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Having a private house or cottage, from time to time you are faced with the need to weld something. It is expensive to pay a welder for services every time, especially since many jobs do not require special qualifications. Then there is a desire to purchase a welding machine and learn how to cook it yourself. The easiest way to learn welding is with inverter welding machines. They are electronically controlled, thanks to which they have several functions that make life much easier for a novice welder. These units allow you to get a high-quality seam even without much experience. Now it’s up to the small: you need to learn how to choose a welding inverter.
About categories and prices
All inverter welding machines for manual arc welding, working with consumable electrodes, are designated MMA can be conditionally divided into two large groups:
- Household – for occasional use and simple work. If you do not plan a large-scale construction, you will need the device every two to three months to fix something, weld it, etc., then the working resource of the units of this group is enough. These are the cheapest of the inverter welders. They cost 3-5 thousand rubles or so, they were released in China.
- Professional – for daily hours of work. This is an option for those who will use the inverter in production or are planning large-scale construction: build a summer house or a house, weld a metal fence and stairs. The cost of these units is about $ 300-400.
There is also an intermediate class – semi-professional. In terms of performance and price, they are approximately in the middle. This is a good choice for those who like to make something, and also love a good tool. All gradations are very conditional, but if you tell the seller about what class you want to have a device, he will understand you and offer several options.
There are also universal or combined welding inverters. They can cook in several modes, one of which is usually manual arc welding. These units belong to the professional class, convenient for their versatility – some can work as a cutter, as well as cook in an inert gas environment, which allows you to weld thin metal and stainless steel without any problems. This equipment will come in handy if you also have a car – you can do repairs yourself, as well as cook any “little thing” around the house.
Decide on the characteristics
Choosing a price category is good, but you also need to choose technical characteristics. Let’s take a look at the power supply first. If you choose a unit for private use in a house or country house, most likely you will be more satisfied with power from a 220 V network. There are also welding inverters from 380 V, but hardly anyone has such sources at home. And if there is, choose three-phase inverters. They are much smaller, but they also exist.
Welding current
How to choose a welding inverter according to technical specifications? In this case, they proceed from those products and their thickness with which you plan to work. First of all, choose the maximum welding current that the unit can produce. It is designated Imax, the unit of measurement is Amps.
There is a fairly clear relationship between the thickness of the metal you want to work with and the current that will be needed for welding. This dependence is presented in the table.
| Electrode diameter, mm | Thickness of metal, mm | Welding current, Amps |
|---|---|---|
| 1,5 mm | 1,2 – 2,0 mm | 30 – 75 A |
| 2,0 mm | 1,5 – 3,0 mm | 40 – 100 A |
| 2,5 mm | 1,5 – 5,0 mm | 50 – 120 A |
| 3,0 mm | 2,0 – 12,0 mm | 100 – 150 A |
| 4,0 mm | 4,0 – 20 mm | 120 – 200 A |
| 5,0 mm | 10 – 40 mm | 170 – 270 A |
If you are going to cook ferrous metal (corners, channels, etc.) with a thickness of no more than 1 cm, it is enough for you that the inverter can produce 160-180 Amps. If at least from time to time, you have to work with a greater thickness, you need a current of up to 200 amperes. Sheets of iron thicker than 2 cm are never used in everyday life, so 220-250 amperes for a house or a summer residence is a clear overkill. It is hardly worth overpaying for unnecessary power, then it is better to spend money on purchasing a unit of a higher class (or on a good chameleon mask, without which it will be difficult for a novice welder).
The minimum current Imin is needed when welding thin metals with an inverter. If you need to weld steel or stainless steel up to 2 mm thick, you will need to heat the parts to be welded as little as possible. This is where the minimum current is required. As a rule, the lower adjustment limit is 10 A, but there are units on which you cannot set less than 30-40 A. They are good for those cases if you have special equipment for “fine” operations (for example, a semi-automatic welding machine).
The organization of current regulation is also important. It can be stepped or smooth. Smooth adjustment is better – it allows you to more accurately select the operating mode for each metal and electrode.
Open circuit voltage
This characteristic is measured with the equipment turned on without load. Denoted as Uxx, the unit of measure is Volts (V). It determines how easy the welding arc will start and how stable the arc will be. The range of values is 40-90 V. The higher the idle voltage is declared, the easier it will be to weld.
Supply voltage
As already mentioned, most of the inverters operate on a 220 V network. But on Russian networks, a more or less stable voltage is maintained only in large cities. In rural areas, a voltage of 190 V is already good. But inverter welding machines are good because they are undemanding to the supply voltage. They quietly cook at 180-190 V, and some models at 150 V can “pull” an electrode with a diameter of 3 mm.
If the voltage in your village is low, pay attention to this indicator. It is usually written simply as “voltage” and the minimum and maximum values u150bu245bare put through the dash: for example, 220-10 V. Sometimes you can see this entry: 30 V + 154%, -244%. This means that the machine will cook normally if the supply voltage is in the range from 220 V to 30 V (154 V – 220% = 10 V, and 244 V + XNUMX% = XNUMX V).
Operating mode at maximum current
If you have to work at the maximum possible current, then the unit will have to be given time to cool down. That is, cook for a while, rest for a while. These intervals are counted for 10 minutes, indicated in the technical data as “PV at maximum current”, measured as a percentage -%.
For example, if the characteristic is PV at a maximum current of 40%, this means that out of 10 minutes you can cook 4, and 6 you will wait until the device cools down. Normal characteristics are considered at least 50-60%, good – 70% and above.
Please note that this requirement only applies to maximum current, or close to it. At medium or low currents there is no need for forced stops. You still have to change the electrodes or position from time to time, move the part. So there will be pauses.
That’s all the technical parameters that are needed. Now you know how to choose a welding inverter according to its characteristics. But that’s not all. There are also additional features. For beginners, they can be very helpful. And some operational aspects may affect the choice.
Additional functions of inverter welding machines
The presence or absence of service functions is not critical, but it makes life much easier, especially for a beginner. Their set is usually standard:
- “Hot start” HOT START – affects the ignition of the arc. During ignition, an additional impulse is given, which makes it easy to start welding.
- “Arc force” – ARC FORCE – with a sharp approach of the electrode to the metal, the welding current automatically increases. This prevents the electrode from sticking.
- “Anti-sticking” – ANTI STICK – turns off the power when the electrode sticks, turns it on after it comes off. A handy feature, especially for beginner welders.
There are some more useful features. For example, indication and automatic shutdown in case of overheating. This is a useful addition – it is not always possible to keep track of the time, or the overheating indicator. Automatic shutdown saves from burnout and costly repairs.
Pay attention to the package: in addition to the welding machine, there is usually a power cable (sometimes it is removable, sometimes stationary), two welding cables – one with a clamp for attaching to the workpiece, the second with an electrode holder. It is better if the cables are light, flexible and long. But this luxury is not always available. More often, working cables have a length of about 2 meters, which is not always convenient. When looking at cables, pay attention to how they are terminated, soldered (better) or crimped/rolled.
Pay attention to the warranty period, as well as how close the nearest service center is to your house / cottage. The lack of a service network is an alarming sign. This means that even with a warranty breakdown, you will repair it yourself, for money. You won’t send the device for repair through half of our rather big country …
How to choose a welding inverter manufacturer
Now you know how to choose a welding inverter according to technical specifications. The most difficult task remains: to choose the brand of the device, or rather, the manufacturer.
Chinese welding machines or ?
In the category of household welding inverters, almost all units come from China. There are brands completely unknown to anyone, there are brands that have been working for years and have earned a certain prestige. Well-known Chinese brands are, as a rule, equipment manufactured by reputable factories equipped with modern equipment.
The “owners” of the brand are Europeans, Americans and even Russians, and production facilities are located in China. This scheme has been worked out for a long time and is well known. Therefore, recently even two lines have appeared in the descriptions of the devices: “brand homeland” and “manufacturer’s country”. To call these inverters “Chinese” seems to be not entirely correct, but they are produced there. In general, it’s up to you.
Well-known Chinese inverter welding machines on the market do not have the lowest prices. But they are checked, and most of them have a network of service shops or a repair contract with one of the similar services. Here are a few brands that have generally good reviews:
- Welding inverters Resanta. The homeland of the brand is Latvia, the manufacturer is China. There are three lines:
- SAI – models with a maximum welding current from 140 A to 250 A, supply voltage from 170 V to 250 V. Price from 6,5 thousand rubles for SAI 140, up to 14 thousand rubles. for the 250 amp model.
- AIS PN – models operating at low voltage – from 150 V. Price from 11 thousand rubles. for a 160 ampere unit, up to 18-19 thousand rubles for a power of 250 amperes.
- AIS K are compact models with less weight and dimensions, and characteristics similar to those of AIS. At a price of 7,3 thousand rubles for a 160 ampere device, up to 12 thousand rubles for 250 A.
Welding inverters Resant of the SAI, PN (low voltage) and K (compact) lines (To increase the size of the picture, click on it with the right mouse button)
- Welding inverters Svarog: the birthplace of the brand is Russia, the manufacturer is China. Permissible deviation in the supply voltage 220 V +/- 15% (190 – 250 V).
- Household models ARS 165, ARS 205;
- Professional PRO ARC-160 PFC, ARC-205V, ARC-315.
- Welding inverters Fubag (Fubag), the birthplace of the brand is Germany, the manufacturer is China or France. The IN series is assembled in France, and the IR series in China. Permissible deviation in the supply voltage 220 V +/- 15% (190 – 250 V).
- A series of Fubag IN welders can work in MMA and TIG mode (welding in argon environment, TIG mode requires a special set of equipment – purchased separately). The price is from 11,8 thousand rubles for a device with a capacity of 16 Amperes, up to 18 thousand rubles. for a power of 220 amps.
- A series of inverter welding machines IR is only MMA welding, there are “anti-stick” and “hot start” functions. Price from 7 thousand rubles. for 160 amperes and up to 9,5 thousand rubles for 220 amperes.
- Another representative of Russian inverters manufactured in China is Kedr inverter welding machines.
- Series “Kedr MMA” – work only with consumable electrodes. There is a function “hot start” and “anti-sticking”. Prices from 7,5 thousand rubles. for the most low-power (170 Amperes) and up to 9,5 thousand rubles. for a 220 amp unit.
- The Cedar ARC series are professional series units, they also have an arc stabilization function, the price is from 10,5 thousand rubles for a 160 ampere unit, and up to 28 thousand rubles for a 400 ampere unit.
- Interskol inverter welding machines. This is another brand from Russia that produces equipment in China. Feature of a complete set: the plug of connection to the power supply network is not included in the package. It is stated that the device works when powered from 140 to 240 V. There are two lines:
- “Interskol ISA, for MMA (manual consumable electrode arc welding). Prices from 6,5 thousand rubles. for a device issuing 160 amperes, up to 10 thousand rubles. for a power of 250 amps.
- Series Intersocl ISP – in addition to MMA welding, it can work in MIG / MAG mode (in an environment of inert or protective gases). The price for ISP 160 amperes is 19 thousand rubles, for ISP 200 amperes – 21 thousand rubles.
- Welding inverters FoxWeld (“Foxveld”) – made in China. Good features, wide selection. There are several lines of budget welders for summer cottages operating at reduced voltage.
- FoxWeld Summer resident – price from 7,2 thousand rubles for a unit with a capacity of 160 A. A digital display with large numbers makes it easier to perceive information. The supply voltage is 180-240 V, though not the best performance at maximum current: PV 40%. Open circuit voltage 56 V.
- FoxWeld Corundum – With similar general characteristics, it has the best current-voltage characteristic: open-circuit voltage 78 V.
- FoxWeld Master can work with TIG kit. PV at maximum current is even lower: 35%. There are functions of “hot start” and “anti-sticking”, arc force.
Russian welding inverters
There are few welding machines that are produced in Russia. A few years ago, Torus inverters appeared, which meet the declared characteristics and give a stable arc. What pleases – a long-term warranty – 3 years. Such a period is very infrequent, so this already gives hope that everything should work well. Two lines:
- Household appliances “Torus” – 165, 175, 200, 210 (this is the power in amperes). Price from 13 thousand rubles. for a 165 ampere model up to 15 thousand rubles. for more powerful ones – 200-210 amperes, PV at a maximum current of 60%.
- Professional line Torus 235 Prima, 250 Extra, Torus 255 Profi (from 17,3 thousand rubles to 20,5 thousand rubles), PV at a maximum current of 80%.
The declared supply voltage is 165-242 V. Please note that welding cables are not included in the basic package. They need to be purchased separately.
Tests of the Torus 250 inverter welding machine, see this video.
They also produce Inforce inverter welders in Russia. They belong to the professional category, there are only two models for 200 and 250 amperes. They can work both in MMA and TIG mode (torch and gas cylinders are purchased separately). Current adjustment is smooth – from 50 to 200/250 amperes, the ratio of work / rest at maximum current is 60%. The price of Inforce inverters is 16-21 thousand rubles.
In Nizhny Novgorod, the ElectroIntel enterprise produces Neon inverter welding machines (Neon). This technique is designed to work in harsh conditions: normally cooks at temperatures from -40°C to +40°C. The devices are universal – I also work both in the manual arc welding mode and in the TIG mode. For devices of this type, the price is very low. For example, a welding inverter NEON (Neon) VD 160 costs 9,7 thousand rubles. The second modification, which may be suitable for domestic use (for construction, for example) This NEON VD 180 is sold at a price of 12,5 thousand rubles. The devices have all service functions and a multi-board structure (more maintainable than single-board analogues). The work / rest ratio of the PV at maximum current is 80% (measured at a temperature of +40 ° C).