Spent $250 on a used spot welder from Facebook Marketplace and it died after 3 panels.

Got a screaming deal on a used spot welder from a guy in Akron, worked fine for the first three quarter panels then started leaving burn holes, anyone else have luck rebuilding these things or am I out the cash?

3 comments

3 Comments

michaeltorres19d ago

Is the unit maybe grounding out through the frame somehow? I burned through a couple tips myself before realizing the rubber gasket between the handle and the body got pinched and was letting current sneak out somewhere it shouldnt. @piper779 I hear you on the cheap tool thing but $30 spot welders are usually just glorified battery tab welders, they dont have the duty cycle for car panels. You might be able to salvage that welder by checking the scr or triac inside too mine was a toasted triac that cost like $4 to swap.

wood.faith19d ago

Facebook Marketplace is a gamble, no way around it. But here is the thing nobody talks about - those cheap spot welders often have the wrong capacitor setup for continuous use. Your unit probably had capacitors meant for a quick weld or two, not a whole panel run. Before you scrap it, pop the cover and check if the capacitors are swollen or leaking. Also, swap the copper tips with some 3mm ones from a welding supply store, not the cheap Amazon knockoffs. That saved my unit when I was in the same boat.

piper77919d ago

Honestly, are we overthinking this? A cheap spot welder is like a $30 tool, not some precision piece of equipment. If it got you through a panel run before dying, it probably did its job for the price.