Mech Engineer /Commissioning Engineer/ Piping / Mechanical Installation

by John.
(China /Florida)

I cannot vouch for all Chinese made welding machines sold in the U.S.A. My experience has been on Oil Rig /Platform Construction and Shipyards in China. All 'hands-on' on work. The Chinese TIG welding machines and MIG machines were as efficent and reliable as anything HOBART,MILLER or LINCOLN turn out. The actual welding processes were comparable to any which I have seen in the U.S., and, being honest, a lot better than most.
The TIG welds were nothing less than beautiful, and that's what I required. ARC and MIG along the same lines. ARC generated the most grinding /re-run, but there's nothing extraordinary in that.
Regarding the machines, it is possible to get 'on-line'(Google is best for China) and check them out for content. Ask for full tech specs and ensure a warranty in writing from the manufacturer, do NOT depend on the dealer. Sometimes the spec sheet contains less than perfect English, doubly check it and ensure that you do understand the wording content and that the paperwork actually relates to the machine being potentially purchased.

Make no mistake, the Chinese do turn out some crap, but that is primarily due to the Western buyers not having some knowledgeable person spend time at the manufacturing site to ensure QC is as it should be.Plus, there are a lot of buyers in the West, whom knowingly let the QC slide, in a quest for cheapness!

Again it will reside with the dealer, and how much effort they put into backing up the product they sell, but the majority of Chinese welding machines are relatively easy to repair and spare parts are readily available.