Tooliom "135A" Inverter Stick Welder 110V/220V

How cheap can you go? This cheap! lol. Miniature 4.5 pound 110V/220V inverter stick welder.
Use Coupon Code: HTPSouthTexas and get 5% off your USA Weld - HTP America online purchases (excludes on-sale items or items otherwise marked down).
Observations AFTER I made this video: There doesn't seem to be too much hot-start, if any. There does seem to be a little bit of arc force though, which is good. I'm thinking it might perform just a little bit better with slightly beefier cables/work clamp/electrode holder.

[@Looking4TravelingWelderJob]

My friend has the wire fed version of this their top model which he paid less than $180 for 2 years ago. We both build pressure vessels for a living. These toolium welders are a diamond in the dirt. Work like a champ. If it breaks down buy another and than ul have parts. Totally worth it ten fold

[@thatoneguy454c]

I have the TL-200M and it is awesome! I run it on 240 with a 30 Amp circuit. It will burn 5/32 hard facing rods and the duty cycle is insane. I used it to hard surface a harbor freight anvil and blasted through about 2.5 lbs of rods back to back on 155A without popping the breaker or any other issues. It works very well as a MIG and lift TIG as well. This company makes some incredible little welders, especially for the price.

[@christians131]

Thank you for making this, I think I’ll end up picking up something like this for small projects

[@wjonthetrail]

You can even tack your work to the bench that has a solid ground attached You will get much better results Also a bad ground will create higher temperatures in your welder and possibly causing it to burn out

[@spiderlovesbeerotto2892]

These little machines are a must for a beginner. You’ll never weld structural stuff with it but you will learn the basics of welding. Puddle dragg’n, stick angles, drag speed, to hot, to cold. No need to buy a $5000 rig unit you’re serious about melting rods.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

I kinda agree. The big draw back is that all the advice from seasoned professionals won't correctly translate due to the machine not being "honest" about the amperage. Newbies won't know about the discrepancy, and assume their amps on the display are reality, and then they can't figure out what they're doing wrong, because they don't know how to weld/read the puddle yet. Catch 22.

[@spiderlovesbeerotto2892]

@@zod-engineering-welding yup. Someone needs to make a video of this little machine hooked up to a multimeter and show how to read the correct amp output. Then show how to turn up/down the amps until you get the proper amps for what stick they’re using. Then show how a puddle looks and how to drag it. Then how it should sound while laying down a bead. Once someone makes that video, all other videos will never be viewed again. Damn…. I’ll be back… I have a video to make 🙂

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@spiderlovesbeerotto2892 yup, I been wanting to make such a video, but I have too many other toys I wanna play with.

[@spiderlovesbeerotto2892]

@@zod-engineering-welding Me too. Maybe someone else will read this then make the video. The sad part is, they’ll be the one that becomes famous from our idea. Oh well…..

[@dianaalfieri18]

Bought a winbegin machine and on 46 v it was like 97v with atom arc 7018,go figure ,these displays are all over the place and that is a 110 welder.VLA

[@ShawntreezyBreezy]

Smooth grooving, hell yeah bought this the second after watching - Playing with sparklers looks fun son to add metal to metal full throttle is the motto

[@dann5walker172]

Thanks for the honest review. I'm very green at welding, Just ordered this thing, I know it will be much better than using car batteries

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Have a look at my review that I left on Amazon about the amperage. I documented what I measured with an ammeter. This way you don't go crazy when you have lots of trouble running rods; you'll already know to set it much much higher.

[@Looking4TravelingWelderJob]

Ur weak if u don't use car batteries. Hahahaha jk

[@Looking4TravelingWelderJob]

@@zod-engineering-welding The toolium brand is impressive

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@Looking4TravelingWelderJob I guess it depends what you are used to using. Compared to my real welders, they are cracker jack box toys.

[@tomchristensen2914]

I have seen videos of same cheap machine running all different rods and they started lower than 100 and it ran great. I love my Lincoln, but I'll buy one of these for portability

[@paradoxdea]

I like product reviews. Keep up the great work!!

[@Gkitchens1]

Im hoping to get thus exact welder for some light work mostly exhaust welding and ive got to weld a little on an old cbr 600 frame (was cut off above the back tire where passenger would sit, cuz it was turned into a stunt bike before i got it.) And i also want to build a small jack press. I think it would do perfectly for what i need. I cant beleive you can get a welder this cheap that works!

[@justinblankenship7318]

Dude, strike the rod like a match. You're killing me haha

[@gregoryking9348]

I almost stopped watching during the unpacking when he refused to set down that wildly flailing knife. 😂 He's obviously a better welder than I am but yeah, his strikes were making my left eye twitch.

[@w5cdt]

This unit causes rod sticking unless you crank it all the way up. It’s not him….it’s the machine.

[@Looking4TravelingWelderJob]

What kind of space ship did they get this new technology on. This little welder is gonna be what commercial size shops will be using eventually. Imagine the convenience

[@CatDaddyx2]

I got one zip tied to my roll cart at work

[@btolley100]

"I've eaten burgers bigger than this thing" LOL. Nice vid, thanks.

[@HenrySolis-w4x]

Just got one. Thanks for the info bro! God bless!!

[@matejbenko8268]

What is difference between TL-135A and TL-135S? I can’t find the “S” one. All over amazon is just the “A” model

[@willbecker5632]

That is one tiny welder .... If the machine came out first I would have thought it was a lunch box

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Yup, I've stuffed that in my BSX welder backpack for small mobile jobs when I didn't have time to load up my other gear. Fits neatly at the bottom with space for grinders, rods, discs, gloves, etc. It's pretty neat.

[@williamburdon6993]

It has a little aer inside tht says when you go from 110 to 220 to wait 2 minutes

[@precisionarc]

Cooling way:WIND 👍

[@402outdoorz5]

I was busting out laughing when I seen that lol

[@Kevin.L_]

Thanks Oscar. I feel better about my Everlast now.

[@johnyoung1298]

Great testing, FYI could you shut down welder off when you talk next time! Thanks!

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Lol, I'll see what I can do.

[@kevindtimm]

They discontinued the 220v option, it's only 110v now - kinda takes the bloom off the rose.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Hmm, I see that the Amazon listing sure enough only shows "110V" on the unit. BUT, I would be willing to bet it's the same exact machine and they just don't include the short pigtail adapter cord for the 6-50R plug. Why on earth would they re-engineer an already existing design just to remove the 220V capability? I'm willing to bet they did not. 😁

[@suzannetisseur2872]

Great video, and would be even better if you got a microphone so that interested people like myself didn't have to constantly rewinding to make sure that I heard properly.

[@joshbrock4772]

I have the toolium tl-135m.

[@ruckuswethepeep4384]

You said it's the cheapest welder you ever bought, then you you start comparing it to a Miller or Lincoln ???

[@stephenmcgowan8731]

Have you used the tig? Could definitely use pointers on the scratch start

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@stephenmcgowan8731 No I never used this as a TIG. Check out my video on the HTP Inverarc 220TLP, where I show my "scratch" start technique.

[@Gkitchens1]

So the biggest thing ive seen in common with all of these sub $80 weldwrs is poor grounding being the cause of it not performing consistently. I think when i get mine the first thing im gonna do is trim the ground and improve the connection to the clamp. Clamping dire tly to the piece seems loke it would work better than through the table with these shoebox welders too.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

In a way I agree, but it also has to do with these using cheap aluminum cables instead of OFC. I would wager that replacing the stock cables with some 6awg welding/battery cable and a good quality stinger/work clamp it would be at least a 10 "percent" improvement. Heck I bet if you wired the 6awg cables directly to the outputs on the boards (bypassing the weird Dinse connectors they used), I bet it would be even better than just cables/stinger/clamp alone. Then again it all just depends how much money you want to throw at a $69 welder. At this point, all of these points are moot as mine just collects dust since I have many high end professional welders from HTP/Stel. My go-to stick welder is the HTP Inverarc 160 Plus DV.

[@garypostell5268]

Not bad for a lunch box welder on the 6011

[@probaina]

Great review. Thank you.

[@bobbyself9817]

Is this your first welder ? If so keep practicing you’ll improve over time.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

nah it's not. Real welders do not hinder ability as this one does. Check out my other videos on my channel if you want to see my other stuff including my 3-phase machines.

[@markbroad119]

Fyi. When your trying to tack something there is no rule saying you can't hold it like a pencil. The rod does not get that not in 1 second.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Oh of course. I just didn't really think of that since it's not my normal routine when you consider the other welders that I am accustomed to using :)

[@Gkitchens1]

I always weld with it like a pencil unless it's a long weld and then I just start it like a pencil and then hold the stinger. I'm too shaky to scratch start consistently otherwise. Always have been.

[@w5cdt]

Sticks like crazy on all 3/32” rods at 95 amps. Mine model is only 120V. I’ll try it at wide open setting. Maybe it will work. Otherwise useless

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Yea that's the problem that I demonstrated in the video. It simply doesn't put out what the dial says. 95A on the display is likely around 60-70A actual real-world current. With 120V input mine barely put out 94-95A, and it tripped a 20A breaker, so it was likely pulling around 25A from the outlet. So not totally useless, but if someone doesn't know these actual specifics I can definitely see how it could be seen as troublesome. I don't even use mine, it's just collecting dust, I should sell it, lol.

[@robertporteus7700]

6010 is a DC rod

[@garypostell5268]

Need some preheat

[@leandersmith6184]

You are a welder and not a movie maker so I have some tips for you; change the camera to what you doing use a microphone away from the welder for better sound recording and you will making blazing videos in no time. Thanks for sharing.

[@charredskeleton]

Why are you here?

[@garypostell5268]

A lot of inverter welder don’t run 6010 !

[@JayHutchG]

No really a fair test of a backup tiny welder. Not designed for 1/8 rod man. Not to mention you don't have a good ground/work lead set up. Given the way you tested it I think it's great. I run a Miller Mutimatic 215 and a Thermal Arc 185 AC/DC for TIG. So I'm not a cheap card. When I'm running over to a friend to help them out with something, I always bring this little machine. Operate it as you should a MINI welder and it does just fine..

[@zod-engineering-welding]

I would respectfully argue that it is a decent test for a welder that I bought as a toy, lol. It's been sitting collecting dust and I should probably sell it, but it's just kinda cool how it's so freakin tiny, even though I have a couple of inverter stick welders that are just a little bit bigger (HTP Inverarc 160 Plus DV and Inverarc 200TLP). As for ⅛" rod it all depends what specific rod we are talking about here. Is it optimum for E7018, nah not enough amps even on 240V input power. But can it run E6011? Sure, 112A is plenty to run a ⅛" E6011. The ground setup was just as it came out of the box, I wasn't about to spend more than what the welder cost to run a heavy duty ground setup, even though it would likely be better. So yea, it was just a way to burn $65 or so. My real welders like my HTP Invertig 400 and Pro Pulse 300 will blow it out of the water for sure, lol.

[@garypostell5268]

Stick to 6011 and 7014

[@borisgraell]

do you recommend this?

[@justslidinby]

Turn your amps up. It’ll run 6010

[@oscarpolanco2332]

Deben hacer otra demostración en español totalmente

[@craigmarshall40]

What do you recommend on mild steel 1/4 thick I ordered the same welder from Amazon it says it’s 110v I haven’t gotten it yet I did order 3/32 7018 rod what would you recommend thx

[@zod-engineering-welding]

your only option for ¼" steel would be E6011 in 1/8" diameter. It will run on 95A which is the max it will put out on 120V.

[@craigmarshall40]

@@zod-engineering-welding what size metal will 3/32 7018 rode thickness work with thank you for your help

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@craigmarshall40 a 3/32" 7018 will weld up to about 3/16". It will weld 1/4" but there will be very little penetration; youd have to do a lot of time-wasting prep work to bevel edges and what not.

[@joselynagoncillo8744]

You really have to hold on to your knife almost the whole time.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

I sure do!

[@joxasegura2138]

what is the weight of the machine and accessories as it comes in the box since in my country I pay tax for the weight of the products

[@zod-engineering-welding]

I wish I could help you, but I threw away all the original packaging a long time ago. I would guess 8lbs .

[@joxasegura2138]

@@zod-engineering-welding And how is the machine, do you recommend it?

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@joxasegura2138 it welds like the $80 machine that it is. As you can see in the video, starting the arc is difficult since it has little-to-no hot-start, but once you do get the electrode to light, it works just fine. It does not put out the amperage it is rated at, not even on 240V. Check oit the review I left on Amazon. I would suggest the 195S. Slightly larger, can give more amperage on 240V, and it weighs practically the same. Its just a bunch of empty space inside it. But it will give around 150A on 240V.

[@lilvegasbasc-se7en-0-duece67]

Could u weld a steel bike frame with this tho? Or aluminum

[@zod-engineering-welding]

If it's mild steel its possible, but not aluminum. Even then if it were mild steel, its definitely not a project for a beginner, as small round tubing is some of the hardest to weld.

[@jasongodin7165]

I only weld 5/64 rods for 1/8 steel, i should be fine at 120v with 15 amp?

[@zod-engineering-welding]

So long as its a dedicated circuit only for the welder, then you can run about 70A of welding current without fear of tripping a 15A breaker. That is plenty for 5/64" E6013's and you can even run 3/32" E6011's which will weld much thicker than 1/8" steel even with just 70A. Its just that much more of an aggressive arc.

[@jasongodin7165]

@@zod-engineering-welding Are you saying I can even burn 3/32 rods at 120v?

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@jasongodin7165 Yes, but ONLY E6011s; you can run them from around 40-90A, so about 65 to 70 amps is the sweet spot IMO. Other rods in 3/32" (such as 6013s or 7018s) need many more amps than your 120V/15A circuit can supply and you'd trip the breaker trying to satisfactorily run other rods that need a good 80+ amps to run well. On this machine that does not show the true amperage on the digital display you'd need to set it to about 90A on the display to get a true 70A at the welding arc. Takes some getting used to but then again that's why it costs $70 shipped, lol. If you want a real stick welder that is still entry level pricing, look at the HTP Inverarc 160 Plus DV. it is $599 but it is a workhorse. You can even run good quality E6010s such as Lincoln or Hobart. You can use my discount code: HTPSouthTexas to get 5% off if you order it online.

[@jasongodin7165]

@@zod-engineering-welding thanks for the help , I only need it to fix 1/8 metal , i built sand racers with 120v welder with 5/64 rods, perfect for 1/8 steel , brother inlaw kept asking me to sell it , its not a tool i use alot but good to have one and its small, my other welder was 130 amps but maybe only pullling 80

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@jasongodin7165 I prefer to weld 1/8" steel with 85-115 amps, but to each his own. :)

[@Alimotevalian-g8i]

i do not understand why people still buy these , when you can get get flux core welder , cost not much more but 100 times better and can stick weld too.

[@Steves_small_engine_services]

Thats what this is

[@wjonthetrail]

Try actually grounding your work By either clamping the ground directly to your work or clamping down your work to your bench Poor grounding will make any welding look bad A bad ground is even more dramatic when using a plasma torch If you want any tool to work you have to complete the circuit

[@nvidiashield3757]

Always unplug and power off before connecting the cables. And also your supposed to wait at least 2 minutes before going from 110 to 220. 🤦

[@zod-engineering-welding]

None of that matters on a POS like this, LOL. I have real stick welders (lots of them) I can rely on. This is a "throw away" if anything ever happens to it. :)

[@JayHutchG]

Your sticks were too big for this baby welder. Using small sticks of 6011 or 7018 mine purrs like a kitten and runs great. I have a good Miller Multimatic MIG machine and a powerful Thermal Arc 200A AC/DC TIG/Stick machine. So why the heck would I buy the Toulon 135A (TL 135S LT) for $100+?? Often friends or neighbors need something done/fixed and this little bad boy can be thrown in my car or truck EASILY to help them out. My other expensive machines, not so much. 110V or 220V. Lift TIG if it's something smallish and you have a small argon bottle. Mostly tho small 3/32 at 90-100A really does the trick. Yes better on 220V but OK at 110V. Not results you'd expect from better equipment. But let's remember, this thing cost about $100 bucks. Including a cheap TIG torch and everything you need but 3/32 sticks/electrodes. I don't know how they can sell this for $100. Last quality TIG torch I bought cost about $300 with a good high quality flex line. You really can't beat this for the money.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Now a days this stick welder just collects dust. My go-to stick welder is the HTP Inverarc 160 Plus DV. It's a wayyyy better machine and is very sturdy & robust for the cost. Real-world duty cycle is great too.

[@caseybengtson940]

Will this work for welding 1/8 rod together?

[@zod-engineering-welding]

It would be quite difficult without previous experience welding similar sized parts. So it's more of a question of operator skill than machine capability.

[@caseybengtson940]

@@zod-engineering-welding so with the right experience it could be done?

[@zod-engineering-welding]

@@caseybengtson940 Yes. I have stick welded fender washers, the thin ones that were about 0.055"-0.060" thick, less than half the thickness of a 1/8" rod. Just takes a lot of practice. And don't expect your 1/8" rods to stay straight though. The heat from stick welding them will warp them to the point you won't be able to tell they were once straight rods, Unless the entire length is completely restrained down, which is highly unlikely.

[@darrylBarker-h5d]

Gobless

[@mrboom303]

Ur running to high 😂

[@zod-engineering-welding]

I don't even use this welder. It's a toy.

[@ClownWhisper]

that's way too much rod for that little machine try smaller rod

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Thanks, but I don't use this machine. I have real welding machines, so this one collects dust. 😄

[@MasterOfSelf]

Any professionals doing reviews on these? Seems like a bunch of amateurs. If you're welding mild steal with a 1/8 rod, turn the machine up to at least 115 for penetration. Ground the piece correctly also. Hold it on the metal makes no sense.

[@zod-engineering-welding]

The machine doesn't even go up that high! I actually posted about this in the video. It does not put out what is claimed, and I measured it with an ammeter. The most it puts out on 240V is ~112A. on 120V input its around 92A or so. So yea professionals are not interested in junk toys like this.🤣

[@charredskeleton]

Wanna bait trolls? Make a welder video!!

[@BudMasta]

Probably not even copper, copper plated steel or copper plated aluminum.

[@garypostell5268]

6010 nope 👎 6011👍

[@zod-engineering-welding]

Yup, totally agree. These lunchbox welders are just not meant for it. Need to spend a few more bills to run 6010. My new HTP Inverarc 160DV Plus runs Lincoln 5P+ surprisingly well for a $500 lunchbox stick welder.

[@kenprouse5840]

Poor ground to begin with. Plus I am sure that it is just an AC machine not DC. 5P is dc only

[@zod-engineering-welding]

I had checked with a multimeter. The output is indeed DC.

[@VroomvroomNY]

Ac has a distinctive hum to it

Its a dc only machine