H-ARC The Lidl Welders Sing !

[lovejoy]

Anyone had any experience / comments on their invertor welder on offer?

seems very good value, and it's nowhere near Christmas yet....

 

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/parkside-arc-welder-39-99-instore-lidl-from-thursday-2684580

[jonathan_dyane]

If you want to go anywhere near car bodywork, MIG is what you want.

[dave21478]

There is a thread on the off topic side about it. Its an inverter stick welder, so about as much use for old car repair as wellies for a goldfish. 

 

If you cant weld, then learning the basics of stick welding on thick metal regarding weld pools, filler feed rates, attack angles and the like will stand you in good stead for MIG welding, but realistically best just get a MIG in the first place.

[dave21478]

EDIT - you have linked to the NON inverter model, just an old buzz-box transformer arc welder - even worse. They do have an inverter model on offer as well, but as above, not great for car use. Also as far as I know its a very basic one so cant take the extra accessories to turn it into a TIG welder, which some better inverters can do.

[M'coli]

Bump - gasless MIGs this weekend, £79.99.

https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/Non-Food-Offers.htm?articleId=4337

[SiC]

Perhaps it would be a good idea for me to invest in one, given I'm looking at BL tat.

 

Are they any good?

[Eddie Honda]

Are they any good?

40A low is not much use on wafery-thin panels.

 

90A max isn't going to stick thick stuff either.

 

Verdict: Limited current range.

[somewhatfoolish]

Gasless blows goats; it's of use if you need to weld outside in a gale and only have a MIG, but not great for welding frilly bits of car. It's also hard to get consistent quality wire, there's no call for flux-cored wire that thin in industry so the stuff gets produced in small quantities by whichever Happy Dragon Welding Consumables Factory Numbers 1-10 bids the lowest and is made out of floor sweepings, broken iPods and recycled Roewe 750s.

[Lankytim]

I've got one and it's crap.

 

In fact, it's so crap I'll give it away to anyone here, free

[twosmoke300]

THe aldi onevi had was useless . Get a secondhand Clarke instead

[JayW]

Gasless blows goats; it's of use if you need to weld outside in a gale and only have a MIG, but not great for welding frilly bits of car. It's also hard to get consistent quality wire, there's no call for flux-cored wire that thin in industry so the stuff gets produced in small quantities by whichever Happy Dragon Welding Consumables Factory Numbers 1-10 bids the lowest and is made out of floor sweepings, broken iPods and recycled Roewe 750s.

I was going to write a poignant literary masterpiece, but this, this says it all.

 

Poetry.

[Mally]

Perhaps it would be a good idea for me to invest in one, given I'm looking at BL tat.

 

Are they any good?

 

Not as good as buying a decent MGB in the first place 

[tooSavvy]

Not as good as buying a decent MGB in the first place 

..... same goes for auld Jap crap too

 

 

TS

[stuboy]

I bought this one and used on my exhaust and repairing bikes and been ok so far.

[SiC]

Slightly off the original topic but this looks alright:

https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/Non-Food-Offers.htm?articleId=4343

I'll probably get one for the garage.

 

I have their pillar drill already. Cheap yes, spot on accurate no - shaft does wobble a tad, especially when the belt is set to the lowest speed. However it does everything I need it to at the moment and is great for parallel and straight holes. No worse than other ones I've seen for twice the amount.

[PiperCub]

Never had much success with gas-less MIG's, I don't think there's much of a cost saving either as the fluxed wire is (or used to be when I looked) pretty expensive compared to standard MIG wire and gas if in the big bottles. I'd go MIG every time (I know TIG is probably better but never tried it due to cost of kit). 

 

The same goes for almost everyone I know who's tried them except for one, she is an artist/sculptor and uses one to make some of her metal statue-type pieces. For her it's a convenient way of sticking bits of steel together that isn't a faff with gas etc. She gets what I'd charitably call 'acceptable' results for that particular purpose but you would want her welding your car let's just say!!