Ep. 2 | Spot welder comparison — a home-built one off Xianyu vs a bought one! Money talks! The quality really is different

Honglin Zhenxian compares a ¥180 hand-built welder off Xianyu (no charger, thin leads, shabby tips) with a ¥500 AWithZ UF20B from the Douyin store (aluminium-alloy shell, thick leads, rounded tips, handles 0.4 nickel strip, pen with a button) — ‘I just buy the pricey one’; gear 31 rapid-fire welding is so much fun he burns the tablecloth; gear 99 welds straight through a utility-knife blade, ‘don’t recommend this, too hard on the machine’; 613 comments: the bought one wins, is Duokerui the same company, P120 ribbon cable loose and returned, both are toys

On the left, from the second-hand market (Xianyu), ¥180 and no charger, you sort your own; on the right, from the Douyin store, ¥500, and there’s a difference: this lead (Xianyu machine) is thinner than my life, pitiful, and the tips aren’t even one piece; (the AWithZ’s) are so rounded, they say it handles 0.4 nickel strip, seriously strong, and it has a button, aluminium-alloy shell (nameplate UF20B 6.0V / 1750A / 10.5kW / 100–240V, Juequi Technology); I can’t really read power ratings, I just buy the pricey one, the pricey one’s stronger, that one’s low power. The Xianyu machine throws sparks on every weld; this one is different, the pen has a switch underneath so you don’t need to hold anything, just go bang-bang-bang rapid-fire, so much fun, burnt the tablecloth, the genuine AWithZ; and this isn’t even the top gear, it’s on 31, 99 is harsher; big thumbs-up for that switch, so convenient. Switch to gear 99 and weld a utility-knife blade: whoa, a stainless blade this thick nearly welded on, welded through, how’s that for strong; don’t recommend welding like this, too hard on the machine; blew right through the blade. 613 comments: the bought one wins, AWithZ is reliable (is this brand that big a deal?); Duokerui and AWithZ are about the same, which is stronger (they say they may well be the same company); bought a P120 for ¥2600 on promotion, ribbon cable loose, returned, don’t trust the QC (let me try one too); good enough, fairly strong, easy to use (it really is strong, the pen button is super handy, the lead’s just short); at ¥180 back then there wasn’t even a pen, better to buy Kekaike; both of the desk-top ones are toys (how big does it have to be to not be a toy); a hand-built microwave-transformer one has far more current and sits gathering dust; a ¥400 one off Xianyu does 0.4 aluminium-nickel easily; supercapacitor + LTO builds are cheap and powerful.

Outcome

Steps5 steps · click a frame to jump

1. 
   1. ¥180 off Xianyu (no charger) vs ¥500 from the Douyin store

   Bought on the second-hand market for ¥180 and no charger, sort your own; the Douyin store one was ¥500; there’s a difference.

   00:00 – 00:14
2. 
   2. Looks compared: lead thickness, tips, 0.4 nickel strip, button, aluminium shell, nameplate

   The Xianyu machine’s lead is thinner than my life, pitiful, and the tips aren’t one piece; the AWithZ’s are rounded, it handles 0.4 nickel strip, seriously strong, has a button, aluminium-alloy shell; nameplate UF20B 6.0V 1750A 10.5kW; can’t read power ratings, just buy the pricey one, the pricey one’s stronger.

   00:14 – 00:41
3. 
   3. Live welding: the hand-built one throws sparks; the UF20B’s switch underneath needs no holding, gear 31 rapid-fire burns the tablecloth

   The Xianyu machine throws sparks on every weld; this one’s different, the pen has a switch underneath so you don’t hold anything, bang-bang-bang rapid-fire, so much fun, burnt the tablecloth; the genuine AWithZ.

   00:42 – 01:07
4. 
   4. Only gear 31, 99 is harsher; big thumbs-up for the switch

   Not even the top gear yet, it’s on 31, 99 is harsher; big thumbs-up for that switch, bang-bang-bang, so convenient; try gear 99.

   01:07 – 01:30
5. 
   5. Gear 99 welds through a utility-knife blade; don’t recommend it, too hard on the machine

   Weld onto a stainless utility-knife blade — this thick and it nearly welded on, welded through, how’s that for strong; don’t recommend welding like this, too hard on the machine; blew right through the blade.

   01:31 – 02:05

Bill of materials

Creator’s tips

• A pen with a button means no second hand on a switch; much faster rapid-fire welding 00:42
• Don’t weld thick steel at gear 99; it’s hard on the machine 01:44

Pitfalls

• The hand-built machine has thin leads, poor tips, throws sparks and comes without a charger 00:14
• Rapid-fire welding burnt the tablecloth; gear 99 welded through the blade 00:54
• Comments: P120 ribbon cable loose and returned; the welder’s lead is a bit short

Li-ion safety

• High gears on thick steel will blow through and wear the machine 01:44

Quotes

Cost & time