I have on loan a similar machine from china. Mine is an Everlast CT416d. I think many of them are similar if not the same in design and are imported by various groups in the states. I don't know anything about that brand but the one I have seems to work well for around the house welding and cutting. I would check around ebay and other forums and the BBB for any comments complaints that may be around.

Mine is a 40 amp plasma and about all I had the patience to cut was 1/2". I have always preferred a torch but the plasma is kinda nice since I don't have to keep a set of bottles at home and an assortment of tips to cut thick/thin etc.

I am sure there will be plenty of opinions on the china machines. The ones I have, work well and thats all I know. The ones I have were sent for me to test and try out . Thats what I have done. I actually a machine from another importer too. It has done well but its stick only (and GTAW).

There is everlast, longevity, giant tech, and ramsond that I have heard of. Yuu can get these direct from china for about 300 (min order of 10) but there are SOOOO many mfgs that quality could vary a great deal.

I think you should get them to give you one..

You can post a review of it here!

Seems to me that Powcon had something similar back in the day.

Looks darned handy... and made in the U.S.A.!

Yep, like the guys said, both good & bad reports. Everyone I know has gotten about three to five uses, then it blows up. I wouldn't buy one.

I sure would take a freebie though :-) S.W.

Hey guys,
I know many forum members here and on other forums condemn all the foreign(Chinese) welders, & seem to castigate anyone who owns one. Problem is that most have never had one or used one to validate their opinions. First, I can only encourage those interested in expanding their capabilities, knowledge of welding processes not delved into, or a reasonably priced unit to "get-their-feet-wet", to do your homework. There is a plethora of information available regarding the usage, reliability, options of functions & features, of the imported units on the market.

After extensive research reading & investigating reports & feedback, satisfaction, & overall usage, I purchased (2) Riland welders, a 250A Spoolgun MIG- the MIG250L(mobile unit) and the WSE200P 200A AC/DC TIG unit(shop unit) to expand my operation & offerings. After (2) years of operation, the MIG250L has digested over (100) 2lb rolls of wire, and the WSE200P has burned in excess of 85lbs of TIG filler and have performed flawlessly. The MIG250L has a clone Miller 3035 spoolgun and also having a Miller 3035, they are identical in every facet including the interchangeability of parts. I would guesstimate maybe Miller has them making their 3035's, don't know. Not knowing the lifespan of the clone 3035, I even bought a spare as a "just-in-case" if I was on a mobile job & the unit failed. And the spare unit was $185 complete. How can you challenge that? The original unit is still as new and I still use it several times a week as it resides in my mobile unit. The WSE200P unit I use strictly for TIG & not SMAW, as I weld all my alum. D/plate crafts & classic/show car accessories with it and use it almost daily. It has full sync. capabilities & does a superb job with aluminum and the SS items I make.

There are many other imports(chinese) on the market & they all seem to have issues from operational bugs to complete failures. Many postings are available for viewing & the issues surrounding the imports on all the other welding forums. I haven't seen any problems reported with the Riland manufactured units as they appear to be the premiere weld. equip. manufacturer in China and the others are copied units that use inferior components & low quality standards. I am just reporting my own personal usage & satisfaction with these units from an experienced point of view. The only other import I have is a Giant Tech 200A DC SMAW unit I also use in my mobile unit. It also has performed without issue after 150lbs of SMAW rod, weighs only 22lbs, & I call it my "lunchbox" welder. Really handy on the construction sites I go to for repairs of equipment. In addition, being all inverter welders, they draw very low input current(23A max) and my generator can handle any one of these with the compressor running.

Here are the units and the specs. I hope I have cleared any misinformation regarding ALL the available imports, and just providing information that there are some well-made welders from China.      Denny

http://www.rilandusa.com/?p=Mig250L

http://www.rilandusa.com/?p=Tig200WSE