# Recommendations for a small DC inverter arc welder.



## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

I'm looking to add a small (up to 200 amps) DC inverter arc welder to the workshop gear I already have. Not interested in TIG or MIG, just the old fashioned stick welder. I'm only going to be making things like garden ornaments, so most items will only require a small 'tack' weld. There're lots on the market, and I'm just wondering if anyone uses one or can recommend a good'un. All recommendations gratefully received.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

A couple of old car or truck batteries from the scrap yard and the jobs a good un










:biggrin:


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Machine mart did a selection. My mate uses a small one professionally for site work and has no problems. It came with a decent carry case and a shoulder strap.

I bought one out of Lidl, and it was fine for what I needed it for. Best to decide what your intended use is going to be regarding gauge of rods, then get the next size (of welder) up.


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

Watchin' this, this is something I have never tried.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Biker said:


> Watchin' this, this is something I have never tried.


 An invertor welder is so easy to use compared to an AC stick welder,

Pros and cons,

https://welderportal.com/what-is-the-difference-between-ac-and-dc-welding/


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

WRENCH said:


> An invertor welder is so easy to use compared to an AC stick welder,
> 
> Pros and cons,
> 
> https://welderportal.com/what-is-the-difference-between-ac-and-dc-welding/


 Is your Lidl one DC?


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Biker said:


> Is your Lidl one DC?


 Yes. The electrode holder and earth clamp were rubbish, and the mask that comes with it is for the bin, but it worked fine. If you see welders in Lidl and are tempted, check it is a DC inverter welder, because they sell the old type AC welders as well. A lot of the cheap inverter welders are "generic" same inside, different label on the outside. From memory my one was rated at 80 amps, which is fine for lightweight stuff.


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## Biker (Mar 9, 2013)

Cheers


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

WRENCH said:


> Machine mart did a selection. My mate uses a small one professionally for site work and has no problems. It came with a decent carry case and a shoulder strap.
> 
> I bought one out of Lidl, and it was fine for what I needed it for. Best to decide what your intended use is going to be regarding gauge of rods, then get the next size (of welder) up.


 Back in the day we used to a through thickness tensile test on steel plates,










if the plates were to thin to machine a full sized test piece then this involved welding two 3/4" studs to a cut section of the plate using these.










A hand held gun, a 20 or so second pulse accompanied by a big bang and a lot of sparks, a lethal bit of kit, no matter how well you were wrapped up you got sparks in places you didn't know you had.

:laughing2dw: :laughing2dw:


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

BondandBigM said:


> Back in the day we used to a through thickness tensile test on steel plates,
> 
> if the plates were to thin to machine a full sized test piece then this involved welding two 3/4" studs to a cut section of the plate using these.
> 
> ...


 My mate does specialist welding and his workshop is crammed with gear old and new. Old plasma cutters and Tig machines that look like a small caravan.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

WRENCH said:


> My mate does specialist welding and his workshop is crammed with gear old and new. Old plasma cutters and Tig machines that look like a small caravan.


 The dealer we used to buy them from is up your way. Glenrothes if I remember correctly.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

BondandBigM said:


> The dealer we used to buy them from is up your way. Glenrothes if I remember correctly.


 I don't know who's on the go now. I just had a look at what the latest pipeline gear is like. It used to be old skid mounted Lincoln's and the like. If the battery was flat in them we used to reverse the polarity on the welding generator and fire them up off another set that was running. Do you remember when all diesels including cars had "stranglers" ?


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Loads of great replies... At BroomWade we used DC stick welders all the time, (though inverters hadn't been invented then and the actual machines were huge, trolley mounted affairs)










Once proficient, the weld, as long as you selected the correct size stick and current were as good as any TIG welder. DC current gives a very smooth weld...if you do it right, the slag peels off the weld with no chipping required. AC, on the other hand leads to a lot of spatter, and untidy welds...the proverbial 'pigeon sh!t'...

Looking at something like this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ARC-Welder-Inverter-MMA-240V-200amp-DC-Portable-Stick-Welding-Machine-ROHR-07/254197688150?_trkparms=ispr=1&hash=item3b2f5ce756:g:~9UAAOSw77pbYdHb&amdata=enc:AQAFAAACcBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickkrDx%2B2NLp21dg6hHbHAkGMXibawhbL29JaV%2Fc6K1dGPRZuCu3JQZMYx74NnsSpvkzJ2ORKGzubf%2FVQ3LUs1VcOWDKuhAMONvi3lDf72l7HVyQDKGJ%2Bk1c8YwB3ujD7Q25uSmhCeZvhhuIIv6F%2FdhggfneVe2Le%2BR%2FZl0%2FkkQu5NMKtZSgVcsBVZnSKGXGHkV%2BljrPC0RWbx4m1o8rfo9p5AhooohnyAz%2BT1F4RujM7tsCGBnIqUVNpChU7Fm6SNcrIVtrVRPXG%2FmJp4c72CKpMJ5aFZOIw83De6ezDapXtiZq0sM9ARMnyxnajTdaMV7l%2BEZ3d0SVQ3Iu1hitw5csBAEi5MmWJpRa2apiP%2F37nQYoJ%2FxIyOMafOFQ8fxpWuyGVpiZ1NgCg3Emj8EjuPL6H2NozqCxAcV38OuOUJuORRJ%2F4WtMhP%2FnCR%2BFf%2FPRF%2FmBU4af%2FVnfUEu5PwUSvZ%2FExAc8JLbDI610eF7k3WFEt6gAdye%2BJFsoKouSCPpV%2BFdplzeJ1Li9M7av%2FkWWxJKbfHdC7OSqvnQwSrlCPfis9h33ugF2idCmxX7qw1bFMK8Sx4GmWdj1iLSV4GCT7R69Jf6byiClnNLCELjN84RPRp0r0Cs8PnN3bUjx%2BfRVt0cCuOqqjyUIPzDweYwNl2IJEIYL2hpYkmP%2BCbNhIsrFvh7eq55kVjbaN5mWwhy3xTwx0JTnCOPAWp%2BALes%2F9NWTuJFR8IVCY4fAREFT28wk9tlbqurJKQE4fDE8oMb3%2FEcsjYqnufB%2Bo%2BYArPJHJlYYnQ%3D%3D|cksum:2541976881503db5410dd8dc4ae1ad02051df02142c3|ampidL_CLK|clp:2334524&redirect=mobile


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

BondandBigM said:


> A couple of old car or truck batteries from the scrap yard and the jobs a good un
> 
> 
> 
> :biggrin:


 Rawlplug used to sell this very thing for welding off a vehicle battery.










there was some kind of impulse thing in the torch head so the rod didn't stick when you struck an arc.

I had one of these on my Hi-Lux. Heavier duty alternator and it came with a hand throttle to set the engine rpm, which doubled as a cheap man's cruise control.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

WRENCH said:


> Do you remember when all diesels including cars had "stranglers" ?


 Not really on cars, back in the day petrol was cheap I don't remember anyone having a diesel car other than maybe taxis.

Interesting seeing the welding set for your pickup, never seen one of those. Nearly all the welding we tested was oil and gas related. For a brief time I worked in as a "welder" but it was on machines, you just stuck two half's of a stainless steel steam valve in what amounted to a big lathe that once set up was operated buy a foot pedal. Or friction welding pipes onto the valve body's which again was just like a big lathe set up with the valve body clamped down at one end then forced into the pipe that was spinning in the chuck. I was useless at free hand stick welding just didn't have the co-ordination to do it properly.

@Roger the Dodger

I'd of though for just a bit of DIY work in your garage a small mig set might be better and easier to use ???


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

BondandBigM said:


> I'd of though for just a bit of DIY work in your garage a small mig set might be better and easier to use ???


 It's just that I'm used to stick welding. We had a MIG at my last place, but I could never really get on with it. Either the wire feed wasn't right, or the gas flow wasn't set correctly. With a stick welder at least I don't have to have a gas supply.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

BondandBigM said:


> Not really on cars, back in the day petrol was cheap I don't remember anyone having a diesel car other than maybe taxis.


 The "good" old days.






Can't be that cold, he's got both cab vents fully open. First job I got when I got married came with one of these, and it had grass growing out of the floor, and it apparently had its last oil change in 1967.


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## celinafregoso99 (Dec 30, 2020)

I was looking to refresh my stick welding skills after idling them for 30+ years so took a chance on the Simder 160 amp stick MMA welding machine. Since I will be doing mostly field work rather than in the shop I first tried it on my little 2000W camp generator and SURPRISE, no go.... The Simder pulled it down quicker than it could recover making holding an arc impossible. Who'da thunk it right? ; ) I got serious and hooked it up my 4500W pure sine work generator and was happy to see that I was able to strike and hold an arc first time and run an entire stick of 1/8" E6013 horizontally at 100 amps without losing it. Not bad (in my opinion) for a first attempt in all that time, give me a hundred pounds of scrap steel and ten pounds of rod and I'm sure it will all come back I'm sure which is the point- projects, I've got projects!


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