Parkside (Lidl) Flux Cored Wire Welder PFDS 120 A1

[Alien the welder]

Thanks again for all your help on this.
I have a 160A stick welder which I use once a year and struggle with it shorting (if that's what it's called) where the stick attaches to the work piece and I have to open the stick clamp to break the circuit. I'm sure it's down to my lack of skill and probably the wrong kind of sticks. The lack of wire feed control on the £80 Lidl has put me off, though I'd be interested to see it used in skilled hands.

Heat the rods before use. A simple trick is heat them with a blow lamp!

 

[throbscottle]

I got one of their stick welders a few years ago and I'm not impressed with it. It has what amounts to a thick or thin setting, and usually I want in-between. Probably be better with a thicker cable (read - lower resistance). It is possible to weld with it but a very frustrating experience for the most part.
So if that's any comparison, (different type of machine, an' all) - I'd spend more if you can afford it.

 

[Dave Moore]

Thanks again for all your help on this.
I have a 160A stick welder which I use once a year and struggle with it shorting (if that's what it's called) where the stick attaches to the work piece and I have to open the stick clamp to break the circuit. I'm sure it's down to my lack of skill and probably the wrong kind of sticks. The lack of wire feed control on the £80 Lidl has put me off, though I'd be interested to see it used in skilled hands.

Stroke the rod to start it easier instead of just prodding it in one spot.

 

[John on the Wirral]

I used to have the same problem but eventually put it down to lack of use. I think the rods became slightly damp so wouldn't work. From then on I kept them dry and sealed up with a bag of silica gell for good measure and seemed more reliable. However,you also need the correct rods for the job

 

[Ttrees]

I got one of their stick welders a few years ago and I'm not impressed with it. It has what amounts to a thick or thin setting, and usually I want in-between. Probably be better with a thicker cable (read - lower resistance). It is possible to weld with it but a very frustrating experience for the most part.
So if that's any comparison, (different type of machine, an' all) - I'd spend more if you can afford it.

I suggest you try someone else's welder, to loose that impression of bad quality.
I find it easier to use than the one at me folks, which has 16a supply, adjustable amperage, cooling fan, and whatever else.

That being really cumbersome leads, what's another apple to juggle, to me.

The only things what I can fault with my 40pound/50euro welder is the crimp connector failing,
and the molded plug needs replacement, as I can see the strain relief didn't do it's job.

I reckon I learn something everytime I use it.
My thoughts on your niggles with this...

"It has what amounts to a thick or thin setting, and usually I want in-between"
Can you get in-between electrodes? (guess so, but not easily/cheaply)
If in doubt, and it's not obvious one needs to use thin rods w/lower amperage,
then it's highly likely that you'll be best using full power.

So in the case of things melting, the solutions for that could be many depending on what it is.
Small things melting, didn't wait for the wee piece to cool down.

Thinnish things melting, weren't aiming the rod to the part with more mass,
i.e welding box above, no pointing at the end of something, (just like a chisel can blue if ground heavily) instead focusing on the other section, and only dragging the puddle back onto the meltable end of the box
so always going from thick to thin

"Probably be better with a thicker cable (read - lower resistance)"
Doesn't seem to help things with the one at the folks.

Whatta I learn this week, seeing as I suppose my experience has plateaued a bit?
I learned I only want good welds, and that might not be achievable 24/7 with my supply.

Seems there is a big draw which saps our leccy occasionally, especially just before dawn.
Gotta work on my organizing, so I can do something else instead of welding,
and test a piece before getting stuck in, and not stuck to.
Just saying, I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case for many folks.

The solution to that might be an inverter welder, which I've got no experience with.
Admittedly, I don't know if I'd be so keen to find out if a cheap one like in the middle isle,
would last the test of time, lots'a bits to break which wouldn't be surprising on a thing which
makes metal soup.

All the best
Tom

 

[throbscottle]

Interesting, thanks. I learnt to weld using big industrial units. Sooooo easy!
Subsequent use of somebody's portable welder also gave me no problems.
I'm obviously spoilt...

 

[Ttrees]

Perhaps I've just gotten used to a bad supply, as those two are the only ones I've ever used?

 

[throbscottle]

Who knows. When the Parkside welder works properly, I get good welds. Or good looking ones anyway. I think they could be weak underneath though. I still think it's under-powered however. I'm using rods I got from a welding supplies supplier, 3 or 4 sizes I think.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

While I know that this is off topic I struggled for weeks to avoid burning through with my reasonably priced inverter. I have just got a Mig unit and while I need to practice more (and use 75/25 instead of 100% CO2)after about half an hour the first small project I attempted while I need more practice to produce better looking joints, it’s easily good enough and with a grinder and a little time you can’t tell the difference from an excellent weld.

So I wish I had got that years ago.

 

[throbscottle]

Not off topic really - flux cored is "gasless MIG" AFAIK. I've ummed and ahhed at the Parkside ones a few times when they've had them in.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Not off topic really - flux cored is "gasless MIG" AFAIK. I've ummed and ahhed at the Parkside ones a few times when they've had them in.

Well while my Mig welder is capable, and came with 5kg of flux core, I am very unlikely to ever use it. The joy of never bothering to chip off slag and being able to virtually paint with steel (a 5mm bad fit up) means that both stick and flux core are not likely to be in my future.
Yes gas Mig welders are now cheaper but thanks to my brother I now have virtually zero financial concerns and can now spend money that was earmarked for retirement income.

The point I’m making is that, yes cheap stick is available.
But Mig is an order of magnitude easier and I regret not having bought one 10~15 years ago As I would not have wanted this long to do stuff like my first project

The welding isn’t pretty but no holes were created and it’s sufficiently strong, I will get better with practice but apart from getting the settings correct this needed very little of that. I would certainly never have done this with stick Without hours and hours of practice.

So my takeaway is that rather than getting a cheap stick buy an equally cheap flux core unit or for luxury get a gas unit

 

[throbscottle]

Yes, I had a go with one many years ago, trying out for a job welding truck bodies (got the job, then promptly lost it due to my dislike of going up an unsafe ladder over a concrete pit...). Very nice to use once I got past the alien-feeling trigger squeezing.

 

[Spectric]

But Mig is an order of magnitude easier

And TIG is the rolls royce of welding, master TIG and anything in any position is posible. For welding get a welder than uses a gas for shielding rather than a self shielding one as it may be a little harder to master but the results are better.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

And TIG is the rolls royce of welding, master TIG and anything in any position is posible. For welding get a welder than uses a gas for shielding rather than a self shielding one as it may be a little harder to master but the results are better.

The unit I bought can do TIG though I didn’t get a TIG torch for it. I’ve just got back with a little bottle of 75/25 which is said to be significantly better than the 100% CO2 though it’s quite a bit more expensive at ฿1,500 (£33.50) for the gas
as to the harder to master than flux core I can’t comment on that as I haven’t opened the roll that came with the machine but if it’s easier than gas shielded I would be amazed as I have found that compared to stick, using gas shielded (I’ve only used CO2) is amazingly easy.

I certainly need more practice but in the words of Pete a a kiwi, welder of Pete’s-tools.com I can stick s*h*i*t together with reasonable ease.

The only slight difficulties are in setting the 3 knobs right for the job and more practice will make that easier.

The thing that will make the job even easier is getting the fitting up more precise, and I have a bandsaw on the way for that.

 

[Spectric]

getting the fitting up more precise,

Tight on thinner gauge but on heaver stuff you do want a root gap. You say it does TIG but ideally you want HF start and not scratch plus if doing ali then also Square wave / pulse and shielding gas needs to be 100% Argon.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Tight on thinner gauge but on heaver stuff you do want a root gap.

Thank you very much for the advice

I understand that. The material is only about 3mm.
The area that really convinced me of the abilities of Gas MIG was this junction

the fitup was so bad that I had tight on the corner going up to almost 10mm at the end (yes I am aware I should have re-cut the joint) the end was done first and then as the joint widened out I was able to virtually paint with the weld and being gas MIG I could start and stop, to allow the metal to freeze, with no concern about needing to clean it first.
Is it a terrible example? Of course. Should I have been more careful with cutting the joints? Absolutely. Could it have been done by a skilled stick welder? Probably. But after having spent hours and days practicing stick I know I couldn’t. Having spent about half an hour practicing and setting up my MIG unit I was able to make joints I would never have been able to with stick. What I made was a bracket to hold a shelf for an NVR and monitor so the welding was extreme overkill for strength (a few tacks would be strong enough) apart from the prep time (not very good I know) it took me about half an hour, and showed me that I can stick stuff together well enough to start doing much more without any significant difficultie.

Here is another from the same time but with better fit up

You say it does TIG but ideally you want HF start and not scratch

It isn’t that good a machine it does lift TIG so I assume that is scratch.

plus if doing ali then also Square wave / pulse

that is probably available in a machine that is 3 to 5 times the price of mine but since I didn’t get the bundle that included the TIG torch I may never get the urge to find out.

shielding gas needs to be 100% Argon

I got a small bottle 1.5 คิว (Q) that was the same price as the similar size CO2 starter bottle so if I ever get the urge to do aluminium MIG or TIG I only need a spool gun or torch

 

[Spectric]

being gas MIG I could start and stop

Ideally once you get the weld pool moving you want a single run, starting and stoping can cause weld issues.

 

[Alien the welder]

I suggest you try someone else's welder, to loose that impression of bad quality.
I find it easier to use than the one at me folks, which has 16a supply, adjustable amperage, cooling fan, and whatever else.

That being really cumbersome leads, what's another apple to juggle, to me.
View attachment 167037
View attachment 167038
The only things what I can fault with my 40pound/50euro welder is the crimp connector failing,
and the molded plug needs replacement, as I can see the strain relief didn't do it's job.

I reckon I learn something everytime I use it.
My thoughts on your niggles with this...

"It has what amounts to a thick or thin setting, and usually I want in-between"
Can you get in-between electrodes? (guess so, but not easily/cheaply)
If in doubt, and it's not obvious one needs to use thin rods w/lower amperage,
then it's highly likely that you'll be best using full power.

So in the case of things melting, the solutions for that could be many depending on what it is.
Small things melting, didn't wait for the wee piece to cool down.

Thinnish things melting, weren't aiming the rod to the part with more mass,
i.e welding box above, no pointing at the end of something, (just like a chisel can blue if ground heavily) instead focusing on the other section, and only dragging the puddle back onto the meltable end of the box
so always going from thick to thin

"Probably be better with a thicker cable (read - lower resistance)"
Doesn't seem to help things with the one at the folks.

Whatta I learn this week, seeing as I suppose my experience has plateaued a bit?
I learned I only want good welds, and that might not be achievable 24/7 with my supply.

Seems there is a big draw which saps our leccy occasionally, especially just before dawn.
Gotta work on my organizing, so I can do something else instead of welding,
and test a piece before getting stuck in, and not stuck to.
Just saying, I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case for many folks.

The solution to that might be an inverter welder, which I've got no experience with.
Admittedly, I don't know if I'd be so keen to find out if a cheap one like in the middle isle,
would last the test of time, lots'a bits to break which wouldn't be surprising on a thing which
makes metal soup.

All the best
Tom

16s are the rods you need for thin metal and amps around 40. (12s are 2.5s 14s are 2.0 and and 16s about 1.6) if you are asked the size in mm. 12s need about 90amps so you can work your way down through the amps from there for smaller rods.

 

[Alien the welder]

Thank you very much for the advice

I understand that. The material is only about 3mm.
The area that really convinced me of the abilities of Gas MIG was this junction
View attachment 167120
the fitup was so bad that I had tight on the corner going up to almost 10mm at the end (yes I am aware I should have re-cut the joint) the end was done first and then as the joint widened out I was able to virtually paint with the weld and being gas MIG I could start and stop, to allow the metal to freeze, with no concern about needing to clean it first.
Is it a terrible example? Of course. Should I have been more careful with cutting the joints? Absolutely. Could it have been done by a skilled stick welder? Probably. But after having spent hours and days practicing stick I know I couldn’t. Having spent about half an hour practicing and setting up my MIG unit I was able to make joints I would never have been able to with stick. What I made was a bracket to hold a shelf for an NVR and monitor so the welding was extreme overkill for strength (a few tacks would be strong enough) apart from the prep time (not very good I know) it took me about half an hour, and showed me that I can stick stuff together well enough to start doing much more without any significant difficultie.

Here is another from the same time but with better fit up
View attachment 167121

It isn’t that good a machine it does lift TIG so I assume that is scratch.

that is probably available in a machine that is 3 to 5 times the price of mine but since I didn’t get the bundle that included the TIG torch I may never get the urge to find out.

I got a small bottle 1.5 คิว (Q) that was the same price as the similar size CO2 starter bottle so if I ever get the urge to do aluminium MIG or TIG I only need a spool gun or torch

Looking at the second weld, the volts are too high. Turn them down a notch.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Looking at the second weld, the volts are too high. Turn them down a notch.

Thanks for that information I will certainly give it a try, though as I will be using a different gas, 75/25, now it’s likely I’ll need more practice time anyway.

Ideally once you get the weld pool moving you want a single run, starting and stoping can cause weld issues.

Thanks I do understand that, though in my defence even a tiddly tack would have been more than adequate so being able to fill in a ridiculously bad fit up with a weld that was purley cosmetic (once I ground it down of course) was a revelation to me. The fit up ranged from zero to over 7mm over 35mm

The completed bracket may possibly need to support about 2~3 kg and it is likely that it has the ability to support myself, so a safety factor of 50 or more