Inverter arc welder

[Chesapeake]

Don't know if anyone has asked the question here before , Am after any feedback on the inverter arc welders 180-200 amp range. In particular, I am after info on using them on a petrol generator. I've done a bit of research regarding size of generator required to run one . So does anyone here use a similar setup? Will be running 10kva generator. Also any brand that stands out regards quality/reliability would be good.  Will be used as part of a mobile workshop setup in the back of the Toyota.
Thanks,Luke

[dirtpilot]

Just went through this myself. Looked at the Cigweld 170 and the Unimig 170. Ended up buying the Unimig because the handpiece and earth clamp looked better quality and the warranty is better.

[Swogjb]

A 10 KVA generator will $hit it in.
I was looking at a 175amp BOC Smootharc today. Rep said BOC recommend 7Kva but he knows of one engineering crowd running one with a 4kva with no issues.

I used an inverter welder for the first time last week, I could not get over how smooth it was and easy to use.

 

[rodw]

I used one an inverter welder for the first time last week, I could not get over how smooth it was and easy to use.

 

X2 - I bought a 170 amp BOC Smootharc TIG welder recently when on special and as a stick welder for portability it is absolutely unreal how easy it is to strike an arc and how smooth it is!

I figured if I bought their cheaper inverter, I would have bee tempted to buy the TIG welding accessories and it was not that much more to buy the Stick/TIG welder that came with all of the gear for both welding types.

[Jon]

Another vote for the BOC smootharc 170.
Awesome machine, and you can fit TIG hand pieces to it if you want.

[Brett B]

Just make sure the welder you bye is genset friendly
Some inverter welders don't like the voltage drop and can fry the circuit board

[Chesapeake]

Thanks for the replies .Was all set to buy an inverter welder this week and then I went to the auctions in Melbourne yesterday to buy a generator and ended up buying a 7Kva generator/200 amp welder instead. Think it will do the job just nicely

[bobkay]

X2 - I bought a 170 amp BOC Smootharc TIG welder recently when on special and as a stick welder for portability it is absolutely unreal how easy it is to strike an arc and how smooth it is!

I figured if I bought their cheaper inverter, I would have bee tempted to buy the TIG welding accessories and it was not that much more to buy the Stick/TIG welder that came with all of the gear for both welding types.

Have you had a go at tig welding with this yet? If so how successful is it. I've been considering one but I was told the cheap ones aren't worth the coin. ?? I don't need a stick welder, got one, would like a Tig welder tho if affordable.

Cheers
Bob

Ah, I think I just answered my own question, a bit of research on the Boc website and I needed to get up the $1k TIG's before they mentioned aluminium which is what I'd like to have a go at.

[rodw]

Have you had a go at tig welding with this yet? If so how successful is it. I've been considering one but I was told the cheap ones aren't worth the coin. ?? I don't need a stick welder, got one, would like a Tig welder tho if affordable.

Ah, I think I just answered my own question, a bit of research on the Boc website and I needed to get up the $1k TIG's before they mentioned aluminium which is what I'd like to have a go at.

Cheers
Bob

Bob, thats right. They had them all on special in July. I also bought a plasma cutter for about $600. The stick welder was $300 which would get to $400 or so once adding TIG. The one I bought was $600 but was DC only so does not do Aluminium. It came with the Stick leads and Argon regulator. The AC/DC TIG that would do ally was $900. I was not prepared to spend $900 as I was more interested in it as a portable site welder as my old school transformer one was heavy!

 I have a very good Boss MIG welder (weighs 90 kg) that Is set up for ally welding with a separate gun and teflon liner so I decided it would have to do for Ally welding.

I have not bought any Argon gas for it so have not done any TIG but I will before Christmas.

[rags]

Bit of an old thread but seemed the most relevant to resurrect for my question.
I previously had a big old lump of copper in a box that was my stick welder and also a gas mig however these had to be left behind with my brothers when i moved north to Brisbane. So now I am thinking I need a welder with 2 jobs in mind, a shelving rack in the shed and a repair/ modification to a trailer rack. ( square tube 25mm to 50mm , bit of angle etc).
Thinking about one of these inverter arc/ tig welders around 180- 200 amp  would be suitable, although have though about some of the lower end gas less migs but leaning to the arc set up.
 So looking for some up to date experiences with these machines and suggestions.

[Pete79]

Not so much up to date experience. But my little BOC 180 amp, high frequency pulse tig/stick welder has served me very well for all of those sorts of jobs over the last 10 or 15 years.

Been looking at a unimig for some potential future fabrication jobs that will need a lot of long welds.
But for every day bits and pieces, the stick is nice and easy for me. Extremely portable too.

[Champin]

I have  cig 170 stick and a cheapo gasless that was given to me. I use the flux core for light stuff and the stick for heavy. The stick will run a 3.25 low hydrogen rod on house power no sweat. It will also run tig. AC only so only good for stainless not aliminium.
Just a word of warning though...boilermakers use these inverter welders alot on site work and the biggest killer of them is crappy power, i.e. running multiple extention leads and or running of a  generator.
  Some of the cheaper wire feeder welders can also run a mig setup with gas which is handy too. But not all of them. Mig in my opinion is a far better and nicer looking weld than flux core.
If your shelving material is clean I would sway towards mig for the nicer weld with less spatter than gasless. Easy to use in all positions too.