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Anyone used or bought any of these cheap Chinese spot welding tools and if you bought one, would you do it again?

There are around a dozen vendors having ebay storefronts selling welders with varying prices between $130-150 including shipping. All seem to be close together in SoCal so maybe the same importer. The specs and look (except for labels) seem to be identical. Also close, if not identical to a version HF sells. Ebay prices are even less than HF though. Eastwood has one with about the same look and specs. Theirs is a much higher price but wonder if it might be the same unit.

I am looking for something that would be almost idiot proof for very low demand use. A few times used and then it will probably collect dust. Would appreciate opinions on whether the quality and results would make it even worth $130.

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Sorry Howard, I have no experience with this one. But a man can never have too many tools! Especially at such a price for such infrequent use.

Craig

Hmmm...set up your project, buy the HF unit, use it, decide you don't like it and return it! -OR- check with rental companies. Maybe there is one you can rent as necessary.

Nice idea. I kind of thought of that but HF is $40-50 more than the ebay prices. The way my projects start, sputter around a few days or weeks and then stop when I get tired of them, would need to have the HF unit around too long to return it. My luck would then be to find out the HF item is exactly the same as the ebays and be thoroughly PO'd about spending more for the same item.

As to renting, another nice idea but this is Fresno. From experience, if it doesn't fit on a cheby or is in the least little bit unusual, it isn't available here.

Unless someone comes along with a "don't do it", I guess the crowbar will have to be applied to the wallet again. As Craig said, one can never have too many tools.

Back in the 70s, we had a couple of portable spot welders of this style in the HS metal shop, but each was mounted on its own pedestal stand. Though I can't recall the brand, they were of a professional grade, 220V, and likely made in USA, but not immune to failure. After one of my classmates removed the part that he had just welded, the tongs closed, and sparks flew from the welding tips as they proceeded to fuse together. May have only been a something simple that failed, but must have been plenty of collateral damage inside, as that unit sat there, unplugged, for the rest of the semester.

When it comes to products like this, ease of customer service in the event of failure is very important to me. In that regard, I'd rather buy from a brick-n-mortar store than online or mail-order - even if I have to pay a little more. Also, a good, but honest, salesman will help steer you away from bad product.

I shop (carefully) at a HF store that's only about an hour drive. The few times that I have had problems with something, they've been pretty good about it. I got several years out of a cheap reciprocating saw that I used not only to strip branches from many trees that I felled, but cutting through roots that were still in the ground to bring those same trees down. When I finally stripped the gears, I just went back and bought another saw. However, I do buy the extended warranty for more sophisticated electrical products.

On the other hand, if you're only gonna use the welder for this one project, you can always re-sell it to recoup some of the original outlay.

Compared to a Miller unit that costs hundreds more, what have you really got to lose?