[California]

https://www.amazon.com/MIG-205-Welding-Machine-Gasless-Voltage/dp/B07VSN9NV9?th=1

You got me curious so I looked on Amazon. The reviews are generally favorable, worth what it cost.

A couple of customers got 'customer return' units or other problems. Phone support offered immediate replacement and was good to straighten out problems.

Everyone says it welds well.

Note the reviews jumble together all of the Askwelder versions and none of the customer photos matched the Amazon listing. One guy said his 205 can't be set to more than 150 amps. Note it needs 35 amps from the wall (not likely!) to give the claimed 160 amps on 110 volts.

Price is cheaper if you don't get the helmet included. Extended warranty looks worthwhile. Those buttons are the same as on a home microwave which last 10+ years so I wouldn't worry about that.

Based on the reviews it seems to be worth the price, which is far less than a pro production welder.

 

[California]

In 'comparables' listed on Amazon there's another ultra-cheap welder that might be a clone to this one. It's been offered for a year, so its not a scam vendor.

$199 with free shipping to arrive within a week. Shipped from US, not China. And Amazon cashback if it never arrives.

https://www.amazon.com/ITS200-Weldi...S200-Welding-Machine-STICK-Welder/dp/B07RDJQ7SH/ref=psdc_13400561_t2_B0766R8TJ9

Quality? Who knows. The one review is independent of the vendor, and favorable. Maybe it comes from the same factory as HF's stuff!

 

[California]

This is getting ridiculous!!!

A welder similar to the one discussed in this thread, for $19.99 shipped.

I don't know what to make of this. This seller has feedback for selling one of these recently but claims 250 sold. A similar stick welder seller also claims many sold but his feedback is mostly for shirts. Clearly a broker-speculator, not a welding shop. Is it worth the trouble to search for similar-price welders with more extensive feedback? Anybody here ever successfully received one of these $20 welders?

There are several similar listings for stick, tig, plasma cutter at the bottom of this page. Are these for real???

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HITBOX-Digital-AC-DC-Aluminum-Welder-110-240V-PFC-HF-TIG-MMA-ARC-Welding-Machine/303570914871?_trkparms=aid%3D1110012%26algo%3DSPLICE.SOIPOST%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200420083544%26meid%3Ddf86a6d758794453b55f25ab363f3ef0%26pid%3D100008%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D3%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D303575060318%26itm%3D303570914871%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DPromotedSellersOtherItemsV2%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219

 

[California]

You can remove everything past the "?" after the item number, the rest of it is just tracking and search information.

That's a fraudulent listing. I reported it as such.

How about this one, an Amico plasma for $29.99 ??? I reported this also.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amico-APC-...50HF-50-Amp-Non-Touch-Pilot-Arc-Plasma-Cutter-Pro-115-230V-Cutting/303575084120

It's the Wild West on Ebay at the moment. Here's some guy in Los Angeles offering the same plasma for $1,399 (with 3 day delivery) while his feedback shows several sold at $279.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amico-APC-...50HF-50-Amp-Non-Touch-Pilot-Arc-Plasma-Cutter-Pro-115-230V-Cutting/153676262029

 

[California]

Let us know when they say they've shipped and if they provide tracking numbers.

Tracking numbers from China are valid from good vendors, don't mean anything from scammers. Here's the essence of a couple of posts I've made elsewhere.

[drop shipped from God-knows-where] ...nearly past the 30 day Ebay feedback window, I got a shipping confirmation in the style of a USPS tracking number. But # unknown at USPS. I finally traced that # to learning it was a Philippine Post number, but they showed 'no information'. Weeks later the item arrived with markings showing China Post (expected) overlaid by Malaysia Post (WTF??). Likely his use of a bogus Philippine Post tracking number was only to 'prove' to Ebay that he shipped timely.

and

I got a tracking number today for an Ebay flashlight from Hong Kong. I discovered this company [ParcelsAp] will tell you which courier the seller uses and progress of the package.

My tracking number was a Yanwen number. Parcelsapp says they are an intermediary (similar to UPS) who collects parcels and takes them to China Post in bundles (maybe in full container loads?) A China Post tracking number is assigned to the package when they receive the container inventory but before they have possession. Then the parcel (container?) is handed to an airline or ocean shipper.

The Yanwen # will track progress of the parcel within China. Then the new China Post tracking number can be recognized by USPS and will show progress clear to the buyer's door if the higher-cost YANWEN Express option was chosen by the shipper.

A caution that I read elsewhere is that these tracking results will sometimes be posted by Yanwen or other intermediaries earlier than the actual progress of the parcel through the system. If the seller has chosen a reliable shipping handler, then its rare for a shipment to disappear. In particular the Chinese government works hard to make shipping reliable for exports and anything within their control should be reliable, if at times slow.
===

In this case with unreasonably cheap ebay prices, tracking numbers are likely imaginary. Or possibly valid numbers but tracing the shipment of a brochure or toy.

 

[California]

How about this one, an Amico plasma for $29.99 ??? I reported this also.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amico-APC-...50HF-50-Amp-Non-Touch-Pilot-Arc-Plasma-Cutter-Pro-115-230V-Cutting/303575084120

I wonder what Ebay will do about him.

His listings total '954 sold' total, across several welder auctions I looked at. Could be more.

But he has only two feedbacks for welders. Only 65 feedbacks, total.

His two welder feedbacks go to auctions now shown as
'This listing was ended by the seller because there was an error in the listing'.

All his feedback more than a month old is for selling shirts.

Might be a bogus seller? :laugh:

 

[California]

They will close the auctions at minimum, more likely remove his account. ...definitely a fraudulent seller

See this posting and the 2 posted after it which was about 1 month ago.

https://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?700179-Primeweld-AC-DC-Tig-225X&p=8744612#post8744612

Thanks.

 

[California]

... The bolt was loose in the spindle so, being anal, I thought I'd do the same thing to it. I removed the 4 screws holding the spindle on but the nuts weren't attached so they fell inside the machine. I had to remove the cover to reinstall the spindle.

Sounds like legendary older stuff from Harbor Freight - 'Some Assembly Required'.

Back in the day that meant take apart and reassemble the object the way it should have been in the first place.

 

[California]

I picked up the MIG-205DS off Amazon and it was delivered today. ...only used a HF FCAW before... ran a bunch of wire and it sure is more sensitive than the old one.

Which HF, and 'sensitive' how? Better? More/less power? Flux or gas? And what do you think of quality compared to HF, similar?

 

[California]

I think shootr has the flux125 HF...

If HF's Flux 125 (90A AC @ 17V and just two voltage settings) is like their previous AC flux welders then almost anything will be better. My experience with their blue AC 'MIG100' was mostly frustration.

This MIG-205DS should be worlds better.

 

[California]

If you really want a deal...(or are a gambler...)

Amazon Warehouse is their scratch and dent area - they have a "used-like new" MIG-205DS for $200.

Looks like you got the last MIG-205DS. Searching Amazon on MIG-205DS now goes to the ARC-205DS (stick) and clicking your link goes to the TIG-205DS which is "currently unavailable".

Can't find MIG-205DS anywhere on Amazon, as retail or Warehouse.

None found on Ebay either.


Anybody have some ideas for something similar that is decent quality?

 

[California]

Shipping from China seems random now, with fewer planes flying the route.

I just requested, and got, an Ebay refund for a flashlight ordered May 14.The expected delivery window ended June 24. According to its tracking # it was handed to an airline in Singapore on May 23.

Assuming it exists at all it hadn't moved since.

 

[California]

I don't even know where it's at, it could be anywhere, it just says shipped 2 days after I ordered it.

If you have a tracking number, this site will show the various checkpoints where it was scanned (like UPS tracking) as the package moves.

http://parcelsapp.com/en/tracking/

 

[California]

Unfortunately a lot of times the tracking number they use gets changed as it switches from one carrier to another.... and sometimes they assign the wrong number to your email in the first place the only way to know for certain is when you see it in your hands

True. For the $5 flashlight I got refunded as described above, the vendor assigned a Yanwen number (local courier like UPS) and a China Post number. The local number shows movement as far as 'handed to airline' but no customs export clearance which makes me think those steps are bogus. China Post reports their number is valid but they have never scanned the parcel - 50 days after my Ebay purchase. So I cancelled.

In contrast I just ordered a knurled mig feed roller and it has already moved across the border into Hong Kong with export customs declaration completed. This one is handled by SpeedPak, an Ebay affiliate based in Shanghai. I'm optimistic that this one will arrive in a couple of weeks.

 

[California]

Re: Additional screenshots of wire feed speed charts

Seems to be a trend in China products on E-bay. They collect sales dollars for a few weeks and then disappear without shipping anything. Then when you open a case, Ebay ends up paying everyone back.

I'm still waiting for my .023 roller to come from the chicom, ....

I ordered a knurled drive roller July 1 and it arrived last evening (July 13). I've learned a couple of things:

SpeedPAK shipping is an affiliate of Ebay. Choose the vendor who uses them! Their tracking reports are real, not made-up. They apparently fill an air transport pod and send one over, every couple of days. In contrast my experience with 'Economy shipping' has been poor.

Ebay seller chnsalescom seems to specialize in welding accessories and actually stocks what they sell. I see they have 100% positive feedback which is rare among China vendors.

That is in contrast to many other sellers, who drop-ship, ie accept your order then have the real vendor send it to you. If your industrial stuff is listed among womens clothing and doo-dads that's probably a drop-shipper. Reading the seller's feedback to see what else he's selling can be a clue to whether he understands the product.

 

[California]

Followup - I tried out the new knurled drive roller for flux core yesterday and its day/night better than what was in the welder. Prior owner had modded this Harbor Freight MIG-180 as a hobby project. It was immaculate and appeared never-used. A big capacitor mounted external, a longer stinger, and a relay to power the drive motor instead of its current going through the motherboard. Then after he moved up to a better welder he sold this one to me - $25! But it didn't feed smoothly when I bought it. I suspect that was his reason for adding the relay feeding the drive motor.

I don't know if the feed roller in it was a useless one from some other project, or it was the original. (.023 + .030 and slightly knurled, while I thought .030 + .035 was the original spec). This new knurled .030 + .035 roller feeds flux core flawlessly with very little pressure compressing the wire against the roller. I think distorted wire explained the previous erratic feeding. Problem solved for $5.

 

[California]

I recently had the opportunity to try out the Arccaptain MIG Welder and I wanted to share my experience with you all. Firstly, I'm incredibly impressed with the welding results. The machine is user-friendly and delivers high-quality welds. I found it capable of handling almost all domestic welding and repair needs, from small projects to more complex tasks.

I looked on Amazon. That's impressive for only $330 (after coupon)! Same price as AliExpress, and via Amazon, it's returnable.

https://www.amazon.com/ARCCAPTAIN-Gasless-welding-Aluminum-Adjustment/dp/B0B1TGZ8XN

Does anyone else have experience with these?

 

[California]

sent it back several months ago, click, click, when plugged into 220 AC

never had a welder do this...

my 2 cents

bought through amazon, very good return policy

Was that a Yeswelder, or the ArcCaptain mentioned in this thread yesterday? The ArcCaptain sure looks attractive.

Meanwhile the modified HF Mig-180 that I bought second hand must be 10 years (or more) old by now and it still works fine.

But where suitable, I like to use the little Amico 130 dual-voltage flux welder. It's easier to pull out of the cabinet and just get to work.

 

[California]

Concerned about warranty? Buy it on Amazon:

Add a Protection Plan:
​

3-Year Protection Plan for $48.99 ​

4-Year Protection Plan for $63.99
​

I would, and have, added that as an integral part of a welder purchase there.

I phoned the separate warranty company to verify they were real. They said they had surprisingly few welder warranty claims even on the cheap China bare-bones units. Warranty procedure after the factory warranty expires - ship it back to the dealer to be fixed or replaced under this company's no-hassle warranty. My 2022 $149 welder runs same as new so I wasted money adding that warranty. But it let me sleep better!

 

[California]

Wondering on the warranty. If the smoke comes out, Would the welder go back to Amazon or China?

Before adding the warranty I phoned the warranty company. They said send it back to the (US) company that listed it on Amazon. If they can't fix it then the warranty buys you another one. And - I expect these US welder dealers are merchants, not techies. So if they can't fix it in a few minutes by swapping in a board from another warranty return, then you get the new one. All paid by the warranty company so the dealer has no reason to give you a hard time.

That warranty company persuaded me this process is painless, at least as easy as dealing with Lincoln, Miller, etc on a warranty return.

And they said they have surprisingly few warranty claims considering we all know these are cheap Chinese welders.

Seems to me you buy the import welder and consider the warranty an integral part of the purchase cost. And figure if it, or the replacement , lasts as long as the warranty term, and assuming that all this costs 1/5 of a 'real' pro welder, you are way ahead of what a production-shop pro welder would cost.

That said, I think these are suitable for the tinkerer, the DIY'er, the farmer who needs it for occasional repairs (me), anybody who won't use it for hundreds of hours/year in a production shop. For that application buy pro gear and charge your customers enough to pay for it.

3 years now and I'm happy with my dual voltage small Amico. Another poster said he has Amico stick welders for his crew assembling carports or something and they all work perfectly in his light production application, no problems at all.

On Amazon there seems to be a lot of decent-quality import welders at very fair prices. As always, its worthwhile to read reviews and compare features, not just go for cheapest available.

---
Added: After posting that I saw the next page discusses buying a welder via Temu. Cheaper, but I doubt the solid warranty I described would help on a Temu purchase. More of a gamble. Temu might want it shipped back to China, very expensive and slow.