Do you really have to hand-build a spot welder to hand-build Li-ion packs? Don’t take my detour — see what you make of this one

Lefeng gives up on hand-building a welder and buys the Douyin no. 1 seller, the AWithZ U3 Pro edition (11000mAh): unboxing (thick welding pen, nickel strip, USB output, manual key), auto mode fires the moment it touches and blows through 0.1 strip, ‘a bit fierce’, switches to manual; two welds on 0.05 copper can’t be pulled apart, it tears and still leaves the welds; 99 gears (9 coarse, with fine steps), interval left untouched; doubles as a power bank, ‘spend your power-bank money on this, it’s very good’; 550 comments backing capacitor welders / Xiaoqiang / transformer welders

The old welder couldn’t stack copper and hand-building was a detour, so he got the Douyin no. 1 seller, the AWithZ U3 Pro (picked up at the Cainiao station, 11000mAh). Unboxing: main unit box, the welding pen looks pretty thick, nickel strip too (check the thickness), the small holes on the cable are for the switch; long-press to power on, the screen shows interval / preheat (milliseconds) and mode auto; the top port is USB output for charging a phone, there is a separate charging port; the M key is the manual weld key (trigger in manual mode). First try in auto mode, set it down and it fired without pressing the switch, ‘gave me a fright, a bit fierce’, went straight through the 0.1 (steel strip), probably the gear wasn’t set right; switched to manual, where it only welds when you press the switch; that last weld was very solid, steel strip 0.05. Gears: 9 coarse gears each with fine steps, 99 gears in all; interval not adjusted. Two light welds of 0.05 copper on a 26650: can’t pull it apart, it already tears, and pulled off it still leaves two welds behind that won’t come off, welded very securely, much better than the old welder, handy and compact and doubles as a power bank; no cells on hand so the test ends there; spending your power-bank money on this is a good deal. 550 comments: the Xiaoqiang capacitor welder stacks 0.15 copper and is more reliable (creator: buy buy buy); why buy another battery welder, still on the detour, capacitor is the way to go (getting ready for a 45A battery next time); don’t mess with NMC, it explodes; for value it’s still Xiaoqiang; AWithZ really is good, well built; microwave-transformer welder was no good so also got an AWithZ 539; going to buy a Glitter 811H; a dual-900W transformer welder is far stronger, battery welders max out at 0.4 and the internal battery fades; with that money buy a Xiaoqiang.

Outcome

Steps6 steps · click a frame to jump

1. 
   1. Background: old welder couldn’t stack copper, bought the Douyin no. 1 U3 Pro

   Picked up at the Cainiao station: AWithZ U3 Pro spot welder 11000mAh; the old welder couldn’t stack copper; got the Douyin no. 1 AWithZ.

   00:01 – 00:31
2. 
   2. Unboxing: thick welding pen, nickel strip, power-on screen, USB output, manual key

   Main unit box; welding pen is pretty thick; nickel strip, check the thickness; the small holes on the cable are for the switch; long-press to power on: interval / preheat in ms, mode auto; USB output port charges a phone, charging port for topping up; M key is the manual weld / trigger key.

   00:31 – 01:28
3. 
   3. Auto mode fires on contact, blows through 0.1; switch to manual

   Gave me a fright, a bit fierce; went straight through the 0.1, probably the gear wasn’t set; in auto mode it fired on contact without pressing the switch; now on manual, it only welds when you press the switch.

   01:37 – 02:12
4. 
   4. 0.05 steel solid; 9 coarse gears with fine steps (99 gears); manual

   Not sure what gear that was, but it’s solid; steel strip 0.05; gears; interval never touched; try a 26650; 0.05 copper; 9 coarse gears each with fine steps.

   02:12 – 02:48
5. 
   5. Two welds on 0.05 copper: can’t pull apart, tears and leaves the welds

   Set it down lightly and put two welds on; can’t pull it apart; it tears, and pulled off there are still two welds left on there; really won’t come off.

   02:50 – 03:34
6. 
   6. Verdict: secure, handy and compact, doubles as a power bank; 99 gears

   Welds very securely, far better than before, handy and compact and works as a power bank; no cells to weld so the test ends here; 99 gears in all; interval not adjusted; spend your power-bank money on this, it’s very good.

   03:41 – 04:25

Bill of materials

Creator’s tips

• Auto mode fires as soon as both pins touch; beginners should start in manual on a low gear or they will blow through thin strip 01:37
• Two welds on 0.05 copper are enough that it can’t be pulled apart 03:01

Pitfalls

• Auto mode at the default gear blew through 0.1 steel strip 01:37
• Comments: don’t mess with NMC cells, they explode

Li-ion safety

• Auto trigger is ‘a bit fierce’, mind your fingers and the cell 01:37

Quotes