Which model of the inverter welding machine is better?

Which welding inverter is best?

This question is set by many craftsmen and simply by people who want to do household welding within the dacha or private house.

However, unlike experienced welders, people in their household rarely know what technical characteristics an apparatus should possess, what type it is best to choose, and at the same time do not overpay for unnecessary capacity.

A good inverter is not so easy to buy, especially considering that it is inverter units that are today the most popular for professionals and for home use.

As with many other household appliances, you can also buy a more expensive brand from a well-known manufacturer or limit yourself to a Chinese equivalent at an affordable price.

No matter which welding machine you choose, they differ from others in light weight, mobility and compactness, as well as ease of use.

If you take the same transformer for comparison, then it's not so easy to take and transfer.

It remains an open question if the inverter is so expensive( and it is really more expensive than all welding machines), why do many masters still think that it is better? Let's try to understand.

Video:

Advantages of inverters

Indeed, today you can buy cheaper devices on the market, but they will not provide the same convenience and welding quality as inverters.

The reason for this choice is the undoubted advantages of a welding machine of this type:

• portability of dimensions;
• is simple in operation, even for a person who has never encountered welding;
• high efficiency( the seams made by the apparatus are better and last longer);
• machine allows you to make seams of extremely high quality;
• allows you to work with different metals and even weld them together;
• possibility of processes even at low input voltage.

It is clear that the higher the price for an inverter, the more it has additional functions, and the longer it will serve.

But even expensive models can fail. Therefore, many people have a question, how to choose a welding inverter?

General information and principle of operation

When choosing, it is first necessary to determine the purpose of the device, because several groups of products are distinguished.

The household appliance, which provides continuous operation for 20-30 minutes, after it will need a break for at least an hour.

As a source of energy, a portable transformer and a network can act here.

Video:

A professional welding inverter can support a duty cycle of up to eight hours.

Industrial devices in everyday life are not used, but in plants and factories such units can withstand three shifts with small interruptions.

It is logical that the cheapest type of inverter is the first. When choosing a device, you should immediately pay attention to the scale of welding adjustment. It all depends on the purpose of the device.

If you are planning to buy a device for a dacha, then a semi-automatic with a welding current of up to 200 amperes is also suitable.

However, many tips indicate that even for home purposes it will be better to choose a semi-professional device that has a current of more than 250 amperes.

The duration of the operation is affected by such an indicator as the duration of switching on.

An apparatus that has a high value on this scale can last longer without overheating, which is often the main cause of equipment failure.

Here it is worth considering the power selected at work, because the higher the voltage, the faster the device overheats.

Here is an example: if the manufacturer indicates that the inverter has a 40% turn-on time, then at the maximum current rating it will only work for four minutes.

Cool down the device will be about 7 minutes. Of course, it is better to always weld not at full capacity, then without a break you can manage much longer.

The break is still necessary, at least to replace the electrode, in order to provide a better weld. The process of replacing this important part and working with the device can be viewed on video.

Video:

There is also a semi-automatic device that can be switched off automatically if it is possible to overheat.

It is worth several times more expensive, but many tips indicate that for an inexperienced person this type of inverter is better, because it practically reduces to "no" all the failures.

Semi-automatic machine can take into account a lot of nuances of work, including air temperature, because it directly affects how much the device will cool down.

Nuances associated with the correct choice of the

Inverter Asking yourself how to choose a welding inverter, it is worth paying special attention to the temperature at which it will work.

It is not necessary to think that the device is actually used in any conditions - this will be a mistake.

For example, choosing a device from a foreign manufacturer, you can pay attention that its technical tests were carried out at a temperature of 40 degrees, while in domestic latitudes the temperature is on average at 25 degrees.

On the other hand, you can buy a domestic device, but it can turn off when the temperature increases by more than 25 degrees.

And it's good to choose a semi-automatic that has an emergency shutdown, and if not - then you can not do without overheating. But with welding during frosts, serious problems can arise.

After all, despite the constant work, mainly on the street, not every inverter can work not so much as minus marks, but at zero.

Therefore, advice from acquaintances and professionals, careful reading of technical characteristics( the manufacturer indicates these parameters in the inverter's passport) will help here.

To select a welding inverter for a home, it is also necessary to pay attention to the type of its protection.

The best option is to buy such a device that has protective functions against dirt, dust, moisture, as well as temperature and voltage drops. Protection maximizes the life of the device.

The IP21 class is considered to be the minimum, because it is designed to protect the inverter only from large particles and rain drops. A transformer is not provided for such an installation, as is an emergency shutdown.

It is better to buy an inverter with a degree of protection IP23, because at least it can protect the device from oblique drops of rain and from temperature drops.

But it is better to remember the simple rule - to weld outdoors during rain is in principle forbidden. If the device will often get water or dust - it just burns out.

It is especially forbidden to cut a saw or a metal disc near the welder. One hit of metal dust inside the body - and you can say goodbye to this technique.

And the best prevention against contamination will be blowing the inverter with a jet of air.

No less important, asking yourself the question, how to choose the welding inverter correctly, pay attention to protection against voltage drops.

You are lucky if your model of the device provides a transformer that takes a sudden power surge, or a semi-automatic that can turn off in case of malfunctions, but otherwise a 20% power drop can become fatal for the inverter.

Pay attention to whether the manufacturer has provided such a jump of 150-170 V, if so, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Choosing additional functions for

It's no secret that villas may need professional devices, especially if the front of the work is to be rather big.

Asking yourself how to choose a welding inverter, do not forget about the additional parameters that can facilitate the work during welding.

Video:

It is already possible to understand that a transformer or semiautomatic device significantly protects the device from voltage surges and overheating.

But there are no less important and useful functions that are desirable to choose:

• Forced arc, that is, this parameter excludes the possibility of sticking. In more detail, this means that the electrode does not adhere to the metal during the welding process;
• Quick start function. A special device automatically warms up the electrode during the switch-on, so as not to wait for a few minutes before starting welding;
• Parameter of current reduction during electrode sticking. Typically, this function includes a semi-automatic, since it assumes automatic shutdown;
• Also today, many models include such a function as fixing parameters, that is, having tuned the device once, the next time you turn it on you do not need to do it.

Normally, these additional parameters make working with inverters very easy. A transformer in the installation is also welcome.

Often, work must be done away from the power source and outlet. It is extremely inconvenient to pull a carry to the end of the yard.

Therefore, a portable transformer can be a real salvation in such a situation. Yes, and often work is in a place where there is no electricity network at all.

Today you can find both a transformer that operates on fuel, and from charging.

It is best to choose such a set of welding accessories that the electric holder would enter there.

Even if you do not buy a transformer, pay attention to the length of the cable - it should be at least two meters.

The most costly failure in the inverter is the failure of the printed circuit boards. Therefore, many manufacturers produce kits together with spare parts of this type.

Video:

But do not get frustrated if the seller tell you that the boards to the chosen model go only to order. This is usually a sign that they rarely fail in this device.

It is not very difficult to change this part on your own.

Manufacturer's choice: foreign firms or domestic?

And, of course, with the question of how to choose an inverter, it is impossible not to raise the moment of choosing the manufacturer. The main problem when choosing foreign firms is the complexity of maintenance and ordering of parts.

But there are brands that are rooted in our country, that the service in this case is not a problem.

These include the welding machine Wester, which provides the user a semi-automatic operation mode and increased power.

It functions with electrodes up to 5 millimeters.

Another semi-automatic - Fubag. In it, the productivity is increased by an average of two times, and it is possible to use different arcs for welding.

In it all cleaning and protection processes are reduced to full automation.

As for domestic producers, here, in general, the advantage is the affordable cost.

The leader here can be called the apparatus of the company Resant, which allows you to achieve a quality welded seam and also has various automatic modes, including a semi-automatic.

Video:

For the household purposes the company Master is chosen, which though does not have such a number of additional parameters, but it differs with reliable and durable work.

More details with the intricacies of choosing an inverter can be found on the video in our article.