chinese tig welder

[jonesg]

Has anyone got one of these ?
http://www.longevity-inc.com/productdetail_229/WeldAll-200PI.php

Chinese made tig/ stick plasma cutter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8EHwncHWs0

50 AMP at 60% or 40 AMP at 100% (230 V Input)
Weighs 58lbs, inverter technology. IGBT (not MOSFET)

Plasma , Cuts 3/4 in mild steel 3/4 in stainless 1/2 in alum.

Tig 5-200AMP at 60% DUTY CYCLE (AC/DC GTAW PULSE)
This will weld Aluminum

Stick/arc 180AMP at 60% DUTY CYCLE (DC Only)

$1200 free shipping with foot pedal , regulator and all torches etc. 30 daY MONEY BACK, 5 yr parts and labor warranty.

This is all I can spend , saving up for a blue or red machine isn't feasible.

 

[86 century]

Re: chinese tig welder

There is a red one out there for 1600 That is real close.

 

[mla2ofus]

Re: chinese tig welder

Just keep in mind if you buy a 3 in 1 machine, if one function quits, will the other two still work????
Mike

 

[jonesg]

Re: chinese tig welder

The 5 year warrenty takes care of any functions that die, most of the problems occur early if they're going to go bad.
Miller boards are made in China and final assembly is done here,
Thermal arc are Malasia made.

As I'm not using this commercially it doesn't mean anything if its not available during repair time.
I think I'm going to go ahead and order one Monday.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: chinese tig welder

go to this site and look at what people have to say about them

http://www.weldingweb.com

Personally, I wouldn't buy one of those or touch one with a 10 foot chopstick. I have a separate TIG and plasma cutter. I have a Thermal Arc 185 TIG and a Hypertherm Powermax 30 plasma. Consumables are easy to find for the plasma which you should keep in the back of your mind.

 

[jonesg]

Re: chinese tig welder

Yeh I've seen all that stuff, note the negatives mostly come from those who don't own it. So its opinion, not experience.
There was a Youtube video of a guy smashing his welder with a seldgehammer, Longevity gave him a new welder and he took the video down, he's happy now.

Lincoln innards are Italian, Miller is chinese and thermal arc is Malaysian.!
The computer you're looking at is chinese.
Obviously theres chinese chinese ,
and then theres chinese made in US supervised factory.

I have the best American machines at work, paid $8K for one machine and consider it ignorant to even look at the cheaper knockoffs.
I know the value of quality american made machinery.
But I doubt this welder will see 20 hrs use in a year.

The chinese impact hammer didn't work when I bought it, I dismantled and re-assembled with grease and its been running ever since.
We get what we pay for, but I don't need a hummer to go to the supermkt either.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: chinese tig welder

I know friends that bought the Chinese stuff and sent them back. i also know some that failed after awhile and there was ZERO support.

Thermal Arc is Japanese. At least that is what it says on the back of it. If you don't believe me I can take a picture for you!

Sounds like you have your mind made up already so not really sure why you are even asking about it.

Since Longevity is now a paid sponsor on the weldingweb site, any negative post that occurs in the Longevity section gets pulled. This is from people that didn't get their machines, got damged machines or machins that failed early on. The owner had a problem getting a bunch of machines that were DOA and sending then to customers without testing them first. He supposedly is testing them now.

i was in the same boat as you are now. I decided to go the quality vs price route. I have already forgotten how much the two things cost. I know if I had chosen the Chinese stuff I would be regretting it.

 

[jonesg]

Re: chinese tig welder

ALL the mfgers have their own paid section.

They have their own message board too, negative posts don't get pulled, the customers get new machines. I learned in my biz the fastest way to shut someone up is to give them what they want, money or product.
I remember when we used to call toyota corrola a corroded boner many many years ago.

If they continue to stand behind the product as they are doing now, I think they're onto something.

Anyway I went ahead and ordered it last night, after looking on craigslist all around new england one last time I gave up, theres slim pickins for welders right now.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: chinese tig welder

When i was looking for welders, I had a hard time finding a deal. That is why I went new. The difference in price was not enough to offset not having a full warranty.

Good luck with whatever you get. Post on here when you get it to let us know how you like it.

 

[jonesg]

Re: chinese tig welder

Yeh thats the problem, I can find nice welders around 16-1800 but they're used , whilst the major brands are superior they aren't cheap to repair.

So for less money I can get something new that will be replaced if dead for a full 5 years. I need the capability to do alum, otherwise it would have been a no brainer to get a DC tig, I saw some very nice used major brand tigs for cheap money , but they were DC only.

My business partner offered to have the business pay 50% on the welder, she doesn't even know what a welder is.... so now I have another $600.

Now for a mill drill, hey every bakery needs a mill right?
"look it can grind almonds!"