Wow this video is epic! Thank you for such an informative review. I picked one up recently to learn welding first time. And this gave me confidence it was a good purchase to get started
I picked one of these up last year for right at $100. The display on mine is NOWHERE close to right, but once I figured that out it runs great on 110V. Great little welder for "in the field repairs" because it weighs next to nothing.
I have the black deko pro model with adjustable arc force, lift tig and it is a very interesting little machine. Performance on 115v isn't great but its totally useable. 230v performance is pretty smooth and is quite adequate for smaller jobs. The things I am very impressed about with the unit is how robust this thing has been. I've ran this off of a 3300 watt generator without issue and also ran the welder continuously for about 25 minutes at 120 amps and never hit the duty cycle. Currently I mostly use it to rejuvenate old car batteries, which it works wonderful for. I really don't think it's a bad unit as long as you aren't expecting to get a thousand dollars worth of performance/quality from a $140 welder. If you buy one, for best results use the least amount of extension cord as possible.
My ST201iDV from Northern Tool finally came in today :D Can't wait to give it a go. I'm planning on adding a second 230v receptacle @ 30 amps, as my only other one is a 20 amp dedicated line for my air compressor.
It's nice to see that the display is accurate at least running on 240V. I'd love to see the output current vs display at some of the lower settings. I want something that I can run 1/16" 6013 with and most of these small welders seem to not go below 50A even if the display does.
The simder arc 200 (dont listen to the name it even says in the ad its a 160 lol) will go lower, ive personally run 1/16” electrodes with it. Its only 123$ CAD so its cheaper than the rest. If you do give it a shot just remember to divide the machines display amperage by 1.25 because its not exactly accurate.
May 2023. Electrode holder has brass/copper on both sides of jaws. Conductor are now copper, not aluminum as you noted. Someone must have been listening to you. Thanks for the review.
My deko pro 160 welder struggles with the Hobart 3/32" " 6011 and Weldcote 1/8" 6011 rods that i have.. Flame goes out every few seconds then starts back up by itself. The welder does work good with 3/32" and 1/'8" 7014, 1/8" 7018, and some old 1/8" 7018ac rods that i have decent enough without havimg the flame going out.
Awesome review. 👌 I've got one of these on the way. I've got a 30ft 10ga extension cord set up for it with the proper connectors to run it off the 30amp 220v outlet my dryer hooks to in the garage. Apart from the cheap stinger and clamp, any other easy upgrades I could do to increase efficiency/longevity? Any weak links you noticed when you popped the hood? Thanks!
Curious what your current draw from the wall is through 120V when not maxed on the welder. Say 75-100 Amps on the machine. Any way you could provide those numbers? I have a garage in my apartment complex and don't have the ability to have someone come in and add a 240V circuit. Trying to not trip my breaker every time I want to work on small projects
I do have a recent video talking about electrode holders. Not so much specific brand recommendations, though you may get that idea as well, but more so just an overview of the different types of electrode holders. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Wdx79i33ilQ.html Lincoln Electric has a few electrode holders that are a pretty good value. Lenco and Tweco both sell ground clamps that are pretty good, but not super cheap. My local welding supply shop sells 200A and 300A Tweco ground clamps, which are what I normally get when I need a good ground clamp for a welder. I think Harbor Freight sells a copper alloy clamp for a reasonable price as well.
Have you done a review for the morphon mig 250? I bought it and i was actually surprised it ran pretty beads. Curious to see what power is actually puts out.
Maybe a little. It probably wouldn't make a huge difference, but any voltage drop in the cables/clamp/stinger is wattage lost that won't reach the weld.
The welder will put out what it puts out. However, the less voltage you drop across the leads (or across the ground clamp), the more voltage, and therefore wattage, you will have at the weld. It will likely only make a small difference in performance, but better cables and a better clamp could only help.
Hey man thank you so much for the information I am experienced in machine shop work, experienced auto mechanic, but I never really learned to weld. Can you tell me what a “high end“ machine like this one would be? I’m interested in spending some money on something portable like the one you’re doing here in this video but high-quality.
My current favorite, overall stick welder is the Fronius Transpocket 180. Dual voltage, some of the best output on 120V I've seen while pulling only 20A from the wall, very high quality, loads of features, compact and comes with good quality accessories/cables. On 240V it has 180A max output in stick mode and 220A max output in lift-start TIG mode. I do have a review of it on my channel. ESAB also has some compelling machines that are a bit less expensive than the Fronius, but the Fronius is definitely that bit higher quality. Miller has some awesome stick welders, but they are big money. Lincoln also has some good stuff, but it seems like every time I do a comparison of like for like machine, the Miller ends up slightly on top in terms of features I appreciate while not being all that much more expensive, if at all. I'm sure there are other good machines out there, but those are the ones I'm most familiar with.
I picked up one off Amazon, had to send it back the day I got it because the plastic frame was broken on the back of the machine out of the box, awaiting the replacement. I knew it was cheap build quality, but I want it to survive shipping at least. Packaging not great just thin bubble wrap. I will see how it performs once I get a new one
Sorry to hear about your trouble. If you want, give an update once your replacement arrives. There have been cases where I've looked at more than one of a particular machine, but in general, I see a sample size of one. So it's always nice to get more data points because it's always possible that I could have a good experience or a bad experience with a machine and others could have the complete opposite.
@@bigtb1717 I got it today (a day early). This time it was intact and it ran perfectly on one of my 120 volt garage outlets at 60-88 amps (using 3/32 6011), have not pushed it any higher yet. Planning to put a 240 outlet in the garage soon.
Have you tested the open circuit voltage while running on 120 and 220v. I understand that a higher ocv makes it easier to start arcs on harder to run rods which would help a beginner like me. The other video you did on the kickinghorse brand, you tested the ocv, could you test this and let us know the results? Thx
Unfortunately, I no longer have the Deko welder. Higher open circuit voltage can help, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Many welders now have VRD (Voltage Reduction Device) which actually reduces the open circuit voltage to around 30 volts or less to lower the risk of shock when working in wet or humid environments and they still strike an arc okay. The main difference I found when I tried VRD is that if the end of the rod is dirty or has a bit of slag over it or if the piece you are trying to weld is dirty/rusty, you may have a bit more trouble getting an arc at all. Meaning, as you strike/tap the rod on the metal, nothing happens. In those cases you may have to take a quick wire brush to the metal and/or tap the slag off the tip of a rod you are trying to re-start. Or maybe just strike the rod a bit more aggressively to scratch through the dirt. But otherwise, I don't notice that much difference. In terms of getting a rod going without it snuffing out or sticking right away, I think hot start and anti-stick features make a bigger difference than open circuit voltage. But the main thing when just starting out is practice. Don't get discouraged. Just keep at it and you'll get it.
@@bigtb1717 I did end up getting what I think is the newer revised black coloured model of this welder. Really appreciate your comments which helped me decide which product to go with. So far I've ran 120v and I'm pretty impressed. I successfully repaired my car's leaking exhaust manifold with 3/32 309 stainless rod, saving me a lot of money. I'm adding a 240v outlet in my garage and really hoping to see it changes the welding experience. But really thx, I may have never gotten into welding without your help.
I just picked a dekopro off of someone but was not sure which cable goes to which hole? Does the left hole go to the grounding clamp and the right hole go to the clamp that holds the welding rod? Or does it really matter?
The electrode/stick holder should get connected to the + (positive) terminal, and the clamp should be connected to the - (negative) terminal. That is the correct polarity for the vast majority of electrode types.
Would adding or replacing clamp and electrode holder cables for 2 gauge, about 20 ft. long be better or make it worse. I just have one 220v oulet in the shop. I figure i need longer cablel maybe.
There are voltage drop calculators online. I actually have one on my phone I use. They aren't perfect, but they can give a good ball-park estimate. 2 gauge at 20 feet each should be okay for the 160 amp max this welder puts out. My calculator estimates a drop of 1.1 volts at 160 amps with 2 gauge cables at 20 foot long each. That's only a bit more than you'd get from 10 foot long 4 gauge cables. And that's when running at 160 amps. Any time you are running less amperage, the voltage drop would be even less.
You could also get a heavy-duty extension cord. They aren't cheap though. And it's nice to have longer welding leads so you don't have to keep moving the welder around all the time if you are working on a larger project.
No problem. Having a set of quality, 15-25 foot long cables is definitely worth it in my opinion. You can even use them with another welder if you ever decide to upgrade.
i'm now morbidly curious to see this welder ran until the ground clamp is completely evaporated. could it do it or would it just run into its duty cycle first/trip a breaker
On 240V it wouldn't trip my breaker, unless the welder failed and shorted out or something. I actually saw one of those discolored spots glowing red at one point. I bet it wouldn't take more than a few rods in a row, back-to-back at 160 amps before the clamp and electrode holder had major damage. I have a video idea planned and I will see what I can do, lol.
One of the cheap welders I bought listed the included electrode holder and clamp as rated at "300 amps," but they don't seem much better than the stuff that came with this Deko. I planned to run them at 200+ amps and see how long they last.
@@bigtb1717 I oddly have never hit the duty cycle on mine, but I have also rarely run it on 220V. After 6 months or so of pretty heavy use I had to replace both the stinger and ground clamp.. I had a bunch of busted lawn/farm equipment and plenty of time (covid lockdown and all), about 20 pounds of 1/8" 6011 and they were done. I didnt upgrade THAT much, just got whatever looked a bit sturdier at Tractor Supply. You would be surprised at how bad the connections were from the factory, but what can you expect for $100🤷♂️
I just got mine from Amazon today. Turned it on and Potentiometer range is 10-154.... should it actually read 10-160 ? ( just plugged in a regular 110 15amp outlet.. but nothing connected.
Sure. Harbor Freight, Amazon, local welding supply shops, all have options for replacement work clamps and electrode holders. Lots of options out there.
Is the Amico welder built any better than the Deko??? Im thinking of buying a cheap inverter welder, but I didn't want to spend the extra money for an Amico if it's not built any better than the cheaper welder.
It depends on the specific welder in question. I've seen a couple Amico welders that I would say aren't built as well as this Deko. I've also seen a couple that were as good as this Deko. I haven't seen any of the newer Amico welders now that they've re-branded themselves from Amico Power to Amico Electric. Can't say if they've improved or not since the change.
@@bigtb1717 I guess there's no way to really know which one of these cheap welders will hold up the best. I've been reading up on electronic components, and from what I've read any electronic device that uses electrolytic capacitors is going to have a limited lifespan. And that's pretty much all of the inverter welders, including Esab, Miller, etc. They're all throw aways, except for transformer welders.
@@spartaeus In a way, yes. However, if the welder is designed such that parts can be replaced and parts are available, this may be less of an issue. I'm not saying it always happens, but it is possible to make an inverter design that can be serviced and repaired. I'm sure many (maybe most) are built with a "throw away" mentality, but there's no reason this must be the case. Also, there can be a big difference in the lifespan depending on the quality of the components used. A good quality capacitor being used well within its rated values will last FAR longer than a cheap capacitor, or a capacitor operated near or above its rated values. Many transformer designs these days still have electronics and circuit boards inside. So it's difficult to get away from it completely. Though it does seem like transformer based welders are generally a bit more robust and are less likely to experience a "cascade" failure, where one component on a board fails or shorts out and causes the entire board to fail. For better or for worse, inverter designs have nearly taken over because of the advantages they offer. It's true that some of the old "transformer" machines from 50 years ago still work. For what it's worth, the first inverter welder I bought 7 years ago or so still works. If you are electronics savvy, it may not be super difficult to replace the electrolytic capacitors as a preventative measure.
It's possible that due to hot start, arc force, or just differences in exact output that this Deko welder will run a rod differently at 160 amps than the Lincoln machines you've used. I would start at 160 and see how it goes, but just be aware that if it runs colder than you are used to, you can't go up on the setting, only down because this welder maxes out at 160 amps.
So according to your measurements my predator 3500 inverter generator will not run this stick welder? 90 amps on 110v wow. 30amps on 240v. I don't think my predator 3500 inverter generator even has a 240v plug.
@@bigtb1717 Thanks for the quick reply! I only need about 90 amps for 3/32 7018. Trying to build a pipe gate on my farm. People have been giving me problems with my current gate.
It will run it on the 30amp 110v plug at 127 amps 130amps will overlaod the 30 amp breaker. I was running 7018 3/32 laid nice and flat seemed plenty hot enough. Not exactly sure what the actual welding amps were? Just wanted to touch back with you. Would this ruin my generator?
The Kicking Horse A220 isn't quite as cheap as this, and it is 240V input only. But it is tiny and it did provide the full, 220 amps of output it claimed.
Wow, interesting. I just bought this one a couple weeks ago. When I click on the item in my order it says "currently unavailable." I wonder if it's a temporary unavailability, or if my timing is just that bad, lol.
Looks like the exact same welder is available under the brand Merrco. It even says "Visit the DekoPro store" in the ad. I still wouldn't be surprised if the listing for the Deko branded one comes back when they get more stock. Tons of stuff is out of stock or backordered these days.
Why is it a SHAME to have polarized DC capacitors out of the cooling airflow path of the fans?? It is the RECTIFIER and IGBT HEAT SINKS that need the cooling airflow....not the capacitors LOL. This is a very well made machine for $130 and the only upgrade it really needs is a better ground clamp. I got a nice solid copper one on eBay for just $15 and it's rated for 250 Amps. There are people who use this welder all day long for fixing trailers and building steel framed additions on their barn and they have no trouble with it at all. Just a matter of using the right electrodes for the given task.
The only reason I like to see capacitors in the airflow path is because of how susceptible they are to heat. I realize that the vast majority of the heat comes from the rectifier and IGBT chips. But a capacitor can heat up a bit in use, particularly in an application like this where it is being used to smooth out ripple currents from the output of a rectifier. A capacitor's life expectancy is greatly affected by operating temp. A capacitor that runs just 10 degrees hotter can have its expected life cut in half. I still agree that this is a decent, cheap stick welder.
If a polarized DC capacitor is overheating, then that filter circuit is not utilizing capacitor(s) of high enough voltage rating to begin with...plain and simple. Perhaps maybe even not enough overall capacitance in some cases as well. But unfortunately, this is one of the key areas where most modern electronic manufacturers go waaay too cheap and give us yet another guarantee of greatly reduced device lifespan. These companies can't make any money on manufacturing, marketing and selling an item that will actually LAST for at least a decade. So they make devices that will give you good usage for maybe 3 to 5 years at best, before it ends up in a dumpster. Most people will not replace those capacitors with upgrades of higher voltage ratings....or replace a burned out IGBT or rectifier for that matter. But in my view, $25 to $30 worth of BETTER RATED QUALITY PARTS is a helluva lot cheaper than buying a whole new welder. I recently acquired a 1980 Nikko NR-1019 stereo receiver in really good shape, which I am very fond of to say the least. I actually got a freight load assignment from TN to OR just to pick it up in person, to avoid any shipping damage. When I got that monster home, the FIRST thing i did was to remove the cover and see what the ratings were on the two main power supply caps. They were 15,000uF at 56VDC. I took some dimensional measurements to see just how much taller I could possibly go with upgrades, then I ordered a matching pair of 15,000uF at 100VDC. It would have been fine to get them in 63VDC or even 75VDC rated. But I went with the highest voltage polarized DC caps I could possibly fit into the receiver. I will also use my pocket scope and DMM to adjust a couple of trimpots, to reduce the bias current driving the final AF amp stages by maybe about 5mA. I expect that little bit of headroom will probably buy me a few more years of very reliable hard driving operation.
