Chinese Mig Welder- Rossi 185E, Mishto185E, Rolwal 185E IS IT ANY GOOD FOR THE MONEY?

[ArthurPendragon]

Hi,
I'm planning on buying a small inverter MIG welder for use on thin steel (1-3mm thick -Patio tubing etc).
For anything heavy I'll resort to my trusty arc (stick) set.
I've had a look on Ebay etc and one that seems to fit the bill and my price range is badged in Australia as either a Rossi 185E or a Mishto 185E and is available from either AGR Machinery (I've already read the other post regarding this organisation) and Bit deals.
AGR list the set as
NEW Rossi 185E Inverter Welder GAS Gasless MIG MAG ARC Portable Welding Machine | eBay

Bit Deals lists it as
NEW 185E MIG MAG MMA GAS Gasless Portable Welder Welding Machine MAG | eBay

I've also done a search on the net and found that it's manufactured by Rolwal welding- Zhejiang lewei pumps Industry CO., LTD, Shanshi Industry Zone Wenling City,zhejiang,China.

Zhejiang lewei pumps Industry CO.,LTD

My reasons for choosing this set are
a)Gasless /Gas- I'll borrow a mates bottle when the going gets tough!
b) Inverter set – I can keep it in the cupboard in the spare bedroom
c) Euro torch connection- so I can replace the torch and easily store it
d) Price- $339 from AGR
e) Metal wire feed assembly-unsure if feed gears are steel or plastic though
f) Even if the 185A value is 'questionable' I don't plan to operate it anywhere near that level so the duty cycle should be reasonable.
g) According to AGR it uses Infineon (Siemens) IGBTs so in theory if it goes bang I should be able to get new parts.

I've seen a post on Youtube of a Plasma cutter made by the same firm (Rolwal) and the build quality look to be good (for the price).
So does anyone have any experience of these sets? If you believe the AGR figures they've sold a reasonable number of them but I can't find a single review anywhere. I'm also slightly bemuses as I haven't been able to find it sold anywhere else in the world apart from Hungary under the Rolwal name.

ROLWAL -185E PROFESSIONAL - Multifunkciós heg. gépek

Unless it gets rebadged under other names and the ratings are slightly different.

Also having bought a "Professional" Pole saw from AGR I know the quality of some of their gear is dubious. I'd be interested to know if anyone has one of these welder and whether they're a reasonable buy for the money.


Cheers!

[johncar]

I too bought a pole saw from AGR and for the money I thought it was quite good, done a lot of work and still going fine. Not exactly a professional machine in the true sense but I would not expect it to be for the $200 odd it cost.
The welders would be no different and really not a lot to lose if it doesn't perform as required. I am sure for for a casual user who is not going to be trying to weld all day with it at it's max rated output you should do ok with it.
If you want to be a bit more secure with after sales service then either Token Tools or Everlast may be a better choice but at the end of the day you get what you pay for generally.

[RustyArc]

Can't say anything about those Rossi or whatever branded welders, but I sure as hell wouldn't touch AGR with a bargepole. Most of the time, it seems, you get a Chinese POS that kinda almost does what's advertised, but going from people's experience on forums outside Ebay (as Ebay seems to be happy to delete or suppress negative comments for a big seller like AGR) if you get a lemon, which does happen more than advertised (due to the policies mentioned) you've got little or no after-sales support or comeback.

For something that you'd like to work out of the box, and would like some support if it doesn't, I'd be paying a bit extra and going with some of the other "budget" brands mentioned above.

[gazza2009au]

i purchased a gas/gasless mig from bit deals i contacted them by email to ask how to reverse the polarity for gas/gasless the reply was brief saying u use the same polarity ive bought two welders from them i wont buy another after spending close to $1000 in there ebay store

[Karl Robbers]

I would like to add weight to what Gazza has said.
In the course of trying to help gazza with an issue with his tig torch, (effectively non existent consumables), I contacted Bit Deals as someone interested in their welder, noting that they did not sell consumables and asked where to buy them. Their reply was that you could buy them anywhere. That is not so, despite much searching, I have found only 2 sources. Bob the welder in Australia and direct import from china.
Definitely stay away from Bit Deals and their products.

[Lin-GeLun]

Despite claims made by an Australian importer/distributor of this product through a popular on-line auction website, this welder CANNOT be used with flux cored wire in gasless mode simply because there is no provision to change the electrode polarity. For one reason or other, the supplier also refuses to amend published product features, which is a little curious as there are clear laws about false claims in advertising.

However, having made the purchase and also the decision to keep the welder, the task then was to find a way of getting it to work in gasless mode. No printed warranty was supplied, which should be taken as being no warranty despite being clearly featured in product promotion. Having industry standard connectors for leads means that other than total unit failure, there will be no need to rely on the importer for accessories.

From the outset, you do get what you pay for and in this case when you don’t pay much you certainly get very little! The supplied mask and chipping hammer should be thoughtfully disposed of, the 1.2 metre earth lead means that you will virtually have the welder under your armpit while working, and while the 3 metre torch is not a bad length, replacing the crimped on and non-removable gas shield may be an expensive exercise! As least the tips are available at Bunnings! I’ll leave the stick welding lead to one side for the moment as I have had a little two-speed CIG stick welder for a very lime time.

The “Operation Manual” makes mention only general safety hints using dreadful English, as well overall specifications of most other models of welder offered by the manufacturer. The 185E doesn’t even get a model number mention! There is no included settings guide for the current, voltage and wire feed controls. The LED front panel readout may be an interesting feature, but how do you read it through a helmet while welding, and what does it show anyway?

[Lin-GeLun]

So that the 185E can be used in both gas AND gasless modes, all that is needed is a battery lead of the type used in 4WD’s or perhaps cars when two batteries are required. The one I used is available from SuperCheap Auto Parts, part number SW12-2B, which is a 12” lug to lug battery lead. Tools required are a couple of 10mm spanners, a 13mm socket and a 1/4” Phillips head screwdriver. It is required that the very short black lead connected between the rear of the Euro connector and the +ve front panel socket, is replaced with a lead long enough to be connected to the rear of either the +ve or –ve sockets.

1. Remove power plug from power point and leave where you can see it, then remove any/all leads from front of welder, the Euro connector dust cap if fitted, and the gas bottle tube also if fitted.
2. Locate and remove two (2) self tapping screws holding the black plastic rear foot to the base plate. Remove plastic foot.
3. Locate and remove six (6) screws holding the cover onto the base plate and two (2) screws securing to the rear panel. DO NOT remove screw holding handle onto top of cover! The nut will drop off and fall the electronics on the upper circuit board! Removal is unnecessary anyway.
4. Slide the metal cover slightly to the rear to allow the carry handle to clear the front panel, then lift clear. It may be a good idea to put a drop of “super glue” to lock the threads of the screw holding the handle on. If that nut comes off, bad things could happen!
5. Laying the welder on its side, wire feed upwards, locate and remove two (2) self tapping screws securing the underside of the front panel to the base plate, then two (2) more self tapping screws securing the upper section to the front panel to the electronics protective panel.
6. Carefully remove the front panel clear of the Euro connector, but no further. The attached wires are short and fragile!
7. Remove the connecting cable between the Euro connector (2 x 10mm spanners required) and the rear of the front panel +ve socket (13mm socket required). If you plan to immediately use the welder in gasless mode, resecure the +ve lead to the rear of the front panel +ve socket, ensuring the bolt is firm without over tightening.
8. Secure the switch cable to the Euro connector in exactly the same position as the original cable. Re-fit the front panel to the base plate, then continue routing the switch cable against the inside corner of the front panel before looping back and securing to the rear of the front panel –ve socket.
9. Check that the new cable is well clear of the wiring and the rear of the wire feed control, and anything else! It may be necessary to bend the tongue of the lug a little to ensure the lead sits naturally clear of the rear of the potentiometer.
10. Re-assemble the welder in exactly the reverse order, taking care not to cross-thread the screws!
11. All being well, changing electrode polarity will now only require changing the position of the battery lead to the rear of the desired +ve or –ve front panel sockets, accessible through the welding wire compartment, and then changing the earth lead connection.

Before plugging the welder back into the power point, recheck that there are no screws left over (!), everything is secure and that all appears well.

[Grahame Collins]

These machines are made to a price.If simplest spares are not easily available,how do you think you will fare when something goes poof!

The machines are not made to be serviced.Its not cost effective. Honestly, you need to start around the $800 mark if you expect a half decent machine.

Bottom line is dealer support, spare parts availability and the ability to be fixed should the unit fail.

If you buy cheap, you get cheap.

Grahame