#Recommended finds

The creator normally uses a DIY spot welder that has to be charged up before every use, which is a hassle; a follower said his own DIY build was expensive and fiddly and asked whether there is a good-value spot welder. The star of the unboxing: the AWithZ handheld color-screen spot welder. Peel off the protective film; a second small box holds nickel strip, a nice touch. The manual notes: make sure the pins have cooled before changing or removing them to avoid burns, the weld effect weakens below 25% battery, thermal protection, long-press for quick adjustment, manual spot welding. The interface is friendly and easy to pick up; the settings menu covers language, weld sound, screen brightness, screen flip, auto power-off and factory reset; the whole unit is light and compact and feels okay in the hand. A quick spot-weld test first — it holds reasonably well; dial in a suitable gear and weld the pack directly; the pack is finished before the DIY welder has even finished charging. Verdict: more convenient than the DIY unit; for simple 18650 packs a handheld like this AWithZ is worth considering — good value, portable, ready to use on power-up. Comments: some think the capacitor type is a better fit (the creator liked that), asked the max thickness it can weld (liked), runtime, gear, whether 21700 can be welded (creator: yes); one said the welds look a bit black.