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Is it worth buying a cheap £90 KD1879 welder? My impressions and tests

teskot 9951 67
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  • #31 21266684
    andrzejlisek
    Level 31  
    profbolek wrote:
    The fault of users who demand a 300 A welder for a few zloty. You give the real parameters then you will not sell.
    .
    Everyone would like to have a welder or other device cheaper instead of more expensive, and the seller, in order to sell, would like the device to have better parameters than it actually has. I wonder if it is cheaper to buy a 300 A welding machine of Polish or German manufacture, or a 500 A welding machine of Chinese manufacture, which in fact, hardly pulls 300 A.

    profbolek wrote:
    A 200 A welder should easily weld with a 5 mm electrode, this one has a specified max electrode of 4 mm...
    .
    Then, wanting to weld with a 5 mm electrode, is it better to buy a 200 A welder made in Europe or the States, or a Chinese minimum 400 A welder? In both cases it will be more expensive, just not sure which one is more expensive.
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  • #32 21266768
    arekb81
    Level 30  
    These amps should be dealt with by e.g. UOKIK, if the welders sold do not have the declared parameters. This is clearly misleading the buyers.
    This is not a deviation of 5-10%, but as much as 50% and even a little more.
  • #33 21266782
    klm787
    Level 36  
    arekb81 wrote:
    These amps should be dealt with by e.g. the OCC
    .
    The OCCP by the way.
    And what about the European Community?
    They can take care of the curvature of a banana. Other bullshit too.
    But the subject of the electrical performance of equipment imported from China is beyond them.
  • #34 21266812
    metalMANiu
    Level 21  
    klm787 wrote:
    The curvature of a banana can be dealt with. Other bullshit too.
    .
    Because these are issues that have a huge impact on the economics of a particular industry or even a particular corporation.
    The carrot as a fruit has been an object of derision, but how many cases are there whose intricacies most cannot understand. All sorts of absurdities arise, but for every new one almost someone makes money.

    Buying from Chinese sites has long been under the eye of the EU. Here, however, there is no question of enforcing guarantees.

    The case is different when buying from a Polish company. As an importer themselves, they should make sure that the equipment arrives as ordered.
    And we, as customers of Polish shops, have the right to a warranty and we should use it so that dishonest (uninformed) sellers start to be honest (verify the goods they order).
  • #35 21267759
    profbolek
    Level 13  
    profbolek wrote:
    A 200 A welder should be able to weld with a 5 mm electrode without any problem, this one has a specified max electrode of 4 mm...
    .
    Then, wanting to weld with a 5 mm electrode, is it better to buy a 200 A welder made in Europe or the States, or a Chinese minimum 400 A welder? In both cases it will be more expensive, it's just not clear which one is more expensive[/quote].
    If genuinely manufactured in Europe or the USA, it will be much more expensive. There are quite a few Polish importers offering real performance (250 A and 5 mm), but not for 95 PLN, just read the data.
  • #36 21267774
    chemik_16
    Level 26  
    metalMANiu wrote:
    .

    Buying from Chinese sites has long been under the EU's eye.
    .

    And they will end up slapping a duty on everything from China, for the customer the price 100% up, but it will still all go from them. Profits will be overtaken instead of factories being built.
  • #37 21267835
    pan_pp
    Level 12  
    >>21262699 .
    Would a colleague be kind enough to upload a photo of the nameplate, of the described welder?
  • #38 21267872
    Maly
    Level 33  
    >>21266459 .
    I also had similar welders from Majster Polska displayed next to this model on a well-known site.
    One of them is identical to the KraftDele one from the first post of the thread - only the colours are different. :)
    (Majster Polska inverter MMA TIG IGBT electrode welder) - for 155 PLN, so the same price as this KD - made in one factory under different stamps
  • #39 21271072
    szeryf3
    Level 29  
    It could be that this welder is manufactured in one and the same factory.
    Apparently a lot of things are manufactured this way and the Chinese brother gives the Polish logo at the end.
  • #40 21271559
    teskot
    Level 37  
    Please, a photo of the 'plaque':

    Nameplate of an inverter welding machine with blurred text. .

    The photo is not moved. only the lettering is so blurred.
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  • #41 21271741
    kruhy59
    Level 11  
    I once bought (need of the moment) on a well-known Kraft & something auction site a self-consuming wire was written 200 A, on an IGBT. Massacre with the amperage regulator, nothing could be twisted, let alone welded. The wire kept unwinding and would not pull out. After modifications it somehow welded - spot-welded thin sheet metal, because that's what I needed. So most of these cheap welders are rubbish. I don't really know how they are still on the market and finding takers. Probably people like me. :-) .
  • #42 21271800
    profbolek
    Level 13  
    kruhy59 wrote:
    I once bought (need of the moment) on the well-known auction site Kraft & something there
    .

    And with that the story has come full circle, we are back to the core of the first Kraft & something there post. :-)
  • #43 21273342
    hetm4n
    Level 20  
    I purchased a Red Technik for £145, I'll tell you I'm surprised, the welder at work ordered it himself as he tested it. The 3,2 mm electrode is flying like a storm, on the max setting it showed 110-120 A with this electrode. On the 2 mm electrode it was taking about 90 A. It welded 5 mm flat bars without a problem. The only downside is that it doesn't engage the electrode every time it is touched. I still have a self-dimming visor on the way for £54 from the same brand.
  • #44 21275044
    ^ToM^
    Level 42  
    Andrzej Ch. wrote:
    0sp8plo wrote:
    Hello, very interesting topic. I myself acquired a KD welder over two years ago, from a claimed 330 A measured max is 145 A.
    .


    So Chinese "amps", as in everything they make, anyway.


    At this price, let the Chinese amps be. Worth buying for home use. I have a similar one myself - RED Technic but in an older housing. It works, it welds and I saved a lot by buying such a welder. The metal casing alone will cost about £100. :D .

    Added after 3 [minutes]:

    E8600 wrote:
    I admit that such a topic was not expected. Is the author sure that the wires are copper and not just copper plated? Such welders have 120-140 A maximum. These functions on the display are probably a pic of water. The display is just to attract the customer in this product. ....
    .
    The aforementioned is of no relevance in the practice of household use. Such a device is used occasionally in the household and for this application it makes no sense to buy anything more expensive. If it breaks down in a few years, you can buy a new one .... for PLN 90.

    Added after 1 [minute]:

    neo_84 wrote:
    All cheap welders have inflated amps. I have a KD836 welder, in order for it to weld as well as a Spartus 210E at 60 amps, you have to set the current to 130 amps, .....


    Scale yourself. There is usually a potentiometer on the LCD board that you can use to scale the readings to reality. You will have 65 A on the LCD instead of 130 A.

    Added after 2 [minutes]: .

    E8600 wrote:
    ...
    It's worth making sure there's a real, and not just on paper soft start, so that it doesn't blow fuses when charging capacitors.


    Mine also cost £100 and it doesn't knock the plugs out even when switching on a 10 amp fuse.
  • #45 21275107
    andrzejlisek
    Level 31  
    Are these "Chinese amps" due to the fact that the design is out of tune or cheated, or is it due to the fact that it would theoretically be able to put out the required power, only the design will not withstand it due to poor choice of materials and manufacturing errors (wires too thin, aluminium or steel wires instead of copper, loose connections), resulting in an underestimation of the actual amperage? If the latter, perhaps improving the connections and possibly replacing the 'high-current' wires and parts with ones that can actually withstand the claimed amperage would suffice?
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  • #46 21275149
    ^ToM^
    Level 42  
    andrzejlisek wrote:
    Are these "Chinese amps" due to the fact that the design is out of tune or cheated, or is it due to the fact that theoretically it would be able to put out the needed power, only the design can't handle it due to poor choice of materials and manufacturing errors (too thin wires, aluminium or steel wires instead of copper, loose connections), resulting in an underestimation of the actual amperage? If it's the latter, then perhaps improving the connections and possibly replacing the 'high-current' wires and parts with ones that can actually withstand the claimed amperage would suffice?

    No, these welders are actually built for 120-150 amperage, while it is only by marketing that the vendors scale them so that they indicate 2× the higher value, hoping that the customer will choose such a "stronger" one. This scaling is changed on the display using a potentiometer. It is possible to change this on at least some of them so that they indicate correctly. It is also possible to ignore this and divide the result on the LCD by 2.
    In practice, if they were sold with the actual current indication, they would still sell well, as they are at the price of a battery charger and 120-150 A is sufficient for most domestic and semi-professional applications. They can be welded with 3.2 mm electrodes non-stop without any problem (at least mine, after welding 5 electrodes one after the other on 120 A current, didn't even stutter). So, for home use they are perfect and it is worth getting one if you like DIY.
    One note: the mask included in the kit is not suitable for anything. It is best to buy a self-darkening visor for PLN 50-100 (practically the price of the welder itself). Eyes are only one for life, while you can buy n-dozen welding machines. It is worth bearing this in mind.
  • #47 21275611
    hetm4n
    Level 20  
    >>21275149 You mean that in order to weld something efficiently, you still have to take a look with such a visor with the naked eye? Because the dimming according to me is good, I bought a self-darkening visor from Red technik for convenience.
  • #48 21277771
    E8600
    Level 41  
    Low price. I wonder how much work it would take to convert such a welder into a booster by lowering the maximum output voltage to 14 volts?
  • #49 21277805
    Macosmail
    Level 35  
    In my opinion, it is enough to add one Zener diode. Obviously in the case of the diagram below.

    Circuit diagram showing an electrical circuit with power supply and Zener diodes. .
  • #50 21277830
    acctr
    Level 38  
    Macosmail wrote:
    As far as I'm concerned, just add one zener diode. Obviously in the case of the diagram below.
    .
    The output voltage is determined by the divider R10 P1 / R11.
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
  • #51 21277856
    Macosmail
    Level 35  
    Yes, I know. And I would include a Zener diode there with an additional switch. I don't trust potentiometers in this type of device.
    In this case, the issue is simple. Most cheap welders don't have voltage regulation, but in practice there is always a point in the circuit which, when shorted to ground or some other potential, stops the keying. Sometimes an optocoupler may be needed.

    Circuit diagram with a modified connection. .
  • #52 21278114
    acctr
    Level 38  
    Macosmail wrote:
    Yes, I know. And I would include a Zener diode there with an additional switch.
    .
    No point, you would have to be sure what dynamic resistance the Zener diode has for a given voltage and current.
    Simpler to use a resistor if you don't trust potentiometers.
    Helpful post? Buy me a coffee.
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  • #54 21299298
    konradl2802
    Level 1  
    Gentlemen a hint, because I don't know. I would like to buy a wire welding machine for home use. After a visual inspection I have selected these pieces. Which one would be better for me as an amateur? Majster polska has additionally gas shielded welding, is this some kind of additional advantage? This will result in better welds? For that the Wuber has synergy functions. Kraft dele probably similar to majster polska. Thank you very much for any help.

    Inverter welder by Kraft&Dele with display and accessories. Wuber inverter welder with MIG, Flux, MMA, TIG functions and accessories. Yellow Majster Polska MP-0122 250A inverter welder with control panel and connected cable. Orange welding machine with a display and buttons, next to technical information. Orange welding machine with a display and buttons, next to technical information. .
  • #55 21300422
    szeryf3
    Level 29  
    @konradl2802 I would be interested in such a welder myself because how many times a year would I weld on the plot.
  • #56 21432344
    endriuj23
    Level 11  
    I advise against it, it's Chinese-Turkish crap.
  • #57 21432746
    TomTech
    Level 12  
    For occasional welding on a plot of land, it performs superbly and needs no more.
  • #59 21432836
    jokercbi
    Level 12  
    E8600 wrote:
    There was a better "promotion" last time? https://www.pepper.pl/promocje/spawarka-inwer...30-a-230v-75-kva-kraftdele-blad-cenowy-984682
    This wasn't a bargain, just a canny advertisement for this seller's offers. In the official version supposedly a price error.
    Nowadays, Allegro is a platform for Sellers, and the Buyer is to be kicked in the ass.
    The seller can cancel your purchase at any time.
    I had an identical situation there. I bought a sprayer for 49 PLN and they also cancelled it because the seller made a price mistake and did not add the 1 in front (149 PLN).
    And there were 30 items. I could have not reported him and waited until 30 people bought these sprayers. But I was too honest.
    And even arguing on the portal didn't help, nor did threatening the court or the Consumer Ombudsman. They brazenly pounced on me and even accused me of being dishonest in my purchase because I supposedly wanted to exploit them for 20% of the price. They also laughed at me when I argued that even supermarkets sometimes run sales promotions and sell new goods for 20% of the price. What a pity. The customer has to pay whatever the shop assistant wants, and if they don't, they won't give them the goods they bought. Like in Bareja, "We don't have your coat and what are you going to do for us?".
  • #60 21433798
    endriuj23
    Level 11  
    Turkish junk on Chinese parts.
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Topic summary

The discussion evaluates the KD1879 welder priced under £90, highlighting that its claimed 330 A output is significantly overstated, with real maximum currents around 120-150 A. Users confirm the presence of inflated "Chinese amps" ratings, often doubled on displays via adjustable potentiometers, misleading buyers. Despite this, the welder is considered adequate for amateur and occasional household welding tasks, such as welding small metal bars or garden structures, where high amperage is rarely needed. Modifications like paralleling two units with added diodes can increase current output to about 280 A, but practical use remains limited by power supply constraints. The device features minimalist design with IGBT technology, basic electronics including STM8S003 microcontroller and SG3525A-based motherboard, and low-quality cables often made of aluminum or copper-plated wire, which users recommend replacing with proper copper leads for better performance. The welder includes a soft start circuit to prevent fuse blowing, but the supplied mask is generally inadequate. Comparisons with other budget welders such as KD836, KraftDele, Majster Polska MP-0102, and Red Technik reveal similar compromises between price and performance. The discussion also touches on market practices of overstating parameters, the economic impact of cheap Chinese imports, and the difficulty of enforcing accurate specifications. For occasional use, the KD1879 and similar models offer acceptable value, but for frequent or professional welding, higher-quality European or American brands like Kemppi or Fronius are recommended despite much higher costs. Additional technical notes include suggestions for voltage regulation modifications using Zener diodes and resistors, and the feasibility of connecting welders in parallel or across different phases to increase capacity.
Summary generated by the language model.
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