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Inverter welders

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ixer0

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I'm thinking of buying an inverter welder. It would need to be capable of welding on trailer towing eyes etc. Has anyone any suggestion which one to buy (or not buy). Thanks Mike
 
Inverters are a waste of time unless you get a complete "TIG" outfit which costs 1000's. On their own They are just a "ARC" welder (But with a DC amperage) I wouldent bother with them. just get a "MIG". Mine is 300amps And I can weld most things From car bodywork,tractor mudguardsect.. Up to H girders, trailer chassis,ect.. Very versatile machine
 
What do you mean, you want a stick welder ?
Stick welders are better than MIG when welding something rusty or dirty, pig housings etcetera.
You need at least 3mm material thickness with sticks becayse they burn through it quite easily.
 
I guess they dont have them in the netherlands??? It is like a stick welder but with DC amperage ( not AC) they only weigh 5 or 6 kilo (so you can climb up ladders ect with them) The most popular use for them in the uk is to convert them into "TIG" welders (But it is very expesive conversion) I find them very bad , The noise it makes when welding is the worst- eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! It gives you a headace! But it can weld something very thick at low amps (Because of the DC ampreage) Good when you only have small electric supply. I personally think they are useless
 
Internash is not too keen but I like the portability that an inverter welder gives you.

A friend of mine who runs a groundscare business uses his inverter welder to do running repairs on things like his sand spreader. Being able to climb up and weld is a BIG ADVANTAGE. Weld quality is up with a stick welder.

Maybe Santa might have a spare one in his bag for me
 
I have used these little welders when i was still working on steel structures. Yes they are light and handy, but are they up to the big jobs ?

I dont know of the difference in welding characteristics between Ac and DC, i just thought you need AC to weld aluminium due to the oxide skin.
 
They are not that handy. I prefer nice 20ft+ leads on a normal arc. AC and DC is just the same i guess??? just an inverter Is stronger at less amps (less power needed) Other than that I Dont see the point of them really
 
Problem is when working on rooftops. Usually the roofs of industrial buildings are a little bit higher than the 20 ft cables allow...

And when working at peoples homes, they usually dont have a 3 phase 400V connection anyways
 
Note one thing...

When you have 140 amp welders, inverter and traditional stick welder, with current transformer. Both have same nominal current 140.

But in practice....

Inverter gives you just 140 amp, no any more.

Transformer based one gives you 140 amp but it can give short times more current. Like 170 amp a one second.

This occur that if you have managed fine with 140 amp transformer welder and you are going to buy inverter welder, you should concider 170 amp machine maybe

Excample i bought 140 inverter for rapairing tractors and diggers at forest. I can manage with it fine, but there is a clear difference. I can weld 3.25 thick 33.81 FEMAX sticks with my fransformer at my workshop, but with new inverter i cant do that!

Both are 140 amps

 
Forgot to say...

I did measure amp values of both machines. Inverter gave 140 what is promiced. Transformer based gave even 225 amp max current peaks
 
Forgot to say...

I did measure amp values of both machines. Inverter gave 140 what is promiced. Transformer based gave even 225 amp max current peaks
Click to expand...

It's like the over-torque boost that my Crystal can deliver when the going gets tough
 
I do use that 40 kVa tractor generator i have. It has power more that needed. But it is very true the difference of 1 and 3 phase electric. It is easier to take out 3 sort current peaks than 1 longer.

I think your mig welder is made like mine. Its all circuits can be connected to one phase. Am i in correct? Then it need lots of bigger fuse (1* 25 amp fuse) than connected to 3 phase (3 *16 amp fuses). Anyway, i havent never tried that.



 
Well thanks for all the comments about the inverter. Its been no help at all !!! I'm even more confused now???. The problem I come across often is that the power supplies on-site are not always too good and my oil cooled stick welder blows the trips regularly. A big mig would be nice but the bottle hire cannot be justified. The inverter would solve that problem but are they powerful enough to get good penetration ?
 
with 170 Amp inverter you will manage when using max 3.25 stiks.

Ask if you can test weld before you buy it!!

I asked and all three salesman offered that possibility. One even did bring the inverter welder to my home over weekend!

I bought 140 Amp ESAB inverter and it is ok for my weldings, but i would buy 170 AMP if welding everyday.

Buying 200 AMP welder is not wise, because you need allmost every time extension cable for the inverter feeding and it cause resistance so much you cant never get full 200 amp capacity for use.

They want sell 200 inverters, because those are more expensive than 170 amp inverters
 
I have both Mig, oil filled transformer and an Inverter.
The inverter is a Kemppi, and I have used it on steelwork in cattle sheds on the end of 200m of extention lead with 3.25 rods and it has never tripped out.
You select the machine for the job - conventional stick for 4mm + rods, mig for speed if its not windy or you are in the workshop, and the inverter for portable jobs as it is very light to carry around. Buy one from a reputable welder maker, not a chinese off the net, and make sure the duty cycle is high. Mine has done quite a lot of work and so far has been trouble free. the other thing to check is to ask whether its generator friendly, some don't work well off a generator, but the Kemppi does
 
If I had to invest in a new welder, the best would be to start with a small electronic mail (inverter) Classic (baguette). Forget the positions transformers, heavy and difficult to use. The inverters will help in regulating the welding current. For example, they automatically increase the starting current, reducing the risk of sticking the wand. Many types of equipment Electric Welding exist, using different materials and intended for technical jobs, too different, for example this site http://www.directindustry.com/industrial-manufacturer/inverter-welder-79859.html will find you many models of welder Ideal for Metalwork, Sheet Metal, Locksmith, Repair metal parts . Enjoy to cast glance.
 
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