Thread: 'New' inverter welder

A couple of weeks ago I posted a request for someone to pick up a welder I 'won' at a Grays auction.
Thanks again Phil for picking it up for me!
It rourned out to have a burnt up positive terminal socket and my heart sank. I bid $59 and the final proce with Gray's commision was $73 - so not a bank buster...
I then pulled it apart and replaced both terminal sockets with 3/8" threaded studs I made out of brass rod to match the mounting holes and the connections on my old transformer welder, so I could use the leads on either. While I was there with the case open, I cleaned the insides with a soft brush and compressed air and removed copious amounts of dust.
The I connected my welding leads and switched the thing on with considerable trepidation
It showed the right lights, made the right kind of sound and no blue smoke escaped!
OK then lets try welding! Set at about 80Amps with a 2.5mm general purpose rod, well, it works like a charm!That's the best welder I've ever used!!
OK, lets try really low amps: set to about 8Amps, using a 1.6mm electrode I had a sample of, I next but welded a couple of strips of 0.5mm sheetmetal together. Not a problem - after tacking the ends, I was able to do an unsupported seam weld to full penetration without ANY blowthrough - not even looking like me messing it up! I'm not a bad amateur welder (with some DLI training about 30 years ago), but I have never been able to stick weld anything thinner than 1.6mm thick successfully. This one was dead easy!
I then cranked the thing up to 140A and welded up a 1/4" thick plate to one end of a 6x6x1/4" piece of RHS from the bin. Not only were the welds beutiful (to me) but also full thickness (properly prepared) and WATERPROOF first go!
This is fantastic! A whole class above any other welder I've used.
BTW, it's a Lincoln Invertec V140S Stick and TIG welder. I see it listed in one shop for $999....
Pretty good tool gloat too, huh?