inexpensive 110v Zappy Zapper

Saw a little review of this unit in Grassroots Motorsports magazine.

http://www.eastwood.com/mig-welder-110vac-135a-output.html

It sure looks just like my 110v Lincoln which works pretty well. I can get metal to stick together with my Lincoln with absolutely no formal training!! Just turn it up until you blow a hole through whatever you're trying to weld and turn it down a little from there!

Allegedly you can have it for $299 if you mention GRM, so I thought it might be of interest. And it may pop up some Eastwood banners to click so Skye can make some money.

the 220V one is only another $539 I'm considering buying it.

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sidewaez
the 220V one is only another $539 I'm considering buying it.

For 98% of what a rallyman needs, IF you use a GOOD home-made extension cord, and have a selection of wire---ie 030 and 035, a decent 110 welder will do fine.
Using fatter 035 wire is the key to good welds with 110 (assuming the juice reaching the machine is what it should be---I've taken off outlet face plates and seen 16g wire coing to the plug. Voltage drop!)

You're not building bridges, or super-tankers.

I'm still very happy with my 110v Clarke with .230 wire. Been able to weld anything I want on the car pretty cleanly. I have a roll of .35 'just in case', but haven't really needed it.

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Jon Burke
I'm still very happy with my 110v Clarke with .230 wire. Been able to weld anything I want on the car pretty cleanly. I have a roll of .35 'just in case', but haven't really needed it.

Damn, mang! You're extreme! Always gotta go overboard!
I've welded 1" to 1.125" plate with hefty stick, but I never used .230" wire like EVAR! that's damn near 1/4"

And .350 is just short of 3/8" or just .0044" from 9mm

That must be some Pro-drive Blue welder.

You're a better man than me Gunga Din



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2011 06:32PM by john vanlandingham.

lol....oh yeah....., .023" that's better.

I meant only $539 total for the 175a 220V machine. I've used alot of different welders and for only $200 more dollars 220v would be worth it, since I've got the right power in my workspaces.

I might want to build a super tanker too...

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sidewaez
I meant only $539 total for the 175a 220V machine. I've used alot of different welders and for only $200 more dollars 220v would be worth it, since I've got the right power in my workspaces.

I might want to build a super tanker too...

Well that's more like it.
And 220 is easy to string up, too.
No crappy 16g wires in the wall!

If its something to poke around and toy with, sounds like a great deal.

I picked up a 110v Miller a couple years ago. Back then I figured it'd be enough for what I want to do, but what I've seen between then and now makes me wish I saved a few more pennies for a 220v. Probably sell it in the not too distant future and pick up an inverter machine that'll play with both 110v and 220v.

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KK6EAR

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RallySol
If its something to poke around and toy with, sounds like a great deal.

I picked up a 110v Miller a couple years ago. Back then I figured it'd be enough for what I want to do, but what I've seen between then and now makes me wish I saved a few more pennies for a 220v. Probably sell it in the not too distant future and pick up an inverter machine that'll play with both 110v and 220v.

OK, let's examine this a bit if we can.
I used a Hobart Handler 110 machine and found ----aside from the lousy power supply---and that was an occasional pisser when out in the field---it did everything I needed on the car and the van. I did swap in fatter wire which made an astonishing difference in weld quality and heat ( I could deposit more wire faster, and deeper and not have to dwell so long to puddle a bead, so tip heat was way less, tips lasted 10 times longer etc)...

Can you tell class what the Miller 110 thing didn't do that you reckon a 220 welder will do? Tell us what wire, what jobs as much as possible....

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john vanlandingham
Can you tell class what the Miller 110 thing didn't do that you reckon a 220 welder will do? Tell us what wire, what jobs as much as possible....

Oh sure, I think I can oblige. I've done quite a bit with my 110v machine. Couple of exhausts, two .095" cages, a trailer hitch with a mix of .109" .1875" and .25", a 16' dual axle car hauler made of mostly .1875" C channel and angle iron, and a bunch of odd jobs here and there. All with .030" ER70S-6 filler. Had the voltage set to "10" of ten for the cages, hitch and trailer. Chamfered the material where appropriate. If I didn't think one pass was enough, I'd add another two. I wouldn't trust my Miller to weld .25" with decent penetration in one pass.

Just sayin' I'd rather have more machine than be at the limit most of the time.

For perspective my Miller 135 (110v) thingy welds .0625" at a voltage setting "5" of ten where my buddy's Hobart Handler 210 (220v) will do it at "2" of seven. Both machines using .030" ER70S-6 filler.

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KK6EAR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2011 11:11PM by RallySol.

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RallySol

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john vanlandingham
Can you tell class what the Miller 110 thing didn't do that you reckon a 220 welder will do? Tell us what wire, what jobs as much as possible....

Oh sure, I think I can oblige. I've done quite a bit with my 110v machine. Couple of exhausts, two .095" cages, a trailer hitch with a mix of .109" .1875" and .25", a 16' dual axle car hauler made of mostly .1875" C channel and angle iron, and a bunch of odd jobs here and there. All with .030" ER70S-6 filler. Had the voltage set to "10" of ten for the cages, hitch and trailer. Chamfered the material where appropriate. If I didn't think one pass was enough, I'd add another two. I wouldn't trust my Miller to weld .25" with decent penetration in one pass.

Just sayin' I'd rather have more machine than be at the limit most of the time.

For perspective my Miller 135 (110v) thingy welds .0625" at a voltage setting "5" of ten where my buddy's Hobart Handler 210 (220v) will do it at "2" of seven. Both machines using .030" ER70S-6 filler.

Just for fun, get a 2-lb spool of .035 wire and try that on some thicker stuff and see where the setting goes.

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john vanlandingham
Just for fun, get a 2-lb spool of .035 wire and try that on some thicker stuff and see where the setting goes.

I'll give it a try, but how would this be different from turning up the wire feed speed?

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KK6EAR

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RallySol

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john vanlandingham
Just for fun, get a 2-lb spool of .035 wire and try that on some thicker stuff and see where the setting goes.

I'll give it a try, but how would this be different from turning up the wire feed speed?

It was an old guy who was splaining it to me---before i was an old guy.
He said think of the wire as carrying capacity---kinda like what I keep bitchin about the shit 16g wires in the wall..the bigger wire carries more juice in and of itself. He's the one that suggested "try a 2-lb spool".

So in effect what I was able to do was turn juice and feed down (the wire itself deposits more per unit of time so the feed comes down, it carries more juice so the current comes down."

Maybe it aint right, but it worked right.

Oooh, right right! The electron hose concept! Bigger electrode (filler wire because its MIG) = bigger hose. Makes good sense. Definitly going to give .035 a go.

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KK6EAR