Chinese ebay welders plasma cutters

[IronAndy]

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has had a problem with their Chinese welders and/or plasma cutters. See ebay item: 260711725347

Or the item description cut and pasted below:

Up for auction we have a complete piece of xxxx Lotos 3-in-1 Chinese hunk of junk sold by ebay shyster name removed. I bought this piece on October 24, 2010. I have other welders and my primary intended use was occassional cutting with the plasma cutter function. When I first received the package, I assembled everything and tried it out. I cut a 3/16 IN thick piece of mild steel and the cut was about 3-3/4 inches long. It was a nice clean cut and I was very impressed with the machine so what did I do? I went bragging to all my friends about what a great new tool I had and you gotta come over to see how it works,bla,bla,bla shooting off my big fat mouth. I became very busy with work and I have precious little time for blacksmithing but last Saturday some friends came over and asked to see my Lotos cut. I had not used it since I tested it out but I was eager to cut some iron for a couple of different projects and their visit motivated me to show off my new tool. So my friends are gathered around and I'm rambling on about how I'll never cut with oxy/acet again and I turn on my brand new Lotos and BANG it explodes! Not "hand grenade" explode sending shrapnel everywhere, more like the sound of someone filling a paper lunch bag full of air and then smashing it between their hands.This was accompanied by a bright flash of light and a puff of smoke. So much for my nice new Lotos! Let's do some math! OK, so I paid $410 for this and $410 divided by 3-3/4 inches, carry the 1, is let's see here, $109.33 per inch of cut! Yes sir, a bargain at twice the price! And here's the best part! I get to listen to my friends, who, let's face it, are really just a bunch of retards, constantly tease me about buying cheap Chinese junk from disreputable ebay vendors! Which leads me to the SECOND best part: name removed won't stand behind his product. Well, I can't say I blame him since I wouldn't stand behind exploding Chinese pyrotechnics if I could avoid it. His idea of a solution is that every time the machine explodes, I spend $40 to ship it back to him so he can fix it! How's that for an INGENIOUS solution!!????? Let's do MORE math! Let's say I use the machine once every 2 weeks (I'm just a hobbyist) and every other time I use it, it explodes. So, on average, I get to spend $40 per month sending this warm bucket of elephant xxxx back to the thief that sold it to me! So that's $40 times 12 months, carry the 1, $480 per year! Of course, that's only for the first year because the warranty runs out ! And now, LUCKY YOU, yes, YOU have the opportunity to buy this finely crafted clump of asian precision! Here's what you get: the original new Lotos that has only been used once. The original packing-ALL of it- including the original wrappers, packing peanuts,etc,etc. I only tried the plasma cutter function, which doesn't work now after the explosion. I never tried the tig or arc functions but I can only assume that they will explode too. As a matter of fact, all that other stuff is still in its original wrappers-I didn't even unpack it. JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PLUG IS CIRCUIT BREAKER PROTECTED! Unless of course you are upside down on your mortgage and you have plenty of fire insurance! Want a bargain? Feeling brave? Here's your chance. This beauty is STILL under warranty! And will be until October 24,2011. And ebay vendor name removed (who you will be dealing with for warranty/replacement) is simply a JOY to work with!!!!!! That's 10 months of guaranteed fun kids!! Assuming the machine doesn't kill you first. Good luck bidding!! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks.Andy

[Sam Falzone]

WOW !!!!

That was awesome !!!!

That had to be the best foaming at the mouth rant I have ever read !!!

I feel sorry for the guy but I admire his "eloquence" and "style".

Thanks for sharing.

Sam

[thingmaker3]

The really funny thing is the opening bid is also $410.

[arftist]

Sad to read, but kudos to the victem for sharing his tale of woe. Can me make this a sticky for every newbie that wants to buy a chinese tig or whatever?

[stribett1]

THAT is what I want Santa to bring!!! A gift that keeps on giving!. I wonder if I could send it to my ex-brother-in-law?

[Mainely,Bob]

Could have been worse,it could have been a $4100 induction heater you bought and are now stuck with the smoking hulk.
The message here is buy from reputable dealers, not E-bay importers.

Sorry you got burnt Andy,but glad you took the time to post the message and warning here for all to see.Thanks for doing that.

[Thomas Dean]

Sad to read, but kudos to the victem for sharing his tale of woe. Can me make this a sticky for every newbie that wants to buy a chinese tig or whatever?

Won't help...I have given my thoughts on welding machines and welding processes (37+yrs of experience in the field) and I have read many that you have posted and they STILL don't heed what is said....I no longer post to those threads. Waste of time for the most part. And in this case "ya get what ya pay for" but still sorry you got 'burned' Andy.

[maddog]

I'm sorry. Frustrating and disappointing.

While I do think some HF and other imported Chinese tools are worth buying, a complicated machine is the sort of thing that I would only buy a reputable brand from a reputable dealer. But it's much easier to stick to that principle when you have the money to do so. Sometimes it's a choice between a Chinese machine or none at all and the temptation to take a chance becomes very strong. I've been there too. If it were me, I would resign myself to the fact that what I have is a kit and now is the time to figure out how these things work and see if I can find parts to get it back into service. Its a law of physics: The less money you spend on a machine, the more you will learn about how it works (or doesn't )

But you don't need lectures and "I told you so"'s now.

[clinton]

If you paid with a credit card you may be able to get a refund of the purchase price, I would contact them and ask

[peacock]

i am not an expert but I do have some expierence. You may have popped a capicitor. Sounds much like your description. If that is true that would be an easy fix. I am not a fan of imports but if you can fix if for $10 it's better than the loss.

[evfreek]

If it is a Lotos, he probably did not just pop a capacitor. He probably burned out a switching transistor, and will blow another if he replaces it. There are a lot of sleazy people selling these welders. There is one small shop in my neighborhood. The seller is very pushy and says the welders are made by Miller. Generally, the pushier and more abrupt the seller is, the less chance you have of receiving good after sales service. Fortunately, the search engines will help others find your post. Unfortunately, there are a lot of confusing positive posts on the same subject. And, lots of people are trying to save money.

Next time, instead of calling with a credit card number, come up with a fake sob story instead. I know. It is sleazy too. But this can often draw out a disreputable seller and cause him to reveal his true intentions.

[RBrown]

If you cant afford better then by all means purchase harbor freight and other imports. Just don't expect them to last past there warranty. Iv got a few hf products that have to my surprise lasted quite a while infarct I am surprised every time i turn them on and they still work. now my welding equipment is something different i have an old century buzz box that i have had and abused for years it even sat outside under a tarp for a long time when i didn't have a shop to put it in still works almost 20 years latter. Plasma cutter is a small esab absolutely love it got it as a reman unit. Just picked up one of those cheap hf mig welders did some horse trading guy needed something i had and i kinda felt sorry for him so i let him trade me that thing for what i had and didn't need. For what i use it for just tacking things together quickly it works fine but i don't expect it to turn on the next time i plug it in. You definetly get what you pay for.

[IronAndy]

Thanks for all your kind words of support. I just wish I checked out this forum (and others like it) before I bid. I got a bid this morning so I guess I have to sell it. I was planning on leaving the ad up there for a year or two so that I could warn others. I really didn't expect anyone to bid so I didn't put much thought into the asking price. (see listing 260714620259 if interested) I guess too many people are seeing my listing and it's discouraging bidders on these cheap Chinese machines. A plasma cutter/welder vendor has bid and I'm assuming he just wants the ad off of ebay. Kinda feels like I'm being bought off but at least I'm rid of that thing. Lesson learned....
Thx again.Andy

[Fosterob]

I think the guy knows what $1.29 part to change and will sell it as reconditioned for large profit. I have seen items that I have bid on removed before auctions end, they claim it was sold locally, so if you dont want to sell to him....
Rob

[pip]

dont buy it