SSimder ARC-200 Stick Welder ARC Welding Machine

So let me start by saying right out of the box I had the same problem as many others have stated, ie the power cord entering the back of the welder is loose. The strain relief is not tight as supplied by the manufacturer. Its an easy fix and I took care of mine before use.Second, as many others have complained, the amperage display is not correct. This is true but can be fixed by holding in the setting knob for 3 to 5 seconds. This will display the VRD mode. Hold for another 5 to 10 seconds and the display will go black with 200 being shown. This can be changed to say 120. Push the setting knob again and the display comes back showing 120 as the max amperage.So what amperage is this machine good for? Good question based on the input voltage. Most residential homes have 110v 15 or 20 amp circuits. I dont know of any that have 30 or 40 amp 110v circuits. If you look at the specs listed on Amazon for this welder, they state that for 110 v input max draw is 45 amps for the stated 200 amp output. For 220v input, max draw is 22.7 amps. This makes sense since the power of the machine is 5 kva. If you do the math based on these inputs, it comes out correct.So for those running on 110v, 20 amp circuits this machine is capable of approximately 88 amps output ( 200/45*20) say 90 amps. Actually a little less is recommended as at 90 amps the circuit breaker might blow.Bases on this, I have adjusted my display to 120 as stated above and run 3/32 e6013 rods on 70 to 80 amps. It works for me and I get perfect welds without blowing the circuit breaker.I also have 220v 30 amps available so I run with the display set for 200. For 1/8 e6013 rods I set output to 160 to 170 amps and get similar results. Now is this the actual amps the machine is putting out? Probably not but it works. You may have to play with the settings to get yours to work based on the input voltage.So my impression is this is a decent hobbyist welder for the price with some quirks as stated above. I am happy with mine so for. As a side note, I could not get e6011 rods to work successfully nor did I even try e6010. E7014 or e7018 should be ok but again I did not try them.The big question is how long will this machine last? I will let you know later after I have had mine for a while. With careful use and not pushing to hard, it should last a while. For the price you cant beat it.Hope this helps.

This thing worked great, i watched a few YouTube videos before i got it and that helped. A few tips:dont get any rod bigger than 3/32.Hold the dial button down for like 5 seconds to change the max amperage to 120, its not actually made for 200. This will fix the display amperage and recommended rods.I have a dedicated 20amp breaker to power this, it was tripping at 70 and would trip after a while of use (30 minutes). So if you have a 15amp breaker thats tied with the lights and anything else, you might want to plan ahead.

This welding machine is great Im glad I bought it! It is ultra lightweight and affordable

I've seen people put up reviews saying that they can't strike an arc with one of these welders. After getting mine, and it welding just fine. I'm under the impression those people likely beginners. I haven't had it long. So if the machine stops working I will update, but it's good overall.I did take off one star because the gland end for the power cable is loose, and i will need to take the cover off so I can tighten it. Which isn't a big deal for me, but i could see how for someone else they could potentially ruin their welder, by ripping the connection for the chord off, and not realize why it isn't working.

It's perfect for some small jobs at home. Thank you!