Rating of welding machines for home and garden: which inverter company to choose, technical characteristics of the devices

The topic of the article concerns a welding machine for home and garden, namely, which company’s inverter to choose, what characteristics of the device should be taken into account when making a choice. The topic is interesting because today many owners of private houses try to do some types of landscaping work on their own. And, as practice shows, you can’t do without welding. Therefore, we will understand household inverters.

How to choose an inverter welding machine Source diy.obi.ru

What is an inverter

In essence, this is a regular current rectifier, which differs from welding transformers in that it produces a high frequency, measured in hertz. How to weld with an inverter:

• it is connected to an alternating current network, where the frequency is 50 Hz;
• the current first passes to the rectifier, where it is rectified, that is, it becomes constant;
• then it is smoothed by a filter;
• and then it goes to the inverter, where it is again converted into alternating voltage only with a huge frequency of 20-50 kHz;
• the alternating voltage then drops to 70-90 V;
• and the current increases to 100-200 A.

All welding inverters are light in weight and small in size. Because the current conversion occurs not due to the EMF, which is formed in the coils, but due to high-frequency currents. And for this you need a small transformer.

Design of a welding inverter Source svarkaed.ru

Features and difficulties of aluminum welding

Durable and high-quality welds
The oxide film is not the only difficulty that has to be taken into account when welding aluminum. There are others:

• the need to use heat-removing pads due to the high fluidity of the metal;
• It is recommended to weld it only with argon;
• before welding, it is necessary to take into account the shrinkage that occurs during solidification due to the high coefficient of linear expansion of aluminum;
• the risk of cracks due to hydrogen, which comes out during welding;
• It is not always possible to determine the grade of metal.

Moreover, it should be taken into account that aluminum can only be welded when exposed to high electrical discharges.

Aluminum can only be welded when exposed to high electrical discharges

Preparing the premises

When choosing a room where welding will be carried out, the following must be considered:

• complete cleanliness and absence of dust;
• absence of drafts, even simple air movement - wind speed should not exceed 0.2 m/s;
• aluminum welding does not accept dirt, so the workpieces and filler wire are thoroughly cleaned;
• The equipment and burner are washed with alcohol and cleaned before work and several times during the process.

Most often, the workplace is cleaned by chemical cleaning; welding wire, which could not be immediately used, is placed after drying in a dry cabinet with tightly closed doors.

Classification of welding inverters

So, let’s now move directly to the topic - how to choose a welding machine (inverter). There are three types of device classification:

• Household, which interests us. Its current strength varies in the range of 100-200 amperes. The best choice for beginner welders.
• Professional. Here the current strength varies from 200 to 300 amperes. Such models are mainly used by housing and communal services workers and employees of small firms and workshops.
• Industrial. Current range is 250-500 amperes. Such welding units are used where a high-quality weld is required. Therefore, they are used in construction, in work related to the laying and welding of pipelines operating under medium and high pressure.

Having understood the types of welding machines for manual welding, we move on to identifying their advantages over others.

Small size household model Source fgpip.ru

Aurora INTER TIG 200 AC/DC Pulse

Photo: https://beru.ru

Our rating of mma inverters for 2022 opens with the Aurora INTER TIG 200 AC/DC Pulse. This is a very functional device that proudly bears the NAKS certification mark. Work with stick electrodes and welding in a shielding gas environment are supported; the maximum current supplied by the inverter converter in both modes is 200 amperes. In the Pulse mode, the welder can adjust the frequency, balance, and lower level of the pulsation current; in the TIG mode, as you already understand, welding is available on both alternating and direct current. At the same time, you can adjust the starting current separately from the working current, adjust the balance in TIG AC mode, switch between two-stroke and four-stroke modes, and in the latter the crater filling setting is also available. In a word, this is an excellent universal welding machine, capable of working in a wide variety of conditions - from jewelry welding of thin-walled parts with argon to cutting metal with an electrode.

Welding machine INTER TIG 200 AC/DC Pulse (TIG, MMA)

Advantages:

• wealth of settings
• versatility

Flaws:

• solid dimensions and weight
• price

Advantages of inverters

All of the above welding machines have the same advantages. Namely:

1. They always provide a stable current, even during voltage surges in the supply network. And this is a guarantee of an even weld seam with uniform penetration of the metal.
2. The seam is small in size, and its characteristics are no lower than those made by transformers. Hence the minimum splash rate.
3. In inverters, the current can be easily adjusted. That is, welding is performed with optimal characteristics for materials of different origins.
4. From the previous one – the versatility of the device. That is, they can cook different metals: steel, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.
5. Inverters do not overheat during operation; there are no current overloads, etc.
6. Light weight and size.
7. Minimum power consumption. This figure is almost two times less than that of welding transformers.

Different welding seams at different network voltages Source evrotek.spb.ru
In addition, when choosing a welding machine for your home, it is recommended to pay attention to the following functionality of the unit.

1. The biggest challenge for new welders is striking the arc. Therefore, inverters have a “Hot Start” function. Essentially, when welding just begins, the machine simply increases the current for a short time.
2. The next function is Antistick. It solves the problem of electrode sticking to the metal being welded. That is, if the electrode does stick, tearing it off is not a problem.
3. And the third function is Arc Force. This is almost the same as Antistick. The difference is that the electrode never sticks due to the increased welding current.

The functionality of the device is indicated on the case. Source velikiy-novgorod.knd.ru

Which machine is best for welding aluminum?

Aluminum and alloys based on it are welded with argon or its mixture. For operation, devices operating on alternating current are used, having previously configured the appropriate options and mode. The quality of the inert gas requires special attention - the quality of the joints and their aesthetic appearance depend on it.

Video - Selecting and setting up a machine for argon arc welding

Selecting a welding inverter according to technical characteristics

Before choosing a 200 V welding machine for your home or garden, you need to decide for what purpose it will be used. If you need to assemble a country gate and wicket, or weld hinges, or weld a structure for a greenhouse, and so on, then select a device from the household category. That is, with knowledge of the current strength not exceeding 200 amperes. We will not consider other options, because they are used by professionals.

What you need to pay attention to first of all is the power of the unit, or rather the rated current. This characteristic must be indicated by the manufacturer in the product passport. What this value means is the maximum current at which the device will operate correctly and not overheat. Of course, taking into account the period of constant work and rest time.

Characteristics of the welding machine Source www.krin.kz

See also: Catalog of popular plots in the Moscow region for the construction of a country house

For example, if steel workpieces 3-4 mm thick are welded with an electrode with a diameter of 3 mm. For this purpose, welding with a machine with a current strength of 120 amperes is suitable. But you shouldn’t buy it right away. The whole point is that:

• in this case, the welding inverter will work at the limit of its capabilities, and this will lead to a rapid decrease in its operational life;
• Voltage drops in private houses and country houses are common, and in this case, instead of 220 volts of output voltage, you will get only 180 V, which means that the rated value of the welding current will be lower than that stated in the passport.

Therefore, it is recommended to purchase a welding inverter with a power 30% higher. That is, if, according to calculations, you need a device with a welding current of 120 A, then it is better to buy a 160 A unit.

Attention! Welding cables longer than 4 m also reduce the welding current. And this must be taken into account without fail.

To perform household welding work, it is better to purchase devices with a current strength of at least 160 A. In any case, you can’t go wrong.

How to set up a welding inverter Source nashprorab.com

Mains voltage

This is the next step in choosing a welding inverter. It would seem that it could be simpler, because household welding inverters operate from a regular outlet with a voltage of 220 volts. It should be noted that household-type inverters will operate stably if the network voltage is in the range of 188-254 V. This is laid down by the manufacturers.

Unfortunately, in suburban areas and dachas the supply voltage leaves much to be desired. And it may differ from the nominal value by 20% or more. And here, when choosing a welding inverter for your home, you need to pay attention to some notes in the passport. Namely:

• can it be connected to a generator, which increases the voltage in the network;
• or what is the operating voltage range, will it coincide with a 20% reduction?

If there are no such marks, then it is better not to purchase such a device for your dacha. Such units are suitable for operation in cities where the voltage is more or less stable.

And one moment. Experienced welders know that the quality of the welding itself depends on the quality of the welding inverter. Therefore, they give their preference to serious manufacturers who have long proven themselves in the market. Therefore, we move on and, answering the question of how to choose a welding inverter, we move on to the rating of units.

Elitech IS 220M

We initially wanted to assign 6th place in our rating to the Torus 250 inverter, which, like Forsazh 161, is a development of Russian engineers. However, it turned out that it does not belong to the class of budget inverters; moreover, the manufacturer positions its inverters as professional equipment. Therefore, for those who are interested in Torus devices, there is a review on our website, and we will continue our rating with a story about another popular inverter called Elitech IS 220M with a rated current of 200A. Despite the fact that the device can easily claim the “Audience Award”, it has both its strengths and weaknesses. We will talk here about all sides of the “uncut” story.

Elitech comes standard with a welding holder and ground cable, as well as a carrying strap. The presence of a belt may be an advantage for some, but a disadvantage for others. After all, the belt has a length that is comfortable for wearing on the shoulder, but not in the hands. But all welders are “Kulibins” in one way or another, and anyone who is uncomfortable can always screw any handle they find on the farm (even a door handle) to the inverter body.

The welding cable is short (which is already the rule for budget Chinese machines). The cable cross-section is 25 mm2 (it seems to be sufficient) and at first glance, no additional questions should arise here. And everything would really be so if the cables were made of copper. But ours are made of aluminum, and in this case 25 mm2 for a maximum current of 200 A is clearly not enough. Therefore, when welding at high currents, the cable can become very hot. However, we do not consider this a critical defect, since you can always purchase a higher quality cable separately.

The cross-section of the power cable is 3x 2.5 mm2 (copper). The PVC insulation of the entire cable loses its plastic properties at low temperatures.

Elitech internals

Things are going pretty well here. The circuits are made very carefully by automatic assembly. The components of the boards are almost all SMD, which is why all the components are quite miniature. Despite the “small” components, the device has high maintainability. The output bridges are rated at the declared welding current. The circuit uses GT50GR22 transistors, which operate faster and heat less.

There is a powerful cooling cooler that more effectively removes heat from aluminum radiators. The level of cooling of innovative transistors is so high that the temperature sensor, which “cuts down” the power part of the device when overheated, was moved to the radiator of the output diodes (6 pcs.). Massive components such as electrolytic capacitors are sealed and held firmly to the board. The circuit (the device has a single-board structure) is varnished on both sides. It happens that the Chinese strangely varnish only one side of the board, the second, accordingly, remains unprotected and settling dust and condensation can quickly damage the device.

Disadvantage: the overall width is unreasonably large due to the ill-conceived placement of the circuit breaker next to the board.

Characteristics

The arc is easily ignited, but the check revealed that the “hot start” function is not available on the device. The welding characteristics of the inverter are good (4 points out of 5) both when welding with “three” and “four”, the arc burns stably. We reduced one point due to the lack of the “arc force” function. Welding thin and thick metal has its own specific specifics, so the quality of the weld will largely depend on the welder’s understanding of the operating principles of the inverter.

It should also be noted that this is a colossal thing for a budget welding machine: with a current of 200A declared by the manufacturer, Elitech actually produces 210A, and the passport PV of 60% corresponds to reality! (the second is generally quite a rare occurrence for a budget Chinese!). Stable welding at a voltage of 160V in a socket.

Rating of household welding inverters

All ratings are usually based on reviews from specialists and ordinary consumers. And ours is based on them.

WESTER IWT200

This welding inverter is located in the middle price range, so not all home welders choose it. But in vain. Here are its technical characteristics:

• maximum current – ​​200 A;
• operates at a voltage of 170 V;
• unit power – 4.8 kW;
• diameters of the electrodes used: 1.6-5 mm;
• weight – 5.87 kg;
• has all the functionality.

A very important point is that the control board is a separate element, which makes it possible to simplify the repair of the device. The only drawback is that the device is not designed to perform complex welding work.

Inverter WESTER IWT200 Source www5.originalshopping.ru

Aurora MINIONE 1800

This is a cheaper model than the previous one, hence its serious popularity among summer residents. But this is a welding inverter with a standard set of functions and technical characteristics:

• rated voltage consumption – 220 V ±10%;
• the maximum welding current is 180A, it can be reduced to 20 A, which is very convenient;
• The unit weighs 5 kg.

Svarog PRO ARC 160

The price component is average. This model was made specifically so that it could be used to carry out not only electric welding, but also argon arc welding. True, for this you need to additionally buy a valve burner. It is not included with the inverter.

Regarding technical characteristics:

• mains voltage – 220 ±15%;
• welding current strength from 10 to 160 A;
• the diameter of the electrodes used is from 1.5 to 3.2 mm;
• weight 4.7 kg;
• all functionality is present.

A large number of consumers noted that the inverter often turns off if the voltage in the network drops, and the welding process itself was carried out using a cable more than 5 m long. That is, two factors play a big role here.

Welding device Svarog PRO ARC 160 Source qwerty96.ru