How Good is the CHEAPEST Welder on Amazon?

[@DEBOSSGARAGE]

Can a 12v Inverter power this welder? Let's find out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4HYgJ13hKaHZ80 Links: $70 TL-1355 LT geni.us/135Astick $100 TL-1355 LT + TIG geni.us/135AwithTIG This one can use a pedal: USD $200 TIG Welder geni.us/200TP USD $70 Pedal geni.us/TLFP5P

[@toddlittles2786]

whats the watt rating on that welder

[@donaldcrites7504]

its 109 cdn for the sick only kit 241 cdn for the stick/tig kit

[@grinmaul]

@@donaldcrites7504 ya, was going to mention that, was interested at 70 to toss in trailer, less so at 110.

[@grinmaul]

the tig option is $241 and that's the cheapest its been since it went on amazon in aug. how did you get for $100??

[@ridgwalkerg]

As a Canadian, it would be proper to use Canadian prices, as bad as they are. Otherwise a good video, and quality review

[@crezychameau]

I love watching someone super-high skilled working with "low-tier" tools, it's so satisfying

[@traceyelliot8571]

if Vince says its good ?? ---> ill buy it

[@NunnSkull]

I love how you had a pro use it and review it.

[@wobblysauce]

Tech has come a long way… taking out some of the guess work.

[@calholli]

@@wobblysauce The real advancement is being able to look up videos on things before you buy them; this being a great example. That's what has really taken the guess work out of buying things.

[@CrimeVid]

Unfortunately,as I have found in my own trade, you have to know a fair bit to get a decent result from low cost tools ! This skill is very useful if you have gone and left a critical tool in the workshop. But cheap tools can only dishearten a beginner.

[@Greyskydies]

The welder guy with 40K hours welding was super chill and knowledgeable. You chose a cool guy that was genuinely impressed!

[@wadeedwards6194]

his hood constantly falling down pissed me off for some reason

[@_knight-king]

​@@wadeedwards6194 ikw but that made me laugh 😂

[@ssss-df5qz]

Yeah, he wasn't one of those intolerable OG's who think anything other than their "insert expensive brand name here" is "rubbish".

[@ibrudiiv]

@@wadeedwards6194 Goes to show how old that hood is that it doesn't hold it up anymore. I kept thinking a few rubber bands might fix it lol

[@donraptor6156]

Not use any equipment that is not in working order.

[@traviserlston6563]

Been a commercial industrial electrician for 24yrs , always wanted to learn to weld , seen this video a month or two ago and picked up this welder first week of February for my birthday . Having a total blast ! Pulling scrap steel off the jobsite all week , and spending the weekends drinking coffee and welding in the morning . Thanks !

[@sucre9995]

Coffee welder 🧑‍🏭 ☕ 😁 Have fun

[@perotekku]

Fellow Electrician, only been in the trade 10 years, but Commerical/Industrial as well. I've had a Hobart MIG sitting around for a few years, I think this video and your comment will finally get me out in the garage welding some steel up. Gotta start somewhere.

[@traviserlston6563]

@@perotekku right on man ! Yeah just a skill i always wanted to have . Been alot harder to do well than i thought , but im making some slow progress . And having a blast . Funny , bought an inexpensive welding table last sunday and found a connection point had broken during assembly , tacked it up and shes ready for coffee tomorrow haha had to use the welder to fix the welding table to continue learning to weld .... its a viscious cycle .

[@Christopher_R]

Did pretty much the same with a flux core welder for my 40th birthday. I still stink, but I stink less!

[@Mysticlavalamp]

where do you gets rods from?

[@bryansmith2649]

I love that he didn’t pass judgement on the welder before he tried it. I don’t care for people who are just keeping up appearances. He uses high end welders and buys for durability, but is still willing to evaluate the cheap stuff for us amateurs. It was really a pleasure to watch a true professional lay a bead.

[@DrMathOfficial]

What else can you report about it??

[@limbeboy7]

​@@DrMathOfficial stop hating that was a good analysis. Usually I watch KZbin for product reviews before I buy and experts are usually asholes to amateur products. My first guitar was $99 and I loved it bcuz it allowed me to grow and learn what I want out of instruments b4 I spent $500 on a top level guitar

[@DrMathOfficial]

@@limbeboy7 You're an idiot. I Asked him what else could be report and share about it....... because I'm in the process of starting to learn about welding.

[@littlearawak]

@@limbeboy7exactly. Don’t wanna spend too much money on a hobby or potential job tools if you’re not good at it or just don’t enjoy it.

[@KStewart-th4sk]

@@limbeboy7 LOL As soon as you see some dolt calling himself "Dr." and "Official" you can guess it's going to be a know-it-all. Lots of them on here.

[@FractalRelic]

it's pretty cool that something like this actually works relatively well and gets an endorsement from someone with that much experience. For people that want to try to get into welding at the home gamer level it seems like it would be worth looking at.

[@MyBrothersMario]

I love that he doesn't just call it complete garbage with no purpose, I've met a few welders that would laugh at someone even looking at this instead of a more expensive welder even if it's something they'll only use maybe once or twice a year.

[@u1es]

I bought a Zohan miniature welder in Uganda for that reason. Its 20cm x 12cm x 10cm. That was 5 years ago, and im still using the same $60 machine

[@Sharpless2]

@@MyBrothersMario Yeah welders can be a different breed of gatekeeper. Its like that for nearly everything tho. Guess theyre pissed that you dont have to buy a $3000 HTP welder or a $13000 Welder + $1200 torch for the few times youre gonna use it per year. It burns 6013's very well and thats basically the only rod any average joe will use.

[@navtektv]

I did my first ever spluttering and juttering weld today with this type of welder. I definitely would not have invested in one if it was anywhere above this price range. Now after watching a few tutorials I'm eager to get back at it tomorrow and try and get better. If I do, I eventually might invest in a more durable and expensive unit.

[@ionstorm66]

I have one too and the worst issue is you have to strap it down because the leads will drag it around lol.

[@NoWr2Run]

LMAO, NICE.

[@joshreynolds729]

Not a bad deal😂

[@MrMartinSchou]

That very much seems like a first world problem.

[@ionstorm66]

Would be perfect with a 120/220 belt drive generator on the engine. They don't care about frequency, so RPM wouldn't matter.

[@calholli]

I have one slightly bigger, 200A.. similar form factor. I bent a piece of rebar into an S- hook.. and I would carry it around with me welding up a metal building. The leads are short, so I would take it up high on a ladder and hang the welder on a purlin nearby and just weld with it everywhere I could reach-- and move again. :) .. I could weld with it anywhere with that big rebar hooked through the handle on top. Sounds cumbersome, but it was actually very handy. I could just grab it and go with a simple extension cord-- where as rolling out the big welder is a chore: if you only need a few quick welds. They are great little tools to have, even if you have a big welder.

[@chetlockwood1491]

I bought one, I was fabricating the support structure for a 20' x 30' solar array, 3" x 3" square tubing 3/16 wall. I have a Miller Thunderbolt AC machine, what a fight to weld out of position. Bought the little welder and it was a totally different experience, all position, it didn't care or fight me with what I was trying to do, it just welded and did everything I ask. It's the best $70 bucks I have ever spent on a tool. It would be a great machine for someone to learn on. To see it gets the Vince Stamp of Approval is all the better, Great Review !!!!

[@txrick4879]

Just commenting on your thunder bolt welder . I had one that belonged to my father and he used it for many years .I got it after he passed away and used it for 8 years . Now my grandson has it and it still works fine . Now I wonder how long will it last . I might not live long enough to find out . So to say they last is a understatement .

[@mikec3260]

Nice to know!

[@martyh9309]

The coil would probably be cooler with the cover on as that would direct the fan air more across the heat sinks and coil.

[@TechOne7671]

Correct.

[@52Ford]

That was my thought, too.

[@teardowndan5364]

Yup. That tiny welder did surprisingly well without cover and would likely have been ever so slightly better with it still on.

[@calholli]

I thought that too.. but the cover also traps heat inside. So it would probably be about the same really.

[@teardowndan5364]

@@calholli Forced convection is far more effective at moving heat than natural convection thanks to moving air 10-100X faster than natural convection would, even more so when heatsink fins are horizontal for front-to-back forced airflow instead of vertical for natural convection. The heatsinks in this thing are horizontal, they need forced air to work effectively.

[@432b86ed]

As contrary as it may sound, I suspect that the cover for that case is important to keeping things cool inside. The louvered openings, along with the fan, likely increase air velocity and cooling effect.

[@MikhelBL]

The guy doing the welding... what a cool and nice guy, far and away it is obvious he is great at his job and what I liked about the video is that he didn't treat the little machine as a potential piece of garbage, from the start he treated it as if it was is more expensive machine, that shows you he knows how to treat tools. Awesome guy and awesome little machine. And as he said, if you know how to weld and need to make a buck with not a lot to invest, it would be an appropiate way to start and build up from that. Saludos.

[@chocolingo7423]

One of the best reviews I’ve seen lately. Love the fact that a true professional gave this an honest trial and feedback. 💯 appreciated

[@brandonclay6572]

True professional; NOT a clickbait influencer :)

[@wrenchforahammer8317]

I have been welding for 32 years. I have been constantly surprised by the capabilities of these new tiny machines

[@thatoneguy454c]

I got their multi process welder and it is better than the Miller I bought like 12 years ago. Technology is advancing at a ridiculous rate and becoming less and less expensive. The Miller cost me about 1300 bucks when I got it and the Tooliom was like 400 lol

[@gmacka6333]

Inverter technology has brought both the size and weight requirements of the welding machine down, and they're constantly becoming a lot cheaper. With thatsaid, I did just recently buy a new ESAB inverter machine for $5000

[@Neeboopsh]

the massive jump in solid state inverter parts, ie: no more bulky transformers and the stuff you need to keep all of that where you want it and cool is, has been a game changer for dc stuff from higer voltage ac mains. its totally bonkers.

[@markanthonyalamillojr.2586]

Pretty soon we will have a tool the size of a pen 🖊️ that will be able to weld!

[@foobarmaximus3506]

@@thatoneguy454c- In no way can that cheap thing compare to a Miller. Not a chance, no way. That cheap Chinese junk is just that: Junk.

[@hydewhyte4364]

Be interesting to see how it would run on something like a Bluetti power station. BTW, the case cover has to be on for the fan to draw air over the components and cool them properly, so it would probably run even cooler closed up.

[@chrishastings2665]

That's what I was thinking on the fan.

[@AnIdiotwithaSubaru]

EEVBlog shows Dave using something like cling wrap so he can still get a thermal camera image of the insides while still allowing the unit to keep itself cool under load.

[@adrianstanton2652]

How about a genset of various levels to find the threshold.

[@theSam91]

@@adrianstanton2652 This thing won't live very long running off a generator. Their output voltage is full of spikes which the electronics in the welder can't handle for more than a few times.

[@ericcrockett6396]

​@theSam91 I have a Amazon 130.00 cheapo i bought about 4 years ago and it has spent half its life run off a generator and it does just fine

[@gpweaver]

It's awesome to see a pro who isn't dismissive/snobby about equipment/brand, and gives the equipment a fair shake before pronouncing a rating. ...That's generally a sign that someone is *actually* competent and experienced at their trade.

[@clintlasher8436]

My 14 year old son got excited about welding after a field trip to a tech school. Got him one of these to play with and stick stuff together, he’s been loving it. When we started telling him about the money he could make doing it as a career it really put a new spin on it for him.

[@ihavekalashnikovyoudomath9275]

"Play with" is a dangerous way of putting it, but it's good that you encouraged your son rather than deny him the experience for XYZ reason

[@arrrgonot7801]

Its feast or famine. Far better off plumbing or electrician way better money and better job security. Much cleaner too. You haven't lived till ya weld in a shop when it's 100° out and the powder coat ovens are going.

[@Alex-vz2jz]

​@@ihavekalashnikovyoudomath9275 fck around and find out, That's how i learned my lessons in life. Ain't nothing wrong with the kid learning with this machine

[@dshall442]

I got the 195 version of this for stick welding class, impressed the hell out of the instructor. He was pretty speechless and told everyone to go buy one. Paid $118 delivered 18 months ago for it.

[@jadeolin8514]

Im going back and forth on getting the 195a or this 135a w/ the tig kit.. os it worth it to get the higher amp version?

[@boberson83]

@@jadeolin8514 can't say anything about this machine in particular but it's generally better to use a stronger machine at 60% than trying to squeeze 100% out of a machine

[@ARASHKAGE]

Is it still running?

[@dshall442]

@@ARASHKAGE sure is, just welded up a buddy’s snowblower attachment for his lawn tractor. Burnt 6013 just fine at 95 amps on 120 volts. Was hot enough to make a nice weld in a very tight spot.

[@rekleif]

What this tells me, as an quite experienced stick welder, there are no substitution for experience.... Not done a lot of tungsten welding, but in expert hands everything looks easy....

[@jefferysoles1715]

Nail on the head with that comment. Companies try too often to save a dollar and it shows in the end.

[@ayitsyaboi]

I had Harbor Freight's Titanum 125 and loved it, but being stuck on 120 left me little room to work with beyond really small jobs. I picked up one of those "220A" Chinese inverter welders from Amazon and just running flux core and stick has covered 99% of the work that I do. I am always expecting it to explode or go up in flames, but it hasn't yet. Like Vince said, if you can make or save money with one, they literally pay for themselves on their very first real job.

[@kundetjenesten]

That's the way to go! I do the same thing; cheap 125 flux welder for thin stuff and stick for the rest. 👍

[@gantz4u]

@@kundetjenesten I weld with 2 microwave transformers I wired together and just got a chinese machine that says it can do tig, wire feed mig etc. You can do thin stuff with stick its just hard. I run 1/16th rod 6013 at a real steep angle, hopefully with a thick backing to act as a heat sink. or just tack wait. tack to avoid blow thru. If blow thru happens I come back with a thicker rod and texas 2 stick to try to fill. It spatters everywhere, prone to blow thru, blows the breaker on anything bigger than 1/16th, and does massive slag inclusion but has boogered every weld I needed to booger. Im hoping this chinese welder steps my game up because I hear people saying wire feed is easy and I want the option to burn bigger sticks without blowing my breaker. Realistically Im mostly welding tools I make out of thin scrap I found or repairing a random grill leg or lawnmower deck.Biggest project I tackled was a wood stove I made. I saw the supposed $10 stick welder that looks like a impact gun and said thats more like 90 and you can get a chinese buzzbox for that price and decided its probably time to upgrade and move passed the microwave welder.

[@gmacka6333]

​@@gantz4umoving "past" the microwave transformer welder is probably a good idea. Although there are videos outthere that teach you to have multiple heat settings based purely off the amount 9f windings you do for which heat is required. Starting at like 60amps ànd all the way upto about 180 or higher

[@gantz4u]

@@gmacka6333 I welded with the flux core and the dial made it a breeze and welded way thinner than I guarantee would just blow out all day to make some cir clip pliers from some nasty heads and rebar. I got the volts written on the wood plank to deduce amps on the microwave welder. But this proves true that "if you can learn to weld with that you can weld with anything" as switching to wire feed flux core with a dial was an absolute breeze. Im keeping the microwave welder as im sure it gives good penetration on something alot thicker than the wire feed can dial ramp to and its my 1st booger welder. Thanks.

[@richardpalko8062]

I think 2 other commenter's may be correct about their theory of the unit cooling better if the cover was installed. It's an interesting thought !

[@Boydmt68]

Being a retired military computer geek with just shy of 40 years experience, I am very impressed with the technical skills of the welder using the cheap device. Thank you for doing this video!!

[@spaceted3977]

Boydmt68. These modern Welders are Easy to Use. You can easily weld 2 Bits of Steel Together. They are not like the old ones that Need 150 amps just to start it up !!!

[@robertsheridan5012]

Very refreshing to watch a true no BS assessment by a professional on such a small and lightweight, cheap Welder. Great Works.

[@larryclark9380]

Just bought one. Same model without TIG stuff was $67. Let's learn how to stick weld! I will save for a nicer unit, but this will get me started. Thanks.

[@williamlott7612]

I purchased a couple of small inverter welders in 2019 for a mission trip to Cuba. I tested one before the trip and was impressed by its performance. The two Cubans I gave the welders to were ecstatic to receive the machines and they immediately began making good use of them. This little machine is even smaller than the ones I gave away and less expensive. I’ll probably buy two or three for our next mission trip. BTW, I recall a high pressure pipe welder in the Navy mentioning that the one skill he had to master for high pressure (1200 psi) steam piping was grinding. Thanks for the video. Darlington, South Carolina USA

[@B-Shep]

Thanks for helping people out. I love hearing of people going on mission trips.

[@javajav3004]

God bless you

[@t0ph3rstreams13]

Thank you for going on a mission trip to Cuba it restores my faith in humanity a little. I'm sure over the last 5 year's as long as they kept working those machines have done thousands of welding jobs. Slowly helping the people of Cuba keep the country moving. One of my goals is to visit Cuba and meet the people who have suffered from a terrible communist regime and see what I can learn from them. I would also love the possibility of going there and getting an American made classic with whatever modifications were needed to keep it going and useful still. Then bring it back to America and drive it every once and awhile and imagine the possibilities the vehicle went through in all of it's existence. Loving the modifications that were done to keep it moving showing it off at car meets and shows. Townville, SC P.s I hope you're able to bring a few more with you if you're going on another mission over there.

[@Kcrunchymunch]

​@@t0ph3rstreams13your crippling opinion about communism is nothing more than the american propaganda you've been fed. You think the capitalist system american live under is better? A true democracy doesn't allow for capitalist to control the lives of all it's citizens.

[@WastedElephant]

This company should give you 1 million dollars for the review. I'm gonna get this thing now, and I bet half the people here will too.

[@benjamindover7399]

Here in Poland, I bought a welder just like that for 149 pln ($37.50) for emergencies off road. I was also very surprised at how well it welded and how long I've been using it. 10/10 because it still works great.

[@STREETRAT98]

Scratch start TIG is the best to learn on imo. It teaches heat control and travel speed at a more emphasized rate. And once you figure that out, along with adding filler, you can pretty much tig anything. I started off on scratch start tig on only stainless, and the first time I used a high frequency pedal machine, I was laying absolute dimes. Start with the toughest, and you can do anything

[@appalachianamerican1776]

I would absolutely agree with learning on the hardest first. I learned on a great 30yr old sycrowave with a pedal which I still love to this day. But the material I learned on was outdoor beach and pool furniture that fatties lay down on and break or hurricanes who knows. All salt oxidized ,corroded away powder coated aluminum and cast iron. A few years of working that everyday after school I was able to go to technical school while in highschool for welding. After popping your cherry on that everything was easy won a national welding competition with hundreds of points between me and second place.

[@jamesg9932]

I agree and here is an even older example, I started out stick welding with a $20 welder sold in the ads of Popular Science in the mid 1960's. The welder ran on 30 amp 220V and was basically welding direct line through some resistance coils on an asbestos sheet. Just striking an arc was an accomplishment let alone life threatening. Once I bought my $100 Lincoln buzz box I thought I might be able to weld afterall, what a difference!

[@woozledog]

Anyone reading this and just wants to do some minor crap, or crafting should disregard learning stick welding lol. Just do wire feed if you want to. Man is right if you plan on Being a welder.

[@toxicflicks1928]

in high school my schop taught us oxyacetylene first, told us to learn the motions and puddle control and after a week or so we started using filler then taught us stick welding and in metal shop 2 is when you learned tig and mig

[@tomcoryell]

Thanks! Good review!

[@GTL77]

As a welder I’m impressed by how well that little welder worked! I might have to pick on up just so I can do some tig welding!

[@52Ford]

I'm not sure about all that, but I might keep one in the toolbox of my truck and run it off a small generator or inverter.

[@theglitch99]

For 100$ why not! Use a credit card and now it's free to you for awhile!😂

[@paradiselost9946]

the scratch start will drive you nuts... i find its not the start thats the issue. its the stop! then again, they arent too hard to modify to HF. or slap a pedal on. most circuits are the same under the cover....

[@C0D3R33D]

So if you use a credit card you don’t have to pay it back 😂

[@GTL77]

@@C0D3R33D it’s a wright off 🤣🤣

[@scottcarr3264]

I'm a Fabricator, and I was Impressed for what it could actually do, even reasonable Tig welding, But I do like a Foot Control. I Learn'd to Tig Weld at "TAFE" college, here in Australia, With a Scratch start machine, Just over 30 Years ago, so I know what that takes. For a $70 Dollar welder, $100 with Tig, off Amazon, that is crazy. You could Throw that in the Boot of your car, just as a Small backup unit to fix a friends broken things, I always have my spare Helmet in the Boot, anyway. Great test on that Machine, thanks.

[@OmniMontel]

That's the sort of thing that I weld for anyway so it's a good little unit for me.

[@macc240038]

Looks good but how long will it last ?

[@jimmystrahan3222]

Did his helmet have adjustments?

[@stupidhead9117]

@@macc240038 6 years

[@CncObsession]

If it makes it thru a few repairs it would have paid for itself. The beads he was laying at times was past what I would have ever expected. @@macc240038

[@yardmaster1000]

I have pretty much the same welder from amazon and I love it. Works great and as I'm in a wheelchair, it's plenty light enough to take anywhere. I put the quarter panels on my 72 Pontiac with it.

[@stansmith1911]

I have one works like a champ. I have a snap-on 250, old Lincoln buzz box, harbor freight mig, my snap-on has ALL the bells and whistles and I like the welder you just did this video on and my harbor freight mig welder the most. If I have a job that requires a lot of heat for a longer time I use the snap-on.

[@texgowing7359]

I live in Cambodia, my small welder arc only was $65 & it's been in use quite allot for the last 3 years & still going strong.

[@alanenglish9681]

Really enjoyed this . Getting the low down off a pro welder was great, especially as he approached it with such a neutral unbiased manner. I've worked with welders in the North sea gas industry who would just dissmis it out of hand without trying it. Keep up the great content!

[@ryankudebeh2570]

Welder snobs are so tiresome, most welders would love to see this work, it's a tiny toy. The guys who are snobs are just insecure that the 12 year old who got one for Christmas is going to be better than them in a couple years. It's gatekeeping, plain and simple. Cowards.

[@BMutunga]

welders in the North sea don't use this type of electrodes - rutile, they are required to use basic which can't be handled by the cheapo choke-less welding rig. That's why they just dismiss it out of hand without trying it. The welder guy from video doesn't look quite pro, as a pro would try basic rods first.

[@markbroad119]

I have the same welder, got a buddy who calls me to weld his farming equipment back together. It works perfectly. 7014 1/8" no problem or 7018. Got 20' jumper cables that are better than the 6'ones it comes with

[@jaybee848]

I like that the expert gave an honest opinion and was not a snob.

[@nancyjamieson8398]

Thank you for that - what a surprise! I've been welding for 50 years now and would NEVER have guessed that little thing could weld that well!

[@thepubliceye]

The cover is part of the cooling system, I'm impressed you didn't burn it up.

[@wazza33racer]

thats a good point, its like running a lawn mower engine without the cowling......the designed air flow is missing.

[@KStewart-th4sk]

You don't think he doesn't know that; given the projects he has done?!!!

[@thepubliceye]

@@KStewart-th4sk I never said a thing that suggests he didn't know that.

[@ryankudebeh2570]

Yeah, if anything that helps make sure it's a little beast. If it can run like that without the cover, it should last a good long while with it.

[@Voivi]

I'm no mechanic, have never welded and probably never will, but just loved this video. Great work guys, fascinating to watch a pro at work, using non-pro, budget tools. 👍👍👍👍

[@WildlifeWarrior-yd1fq]

You should get into it fun

[@GypsyHunter232UK]

I got my grandads old oil filled Oxford here in the qeer old corrupt UK 🇬🇧 and its over 70yrs old still pumping out the welds. I use it every day and it's still going strong..

[@gitmehere1]

I bet you brag about that thing on every welding video you watch. They are very cool and I bet in a thousand years if one is found it would probably still work.

[@paddlepower888]

I bought one of these little welders to fix things at my mom’s house 1100 miles away. They work. Money in the bank.

[@neilouellette3004]

As a pipe welder you should have known when welding that stainless pipe @13:00 you need a constant low pressure Argon purge on the inside of that pipe. That weld is loaded w/porosity on the inside of that pipe.

[@DrewMarold]

I have this thing's big brother, the TL-250M Pro that does 250A, stick, lift TIG, and wire feed, and it's currently $325 on Amazon plus $45 for the TIG torch. As a home hobbyist, it's a great little machine and does everything I need. I've patched up my snow blower, used it to build a welding cart to hold it & plasma cutter I bought, and have made animal sculptures out of silverware both with the TIG torch and flux core wire.

[@fonhollohan2908]

I use to work with vince I'm an ex welder fitter, I'm quite impressed with that little welder, too bad it didn't come with a foot controller, pedal set up! because newbee's will struggle with not being able to control the heat. Definitely something you can learn the basics with, If I were to buy a tig I'd definitely would want a foot controller, but you have to pay a little more for that regardless. You do need that option in my opinion when things get too hot, you want to be able to control that heat. Especially, with thinner metal. If you just welding 1/8 :1/4 to 1/3 plate should be fine, bodywork no! you'd need a foot controller to help weld thin metal work, I think if you want to learn how to weld it's has great features with stick capabilities and an option to learn tig, over all not bad. For a hundred bucks you can't go wrong really.

[@FreeFinca]

Does it need a foot controller?

[@juliusshuster9824]

Would be interesting to see it powered by a cheap-ish generator to demonstrate it in a worst case situation

[@englishwithteachermarius5950]

I did it on a 5kv gen 220v Works like a charm

[@wb3904]

Yeah on amazons cheapest generator 😂

[@ricardocuevas2245]

you guys are awesome! I am 51yrs old and need some welding done and HATE!!! asking for favors that people with welders promise and dont follow thru! your channel is great for newbies like me. thanks guys great vid. keepem coming! 👍👍

[@thehunter3386]

As an 83yo diy-er, this would meet my needs. I'm impressed with your overall assessment process! It gives a good idea of limitations. Guys, ya done good!! Thanks!

[@josephcizek7030]

I am impressed on how well that little welder worked and am thinking of buying one to teach my grandkids how to TIG weld. It is very enjoyable to watch another certified welder give his honest opinion. I have been a certified welder since 1977 and worked in the factory Maintenace trade as a mechanic/machinist/fabricator and now I am teaching my grandkids a lot of my skills and craftsmanship because the schools that they attend NO longer have any metal working class and the wood working that they have is pretty pathetic. You and Vince keep up the good work and keep producing the excellent videos.

[@nikspanakis]

Not enough time left at schools to teach useful stuff, too much time spent teaching LGBTQ culture.

[@AaronHendu]

​@@nikspanakistiny p bigot exposed. You arent angry about LGBT people, but you are def a typical, angry middle aged man. Usually tiny p anger. Figure it out. My year was the last year to get metal shop (born in 86) and lgbt wasnt even a topic of conversation yet.

[@AaronHendu]

Try thinking on capitalism for awhile and you might figure out why they dont teach it in achools anymore...or keep blaming the gays. Whatever.

[@AaronHendu]

​@@nikspanakisyour comment proves how dumb you are though...less time spent inhaling weldung fumes might do ya some good.

[@paradiselost9946]

@@AaronHendu someones got it ;) the gays are the result, not the cause. i already have more welders than i use.

[@janieunderwood7069]

Thank you. Thank you so very much for making this video. And helping an old woman out trying to figure out how I was going to reweld the front gate back together. Sounds like the unit might be quite handy around here on the farm occasionally. Thank you..

[@neilkratzer3182]

I keep one similar to that in the truck for backup. I use 1/8 7014 rods for easy start and worked well to get me out some emergency pinches when i didn't want to break out all the gear and it works well with a big enough generator.

[@Sankeyite]

Bought the Tooliom 200 TP Tig/Arc with the pulse and it has done the job in a pretty great way! From a 4piece antenna mast to a pull behind yard cart for my mower and a bunch of other misc fixes 110/240 works just fine! Liked it so much i bought the Yeswelder 5pin foot pedal for it and it took my stainless to a whole new level!! Paid $179 used my prim rewards and got it to the house for $117. This was the video that turned me on to Tooliom..thank you. It is a great little welder for beginners and not too bad for the experienced either!.

[@mistertravis4690]

I got a forney 100 st at tractor supply. I’m no pro but my father is a 30 year retired welder and he is blown away how well it ran. We ran 6013 1/8”. Definitely worth having at the house when you need to complete small repairs or projects.

[@foobarmaximus3506]

Sure sure.

[@robsdeviceunknown]

I love videos like this. The guy doing the welding, true professional. He didn't have that cocky elitist attitude of like " MILLER OR NOTHING" kinda person. He gave his honest opinion without bias. Now, for the welder, I agree, basic but great starter or emergency welder. There are a TON of good people with great skills and ambition who are kept from enjoying a hobby, honing a career, all because of the entry fees into things like welding. Even getting started with a Harbor Freight system is 1K just to start. Aos again, yeah I love the entry level tool reviews from a unbiased professional willing to give us a HONEST opinion and result. Even if it's sheer junk, we want to know.

[@boots7859]

Actually, a couple hundred at HF will get you a decent basic Mig welder, but you still need to find someone's old tank and regulator if you want to avoid fluxcore.

[@BabaYaga214]

​@@boots7859 The gas cylinders are the most expensive pain in the ass part of it. I got a decent flowmeter regulator from Amazon for under $30 though. Nothing fancy, but does the job.

[@aaronpreston47]

I bought one of those cheap Mastercraft wire feed welders from Canadian Tire and it’s not terrible. Works decent for automotive sheet metal and exhaust pipe. Voltage and duty time is where it gets you

[@21gioni]

I used to sell welding equipment and the smaller machines would have limiters on them. If you remove the limiters you can weld using four mm rods. They are a great tradie option for sight work. They generally can only weld for five minutes before the safety shut off kicks in that turns the machine off but keeping the fan on too cool it off.

[@raulperez518]

took a 4 hour course of hands on welding, stick, flux and mig the other day and loved it. This is perfect for me to practice before getting into school, thank you guys!!!!

[@davejalenderki]

I have this same brand welder but the 195A model. I bought it about a year ago. I have 35 years of industrial maintenance experience and have ran a bead or two. This little welder does really well especially when you are running it on 220V. If you are using 120V supply you will have to increase the amperage setting by at least 50%. The biggest rod I have burned is a 1/8" 7018 and it ran very well on 220V. A 3/32" 7018 runs very well on 120V but you have to set your amps at about 115 as opposed to about 75-90. It is well worth the money. I keep my Tooliom welder at my camp. I use a Miller 235 Thunderbolt XL at my home.

[@codysp]

Definitely added that to my list. I've had a $100 harbor freight flux core wire feed for 5 years now. Pretty sure I've run about one hundred pounds of wire through it. Zero issue aside from duty cycle times. 🤷‍♂️

[@stevenbrindisi4719]

Same here. Old Chicago electric flux welder. I had mine for 6 years, ran about 100 lb through it too. It's still running, though i broke the carry handle on top of the machine and dropped it several times. The fan sounds like it's hitting the case when it winds down but still works 👍

[@Isgood2beKing]

​@@stevenbrindisi4719❤

[@l3thDisciple]

That was surprisingly a very informative video for someone with the absolute most basic knowledge of welding! I was actually cheering for the pocket welder when using the larger rod. Thank y’all for a cool video with great knowledge and information so that even a very inexperienced person could understand!

[@charfmander]

Absolutely loved this video! I’ve been contemplating getting one of these welders for a project I want to do. I was hesitant getting one because I thought it was a “get what you pay for” tool. For the amount of welding I do (not a lot) this might be perfect. Thanks Rich and Vince! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@jonjacobjingleheimerschmid3798]

Just ordered a 10 in 1 from SSimder May want to check it out

[@cyleleghorn246]

​@@jonjacobjingleheimerschmid3798Ssmider 10-in-1 for $800? You realize we're talking about a $75 tool (notice, no 0 at the end of $75) in this video right?

[@maddict1045]

this has been a great lil 1 shot welder for me, i maybe twice a year weld alum, and it does exqctly what i need, its the harbor freight of alum welders and its perfect for the price

[@adematthewsracing]

I bought a dirt cheap flux core MIG from my local German supermarket a few years back for £50 for garden projects that I didn't want to subject my "proper" welder to. It's still going strong and does everything I need and more. At the time people told me they were useless and good for nothing. How wrong they were.

[@noscopesallowed8128]

Wow so people do actually buy the welders from Aldi. I'm shocked haha

[@adematthewsracing]

@@noscopesallowed8128 I've actually bought 3 of them over the years. The other two were for friends who didn't have a Lidl (not Aldi) near them. Excellent little welders when used with decent wire. Handy to be able to weld up stuff outdoors without having drag the big welder out of the garage, swap polarity, load up flux core etc.

[@jonasstahl9826]

​@@noscopesallowed8128I brought my welder at "Lidl" Multipurpose with 200A, for 200€

[@swapnilmankame]

People that say a "Welding machine" is useless are not skilled at welding. and this video pretty much proves it

[@timyanke9559]

I have a Canadian tire special Flux care mig, great for what I need

[@traceyelliot8571]

its nice to see Vince relax infront of the camera turns out he`s a true welding master and likeable guy 😘😇 maybe its time for the vince welding channel and test all sorts of welders from dirt cheap to the sky is the limit

[@nathanizotic1757]

A 35 year old welder once stated. “I’ve been welding for 40 years now”

[@iandeare1]

I'm a Luthier to trade (technically a Violin, and Brass Musical Instrument Technician, trained for two years F/T college, two years in the manufacturing industry, and have professional memberships) Someone once told me they'd been building guitars for famous people, for 50 years, aged 57! I'm 60, and only been doing it for 40! Clearly, apart from simple arithmetic, I know nothing LOL 🤣

[@mr.l2182]

With overtime, that checks out😂

[@jackiewilliams9565]

😂😂😂😂 especially knowing you grew up in the United States

[@fredericksweet]

pending on the trade they equates hours of exp to years of the trade. so the statement is technically true. If you are a dive welder you account a lifetime of exp in just a number of dives.

[@Firemedic2105]

@@mr.l2182 you laugh but there's some truth to that. When I was a paramedic I routinely worked 60 to 80 hours a week at a high volume service (ran 8-12 calls in a 13 ht shift, with 20 min transport times on average)... and volunteered as a firefighter. By seven years or so I easily had been a paramedic for 10-12 years. (More depending on reference... some services medics would take a month, 3 months if very rural, to run what I did in a week!) So while that person may have been talking shit, there can be truth to it too. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@JohnDoesItAll]

I bought the next model up just for tig welding in the restaurant industry. It does everything I need for welding stainless and have billed out thousands in the few months that I've had it.

[@POWERTOOLSLAB]

The welding guy is super chill and so wise , he treat the little "low cost" welder with respect, despite his years of experience using expensive welder. He even explains how it feels like, how the setting should be. My respect to the guy

[@Sharpless2]

Well he probably started on something comparable in this price range.

[@StefanBacon]

I love my $220 sungoldpower 200A DC tig welder. I think that $200-300 range is a good starting point as for that money I got a gas valve and acceptable build quality for a light-duty machine. I've used nicer torches since I bought it, and I've poured about a thousand dollars in tanks, accessories and consumables at it while I've learned, but it still treats me right when I need to stick two pieces of steel together.

[@retro_88yota]

I have the fancier version of that welder. I have used it occasionally for about 2 years and it has worked great.

[@austyman97]

I have a 200a hi frequency tooliom and aside from needing to buy a different torch to add a foot pedal, for $300(maple syrup money) it's a rockin welder!

[@tdotw77]

​@@austyman97😅😂🍁🍁 Maple syrup money💰🍁💰🍁😂😂Thats hilarious!

[@thatoneguy454c]

I have the $450 multi process welder from them and the new generation of their plasma cutter. Both of them work very well. I refaced an anvil with it and it worked perfectly. About 3 lbs of 7018 and then about about 6 lbs of 5/32 hard facing rod (11018) back to back rod after rod and never once didni hit the duty cycle limit or trip a breaker. 30 Amp 220 volt circuit. I have also used the Tig to weld up stainless exhaust and it also did very well. The Mig works well too. You can also fit a big spool of wire in there. All in all i love it. I have used the plasma on up to 1/2 inch mild steel and it cuts it with no problem.

[@raybob49]

Firstly, BIG RESPECT to the welder. With 50 years Mig/Stick welding (both hobby and in car repairs) I rate myself not much infront of a beginner. Super video demonstrating this excellent value equipment. Great to watch, thanks very much, Guys! Best to you all.

[@chrisweigand1817]

mine just showed up today! so stoked and ready to try it out. just started mig welding 6 moths ago and I love it. for 100 bucks I had to get this to try tig and stick. I did some research and made sure to get some tungsten rods for the tig and some 3/32 rods for the stick but totally spaced on the filler rods for the tig and have no idea how to sharpen the tungsten rods for the tig.. doh! all good tho. ordered the filler rods and about to watch your video on. how to tig. I wish it didn't take me 50 years to get over my fear of failure but I am totally over it now and I will defiantly figure this out and always knowing my next weld will be better then my last. Thanks for post. the nudge I needed.

[@bryanb953-m4v]

I’ve welded for 25 years and I’d say that little welder did really well for its size and price. For me I don’t care about the foot pedal, I rarely use one anyway, I just know what setting work with the thickness and alloy I’m welding. Use my travel speed and angle to control the heat input if the material starts getting to hot or stop.

[@sirroundsound9104]

Pedal. Peddle means to sell something

[@bryanb953-m4v]

@@sirroundsound9104 ok captain english major, guess you don’t have auto correct? Came in here just to correct peoples grammar? Lol wow.

[@sirroundsound9104]

@bryangillis5183 ok that's fine you wanna make fun of me because you look stupid. Idc bro do you

[@andre-michelgoulet6933]

Also, that's "too hot". To is a preposition meaning "toward" or "until." 😉

[@bryanb953-m4v]

@@andre-michelgoulet6933news flash……..grow up. I don’t care.

[@ColJonSquall1]

That's not bad for an affordable welder. I've seen Todd's coverage of some on Project Farm, where his welder friend came by and did 2 rounds of testing with several welders, and some of those were pretty decent too.

[@KStewart-th4sk]

Yeah, well i asked that "Todd" 2 weeks ago what he did with all the welders he supposedly bought to run his tests. He didn't bother to reply because i just checked today. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIarqo2ejrSCgbc

[@avwholesomegamer]

I feel like I just took a whole class, I learned so much!

[@johndilloway9762]

As a sheet metal fabricator in UK I used welding of all kinds in my job, a car I had needed some welding, not having bothered to have my own welder I got the job priced up £300, I bought a similar welder with tig as well, did the job myself for a third of the price, have used it quite a bit for other jobs at home, never had a problem with it, for the price they are a handy tool to have for the odd jobs.

[@robertoakley9609]

Being a UA pipefitter by trade retired, When I first started TIG welding pipe, I took a UA funded welding course at Columbia Basin College in Pasco Wa. I was taught to set the temp on the welder to whatever you would be welding at, then using the peddle to start you roll up and stand on the peddle because you don't want to be standing on the other leg while working the puddle heat, unstable footing not good. the peddle purpose is to reduce the puddle size as you roll the puddle up on the bevel freezing the puddle and the glass on the bevel to avoid punching a pin hole through the root when you stop the bead and it puts the glass up on the bevel where it is removed and not show up in a Xray if you do that level of welding. I always made sure I had a 3-4 point stance plus stroke the intended weld before striking an arc, both feet planted one hip and one elbow for control, plus I walked the cup 95% of the time from root to cap. The peddle is to start and stop the process only.

[@ryanc8188]

Sometimes cheap junk isn't as much junk as you thought!! Wouldn't go crazy with it but will definitely get the honey do list done!!

[@johngillies8591]

You guys are great. It's really appreciated when someone real actually does a review, thank you

[@woodstk70]

It would be cool to see what the welder would do connected to different portable power sources like a generator or inverter and what size they would need to be to run it.

[@kwpctek9190]

The coil got hot with the cover off because like a tunnel, the coil area gets first wind from where the air entry louvers are. I'm surprised it didn't blow just because the cover was off LOL. At this price it won't last long. This cheaper junk from China uses copper-coated aluminum coils.

[@apb1934]

I learned to weld over 50 years ago and still use a stick welder I bought in 1977 which was heavy to start with but gets heavier as I get older, this seems a handy tool for the odd jobs that pop up now and again. Also ideal for someone to learn on

[@snickelfritz4706]

I agree this thing would be great to keep in an off-road rig or as a backup emergency welder. Good performance and the price is fantastic.

[@foobarmaximus3506]

You have 220 volts when you're "off-road". I don't.

[@robertmckay694]

I’ve had the little grey box model. Had it for ten years now and I can’t kill it. 3/32” 6013 is it’s sweet spot. Reversed its polarity a couple times to scratch start tig and it still performs! This new model I bet will keep on trucking like the old one. I’ve got a trailblazer 301g and a XMT200CCCV. It doesn’t replace them but if you’re working in someone’s back yard 200’ from your truck, it’s a no brainer.

[@gentrybrown9034]

The irony of the quality control sticker not being properly attached is amazing

[@richwood8650]

So I bought the stick, MiG and Tig. Absolutely love it so far. Light duty. Will burn 7018 3/32. Flux core wire burns smooth has decent penetration. All less than 150 bucks.

[@xanxangel8640]

I've wanted to get into welding for years. This video has made me think it is a much more achievable goal than I thought. It's under $100 Cdn Thanks for the honest review.

[@ianriddell5635]

This has 100% convinced me to give welding a try. For small fabrication, I think something inexpensive like this would be ideal. I assume this would work the same with aluminum too, no?

[@jerseyshoredroneservices225]

NO. For Al you need Hi Freq and a pedal or hand control "throttle". It just wont work w/o HF and you need to control the heat as you go because parts heat up quickly.

[@joedirt1927]

Great video! It would be great to do a part two, and add a pedal, and upgrade the torch. Do a few tweaks and let Vince go crazy with it.

[@jameshicks7125]

Agree. I don't think it would be too hard to add a flyback coil and add the Hi freq start with a pedal as well as a solenoid valve to turn the gas off and on.

[@cantstoptinkering]

I love how his beard protects his shirt from sparks .

[@paulsdavis3025]

I would almost rather have a small good AC/DC buzz box. You can hook up a Heli-Arc torch and bottle to the AC/DC buzz box also. Not a fan of the torch that is a accessory. I prefer Weldcraft torches used with gas lenses. They are some very affordable good torches like CK etc. available for a low budget. In addition you can build yer own inexpensive chiller using a small fan and a radiator from a bike or a trans. cooler. Get a water reservoir to hold the coolant. Combine that with inexpensive water cooled torch.

[@paulsdavis3025]

All in all a good video though. Job well done guys!

[@lonhoschar1943]

I think you guys did a pretty good review. Seems like a good entry level welder and also a good one for the out in the field type repairs as long as you have a generator or other power supply.

[@martinultimatevw3779]

DeBoss and Vince, dropping everything and instant view.🎉 Vince is a awesome welder ❤

[@Notfilthy-ImAndy]

Vince drops dimes

[@Desire_of_Ages]

Thanks for bringing in a pro to do the review & testing. Good info. 👍

[@bayouninja]

5 years ago I watched video like this and the welder was 120 bucks on Amazon, the guy testing it said it ran great. I purchased it and the damn thing runs amazing I love it

[@MG-kw1kb]

I bought a similar one (slightly larger though) about 2 years ago & also paid the equivalent of around $100 for it & it's served me extremely well through various tasks & even generated around $3000 income through a few side'hustles... So I Fully Agree - these little Toys are Absolutely punching well above their weight & should bring loads of new players into the world of metal work!! Thanks for this Excellent review!!!

[@jeff9550]

I saw the National Steel Car sticker on his bucket, so I know this guy has been to hell and back. Nice video, and I was impressed with this welder for an at-home small project machine.

[@hunterlane5192]

I’ve got a tooliom plasma cutter and it works great too, beats the hell out of a cutoff wheel!

[@1978garfield]

Plasma cutters have gotten so cheap. I have some brand X Chinesium plasma cutter I got on sale on prime day last year. So far it works great.

[@davemcdill8917]

That was a really good watch, and a surprisingly capable little unit. I love seeing stuff like this where the pro scoffs at the "toy" tool and is then surprised and even impressed by it. That alone makes one worth 100 bucks just to have as a just in case tool.

[@donny95]

well i am a inspector and you can listen to most welds i cant hear anything in the audio but looking at this guys welds omg he is a awesome welder

[@timm2020]

I have the 3 in 1 Toolim Flux/Arc/Tig Welder. Love it, works really well. The first one I got was broken. The second one worked great. Had no problem getting a new one from the seller.

[@martyniner8893]

Any video where Vince makes an appearance is awesome! Vince should start a welding channel!

[@zacharyprovance3128]

Nice to see you guys do stuff like this. It's especially helpful for someone like me who doesn't have the setup for a fancy 220 welder (though I'd like one) that will have to stick some metal together here in the future on my project trucks. This is something I could definitely use to gain experience without spending tons of money right off the bat. I remember Peg doing a review on Kickin' Horse welders that were kind of the same inexpensive mini welders. I'd be curious to know what Vince's thoughts are on that brand. Another question for Vince if y'all see this is would it be worth it to buy an older Miller/Lincoln/Hobart? Years ago my father purchased an old gas powered Hobart that was used to build bridges back in the '70s or sometime around there. It was an old crane suspended unit that we rigged up on a trailer to be a mobile welder. Supposedly the only reason we stopped using it was because it drank WAY too much gas for our needs but I don't remember the reliability side of it. I've been told that old welders are worth having due to build quality but part of me thinks an old enough welder would cause nothing but headache due to age.