Inverter Welder

[Outbackrr]

I occasionally borrow a BOC Inverweld 140 which is just great to use. Prefer to have my own equipment but don't have enough welding to justify around $1700 for the same welder.

Asking for advice/opinions on this http://www.weldsmart.com.au/node/91 as an cheaper alternative?

I have an old, old 140 amp welder but the mains power in my area is so variable that it's a real PITA to use, particularly as most of my welding is 2 - 3mm stuff.

[phelum]

Asking for advice/opinions on this http://www.weldsmart.com.au/node/91 as an cheaper alternative?

I have an old, old 140 amp welder but the mains power in my area is so variable that it's a real PITA to use,

The price is cheap. But why not consider their Smart Arc model http://www.weldsmart.com.au/node/47 ? It is only $5 more, has a wider output current range, and handles a wider input voltage range.

Your mains power might be a problem. If the variation is a problem with a transformer welder it might be a killer for the electronics in the inverter models.

I'm surprised that the vendor doesn't have a physical address or even a phone number. I'm somewhat interested in an inverter welder and have been checking Weldmaster as they have some that might be okay. Also, the vendor does have a physical address and a dealer network in Aus.

[malb]

Have a look under Support on their site. It says November 2007,
"Complete instruction manuals for our welding products.
Coming Soon!" Underneath the have links for 2 units, no stick welders.

Wouldn't want to have a slowish or awkward, or we are getting parts from OS (in their terms) repair in the system.

[phelum]

Have a look under Support on their site. It says November 2007,
"Complete instruction manuals for our welding products.
Coming Soon!" Underneath the have links for 2 units, no stick welders.

It does sound less than wonderful. There is an ad for their welder and it contains a threatening statement that any negative feedback to Ebay will void the warranty. Yuk.

I'm considering a Token Tools product which is a bit more expensive but should have better support.

[Outbackrr]

Thanks for the input guys, and phelum for putting me on to Weldmaster.

Glenfords (locally) sells the Weldmaster 140 for $429.00, not a whole lot more than than the Weldsmart + delivery. And maybe a whole lot safer?

[inverter_weld]

The miniarc was reviewed by Farming Ahead Magazine in the Feb 2007 issue. The results speak for themselves, at less than half the price of brands sold through dealer networks it rated the same if not better than most. It also has a 3 year parts and labour warranty, and employs IGBT transistors like the european brands.

http://www.tokentools.com.au/prod3.htm

Cheers
Pete

[phelum]

Thanks for the input guys, and phelum for putting me on to Weldmaster.

I hope the info has been useful. It is good to actually see (and test) something rather than just relying on an Internet ad.

After posting here I've bought a similar welder. I've written a review on my new toy which may interest you. If you've purchased or viewed the Weldmaster I would be very interested in your opinions.

Thanks,

[Outbackrr]

Great review Steven, couldn't ask for more, and better info than that.

Don't need to buy anything just yet, have the Inverweld for a couple of months while owner is O/S. Spent the weekend welding, without the usual frustration.

Have bookmarked this thread for referral when time comes to buy.

[phelum]

Great review Steven, couldn't ask for more, and better info than that.

Thanks for the feedback. I took the welder out for some real work today and it went well so I am pleased. If you want an update in a few months then ask me and I'll update my report. Welders might be cheaper/better by then.

[Inverter]

Hello guys. I am the the gm of www.weldsmart.com.au. Sorry it took some time to answer questions but we have been swamped. I would like to just verify that we are a real company (been in business 34 years) with 4 warehouses in western australia. the reason we do not have the phone number was because we were getting an array of prank phone calls so we left the contact us form for now. Regarding the owners manuals, we did not post them up because a lot of chinese junk welders come with junk manuals and we are afraid that people will begine to copy and reproduce our manuals without our consent. We wrote all of our manuals ourselves and hence the reason. if any of you have any questions feel free to email me at [email protected]. Thanks in advance

Jason