$73 Chinese handheld welders

adri said:
Does anyone have any personal experience with these chinese made handheld welders from Temu and the like?

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Not my video, I just like how succinct it is:


Do I need a welder? No.
Could I have used one in the past when my trailer fenders started crapping out left and right? Yup.
Am I looking for an excuse to try his? Absolutely.
Do I have any idea what I'm doing? 100% not.
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I don't mean to be rude but that is a piece of shat! I would like to see some work done with that.
 
Mad Mike said:
You're right they are tricky for novices if they are fabricating a dozer blade from 1/2" steel.

If you're interested in learning stick or TIG for motorcycle fab, a small 120V welder will be just fine up to 3/16". That is thicker than any steel you'll find on a motorcycle. The other nice thing about one of these little boxes is they do synergistic lift-TIG -- add a torch and bottle and you're able to weldup tanks, exhausts, and other small parts in steel, stainless and aluminum.

Im not a TIGGER, bit after thinking about it, I might try. One of these cheepie boxes makes learning easy, they are the 'auto-transmission' version of TIG.
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Need high frequency for aluminum
 
I think Everlast Welders are your best bet for a decent welder that you can grow into without having to replace as you get better.I think they’re located in Hamilton. Yes, they’re made in China but what isn’t these days.
 
Personally found HF lift TIG a PITA
Could not get the arc started consistently and was contaminating the electrode often
Ended up selling it

I would recommend a decent lincoln/hobart/miller 120V MIG with a co2/argon bottle instead
Capable of thin gauge steel and up to 3/16" thick the odd time you need to
Just be mindful of the lower duty cycle
 
Keep in mind not all fluxcore wire is the same. I could not get the PA brand to work worth a chit. Switched the spool back to Lincoln stuff and I was golden.
 
jdmsteR said:
Personally found HF lift TIG a PITA
Could not get the arc started consistently and was contaminating the electrode often
Ended up selling it

I would recommend a decent lincoln/hobart/miller 120V MIG with a co2/argon bottle instead
Capable of thin gauge steel and up to 3/16" thick the odd time you need to
Just be mindful of the lower duty cycle
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I respectfully disagree. Your really limiting yourself with a 120v unit. You’ll grow out of it in no time if you want to get into fabricating with 1/4” material or larger. If you look on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji you’ll see 10 120v units for every 240v unit for sale, there’s a reason for that.A good option would be an inverter based welder that operates on both 120V and 240V. Buy once, cry once as they say.
 
Bobo said:
I respectfully disagree. Your really limiting yourself with a 120v unit. You’ll grow out of it in no time if you want to get into fabricating with 1/4” material or larger. If you look on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji you’ll see 10 120v units for every 240v unit for sale, there’s a reason for that.A good option would be an inverter based welder that operates on both 120V and 240V. Buy once, cry once as they say.
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I can't think of anything I'd be doing in my garage that needs more than a 120V 140A mig. I have a big stick buzzbox and a 240A mig in the garage -- I don't think I've fired either up in a decade. My goto is a 120v Hobart 140 Handler (Miller 140), it has no trouble welding 3/16" as fast as I can weld. It's luggable and I can use it anywhere I can find a 120VAC receptacle.

I agree if you want to get into fabricating heavy plate, you need a bigger welder. What would one fab in a home garage using 1/4" steel?
 
Mad Mike said:
I can't think of anything I'd be doing in my garage that needs more than a 120V 140A mig. I have a big stick buzzbox and a 240A mig in the garage -- I don't think I've fired either up in a decade. My goto is a 120v Hobart 140 Handler (Miller 140), it has no trouble welding 3/16" as fast as I can weld. It's luggable and I can use it anywhere I can find a 120VAC receptacle.

I agree if you want to get into fabricating heavy plate, you need a bigger welder. What would one fab in a home garage using 1/4" steel?
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I occasionally have to fabricate brackets to hang 400 pound (or more) transformers on walls. I also built an engine cradle for a big block Ford recently. I usually use 3/16” or 1/4” steel.I’m not sure a 120v unit would cut it for me.Last time I used one it kept tripping the breaker.
 
Bobo said:
I respectfully disagree. Your really limiting yourself with a 120v unit. You’ll grow out of it in no time if you want to get into fabricating with 1/4” material or larger. If you look on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji you’ll see 10 120v units for every 240v unit for sale, there’s a reason for that.A good option would be an inverter based welder that operates on both 120V and 240V. Buy once, cry once as they say.
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I agree on having a dual voltage 120V/240V if you can swing it, but OP is new to welding and is unlikely to need much more than a basic 120V mig for common garage/hobby projects
Adding 240V to the garage is an additional expense

If you're welding thicker stuff, bevel the ends and run a root pass or 3
 
At this rate just hire a full time welder to sit around until needed.
Always easy to spend someone else's money..
 
Bobo said:
I occasionally have to fabricate brackets to hang 400 pound (or more) transformers on walls. I also built an engine cradle for a big block Ford recently. I usually use 3/16” or 1/4” steel.I’m not sure a 120v unit would cut it for me.Last time I used one it kept tripping the breaker.
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No argument -- if you're building super heavy you'll need a big welder.

But my point is most garages don' t see big stuff like that. An 800 lb transformer bracket is typically 12 gauge channel, and for a big block engine cradle 1/8" wall 1.5" sq tube with 3/16" plates would be a heavy-duty build.

Both of those would be a cakewalk for a 120V Mig.
 
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