Dropped $300 on a spot welder that barely works...

I bought a cheap spot welder off Amazon for $300 thinking I'd save money on panel repairs... it couldn't even fuse 18-gauge steel without leaving craters. Spent 2 hours adjusting the pressure and timing, still got junk results. Ended up taking the car to a shop that charged me $150 to fix what I messed up. Has anyone found a budget welder that actually holds up for quarter panels or is it all a waste?

2 comments

2 Comments

jadeg811mo ago

Man that sucks. I mean for $300 you'd think it would at least weld basic stuff without wrecking your panel. Honestly I don't think there's a real budget option for quarter panels. I tried a $450 one from a brand I won't name and it just couldn't get the penetration right either. Ended up borrowing a friends Miller which cost like a grand and even that took some finesse. Maybe it's just me but I feel like spot welders are one of those things where you really gotta pay for quality or just farm it out.

andrew9161mo ago

Oh man, I used to think you could get away with a cheap one, but this kinda changed my mind. Sounds like even stepping up to $450 doesn't really fix it.