Z
Buying online on a crredit card offers some protection as provided by the terms of the issuer of the card, who as far as I know allways assist in settling issues about returns, etc, according to the vendors terms and in accordance with the law... understand the vendors policies because the card companies judge if the vendor has followed his own rules... no returns means just that, etc.
I'd avoid companies that don't have a telephone line conspicuously advertised, and when I call it I expect a person, not a machine, to answer with the company name. I'm looking for some kind of evidence the company has some substance, that I can speak to a human and not easily be put off or ignored in event of difficulty, and is not being run out of the trunk of somebody's fly-by-night car. That satisfied, we pays our money and takes our chances.
I have posted remarks about the value of building a repoir with the welding supplier. For me it's a valuable asset worth the investment and time. You consider both the ethics and what the future will hold if you get a demonstration from the local distributor (who is investing his [valued] time in good faith to answer your questions and provide good advice) and save a couple of bucks buying it elsewhere when you bring it back to him for service, or have to buy consumeables or supplies locally rather than on-line. Usually you don't get to keep hold of the couple bucks for long.
I buy online when I know the product and don't need or want outside advice or influence. It certainly has it's place, but in the context of advice from the self-affirmed spokesman for the minority opinion, I wouldn't recommend it in your case.
While here let me suggest you begin experimenting, if you decide to, with brazing using a thin gauge cadmium free silver-solder wire and the appropriate flux.
Brazing is what they call a capillary process; it utilizes capillary attraction to pull the liquid filler metal fully into the prepared joint. Also, the filler is drawn to the heat. It's strength is not in the fillet, but in the amount of surface area of the two pieces to be joined in contact with one another (strength is proportional to fit- gaps cannot be filled and maintain maximum strength vry close to that off steel)
The key is cleanliness, fluxing, fit, and heat...
...tin-lead solder works similarly but at lower temperatures and is where to start, graduating to higher temperature silver solder and finally the alloys which melt at highest temperatures. The complexities increase with temperature, so it's nice to eliminate those variables by starting at low temperatures; the equipment and fuel consumption is also cheaper, but I'd be unable to consider working metal without an oxyacetylene torch in any event...which also, by the way, welds nicely in trained hands.
Regards,
d