110v Stick Inverters

[Mark @ Everlast]

YoMax, I couldn't help but notice, isn't that one of those new Chinese machines? I thought you said TA was getting OUT of china, not into it?

 

[KKempen]

rankrank1:

Yes, the specs for the Chinese welder do state that it's 220v. Before I bought it however, I confirmed with the MFR that it would work on 110v too. So far all the welding I've done with it was on 110v. It works great at the lower voltage. I suspect this might be the case on many of the inverter machines. The input is purely a switching supply, so the lower voltage should not be a problem.

I plan to try it on 220v later today.

 

[rankrank1]

rankrank1:

Yes, the specs for the Chinese welder do state that it's 220v. Before I bought it however, I confirmed with the MFR that it would work on 110v too. So far all the welding I've done with it was on 110v. It works great at the lower voltage. I suspect this might be the case on many of the inverter machines. The input is purely a switching supply, so the lower voltage should not be a problem.

I plan to try it on 220v later today.

Thanks for answering as I was confused by manufacturer link specs showing 220v only and your earlier post stating you had only used it on 110 volts so far.

All I can say is WOW if this thing proves to be durable then it appears to be quite a bargain for the home hobbist looking for portability and some impressive amp power by working on both 110 volts and 220 volts. This unit may be just what I am looking for to add some SMAW DC capability (and portability) to my hobbyist arsenal at very low cost. Manufacturer link stated 200 amps output on 220 volts. Do you happen to know what max amp output is on 110 volts?

Thanks again

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

You need to be careful...Even though they will run on it, if they are not designed for it, it may overheat some of the front end components. And it can trip breakers if you are in the higher end. A lot of Chinese companies say it "will" work. But that does not mean necessarily that it was designed for dual operation. Some won't at all because they depend upon the other 110V branch from the circuit to power other parts of the welder, like fans, and displays. The ones that "will" work typically run a 12V fan that run from a step down transformer. Many of the 12V fan units from several companies have issues with providing enough cooling, and some with durability of the transformer/fan, especially when run on 110V for some reason. This Tosense I believe is some of the same stuff that GiantTech was using....(if I remember right..I have been wrong before, but it seems to ring a bell). Its definitely a step up from RStar/Chiry.

 

[yomax4]

YoMax, I couldn't help but notice, isn't that one of those new Chinese machines? I thought you said TA was getting OUT of china, not into it?

I thought so too. For some reason they turned around and kept the small inverter tig stick units at the China Plant for now. The new Mig,Tig,Stick Units due out in 2011 will be made in New Hampshire. The current units made in the China Plant are incredible I must say.. Like it's been said a thousand times on here..It's not so much that things come from China as it is Where in China they come from.. IMO Tig Stick units in the 95-160 amp range are toys anyway.:thumbsup:

 

[KKempen]

Yesterday I ran the Chinese welder on 220v for the first time. The cooling fan seems to run the same speed as it did when running on 110v. Arc start, etc. seems to behave identically on 220v as it did on 110v.; just a lot more current available.

I didn't have any large diameter rods on hand, so I only brought the current dial up to about 160 amps. The 3/32" 7018 rods were spattering quite a bit at that setting, which was not surprising considering that's about 60A too high.

I don't really know the max current on 110v. I did open the case to take a look around. The two 220v hot leads are the only wires connected to the power supply input. When running on 110v, the same two wires become hot and neutral. The ground wire is just tied to the chassis. Overall construction was a bit sloppy, but the circuit boards looked to be of good quality. All plug-in connectors were siliconed in place to avoid popping out from vibration. Not as polished as I would have preferred, but not bad considering the price. The little box is certainly crammed full of stuff! Cooling air is sucked in the back, and blows the heat out louvers in the front and side panels.

By the way, the dimensions are 12 x 8.5 x 5.5 inches, and it weighs about 13 lbs. Both the stinger and ground leads are really short, at about 5' each. The power cord is about 6'.

Certainly not professional quality, but I think it will more than meet my needs and limited skills.

 

[ampa]

Think I'll stick with my little lincoln 125 amp 110volt....does everything I have to weld up......Ampa

 

[DavidVT]

by chance is this the one you have?

Wholesale 5KG IGBT ARC welding machine at 200A

it claims dual voltage and both are named arc-200

 

[slowzuki]

I've been using 7018 exclusively the last 3 years, the glazed corn on the tip used to annoy me, but now I either burn the rod a bit hotter or keep a little anvil nearby to pop the glaze. It comes off easily.

 

[yomax4]

Most quality units out there have a Hot Start feature that re-strikes 7018 with no pecking to get it lit..Often times rod brand is half of it..