Sealey160Xt Arc Welder 160Amp with Accessory Kit

Item arrived very quickly, undamaged and very well packaged. One thing to bear in mind is that this is not supplied with a 13amp plug but no big issue. Really compact and lightweight and priced at a very reasonable price too. Nice to know that it also has a three year warranty on the transformer. However like many arc welders of this price bracket it is an A/C only welder limiting you to what electrodes can be used i.e. the popular 7018 electrodes can't be used with this. Like the nice to hold electrode holder and the fact that the electrodes can be easily and quickly changed. You are unable to change the electrode holder to the screw type as it does not unplug. This has a good amp range, wouldn't recommend going any lower and like the step less adjuster however this was quite stiff to start with and the clear viewing gauge for the amps rattles a lot when on. The electrode holder and earth clamp seem quite cheap but work well. This machine can put down some brilliant welds, easy to arc and runs very smooth. Would recommend a metal slag hammer as the plastic one supplied is not the best, but I found one on here for £3. If you are looking for a 160A ac only arc welder this is the one to have, really pleased.

Nice machine for a good price.

This is a very solid fan cooled welder. It is a transformer based not electronic based welder. What this means is that it is slightly harder to strike an arc (its a skill you learn) and that it is not quite as easy to become proficient with it.However it will reward skill and technique and allow for some very impressive welding at this price point.You should be aware though that this welder is designed to have a 16amp infused plug. You can run it on a standard 13amp plug at lower amps.BUT! When the transformer is energized it can draw a lot of current of a very brief period of time even on low settings! Not enough to blow a 13 amp plug fuse but certainly enough to trip a 20 amp mcb in my garage fuse box. This is because modern MCBs trip insanely quickly for any current spike whereas normal fuses in plugs take a little longer as they have to heat up and physically melt. This does not happen every time use turn it on but often enough to be annoying.It would likely be fine on a normal ring main but I have add to have a more powerful circuit installed so as not to be plunged into darkness when I switch it on.

It's not light, but it does the job well. Tried it with a number of different electrodes and it has worked perfectly. For the occasional welder, like myself I would have no hesitation in recommending this welder. It is a 'no frills' product - the current selector is entirely manual (it really feels like you are moving the connector along the rheostat) - but then welding is a pretty 'no frills' type of task.Great value for money.

Used with 2.5 and 3.2 electrodes on a boat trailer rebuild. Copes well with my novice ham fisted welding technique.If you are a beginner like me then practice with 2.5mm rods to begin with as they are easier to strike an arc. Welding 4mm wall thickness rectangular tubing and 6mm plate was no problem. Has not cut out on me yet but I did blow a 13 amp fuse in the plug when my first 3.2mm rod stuck to the work piece, but it's been fine since. Very pleased with this welder.

Welder is much smaller and lighter than I expected. Performance was very poor especially establishing an arc. It is also very prone to blowing fuses when using higher amperage. No comparison with my previous which I've had for 20 years.

Very good welder. About half the price of a DC one and for the person who doesn't have to do masses of welding each day its perfect. Easy to use as well.

I set this up with a 13a plug (not supplied but stated in the manual as appropriate) and every time it started to arc the fuse blew, in the end had to bypass the fuse and now after a few minutes welding it trips the breaker instead! For the use I’ll give it I can live with it but really it should be on its own breaker circuit without a fused connection.