about this one,have you ever heard of an tone saying get out the fine American dinner wear,we got company coming over!

Otto Nobedder wrote:

Fly wrote:Here is something I would like to know. Who has a china tig welder, that has had it 3 years or
longer & uses it at least once a week, with out problems?

Fly

I have one of the earliest Everlast Power iMig200s. It is the very same machine Jody reviewed. As his shop got cluttered, he sent it to me. I used it very hard for several months in both MIG and MMA, and use it lightly now. I don't doubt I'll use it hard again, as it fits through a 16" manway, and I will have more of that work.

It's at least five years old. I've never had a single problem with it.

Steve S

Hey Steve...I never heard how it is that you know Jody and became the moderator here. My dad lived in the same town as Jody and knew everyone in town so I bet he knew Jody. Never got the chance to ask him....sure is a small world.

exnailpounder wrote: Hey Steve...I never heard how it is that you know Jody and became the moderator here. My dad lived in the same town as Jody and knew everyone in town so I bet he knew Jody. Never got the chance to ask him....sure is a small world.

Truth is, I've never met Jody face-to-face. I was an early presence on this forum, and took an interest. At that time, it was pretty much just him and son Joey, and an outdated BBS that was overwhelming us with spam he couldn't keep up with. I suggested it was time to find some responsible folk to help him maintain the forum, and he agreed. He'd seen my level of participation, and my mannerisms, and asked if I would be willing. I was happy to, just to keep the spam down. Since much of the spam was happening in my off hours, I suggested adding a moderator from Europe, Asia, or Australia, so we had more people active at different times, so we asked Mick. The rest of the history is a bit fuzzy to me, as I don't recall whether I recommended Jonathan, and Fat Bob was chosen by an Admin. Once the forum upgrade was completed, and bot-blockers installed, the spam level dropped, but never went away. By that time the forum was big enough to need the moderators to be "hall monitors" for the occasional topic getting out of hand.

I've had Jody's cell phone # for a few years, and while we don't communicate much, we don't really need to. He's confident that I've "got this" and knows I'll contact him or Joey with any serious issues (or really great ideas) that arise on the forum.

That's the short history.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:

exnailpounder wrote: Hey Steve...I never heard how it is that you know Jody and became the moderator here. My dad lived in the same town as Jody and knew everyone in town so I bet he knew Jody. Never got the chance to ask him....sure is a small world.

Truth is, I've never met Jody face-to-face. I was an early presence on this forum, and took an interest. At that time, it was pretty much just him and son Joey, and an outdated BBS that was overwhelming us with spam he couldn't keep up with. I suggested it was time to find some responsible folk to help him maintain the forum, and he agreed. He'd seen my level of participation, and my mannerisms, and asked if I would be willing. I was happy to, just to keep the spam down. Since much of the spam was happening in my off hours, I suggested adding a moderator from Europe, Asia, or Australia, so we had more people active at different times, so we asked Mick. The rest of the history is a bit fuzzy to me, as I don't recall whether I recommended Jonathan, and Fat Bob was chosen by an Admin. Once the forum upgrade was completed, and bot-blockers installed, the spam level dropped, but never went away. By that time the forum was big enough to need the moderators to be "hall monitors" for the occasional topic getting out of hand.

I've had Jody's cell phone # for a few years, and while we don't communicate much, we don't really need to. He's confident that I've "got this" and knows I'll contact him or Joey with any serious issues (or really great ideas) that arise on the forum.

That's the short history.

Steve S

Thats a great story. It's always great when sincerity is rewarded. When has a topic ever gotten out of control around here I'm glad you let us be who we are without ever shaking our hand. I hope you know that I'm a goofball on purpose. Been down some hard roads and one day decided that life was worth living. I try to find fun in anything. Hope that explains it