# Aldi Welder The Go For Brew Frame?



## jpiwek (27/7/07)

Hi Guys an Girls, 

I was in BOC the other week and saw a welder for $399 I would have picked but diddnt have the cash. I just saw in the Aldi Catalogue this one


[attachmentid=13954
[ATTACH]13954.IPB[/ATTACH]

Welder and Mask 
No load voltage 48V 
Current range: 45-100A 
Suitable electrode: 1.6-2.5mm 
Thermostatic protection and fan cooling 
Includes electrode holder with cable, earth clamp with cable, wire brush, protective mask, hammer and power supply cable 
Accessories not included 
$ 79.-* 



Would this be the ticket for a budding welder? I really want it to make a three tier brew frame to put all my all grain gear on 

Could the welders out there recommend this one or should I save up a bit mor and go for a higher speced one?

Big thanks, Jason.


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## discoloop (27/7/07)

God bless Aldi, the only shop to go to when you need a bag of apples, palette of toilet rolls, a microwave oven and a welder!


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## TidalPete (27/7/07)

Jason,

I can only speculate on this as I have never seen one of these up close.
It would probably be good for 12 gauge rods but I would not expect too much from it.
The old saying "You get what you pay for" would seem to apply here.
If you plan on welding in the long term give this one a miss & get something with a bit more quality even if it is more expensive.
Hope this helps?

:beer:


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## discoloop (27/7/07)

I couldn't really tell you the first thing about welders, but find with a lot of that stuff these days there's only two options - super expensive, or cheap chinese crap. I tend to just go for the cheap chinese crap and buy it often.


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## jpiwek (27/7/07)

discoloop said:


> I couldn't really tell you the first thing about welders, but find with a lot of that stuff these days there's only two options - super expensive, or cheap chinese crap. I tend to just go for the cheap chinese crap and buy it often.




Yep... Its funny how things have changed. Look at tools in Bunnings there so cheap for what you get. Also Aldis return pollicy is one of the best Ive seen. If you dont like just take it back no questions asked. 

HMMM...I might just give this a go...?


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## PostModern (27/7/07)

When it comes to power tools, I never skimp. A welder manufactured, shipped around the world, stored, distributed, advertised and sold for a profit retailed at $79 is going to be crap. I'm sorry, there's no two ways about it. You might get a duty cycle of about 5 seconds per minute, meaning long continuous welds are out of the question. It'll probably burn out before you finish your first pack of rods. Do we really want to keep encouraging the Chinese to keep making this crap?


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## Mr Bond (27/7/07)

you could probably hire a decent one for 79 bucks from a hire joint.


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## Daniel.lear (27/7/07)

Im with PoMo on this one, dont be cheap buy the better item. you'll thank yourself in the long term.


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## jpiwek (27/7/07)

PostModern said:


> When it comes to power tools, I never skimp. A welder manufactured, shipped around the world, stored, distributed, advertised and sold for a profit retailed at $79 is going to be crap. I'm sorry, there's no two ways about it. You might get a duty cycle of about 5 seconds per minute, meaning long continuous welds are out of the question. It'll probably burn out before you finish your first pack of rods. Do we really want to keep encouraging the Chinese to keep making this crap?




Wow!!! sounds like it could be a big soldering iron :huh: 

Thanks for the input.


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## SpillsMostOfIt (27/7/07)

Horses for courses...

I have an Ozito cordless drill that was dirt cheap and just will not die. It followed a B&D which died quite quickly. My jigsaw is a Makita, my pedestal drill and angle grinder Ryobi. I figure it depends on how much you reckon you might use it. The cheap things might work just fine, but there is a reason tradesmen don't use them...


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## Tony M (27/7/07)

If you are welding up a brewstand, the duty cycle is going to be really low so you would be hard pressed to do any damage. There is little inside them to go wrong, just a few bucks of copper and iron and the labour was either a shed full of Chinamen or an automatic machine, either of which would spit one out the door every minute or so. If you pay $400 for that somebody is getting rich.


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## browndog (27/7/07)

I bought a fan assisted Ozito stick welder from bunnings for $98 with all the accessories. I used this to make my stand. I found it cut out after about 10mins of welding then needed about 10 mins to cool down. This did not bother me at all as I'm not much of a welder and it will only be used once in a blue moon. I'm really happy with it as it has done the job I bought it for. I think it is rated to about 130amps.



cheers

Browndog


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## Ross (27/7/07)

I've bought plenty of cheap power tools from the likes of supercheap. The cordless drill i bought last year for instance even has a 3 year guarentee; it's continually used & hasn't missed a beat; if it does I'll simply return it for a replacement or refund. A lot of the European goods have huge price tags that don't justify the cost, especially with a lot of them being made in China now anyway. 
I can understand a craftsman spending out on his tools to get quality, but for the average home handyman the access to these cheaper goods is great & allows us to have a range of tools we could never have afforded in the past.

cheers Ross


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## sqyre (27/7/07)

Dude, shop around... i'm sure you will find something better...well if not better cheaper..

$400 is a bit steep for an elcheapo stick welder...

i just bought an elcheapo plasma cutter off ebay for $600 and i know its a shitty chinese import but hey..who cares if it does the job.. if it blows up it blows up..its a gamble but even the good ones blow up from time to time..

When i built the shed i went through 4 elcheapo angle grinders at $20 each...(and i flogged them) a decent one is at least $150.. i'm still $70 in pocket in my mind.. plus i reckon i would have killed a good one anyway..  

if its a starting point for welding then get a cheapo and upgrade when you need it..

I used a $150 stick for ages and then lashed out and bought a $2500 mig...

i still use the stick from time to time as its a lot more portable than the mig..

Sqyre...


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## Batz (27/7/07)

I own plenty of top quality power tools,I also own plenty of GMC power tools.
As Browndog says if it's not used often you really don't need trade quality tools.As for the welder it's sounds like you can give it a try,then take it back if you don't like it.


Batz


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## Pumpy (27/7/07)

You may need to read WIKIHOW



http://www.wikihow.com/Weld



Pumpy


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## PostModern (27/7/07)

Batz said:


> As Browndog says if it's not used often you really don't need trade quality tools.



I take the view that if you only use it once a year, but on a big job, then it pays to get the tool that will not break, unlike the *three* $20 angle grinders that my friends used to cut a hole a single stainless vessel a couple years back. 

Most of my tools are mid-range, ie Makita (circular saw, jigsaw, orbital and belt sanders, hammer drill), and I have a 1980's "B&D Industrial" angle grinder, which is still going strong, cuts thru SS like butter. I've been thru two cheap B&D cordless drills, which I only use as screwdrivers and the only reason the first one died was the charger could not be replaced for less than the cost of the new B&D drill... grrrr. That shits me too. Having to toss a perfectly good tool because the shape of the battery changed. What a waste!

I'm not a trady, nor particularly handy, but when I sand, drill or saw something, I want to do so with confidence that the tool is not going to bang in my hands. YMMV.

But yes, at least with Aldi you can return it for a refund. Please do return it when it breaks.


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## homebrewworld.com (27/7/07)

My brother is a full on trady, and he now buys the cheap crap from super cheap etc.

Yep, after years of buying the top shelf stuff only to be stolen or lost or just not looked after he says he now throws the cheap stuff (yep throws) them in the back of his ute and thats it, no toolbox lock and key etc.

How many hot Ozito drills would you find for sale at the pub !
And as Ross says, if it shits itself and you can be bothered, take it back on its 3yr waranty.

10 yrs ago, who would have thought powertools would be disposable after a job or two ?.


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## PostModern (27/7/07)

homebrewworld.com said:


> 10 yrs ago, who would have thought powertools would be disposable after a job or two ?.



Troubling isn't it? Someone must be getting ripped off here. Could be the workers who make the things?


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## dicko (27/7/07)

I bought a cheapy "stick" welder quite some time ago (15 odd years) and I found it worked a lot better when I replaced the earth and the feed lead with a better quality wire. I also replaced the rod holder and the earth clamp with something that was a little more industrial.
It was good for about 100 amps and could weld 3mm mild steel quite well with a no 12 gp rod.
I also found when using it from home to ensure that other items like air conditioners etc weren't cutting in and out and causing power fluctuations. Using these things on an extremely hot day is also unreliable as the power supply is generally on the low side due to others use of the resource.

I was lucky to find a 140 amp lincoln welder in a sale for 100 bucks so the cheapy and I departed company.

Cheers and happy welding if you chose to go that way. :unsure:


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## sqyre (27/7/07)

I once was looking for a handheld beltsander...

so i went to bunnings...

the first one i looked at was an ozito 1500watter..$99

i then moved up the price range.. fancier and fancier

till i hit the Hitachi 1500watter... $350 :blink: hangon it looks just like the the ozito...

and when i checked it even had the same bearing serial numbers..

i could find no difference except for the color...

makes you wonder...



an aircon guy told me a similar story once... that for every air con you can buy there is a High price model thats the same as the cheap version only the case is different...

not sure how true but he rattled off at least 10 brands that had matching parts for higher and lower models.

sqyre.. :blink:


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## Kingy (27/7/07)

sqyre said:


> I once was looking for a handheld beltsander...
> 
> so i went to bunnings...
> 
> ...



Ive herd the exact same thing with tools. Also with food from aldi its the well known brands but in differant packaging.

Just like VB and Crownys i spose. same shit, differant bottle :lol:


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## browndog (27/7/07)

PostModern said:


> I take the view that if you only use it once a year, but on a big job, then it pays to get the tool that will not break, unlike the *three* $20 angle grinders that my friends used to cut a hole a single stainless vessel a couple years back.
> 
> Most of my tools are mid-range, ie Makita (circular saw, jigsaw, orbital and belt sanders, hammer drill), and I have a 1980's "B&D Industrial" angle grinder, which is still going strong, cuts thru SS like butter. I've been thru two cheap B&D cordless drills, which I only use as screwdrivers and the only reason the first one died was the charger could not be replaced for less than the cost of the new B&D drill... grrrr. That shits me too. Having to toss a perfectly good tool because the shape of the battery changed. What a waste!
> 
> ...



I have been a trady for the last 28yrs and my view is, yep you get what you pay for, but if you only need a Holden then why buy a Ferrari. Utimately they will achieve the same outcome, getting you from A to B. Most of my power tools are Makita, and I've had them for the past 20yrs or more and that is because I have looked after them and never pushed them past what the manufacturer intended of them. It does not matter if you buy your tools from Lexus, if you push them past their intended limits, they will die. I also have power tools from Aldi, GMC and others that were cheap as chips and are going strong because I can accept them for what they are and treat them accordingly. For anyone who wants to dive into welding, I recommend you buy a $100 cheapie, see how you go with it, then, if you want to start more advanced welding, look for something more expensive.


cheers

Browndog


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## simpletotoro (27/7/07)

hi
i am a welder (boilermaker) ...usually industrial steel (structural)...i can see two things that are going to give you the right shits with that welder...
1 its a stick welder and whilst theres nothing at all difficult about using one you'll probably find the going slow and frustrating esp when it comes to the fabricating part of the job...a mig would probably suit you better but then theres' the rub of more coin spent ...
2 as others have said it'll most probably have a crap duty cycle on it ...again it'll be more frustrating then difficult ...
on the plus side (although from the looks of it rather limited...you may not be able to change the polarity on that model ...)genererally stick welders are cheaper...have bugger all moving parts so less to go wrong...electrodes are cheap...and you will (depends on the polarity issue sometimes ) be able to weld aluminium and stainless just by changing the type of electrode you use...
there is an attachment i can send you on arc welding if you like just post me okay...or anyone else who wants a copy...

cheers simpletotoro


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## deckedoutdaz (27/7/07)

The good thing about buying cheap and being a handyman not tradesman, someone like GMC will be true to their 2 year warranty, doesn't matter what you do to it in that 2 years, if it buggers up, they WILL replace it.....

Myself...i'm a makita kind a guy.....my wife even has a makita, sorry, no she doesn't...thats a victa....


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## Henno (27/7/07)

I am a trady of sorts and have a dynalink hammer drill that I can't kill with a stick. I also run 2 B&D cordless hammer drills that I have changed over both the batteries, the chargers and the chucks on. My motto, go cheap and exchange often.

As for who is getting ripped off since the price of these things have dropped I don't think it is the workers making them now. I think it was us before.


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## sqyre (27/7/07)

browndog said:


> I have been a trady for the last 28yrs and my view is, yep you get what you pay for, but if you only need a Holden then why buy a Ferrari. Utimately they will achieve the same outcome, getting you from A to B. Most of my power tools are Makita, and I've had them for the past 20yrs or more and that is because I have looked after them and never pushed them past what the manufacturer intended of them. It does not matter if you buy your tools from Lexus, if you push them past their intended limits, they will die. I also have power tools from Aldi, GMC and others that were cheap as chips and are going strong because I can accept them for what they are and treat them accordingly. For anyone who wants to dive into welding, I recommend you buy a $100 cheapie, see how you go with it, then, if you want to start more advanced welding, look for something more expensive.
> 
> 
> cheers
> ...





I agree with you too browndog... my old man retired 25 years ago where he was given a makita drill...

which he passed onto me when the arthritis set in... i killed it while builing the shed..

well i thought i did.. turns out the bushes were burnt down to the holders..

i rang mitre 10 at 4:40pm on a sat arvo and they had a set and i ducked down and grabed them...

never missed a beat since...

i also have had the same makita 9 inch for the last 10 years..

some gear lasts some doesn't..

sqyre..


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## sqyre (27/7/07)

deckedoutdaz said:


> Myself...i'm a makita kind a guy.....my wife even has a makita, sorry, no she doesn't...thats a victa....



my wife is a Pleasure vibe 5000 kinda girl...

but thats a different story...( she crushes them all the time)

:blink:  

Sqyre...


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## deckedoutdaz (27/7/07)

Squire, i heard it was a six incher, not a niner.....so behave...


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## browndog (27/7/07)

simpletotoro said:


> hi
> i am a welder (boilermaker) ...usually industrial steel (structural)...i can see two things that are going to give you the right shits with that welder...
> 1 its a stick welder and whilst theres nothing at all difficult about using one you'll probably find the going slow and frustrating esp when it comes to the fabricating part of the job...a mig would probably suit you better but then theres' the rub of more coin spent ...
> 2 as others have said it'll most probably have a crap duty cycle on it ...again it'll be more frustrating then difficult ...
> ...



I can see your point totally, but don't you think that welding ally and S/S is a bit beyond the handyman that wants to buy a welder to fabricate some mild steel? It's hard enough to learn to TIG ally and S/S let alone try do it with a stick welder. As a handyman's skill progresses, I can see them getting the shits with a cheap welder, but for the newbie welder, they can't go wrong.

cheers

Browndog


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## simpletotoro (27/7/07)

browndog said:


> I can see your point totally, but don't you think that welding ally and S/S is a bit beyond the handyman that wants to buy a welder to fabricate some mild steel? It's hard enough to learn to TIG ally and S/S let alone try do it with a stick welder. As a handyman's skill progresses, I can see them getting the shits with a cheap welder, but for the newbie welder, they can't go wrong.
> 
> cheers
> 
> Browndog


yep i agree 100% with what you say ...but i was just pointing out the pros and cons ...and i agree that for $80 that even if they only make a couple of things with it...he'll still be ahead ...just trying to encourage him really ..theres worst skills in life you can aquire then learning to weld...who knows he may be a natural...i wish him luck ...that attachments available if anyone wants it...pm me 
cheers simpletotoro


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## albrews (27/7/07)

hefferflocken said:


> Hi Guys an Girls,
> 
> I was in BOC the other week and saw a welder for $399 I would have picked but diddnt have the cash. I just saw in the Aldi Catalogue this one
> [attachmentid=13954
> ...



hi,
$79.00 is good value for what seems to be a 130 amp ac welder.

the inverter d.c light weight welders are good value for a few hundred dollars, these days. they also have t.i.g connection features.

d.c welding is more flexible with straight and reverse options.
try ebay with dc welders as search item
cheers,, alan


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## deckedoutdaz (27/7/07)

I bought a rather cheap inverter to build my brewery"$400", i'd never tigged before...mine turned out alright...


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## deckedoutdaz (27/7/07)

I bought a rather cheap inverter to build my brewery"$400", i'd never tigged before...mine turned out alright...


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## browndog (27/7/07)

deckedoutdaz said:


> I bought a rather cheap inverter to build my brewery"$400", i'd never tigged before...mine turned out alright...
> View attachment 13964



Only thing is, you spent $300 more than you needed to do the job.  

cheers

Browndog


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## discoloop (27/7/07)

How do you keep your beer cold, daz? Nice setup!


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## deckedoutdaz (27/7/07)

behind the wall (in the garage) i have a temprite, goes out 9 degrees comes back 1...trying to get the missus to let me bring one inside.....


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## AndySmith (27/7/07)

My first post and an ex tradie.

If that is all you want it for and you have not welded much before then go for it.

Tack weld all your joins first and then once assembled finish the welds in small sections, if it does (which i doubt it will) die then just take it back.

I am all for supporting aussie made but i doubt you will find the electrics of any welder in aus made here, a sad but true fact of the current economic climate.


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## PostModern (27/7/07)

browndog said:


> Only thing is, you spent $300 more than you needed to do the job.
> 
> cheers
> 
> Browndog



$321 apparently.


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## TidalPete (27/7/07)

discoloop said:


> I couldn't really tell you the first thing about welders, but find with a lot of that stuff these days there's only two options - super expensive, or cheap chinese crap. I tend to just go for the cheap chinese crap and buy it often.



As an (ex) tradesman I have always shied away from cheap s*it.
Think about this in regards to global warming. --- Most of the rubbish bought from cheap sources like Super Cheap, Crazy Clarks, Big Dub, & even the cheap brands at Bunnings inevitably end up at the dump in a very short time.
Even one el cheapo product bought by you (maybe several times over?) & multiplied 10,000 others then dumped, is a blight on our world.
One good product should (perhaps) last you a lifetime if looked after properly.

Think Green!

:beer:


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## PostModern (27/7/07)

TidalPete said:


> As an (ex) tradesman I have always shied away from cheap s*it.
> Think about this in regards to global warming. --- Most of the rubbish bought from cheap sources like Super Cheap, Crazy Clarks, Big Dub, & even the cheap brands at Bunnings inevitably end up at the dump in a very short time.
> Even one el cheapo product bought by you (maybe several times over?) & multiplied 10,000 others then dumped, is a blight on our world.
> One good product should (perhaps) last you a lifetime if looked after properly.
> ...



QFT.


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## poppa joe (27/7/07)

Heff....
Go for it if that is all you are going to do with it....
I borrowed a cheapie "little CIG" from my sons friend once.....
WOW i want one of these.......
And i had 3 Migs and a Large stick welder...(Just did not have access to them at the time)
Worked a treat for what i was doing.... similiar to what you are doing..(But horses for courses )
PJ
Ex panel beater...50 yrs in trade.....


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## PistolPatch (27/7/07)

Ah! Tools eh? One of many brewer's favourite subjects.

$79 for a welder for someone starting out? I'd buy the bugger. Probably sell it for $99 on EBay when you outgrow it anyway! And, if you can't strike an arc, just take it back!

Guarantees should never be under-estimated. I've got two Stanley Contactor Grade rivet guns ($35). I used to use them every day doing 200 rivets a day. They are great to use but the handle breaks after about 8 months through metal fatigue. No worries though as they come with a life-time guarantee. I've had about four new ones so far  

Like Browndog says, matching your tools to the job is a good idea. I have 2 Makita cordless impact driver drills ($550 each) and these for me are a necessity. I've dropped these buggers countless times from second storeys onto concrete slabs and not once have they buggered up.

Other stuff I rarely use, I go for the cheapies. Small angle grinders for example. I mean all those buggers have to do is turn on and spin :blink: 

But I do love the sound of a $79 welder. I mean if you have kids, you could even justify the cost by not having to buy sparklers any more for their birthday parties :unsure:


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## simpletotoro (28/7/07)

hi again...
i finally found that link to an intro to arc welding for you...if you have never welded before (?) it may help...see what you think theres a fair bit of waffle at the begining but its a something to start with ...
link
http://www.aussieweld.com.au/arcwelding/
goodluck
cheers simpletotoro


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## winkle (28/7/07)

I've got a mate who's a boat builder and his GMC grinder built a 38ft steel cat (mind you it had to replaced by Bunnings about 5 times) 

edit: yeah I know - off the topic


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## Thirsty Boy (28/7/07)

My brother-in-law is a chippie and he uses all cheap'n'cheerful tools when he is out on the job.

If he runs through a nail with the ozito circular saw, it costs less money to get another one than it would cost to replace the blade on his good saw. As mentioned before, no worries about his tools getting pinched.

ALL my tools are cheapies and I have yet to have one fail... I'd love to have super high quality tools, but unless you use them a lot, they are a serious waste of cash when there are serviceable alternatives.

When I get around to building a proper brew stand... my $100.00 welder will get pulled out for the 4th time since I bought it 7 years ago and I have no doubt whatsoever that it will do the job nicely.


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## mobrien (28/7/07)

Interesting debate/discussion and quite timly for me as I am considering a welder myself.

Personally, I own both cheap and nasty tools as well as good tools. Some chinese copies are excellent, some are rubbish - it really depends on your end use.

I bought a chinese copy of a makita sliding compound mitre saw - and couldn't get a square cut without tearout. I took it back and spent the extra $500 on the makita which is perfect. That said, my Dad who is a chippy swears by his copy - it doesn't worry him when an aprentice cuts thorugh a nail or concrete covered formwork ply. Accuracy was important to me with that tool.

At the other end, I bought an ozito hammer drill to drill all the holes in the slab of my shed when I built it. $29 with a spare set of bushes and a three year warranty. I took the three year warranty as a challenge, and yet despite all the abuse I have given it, 2 years later it still works fine. If I destroy it, I'll more than happily pay for another.

I also have the $100 supercheap air compresser, which has never skipped a beat.

I think you just need to work out what you are going to use it for, and how accurate/precise you need the results.

For me, I'm looking at the cheap end of TIG welders - I know there will be a learning curve, I know I could get a stick - but I want it for builing science displays, which means many metal types - for me that seems the way to go.

I do wonder if we should be trying a bulk buy..... How many people are after welders?

M


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## Screwtop (28/7/07)

PistolPatch said:


> Ah! Tools eh? One of many brewer's favourite subjects.
> 
> They are great to use but the handle breaks after about 8 months through metal fatigue. No worries though as they come with a life-time guarantee. I've had about four new ones so far





winkle said:


> I've got a mate who's a boat builder and his GMC grinder built a 38ft steel cat (mind you it had to replaced by Bunnings about 5 times)




Bit like my poor old 300 year old axe. Was cheap when it was bought all those years ago, but after 27 new handles and 14 new heads it goes like the day it was made.


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## Batz (28/7/07)

TidalPete said:


> As an (ex) tradesman I have always shied away from cheap s*it.
> Think about this in regards to global warming. --- Most of the rubbish bought from cheap sources like Super Cheap, Crazy Clarks, Big Dub, & even the cheap brands at Bunnings inevitably end up at the dump in a very short time.
> Even one el cheapo product bought by you (maybe several times over?) & multiplied 10,000 others then dumped, is a blight on our world.
> One good product should (perhaps) last you a lifetime if looked after properly.
> ...




Pete!
Good thinking mate
Do you know how much power my CIG transarc would have used to weld up your brew stand  
Perhaps you should have bolted it up mate,and turn off those two extra fridges you now own for your brewery!  

Think Green

Batz


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## TidalPete (28/7/07)

Batz said:


> Pete!
> Do you know how much power my CIG transarc would have used to weld up your brew stand
> Think Green
> Batz



Seeing that I welded it over at my son's place I can take pride in telling you that we keep the electricity consumption at our place to a minimum.  

Also, your CIG Transarc is a decent welder & will see you out mate. That is the point I was making.  

:beer:


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## yardy (28/7/07)

hefferflocken said:


> Hi Guys an Girls,
> 
> I was in BOC the other week and saw a welder for $399 I would have picked but diddnt have the cash. I just saw in the Aldi Catalogue this one
> 
> ...



Jason,

I too am a Boily, been in the trade for coming up 20 years, i know the BOC machine you're talking about and imo you would be much better off with it as opposed to the Aldi.

The BOC is badge engineered chinese internals but i'm betting has a much better duty cycle than the $79 job.

Let the Buyer Beware mate, just my 2 bobs.

Cheers

Yard


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## paul (28/7/07)

I bought my arc welder out of the paper for $50. Its a really big and heavy and old. It cost me $50.

Ive done a heap of welding with it and it doesnt overheat. If it shits itself ill strip it for the copper to get money for another one.


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## Jazman (28/7/07)

Im A Sheetmetal worker and have access to a Mig at work and use good tin snips ect for work..At home is different i use a good drill but used cheap grinder on when building my shed still going good and stuffed me old cheapo when cutting pavers but i blame too muck dust and crap.......

I will be getting the 10 amp ozito special due to the fact i wont be welding enough to warrant me getting an $800 mig then hire a bottle to hardly use and the longest my welds be is 50 mm so i not worried about the duty cycle as i m currently using my fathers 15 amp cig and it trips when im welding around the 30 mm marks so the cheapie should sufic...I alos any sheety who has the ozito and had no probs with it....


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## T.D. (4/8/07)

I just bought one of these puppies. Its a no brainer money-wise, I just hope I don't end up electocuting myself!!

One thing I noticed though in the manual was that it said it can draw up to 22amps. That's a bit of a worry as most household circuts are only 10amps. Does that just mean it may peak at 22amps but mainly be under 10? Surely they can't sell something like this and expect it to require industrial levels of current!

The other thing is there are no sticks in the pack. Bit disappointing - I know its only $79 but they could have included one or two token sticks just to play around with!

Anyway, here's hoping I don't kill myself with this thing! :lol:


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## wabster (4/8/07)

There's a bigger kit for a bigger price appeared on Dealsdirect

http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/electronic-inverter-welder/

The specs are obviously far better, anyone care to comment about whether this welder is a "good value" or not? Cheerz Wab


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## Henno (4/8/07)

I am thinking of going the bunnings route on my brew frame and just buying one of those big meccano type stands. 

Somewhere back in this thread somebody mentioned something about 'you'd be better off bolting one together' This gets me to thinking. Why spend anything at all on a welder if your one and only welding job is gunna be for your brewery stand? If I don't go the bunnings prefab stand method couldn't i just buy 10 or 20mm box steel and bolt it together with cross supports at each 90? Surely the cost of all the bolts, nuts and washers wouldnt outweigh the nastiest welder in the world? 

It is Saturday arvo and I have been drinking so please be kind with your responses.


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## gregb (4/8/07)

Also, the bolted together brewstand could be unbolted to be remodeled, or moved etc.

Cheers,
Greg


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## Darren (4/8/07)

Henno said:


> I am thinking of going the bunnings route on my brew frame and just buying one of those big meccano type stands.
> 
> Somewhere back in this thread somebody mentioned something about 'you'd be better off bolting one together' This gets me to thinking. Why spend anything at all on a welder if your one and only welding job is gunna be for your brewery stand?




I would go the bolt together if you have never welded before. Remember , just because it is stuck together with weld does not mean it will hold a a hundred or so litres of hot fluids.

cheers

Darren


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## Ducatiboy stu (4/8/07)

Some cheap tools are good, others are, well.......bad

I always pay good money for screwdrivers and pliers, because they are comfy to use at last for ages.

Same with drills. The cheapie ones are good for general purpose stuff, but if you are doing lots of holes in masonary you HAVE to have a Hilti or Ramset. Otherwise you are wasting your time

I would go with the Aldi welder, if it builds your rig then blows up, then at least it only cost you $80. It would cost more to get someone to weld it for you.


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## browndog (4/8/07)

TD,
the welder will do the job you want it to and for that price, it don't matter if there are no rods. Your biggest worry is learning to weld. Buy a pack of 2- 2.5mm sticks and practice with the stock you are going to be welding. Practice tacking then get into doing some full runs and knock the slag off and make sure you have good penetration. You can use a $10 angle grinder to clean up your rough stuff and make it look nice.

cheers

Browndog


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## Screwtop (4/8/07)

Have a stick welder here, an oldie but a goodie, but fair dinkum, when I weld nowadays I shake that much there's no point in doing it myself. Vertical up looks like a chook walked up the fillet and shat every step.


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## Doogiechap (4/8/07)

Screwtop said:


> Have a stick welder here, an oldie but a goodie, but fair dinkum, when I weld nowadays I shake that much there's no point in doing it myself. Vertical up looks like a chook walked up the fillet and shat every step.



LOL
My dad has found that his 'tremor' tends to move the tip of the electrode about the correct amount needed for a nice neat fillet  .


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## redbeard (4/8/07)

My current brew frame is 2nd hand dexion. its cross-braced and feels really strong. 100kg no problem. i think it was about $120 all up from a storage place. they even cut up some sections no problems, as i had a list of what lengths from a basic sketch plan i did.

cheers


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## T.D. (5/8/07)

Thanks for the comments Browndog. I've welded before but only "had a quick go" of of an arc welder that somebody else was using when I was quite a bit younger. So this little puppy should be a good way to get re-acquainted. 

I already have a brewstand - dexion bolt-together stuff. But I just wanted a welder to do odd jobs etc. One thing I want to so as a simple "first effort" is build a little portable bbq. Just a disc plough blade and a few legs - probably just 1/2" reo or something. Nice simple job I would think.


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## Jazman (5/8/07)

i just got the bunnings job works well 3 yr warrenty welding 50 x 50 tube 1.6 execpt my arc wealding is not as good as my mig thank god for Grinding and flap disks


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## TidalPete (5/8/07)

Jazman said:


> i just got the bunnings job works well 3 yr warrenty welding 50 x 50 tube 1.6 execpt my arc wealding is not as good as my mig thank god for Grinding and flap disks



Jazman,

Why on earth would you spend money on an el-cheapo stick arc welder when you already have access to a MIG? 
Is the MIG an el-cheapo & has died?  

Think green!

:beer:


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## Jazman (5/8/07)

Mig at work, dont want to be at work all the time and plus getting crap home, plus i need practice at the stick at home have a few projects so i can do em when i want to plus the boss wont let me borrow one of the migs i have tried that plus the migs at work aint el cheapo also i got a 10 amp as i havent got a 15 amp power in the shed


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