Would You Ever Buy This Unkown Brand Welder

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Hey guys, I am new here and pretty excited to join the world of welding.Just looking around this forum, I can see that there are many people who ask which welder should they buy and unfortunately, I am going to join their ranks, but I promise I am only asking as the normal options are not availaible to me.So some background info. I live in Southern Africa, and am a complete noob in welding. Only done Oxy-Acetelyne in college and never tried any other type myself, although have seen arc welding done many times.I decided to get off my backside and off the computer and jump into welding, as I have always been a wanabe DIY'er.After some googling, I learnt that MIG is the easiest type to learn, and I was looking for something a bit more versatile than Arc. The only problem is that after scouring my whole freaking country, I cannot find a small MIG welder. There are big industrial types but no small home use ones. I found a very small TIG/Arc combo, but no MIG. Too afraid to get the TIG as I have no experience and the internet will be my only teacher.So out of sheer luck, I found a machine that does MIG/TIG and Arc, but its big, and not a name that I have heard of before, not to mention it much more than I was expecting to pay.http://www.tradecounter.co.za/produc...roduct=MAT9082On one hand, I find it too big, but on the other hand, it might be perfect to delve into different types of welding using one machine.It costs nearly $2000 so you can understand my reluctance to just jump in and get it.As a noob who wants to get into welding, would you say this is a good buy, or should I just forget about it. I want to weld many things such as a portable BBQ, stainless steel and so on. Nothing too specific, just generalized stuff. I understand a stick will do just fine (except for the stainless steel) but like I said, I really want to get into it.Names like Lincon and Miller are only availaible for big industrial machines so this is litteraly the only one I can get that does MIG. I have no idea why my whole freaking country completely ignores one type of welding processInput would be greatly appreciated Attached Images
Reply:Hmm never heard of that brand or seen it before, it looks like a relatively cheap Chinese machine... I would be very weary of this one.  What about eBay, or craigslist if they have that in S.A. and look for a used Miller or Lincoln... If you want to do stainless steel then TIG is something you should really consider too. I don't have great advice for your situation, maybe some other guys will chime in on this...
Reply:Yessss, they certainly can see you coming......the big problem with being in that country ( I used to live there once too, old Ccapetonian) and that is you're short of options and if you want service on an inverter type machine God help your bank ballance.Have you ever thought about browsing on Ebay, or has Zuma banned that site from your internet options?What are your import options, as in getting items direct from Ali Baba and China?What I mean is, can you surf the 'Net and import as you want or is there a trade barrier for private individuals?Just for laughs, I could sell you a brand new Mig machine direct from Australia, (Chinese import)  bought at our local hardware store, but you might be hit with exorbitant import duties etc, but if you went to the China route via Ali Baba.com you'd only have to pay the shipping charge once.If you havre difficulties in your choices, give me a PM and we'll talk.Ian.
Reply:I am going to your county and going to open a harbor freight. I will be a millionaire in no time!Why not buy a good one and pay to have it shipped over seas? Still probably cost less than an over priced unknown one.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:I have thought about getting one from overseas, but it just seems like too much of a hassel. If there is a problem with the unit, then I would have to ship it back and the costs would just keep on piling up. How much do the Lincon's or Millers (or any other good makes) go for. Basic ones that do MIG, TIG & StickLike I said, I would prefer it if I had an all in one, and since I am new to this, its not going to be doing anything industrial or heavy duty. Just home and hobby work.Also, is there a big difference in the good makes and the unknown chinese ones? Asking in case I decide to go the Alibaba route onlineBTW, I said I was in Southern Africa, not south africa. I wish I was in South Africa as I would have had more options. In Zambia (google it) lol. Far far worse for someone in my predicament
Reply:Can you contact this school and see what they recommend ?Lusaka Vocational Training CentreP. O. Box 30564Lusaka, ZambiaTel: +260-1-242270/2245984Fax: +260-1-245984EmailLocated in the capital city, Lusaka Province, Lusaka VTC offers courses at trade test and craft level.Courses:* Metal fabrication and welding* Carpentry and joinery* Bricklaying and plastering* Automotive mechanics* Power electricalhttp://mstvt.gov.zm/index.php?option...d=63&Itemid=71Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Strange... the color, tins, knobs & duty cycle look like prior generation Kemppi...  But a Finnish built Kemppi would be much higher priced. Prolly a knock off or maybe Kemppi has sourced from China to get a popular priced line to re-badge. Check the country of origin before you buy & make local inquiries if possible.Those wheels aren't going to last long with a gas bottle of any real size...Good luck, and welcome to the WeldingWebMatt
Reply:I would say it better to avoid this unknown brand welder , instead of this buy used  Lincon's or Millers because these brands has proven record and also provide value for money.
Reply:Originally Posted by Alan MurfeeI would say it better to avoid this unknown brand welder , instead of this buy used  Lincon's or Millers because these brands has proven record and also provide value for money.
Reply:So true ^Having traveled over the pond Millers and Lincolns are very scarce, and so are people who know how to fix them. In Southern Africa the major industrial machines will prolly be from europe or japan. ESAB has a decent footprint over there but there seems to be a lot of re-branding...Matt
Reply:If MIG is so rare, are you going to be able to buy shielding gas and supplies if you do find one?  Are there oil or gas plants over there that might be able to point you in the right direction?
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1Can you contact this school and see what they recommend ?Lusaka Vocational Training CentreP. O. Box 30564Lusaka, ZambiaTel: +260-1-242270/2245984Fax: +260-1-245984EmailLocated in the capital city, Lusaka Province, Lusaka VTC offers courses at trade test and craft level.Courses:* Metal fabrication and welding* Carpentry and joinery* Bricklaying and plastering* Automotive mechanics* Power electricalhttp://mstvt.gov.zm/index.php?option...d=63&Itemid=71
Reply:Hi Rash - I am from South Africa and Matweld welders are common here. From what I can gather they are imported by wholesalers and that means they are probably made in China.I initially bought a Lincoln Invertec 205 ac/dcand am very happy with it. Initially it was a hobby machine, but after being retrenched as business analyst I now make my living with the machine. I do mainly aluminium and stainless steel welding but have also picked up a lot of plant maintenance work. I got scared of somebody driving their forklift over the Lincoln welder so I bought a 200 amp import. The welder has taken a lot of abuse and works well.The point of this all is that in one of your photos I noticed some smaller Matweld inverters in front of the Mig machine you are considering. These inverters look like the model that aside from being 220V can bedriven off a generator as well. If you buy one of those you can stick weld and do scratch start tig. I hear where you are coming from that mig might be easier to start with. I am selftaught and I can say that in retrospect starting off with stick might have been a little bit more difficult, but it has helped me to understand welding itself much better.I would suggest get a little inverter, a whole lot of rods, an autodarkening helmet and burn a lot of stick. While doing that read up on tig. After a while of burning sticks get what you need to TIG. If you get to like stick welding you will love TIG. The way I am suggesting will be cheaper and once you learn how to tig you might well find there is no need for MIG in your situation.
Reply:Originally Posted by Rash... I was looking for something a bit more versatile than Arc...
Reply:The design of that welder is  intriguing.  Looks like a rubber mat on the top, good for on the job tool storage, or a place to set your Plasma.
Reply:The specifications on that welder , say in one sentence that you can weld aluminum steel and stainless.  About four lines below that it says you can not weld aluminum.   mac
Reply:When they end it wiith "MAC" it might be from Japan..  I tried to repair a Casio cash register that had a full page of instructions in Japenese......All it said in English was ...."DON'T TOUCH, MAC!"  Gotta love it!!
Reply:Are Cigweld or Thermal Arc machines available in South Africa?tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Ok, gonna weigh in.OP said arc & TIG welders are plentiful in his area.OP said he has had practice with OA welding.OP said he can spend up to $2k (inferred by the cost of the MultiMig welder pictured).With the OA experience, I would suggest he find a used arc/TIG combo.  Learning the TIG is fairly easy with the OA experience.  MIG supplies, welder, gases might be a continual headache.  TIG welding will be a headache until the OP develops the muscle memory, then it will be much easier.  Arc welding can be learned fairly quickly too.I'm practicing DC TIG now & will improve some.  I doubt I'll ever be at Zap's level, but I do strive to get there.Get the TIG welder, practice a bit, then have fun.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Originally Posted by brucerAre Cigweld or Thermal Arc machines available in South Africa?
Reply:Ford, Chevy, Dodge..... Lincoln, Miller, Hobart.  All others......  NEVER!Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcFord, Chevy, Dodge..... Lincoln, Miller, Hobart.  All others......  NEVER!
Reply:I would first consider the supply and cost/bottle hire etc of Argon.....the gas would be practically non existant if the welding market is so limited, so gasless wire welders might be the machine to strongly consider.....same goes for the Tig mode....no Argon, no welding ever.Ian.
Reply:Hi RashI bought my welder from Babcock Welding in Durban. I paid USD 3500 equivalent. I got the welder, pedal, torch with lead and connectors, stick leads, bottle, regulator and Lincoln auto dark helmet. The helmet is an Ultrashade silver plus and has never needed a battery or other replacement. The welder has been superb and has coped with cutting using wet rods at 200 amp as well as cutting using tig torch at 200 amps with gas on full through regulator.Main Lincoln representation in South Africa seems to be in Johannesburg. I found them helpful and knowledgable.I have seen Mattweld welders and other little chinese inverters squashed nearly flat, with dings in their boxes like you will not believe and with dirt inside their cases that made it difficult to see individual components. They all worked fine. As I am sure you know Africa is hard on equipment. I have also seen chinese welders not work out of the box and I heard of them delivered with components missing inside the actual welder. After my last job welding galvanised gutters above a furnace and metal pouring plant my chinese welder protested. Undrstandable as the roof on which I worked on got hot enough to melt my plastic electrode case. The brand of the welder is Tradeweld, imoprted from China. Going through documentation I found name of local distributor. Phoned them and they said sure bring it roun. Easy for me as they are 20 mins from my home. Took it there and it turned out to be a loose cable. Fixed in 5 mins, no charge. Really good service.Point is in your situation the local support for your product will be most important. Evaluate where you will buy the welder from. Attitude will be more important than aptitude. When asked a question to which they do not know the answer do they say: Sorry we do not know, but we will find out or do they say: That's not important and try and feed you BS? They can be the greatest experts, but useless to you if they do not talk to you.As far as process is concerned, given my understanding of your situation, TIG will be best. TIG will allow you to weld copper, mild steel, stainless steel and brazing using silicon bronze. All of that can be done using one gas (Argon) usinf filler material you can buy in small quantities instead of buying rolls. Also if you want to weld thicker material with tig you just grab a thicker filler rod, no need to change wire reel, drive wheel etc.I think people say TIG is more expensive than MIG because it is a slower process.TIG does lay down less metal than MIG over any comparable time period. A serious consideration in a production environment, immaterial when you learning or welding for the joy of it.I think you would be best srved with a TIG inverter that allows for a foot pedal or hand contro to vary amps as you weld. If it comes with high frequency start so much the better.You can get by with a basic inverter. I learned on my Lincoln and it was easy for me to do scratch start tig using my chinese box when needed. But the whole joy and point about TIG is controlling the amps right now when you weld. That single feature makes it IMHO the single most awesome welding process.As for Miller, Lincoln etc, yes they are superior machines, but useless if there is no support. Brand is in your situation close to irrelevant, buy the one which the store with the best attitude and knowledge sells. That is provided you keep in mind Ceteris Paribus, or in other words stay away fom obvious cr+p.Cheers and best luck. Feel free to ask me more. Been there and felt the indecision.if I can help I will.l
Reply:Sorry - forgot to add about size. 200 amps is plenty for hobby TIG. Even 160 will do. The TIG setup will do everything that the MIG machine you are considering does, and a lot more when you really get into it. One thing you can do with TIG is do welds without using any filler. By nature you cannot do that with stick or MIG. With a TIG setup using a remote control you will be able to do much more accurate and inticate welds than when using MIG - Again this appies Ceteris Paribus - Other things being equal.Hey guys. Bumping this thread as there is an update.By luck, I found a newish hardware shop with a Lincoln MIG picture on its window. It was closed as it was the weekend. Lets just say monday morning, I was standing outside a good 15 minutes waiting for them to open up. I basically ran in as soon as the door opened (think thanksgiving sale lol) and found the welding section. My heart sank as they only had an arc welder (Lincoln though).I went and spoke to the manager and she said she can get me a Lincoln welder if I wanted. All I need to do is go to the Lincoln website and see which one I like and she would bring it in. She says they are an official agent, but they are not listed on Lincolns website......maybe Zambia is so small that they didn't even bother listing them lol.Anyways, now I need you guys help choosing a welder from the website. If you would read from the begining post and see my requirements and please give me advice. I finally have a real opportunity for a big name welder. Its between MIG and TIG.Consumables and gasses should not be a problemI have no experience in welding.....never touched a MIG or TIG before (only basic OA years ago)Light home use. Angle Iron, stainless steel, etcSingle phaseVoltage here in Zambia is 220vThanks for the input in advance
Reply:Is it 60 HZ,220V just like the US?  Does it vary or spike a lot? I would stay away from the hi tech inverter types if it does and probably go with a small 180-200 amp mig to get started.  There are a couple out there that come with a light duty aluminum spool gun attachment. With that you can do most metals, flux core, or gas shielded. They are easy to teach yourself on.
Reply:Originally Posted by JD955SCRemember he essentially cannot get one of the Big Three, being where he is. So his choices are pretty much limited to a chicomm machine...and not at a cheap price unfortunately.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcMiller distributor in South Africa:Company: AFRICAN OXYGEN LIMITEDAddress: 23 WEBBER STR, SELBYCity: JOHANNESBURGCountry: SOUTH AFRICAPostal Code: 2001Phone: 27114900525Fax: 27114900506Email: [email protected] Electric, South AfricaSouth Africa - Lincoln Electric South AfricaPO Box 8553Halfway House 1685Midrand 1685P: 27 11 312 0601F: 27 11 312 0605-------------------------------------------------------------------------Lincoln Electric dealer in South Africa: Industrial Welding Solutionshttp://www.industrialweldingsolutions.co.za/Fax:  086 11 11 635Email: 086 11 13 [email protected] ADDRESS: UNIT F2 • 19 DANIE THERON ST  SECUNDA • SOUTH AFRICAPOSTAL ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 3057 WESTBROOKE • 4400  ANDREW MASURETMobile: 071 325 8828GOOGLE IS A SOUTH AFRICAN'S "BEST FRIEND."
Reply:Considering Johannesburg, SA is 800 miles from the nearest point in Zambia (Livingstone) pointing the OP in that direction isn't very practical.Rash, glad to hear that you found a Lincoln importer near you.  I would agree with the people suggesting you look for a TIG machine.  Because it is a constant current power supply, a TIG machine can double as a stick welder.  Your experience with OA welding, however dated, will be beneficial in learning TIG as they both involve creating a puddle with one hand and adding filler with the other hand.  While you are practicing that, you can still be productive with the stick side.I would recommend you look at the Square Wave TIG 175 from Lincoln.  It appears to be close to the price range you mentioned and is a very capable machine.  It should be able to handle up to 5/32" (4.0mm) stick electrodes for welding on very heavy sections.  On the TIG side, it can be turned as low as 10 amps for welding beer cans together.http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...incolnElectric)
Reply:Originally Posted by mstyerRash, glad to hear that you found a Lincoln importer near you.  I would agree with the people suggesting you look for a TIG machine.  Because it is a constant current power supply, a TIG machine can double as a stick welder.  Your experience with OA welding, however dated, will be beneficial in learning TIG as they both involve creating a puddle with one hand and adding filler with the other hand.  While you are practicing that, you can still be productive with the stick side.
Reply:I've seen some very jerry rigged welding in Mozambique.  Welders with broken migs trying to use electrodes after knocking the flux off.  I don't even know how they can get a bead, I tried it after trying to help a missionary with pics and emails. I couldn't even start an arc.  If your voltage is as dirty as theirs, I would shy away from any hi tech inverter type machine.
Reply:Originally Posted by JD955SCProblem is hes not in South Africa (the country) Hes in Zambia. I dont know how hard itd be to get machines, parts, etc from SA to Zambia, could be impossible or prohibitively expensive
Reply:I believe your power is 50HZ in South Africa, where it is 60 HZ in the US.. I'm not sure haw much of a difference it makes in an older transformer bbased mahine, but it might be critical in an inverter welder.