Inverter stick welders

[XJMarsbar]

Originally Posted by xjdavid

Also thinking about buying a inverter arc welder with the tig fitting. Has anybody had experience with the small disposable argon bottles that can be bought from Repco. How long do they last. I dont have much use for tig but dont like the idea of having the rent a bottle.

Hi Dave,

I think you should come over sometime & have a play with my 200amp Inverter Tig/Stick which i also purchased from Trade Tools Direct. I haven't used it much on stick, but there is none of having to strike it(Hi-Freq Start), it just blasts away & it's real smooth(slag usually pops & peels of itself)..... I haven't used the disposiable bottles as i'm using it 1 to 3hrs per week(weld time) on Tig so 'G' bottles is the only way i can afford to use it.

Regards, AL

P.S. Shame about BIG RED. maybe we should go for a look after you've played Fabricator....AL

[sbadman]

Better late than never, but I want to put in my 2c about the 15A outlet subject from a sparky's perspective!

The earth prong is larger purely to stop a 15A appliance being plugged into a 10A outlet. A short to earth in a 15A device will have the same fault current as a short in a 10A device (for the purpose of this discussion), so it's nothing to do with that. A 20A plug/socket has enlarged active and neutral pins. You can still plug a 10A appliance into a 20A outlet, but a 20A appliance won't fit in a 15A outlet.

A 15A outlet can be installed on a circuit run in 2.5mm2 as 2.5 will usually support up to 22A, and a 16A breaker is recommended, but 20A can be used. It depends on the way the circuit is run, your sparky will make the judgement. 4mm would usually only be required for a long run such as a single circuit being run to a back shed from a front switchboard.

Only one 15A outlet can be installed per 16/20A circuit (each 15A outlet is woth 15/12A respectively for circuit loading calculations), and being a socket outlet the circuit must be RCD protected! The only way around the RCD rule is to hardwire the welder, which defeats the purpose of portability if required

And please NEVER file down the earth pin or fit a lower rated plug!!!!

Now that's out of the way...

As far as welding goes, what's the best to learn on? I want to get in and learn with as little initial outlay as possible (cause I'll probably just be detroying perfectly good pieces of scrap metal initially ) and then step up to better gear/types of welding as money and skill dictates.

[junglejuice]

Just an update, my Renegade inverter machine is still running beautifully after 2 years, it hasn't been used loads but it has welded up my drawer system frame, exhausts, extractors, lots of things.
I only use 1.6mm and 2.5mm rods with it.....