Trying the AWithZ small handheld spot welder — if you don’t weld much and want to do some DIY, worth considering

Wuliao Chaixiu tests an AWithZ H1 sent by the factory: compact, 11 gears, long-press the side button to power on, short-press the top button for gear / long-press to switch auto/manual; 0.1 nickel strip at gear 1 pulls off by hand, at gear 5 with three taps it takes pliers to tear apart; 0.2 nickel strip comes off with a light tug at gear 5 and with a bit of force at gear 11 → no good; 0.15 on a cell at gear 11 needs pliers — ceiling is 0.15; compared with a DIY welding board at ¥40–50 + a DIY battery, ¥200-plus for the set and three have already died; suited to hobby DIY, don’t expect a ¥100-odd unit to handle heavy use

Another manufacturer sent a product to test: the AWithZ small handheld spot welder H1; AWithZ is a company that specializes in spot welders; compact, suits DIY, not expensive, worth buying if you weld only occasionally. Long-press the side button to power on; short-press the top button to change gear, 11 gears in all; long-press to switch between auto and manual. The 0.1 nickel strip that came in the box: at gear 1, one manual tap feels smooth, but a tug pulls it off by hand (the strip tears a little); at gear 5 with three more taps it can’t be pulled off by hand, and pliers tear it apart. 0.2 thick nickel strip: comes off with a light tug at gear 5, and at the top gear 11 comes off with a bit of force — 0.2 isn’t really doable. 0.15 nickel strip welded onto a cell at gear 11 can’t be pulled off by hand, pliers needed, quite solid; 0.1/0.15/0.2 all tried, the thickest it can weld is 0.15. The ¥40–50 welding board he bought before needs a high-discharge battery; the battery he built himself (doubles as a power bank / car jump starter) cost ¥100-odd, so ¥200-plus for the set, and it breaks easily — this is the third one; had he known AWithZ made these he wouldn’t have bought that; the H1 suits hobby DIY, but if you weld a lot and hard, don’t expect ¥100-odd to meet your needs. Comments: the free one is great, the one you buy isn’t (7); low needs, a few small packs now and then, just right; the battery type has too little current, you still need a capacitor (creator: this one only sells for ¥100-odd); officially rated for 0.25 (there’s fine print); only two MOSFETs on the board, no good; 0.15 won’t weld at all, only 0.1; this thing is no good, I bought one (creator: mine was free).

Outcome

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1. 
   1. H1 sent by the factory; compact, cheap, suits DIY

   Another manufacturer sent a test product, the AWithZ small handheld spot welder H1; AWithZ specializes in spot welders; compact, suits DIY, not expensive, worth buying if you weld little.

   00:00 – 00:22
2. 
   2. Controls: long-press side button to power on, short-press top button for gear (11 gears) / long-press for auto/manual; 0.1 nickel strip at gear 1 manual

   Nameplate 5V/1A; long-press the side button to power on; short-press the top button to change gear, 11 gears in all; long-press to switch auto/manual; the included 0.1 nickel strip, one manual tap at gear 1 feels smooth.

   00:22 – 00:49
3. 
   3. 0.1 nickel strip: pulls off by hand at gear 1; at gear 5 with three taps it takes pliers to tear apart

   The gear-1 weld pulls off by hand, the strip tears slightly; up to gear 5 and three more taps; can’t be pulled off by hand, pliers tear it apart.

   00:50 – 01:18
4. 
   4. 0.2 nickel strip: comes off with a light tug at gear 5; with a bit of force at gear 11 → no good

   0.2 thick nickel strip comes off with a light tug at gear 5; at the top gear 11 it comes off with a bit of force; 0.2 isn’t really doable.

   01:21 – 01:39
5. 
   5. 0.15 nickel strip on a cell at gear 11: needs pliers, solid; ceiling 0.15

   0.15 nickel strip welded onto a cell at gear 11 can’t be pulled off by hand, pliers needed, quite solid; 0.1/0.15/0.2 all tried, 0.15 is the thickest.

   01:40 – 01:59
6. 
   6. Compared with DIY welding board + DIY battery: ¥200-plus, breaks easily, third one; verdict: good for DIY

   The ¥40–50 welding board he bought needs a high-discharge battery; the battery he built cost ¥100-odd and doubles as a power bank / jump starter, ¥200-plus for the set and it breaks easily, already the third; had he known about AWithZ he wouldn’t have bought it; the H1 suits hobby DIY, for heavy use don’t expect ¥100-odd to cut it.

   02:00 – 02:40

Bill of materials

Creator’s tips

• H1: use gear 5 with several taps for 0.1 nickel strip; top gear 11 for 0.15; skip 0.2 01:05
• For occasional DIY, a ¥100-odd handheld unit is less hassle than a DIY board + battery 02:13

Pitfalls

• 0.2 nickel strip can be pulled off even at gear 11 01:34
• DIY welding boards break easily (third one) 02:13
• Comments: bias from a free review unit; only two MOSFETs on the board; 0.15 won’t weld

Li-ion safety

Quotes

Cost & time