Hi newbiesmith. These little 110V transformer machines are really marginal. 3/32" rods are the biggest that will work. 5/64 or even 1/16 are better. If you are near Harbor Freight, you might try their little 110V inverter machine. That has a much better duty cycle, and you will have more time to weld. I hear that they often burn out, but you can easily return it, especially if you go for their buyer protection plan. I have an AC buzzbox, and I rarely run it above 100 amps. It is just great, and it is a real compliment to smithing, especially for making tools. One nice thing is that working at 140 or less amps, I don't need to worry about the duty cycle, since swapping rods and chipping let the welder cool sufficiently so I can just keep going for hours. |