Miller Thunderbolt 160 Vs Yeswelder Arc 205DS: In-Depth Comparison
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- Опубликовано: 14 мар 2021
- The Thunderbolt 160 is the cheapest welder Miller sells and it is made in China. I decided to compare it to a Yeswelder Arc 205DS and see if there is anything more than the name to justify the price difference.
As requested by several viewers, I have set up a Patreon account. Any support is appreciated, but absolutely not required.
/ bigtb1717 
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Just wanted to point out that someone posted a comment about how the Amico website existed and they posted a link to it. I didn't remove the comment. I have to imagine RUclips automatically removed it due to the link. It's not in my "held for review" tab either. However, I would advise caution if you try to go to the Amico Power website yourself. Since I could still see the link in my notifications I went there and not only was the site non-secured, my anti-virus detected malware on the site. Just in case it was an issue with the link, I searched for Amico's website on google and when I tried navigating to it that way the website was blocked altogether due to malicious software detected. So be careful.
When I tried to go to their site on my work computer it blocked me. I was able to go to it on my phone.
A man that would obtain welders, rip them open and compare them is definitely worth being subscribed to. Very high quality comparison as well.
I agree. Super professional comparison.
Love your reviews, packed full of valuable info and no fluff.
Great job as always.
Thank you.
Great comparison. When I was still working I really preferred the Miller welders over the other brands - but then, I wasn't paying for them.
In anyone is interested in the Thunderbolt 160, you can save some money and get the Hobart Stickmate 160i and save $100 or more. It is essentially the same welder, but it doesn't come with a carry bag for the cables and the power cord uses a simple twist-lock plug adapter system instead of the "MVP" system that the Miller uses. Just a heads-up.
Zaza z1-
I'm not expert on welding, but I've compared Hobart tig welders to Miller and they seem good value and very similar if not identical insides.
I did the research. Bought them both took them apart and found them both to be the same! Wow.
Is the Stickmate a good wonder? I'm looking to get a cheap stick welder and I think I'm going to spend a little more than I want and get the Stickmate.
@@Antoniocool86 The Stickmate 160i is basically the same exact welder as the Thunderbolt 160. It doesn't weld as nice as Miller's higher end stuff, but it's fine. I don't have long term experience with reliability, but it does have a decent warranty if purchased new and registered.
Excellent presentation! A pleasure to watch and listen.
Great Job,
Professional and informative.
You have just earned another subscriber!
Great comparison video, thank you for the time and effort !!!
What a trenchant and well-constructed comparison vid. Thanks for this, subscription immediately earned.
A thumbs up just for use of 'trenchant'! And thanks bigtb1717 for these informative and well done reviews.
I am very impressed with this detailed and deep comparison. A lot of work went into it.
Thank you soo much for the amperage test I've been looking at every video and finally found one. About to return mine i bought the 145ds and its not gonna be enough. I wanted something thats accurate.
Excellent well delivered review
Great content. Very informative!
Most interesting welder comparison videos I have seen. Good work.
Thanks!
Great comparison, very detailed. Durability and performance make Miller a good quality machine; it is superb to YesWelder and any other Brand-X welder. I have the Hobart Stickmate 160i which is identical to the Miller. The machine has been solid. I’ve been making gates with it for five years and no complaints, burns a variety of rods easy. Good video. Thanks a bunch!
Got ayeswelder this week and did what i wanted it to do. The amps display is easy of, but works good when you only weld with 3/32 welding tips on 110v.
This guy did a good job on explaining the 2
Just ordered the arc 250 to try out and if it fails I will give it away to a subscriber or simply see what tanerite does to it.
I watched a few of your videos today and they are super informative compared to others I have seen this week.
Definitely subscribing. Good video
love your videos
Great video as always man, lot of value engineering in that yes welder ha
Great review. Head and shoulders above anything else on the internet.
I bought a Chinese welder that said 315 amps on 240 vac., In actuality it maxes out at 127amps, even though the display says 315 amps, as tested with a Fluke amp Clampmeter, but it will run a 7018 1/8" rod fine. and 6011 1/8" , I knew as soon as I took my Chinese welder out of the box it wouldn't come even close to its rated 315 amps just by the input power cord of 14 gauge wires.
Thanks for a Real Review,
great video just in time before i bought a yes welder now il do more research thanks
Nice review 👍
Thanks for a great in depth explanation of Yeswelder. Mislabeled output and poorly designed cables also very informative. Thanks again.
I just ran 30 rods on the same machine back to back with maybe 30 to 60 seconds in between with no issue's. Had it plugged into 240 volt outlet. Great little welder for 128$$
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The yeswelder plasma cutters are a great bang for your buck too. Yeswelder is obviously not a Miller, but it’ll do everything you’d ever need it to do in your personal garage
Good review, thanks :-)
I'm super happy with my Canaweld Stick/Tig machine. 162D going strong for 5 years and not a single issue, durable and solid build. Miller's nice but the price tag isn't.
This channel is very underrated. great reviews
I appreciate that!
Great video, I was about to buy a Yes before I watched this video. It's like comparing a homelite to a Stihl
Red hot tungstening? Thank you for everything you do, your uploads are always a welcome sight.
Yeah, it's a technical term, lol. Thanks for the kind words.
Can you please get your hands on and do one of these in-depth reviews for the Eastwood MP250i Multi-Process 250 Amp Welder - MIG/TIG/ARC? The details you point to matter. I especially like that you compared the quality of the capacitors & fasteners!
Yeswelder gave my supervisor a free rig. We normally use maxstar 150s and 210s. The Yeswelder was pretty decent when we messed around with it for 6 in stainless pipe welding. Stock torch was meh but it could lay down some nice welds. I guess the question is just for how long? If you don't weld super frequently, I think it's worth saving the money with one
1st. Love your very informative vids!
Glad you enjoy them!
Very thorough n your comparison of both especially the insides and quality. Now to see if you have one comparison of the Miller tig and yes welder tig 😀. Just for that you have another sub
I own a Lincoln 210 thanks for your video
Yeswelder is definitely not a Miller but ya know what, I’ve been super pleased with my yeswelder 205ds tig/arc welder. I’ve been tig welding pipe for over ten years now, I’ve used the best millers with water cooler, Lincoln and everything in between. For something you use here n there in the garage the yeswelder will do everything you’d ever need it do. I only paid a little over 200 bucks for the yeswelder which you would easily pay over 2 grand for a Miller. Miller is obviously a better quality but I’m more than pleased with what I got for the $$
Miller's prices have gotten pretty outrageous the last few years. Even long before this video, a lot of people implied that my criticism of any other welder was just because I thought everyone should buy Miller welders. But I test cheap welders because I know full-well that is all most people will ever need. And I am critical of faults not because I'm trying to convince people not to buy them (at least, in most cases), but because I want people to know exactly what to expect so they don't waste their money on something that will be disappointing to them. If they hear my criticisms and feel the welder is still worth the money, great! On the other hand, if I wasn't critical and someone buys something and is surprised by faults, they may end up disappointed.
You can use tig on that machine swap polarity and add some argon
YES welder in my cart ..good price ..decided to watch a video ..glad I did ..your video is excellent !!! You're very concise and stick to the point very informative very formative very fair about the product , you're in depth and tell me everything I need to know ( And stuff I Didn't know I cared about)
Wish you made videos about drones... h€ll I wish you made videos about everything !!! lol :^D
...no seriously
Good stuff. Thx
nice commentary !!!
BRILLIANT 👏
they upgraded the Yeswelder Arc 205DS, the power cord is now for 220V and the adapter is made to plug into 110V
That's good to know.
Veri nice video sr . I want to ask how much amp is the circuit breaker for this welders . Thanks in advance
The 240V breaker in my garage is 40 amps.
I realize this is an older video but have you tried 6011's on the arc205? and if so how well does it run them?
I can't remember if I tried 6011 on this machine (I don't think I did). Unfortunately, I don't have it any more, or I'd try it. I plan to try 6011 on welders that don't run 6010 from now on, because the I recently had a machine that ran 6011 just as poorly as 6010 (Hitbox). I do have a YWA-160. (new Yeswelder stick welder) that I got for under $100 on Amazon recently that I will be testing soon. I'll make sure to test 6011 on that one. The specs on it are very similar to what the ARC205 would actually put out, so it would probably good alternative now anyway. I'll be testing a Primeweld 160ST at the same time and comparing them.
Would you recommend the yes welder for someone that is just going to use it home a few times a year. If I build anything heavy duty I'll just take it work but I do want to be able to run 1/8 6013 rods.
It would probably be okay, as long as you understand the limitations. Will you be running it on 120V, or 240V?
In all honesty, I've had solid results from my little yeswelder tig setup. I don't use it for any industrial applications, it's just for small time gunsmithing and a few repairs on lawn equipment and random stuff around the house. Chinese zap boxes make more sense to me for that kind of use it twice a year at most light duty than a $700-900 (they bumped up the price in a big way) Miller.
Miller units have definitely gone up in price a lot in the last 3 years or so. Crazy money.
I'm just starting to get fed up with the false claims of companies like Yeswelder, but as long as you found something that is meeting your needs, that's ultimately what is important. Cheers.
I have a amico 160 for about 4years now of heavy use, I always wondered if the Miller thunderbolt was just as good.
The Amico welders I've looked all tend to be built very similar to the Yeswelder, so I imagine the comparison would end up very similar to this one. The Amico 160 might be built a little heavier than the Yeswelder in this video, but I can't say without knowing exactly which model you have. It's good to hear your Amico is holding up well for you.
Edit: I just looked at your channel and saw the model you have.
@@bigtb1717 Amico has been longer in the Game if anything Yeswelder are copies of Amico.
Am thinking of purchasing Hobart 27i plasma cutter. There is a new version out and yet the older version is higher priced. Is there a reason ? Any info would be great.
Depending on where you find them, they are a somewhat similar price. The old version is very likely discontinued, and that can sometimes lead to strangely inflated prices, especially with certain Amazon sellers, for some reason. At TSC, the old version is still available for $1,599, which isn't too far off the MSRP of the new version. I did find the new version for less than that though, and I did find the old version for well over $2,000 from a random seller on Amazon, so there is that going on.
They both seem to have very similar capabilities and functionality. I don't know for sure where the new version is made, but I'm almost positive the previous version was made in Wisconsin.
The new 27i also seems to use the same case as some of the Miller welders and cutters, so they may be making use of a few common parts and tooling from other models which allows for fewer unique parts needed. If so, this may allow them to lower manufacturing costs with the new version. Nothing wrong with that.
From what I can see of the specs, they don't seem very different. If you can get a good deal on the old one, go for it. But Cyberweld has the new version for just over $1,300. That might end up a better value if you can't find a deal on the old version.
Curious what brand of clamp meter you're using??? I'm needing one that works but is not too expensive.
The brand amp clamp I use at home is Amprobe. They seem to offer a good price to performance ratio.
Do you know if the Yes welder really makes use of the 220v adapter? I suspect that when connected to the 110v plug that only one leg of the 220v line is used but at the same time it can draw more current since the 220v circuit generally has a higher amp breaker. Also, I would question the safety of using the same 110v gauge power supply line to carry the amps that come with a 220v line.
Yes, it really makes use of 240V. There is no neutral in the three terminal 240V connector, only the two "hot" leads and a ground. There is no way for it to only use 120V, because that would require the neutral.
Plus, it has higher output with lower current draw when running on 240V (I measured it). The only way for that to be possible is if it is using higher voltage.
The main issue I see is with the adapter itself, since it would allow someone to connect a 120V device into 240V very easily.
Thanks for pointing it out. I am wondering if it's better to have a 220v welder with a 110v adapter?
As a retired mechanic welder I have a bit of experience with welders and when it came time for a hobby welder in the garage, I picked up the YW 250 P ACDC to complement my SIP 170 MIG I’ve had for 25 years. The price was right and it performs flawlessly. I see no mention of you testing your supply voltage while testing (perhaps I skimmed over it?)
I'm glad your welder is working for you.
I didn't check my supply voltage in this video, but I have tested it other times. Both my 120V and my 240V receptacles are fed by dedicated circuits on dedicated breakers. When tested I have not seen bad voltage drops. I have run everything from tiny inverters that draw a handful of amps to 280A welders that draw 50 amps and have never had an issue with the supply voltage.
bad ass review. BADD ASS. Can you review the lotos ltpdc2000d please? any thought on lotos?
I've never tested any Lotos machines. I'll look up the one you mentioned and consider checking it out.
Subbed. Is there any way to contact you and discuss my findings / do a colab on the 205DS welder? Thanks
Sure. You can send me an email at bigtbcontact@gmail.com
Good video! I am from Chile and I bought yeswelder, here the voltage is 220v, my question is, yeswelder automatically detects the voltage or do you have to make some configuration to make it work on 220v?
It should work just fine on 220V. No configuration or changes needed.
@@bigtb1717 Gracias 🙂
If you don't use everyday yeswelder is good option is better have a $150 sitting on the garage than $350
What about the Yeswelder MIG 250 Pro multi processor?
I haven't tested that particular machine. I've considered getting one to test a few times, but never pulled the trigger.
Have you opened up anything from primeweld? I want a not so expensive stick welder and I'm seriously considering the primeweld stick 160. What are your thoughts?
I've been wanting to take a look at a Primeweld machine for a long time. I suspect the the 160ST is essentially the same machine a lot of other sellers offer, but it would still be interesting to check out. Especially since I happen to have a brand new 160A Yeswelder I'm planning to test out. Might make for a fun comparison. I'll check it out.
@@bigtb1717 that would be an interesting comparison. If the yes welder 160 amp follows the same pattern as their 205 it should put out only around 120 amps. I'm real interested in how the primeweld 160 will compare and contrast. I hear people really favor the primeweld machines so I'm real curious about it. Thank you so much. I love your channel!
@@Antoniocool86 I'm sort of expecting the YWA-160 to basically be the same as the 205, but rated more accurately, but we'll see. I do have a PrimeWeld 160ST on the way and will definitely be comparing the two.
When buying cheap welders getting the most powerful advertised welder almost always seems like it's not going to be true amperages. Maybe try the yes welder 165. Advertised as having lift tig, and arc force which would be an amazing machine if that was true for under $150.
Thank you for such great review. Seems like Yeswelder is not for me.
What is the thickest sheet metal that can be welded with the miller? I work at an old concrete plant and have a variety of different size metal and all have holes that need patching. The plant is tall as I can find 110 outlets all over the plant. That is why I’m looking at the miller. Your input would be appreciated greatly.
With the right prep and using multiple passes, you could probably weld just about any thickness. Keep in mind though, the Thunderbolt 160 maxes out at 80 amps on 120V. That would limit you to 3/32" electrodes and they wouldn't run very hot. It's not what I would want to use for anything super thick. But if it's nothing structural or life safety related, it would probably get the job done.
What is your budget? The ESAB Rogue ES 180i can run at 110 amps on 120V and with the power factor correction, it can do it without issue on a 20 amp breaker. That would allow you to run a 1/8" 6010 or 6011 rod, or run any 3/32" rod you want nice and hot. Just something to consider.
Technically, the Yeswelder and other cheap welders will put out 115-120 amps on 120V, but they draw 40+ amps while doing it, so you'll trip a 20 amp breaker if you weld at that amperage for very long.
@@bigtb1717 thanks for your input. I will be using a company PO to purchase the welder but I only had a budget of 1000 including helmet and gloves.
It's a shame prices have gone up so much lately. The Rogue ES 180i was $599 when it first came out. Are you in the USA?
@@bigtb1717 yeah, I’m California. My local welding store has them for 850 down from &1050
If you have a Northern Tool local to you, or if you can use the PO to order something online, the Klutch ST 201iDV has power factor correction so it runs pretty well on 120V and it's a very complete package for under $500. I think it's one of the best, overall value machines available right now. Might be worth a look.
I have a yes 160 and an amico arc160. the yes hammers the current pretty hard, i think it has a really hard arc force setting. the same 3/32 7018 rod runs really low on the yes like at 50amps, whereas its high 85amps on the amico. the yes pulls a lot more current for its low setting.
I can't speak for the ARC205DS, but I recently purchased and tested the MIG205DS from YW. There have been some reports that YW machines have a power output that is actually way off from the display. However, I tested the amperage with fluxcore and stick all across the displayed range. It was within 1-2 amps over the entire range except at max where it was a touch low (3-5 amps).
I'm not a fanboy for any particular company or welder, and I'm just a beginner, but a pro-welder who has been training me tested out the YesWelder I have at different power levels, different processes, etc. (including 6010)., and seemed to think it was fine for a basic starter welder. Maybe he was just being nice to me. :)
Maybe they fixed the issue, but I tested two MIG 205DS machines and both had stick output that was well below displayed amps, particularly above 100.
Hopefully your machine is a sign they fixed the issue and not just an outlier.
In fact, I've tested the ARC205DS, two MIG205DS, an ARC400Q and the Firstess MP200. None of them were able to meet the claimed output. I'll be testing the CT2050 as well (I ordered as soon as the Kickstarter launched). Hopefully that machine does better.
@@bigtb1717, I'm interested in the CT2050 as well, but didn't want to wait for it to drop.
I don't know about the duty cycle question, but I do know from direct measurement that at least the MIG205 machine I have does have an accurate amp output over the full range on fluxcore and stick.
Was your 205DS able to put out the full 180 amps on stick welding? If so, that's a big change. Even the Firstess MP200 I tested, which claimed 200 amps of stick output, was only able to hit the same 160 that I got out of both my MIG205DS machines (which claim 180).
@@bigtb1717, my recollection is that it was pretty close on amps for both stick and fluxcore wire, but I will double check the high side next time I am welding and get back to you.
at 09:50, the power switch is rated 25A for 250VAC, but later on at 09:57 you compare the eff amps (I1 eff) from the table for 120V instead of 220V.. why? great video !
The switch is rated at a max of 25 amps and a max of 250VAC. Running the switch at less than 250V doesn't mean the switch will handle higher amperage. When running the welder on 120V the effective current draw is more than 25 amps, which is higher than the rating of the switch.
I doubt this will be an issue, I only pointed it out because it made it clear that this welder wasn't actually IEC 60974-1 certified.
Can you compare with andeli arc fors mma welding machine
I've been thinking about getting an Andeli welder to check out. If nothing else, they seem to have realistic specs and ratings. I have a couple on the "list" that I hope to check out at some point.
Would absolutely love if you would review the Deko arc welder! I'm currently trying to find a cheap arc welder I can throw in the truck. My budget is about $150
Will you mostly be running it off 120V?
@@bigtb1717 yes I believe so
Some of the cheaper welders don't run very well on 120V or draw a ton of power. I might have a couple Amazon gift cards coming soon. Maybe I'll test out the Deko Pro and see how it does. Just curious, are you in the US, and if so, where about?
@@bigtb1717 that would be awesome! And yes I'm from Washington State
Little known fact, the rating of a switch is based upon the safe disconnection under the load. I e to safely stop the arc across the open terminals without damaging the contact points. As the likely good of this type of machine being switched off during actual welding it’s probably not a problem for the switch to be underrated
True, and it's why I don't tend to make too big of deal out of it (most of the cheap welders I review have underrated switches). But when a machine is tested for certification, they absolutely wouldn't pass it if the switch was rated for less than the "rated" power draw. In fact, the code that pretty much every Chinese welder puts on their data tag specifies that the switch be used to turn off the welder at full load a certain number of times without issue. My point was simply that it's clear the Yeswelder wouldn't actually meet the ratings of the code they print on the data tag.
I would like to make a request for you to do a test on a susemse mig-255 multi process?
I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion.
I really didn't like my Amico. Absolutely no heat control, starting off extremely cold and getting way to hot extremely quickly. By the last 4 inches of the rod the flux would be black. At least now yes welder is growing and seemingly producing more quality machines.
For the price, I’ll take the Yes Welder all day long. The differences noted probably account for $20.00 in parts/materials; the difference in price is more than $300.00. Miller machines are ridiculously overpriced.
They certainly have been going up in price lately. Well, everything is going up these days, but Miller machines seem to really be jumping a lot.
What about the Yeswelder arc165?
I haven’t tried that particular model myself.
Great video. I bought a yeswelder 205. It welds great, but very cheaply made. All the great reviews must be paid for . It is not a good value. Very poor interface and terrible form factor.
Could you do a review on weldpro?
Any specific model you are interested in?
Weldpro 5-in-1 Multi Process 120V Welder with 200 Amp LCD Inverter - 120V/240V MIG/TIG/Flux Core/Stick
I can't promise anything, but I'll keep it in mind to check it out.
Alright, thank you.
Amico electric has a website again. Perhaps they were revamping it when you looked for it.
Possible, as it is now Amico Electric and it used to be Amico Power. However, as mentioned in the pinned comment, use caution on that site. It was pointed out to me a while back and I tried accessing it a couple different ways with my work computer. Both times I got malware warnings from my company's anti-virus program and one of the times it blocked it entirely due to the detection of malicious software. Maybe this has been fixed, but others reported the same thing, so just be aware and be careful. Cheers!
If you want to run 6010 and it does not do it well, just use 6011. youll get similar results
Is the switch wired to a hi current relay?
If you are asking if the switch only controls a relay, then no. The full supply current for both machines goes through the power switches
@@bigtb1717 that's a bad design
It is how virtually all welders are designed. As long as the power switch is rated for the current the welder will draw, it should be okay.
@@bigtb1717 really, wow even on large industrial welders? As an electrician I would install one myself. I plan on getting a welder soon.
Larger, higher end welders have larger power switches which are easily capable of handing the amperage.
I just started researching welders to buy my first welder. The Yeswelder models numbers are a bit confusing . The Model you have is actually the 205A despite what the side panel label states. Their is the more expensive TIG-205DS that has the same side panel label as yours but more controls on the panel and a TIG connector on the front. I think that is why the advertised specs do not match your welder. They probably would be more appropriate for the TIG-205DS.
Yeswelder has a TIG 205DS, an Arc 205DS and a MIG 205DS. This is the Arc 205DS and the specs I mentioned are actually printed right on the data tag on the welder itself as well as in the instruction manual. They are also advertised on Yeswelder's website for this welder. 205A stands for 205 Amps. They do say "205A" on the website listing for this welder, as in it is a 205 amp welder. But the model is Arc 205DS, which it does say on the website in the description.
Good luck in your search for a welder. Welding is fun and it's a useful skill to have.
@@bigtb1717 Yes, confusing. Watching your Deko Pro 160 now... :)
@@bigtb1717 Per the amount of youtube vids it seems the Yeswelder 205ds is very popular. The Yeswelder 165A is not. For a beginner, would the 165A be a good choice? The price price with discount is very good given the features. And unlike others in this price range, the cables are 10ft long. The output is 140+ when set to 165A. ruclips.net/video/fn4_dUPVLdc/видео.html
The Arc 165DS would probably be fine for starting out. Personally, I find it a little annoying that every one of Yeswelder's models seem to put out less than rated amperage, but 140 amps is enough for most uses. One thing I am finding with Yeswelder models is that they aren't very efficient on 120V. They put out a decent amount of power on 120V, but they will also trip a normal breaker pretty easily. Just something to be aware of. If you plan to run it primarily on 120V you may have to turn it down a bit to keep from tripping the breaker. I can't say for sure that the Arc 165DS is the same way, but I imagine so.
@@bigtb1717 My guess is most cheap welders specs are over inflated. Having vids like yours and the one I posted would be very helpful. Glad you confirmed that 140 amps can do a lot. Much appreciated! Ok, all in @ only $106. The first welding project requires 60~80 amps 3/32 7018 rod from what I was told. 120v 20 amp breaker should work for that. I already have a dedicated 120v 20 amp circuit. If 120v is not adequate, wiring a 220v circuit is not a problem. I already have breakers and wire from other jobs. The Deko was a consideration but a price delta of ~$35 with taxes, and what appears to be better ground and electrode cables, made the decision. The 165DS front panels feature set options may, or may not, be useful. Now to figure out the cheapest rods to learn with. And financial preparation for a significant increase in the electric bill.
You are not just buying the name, you are also buying an actual company that will not be hard to contact if theres a problem
this happens with some of the better china products that have been around longer to like everlast, i also think they use better parts, but they also might just raise the cost so if two units die in 5 years theres still profit
I agree, and that's why I didn't want to use an Amico welder for this comparison. Who knows how long Yeswelder will be around, but Amico already seems to have quietly disappeared.
@@bigtb1717 i do belive amico was a us biased importer of china welders while yeswelder is a china baised either exporter or manufacture, they also have a huge socail media push with 10,000 followers and adds EVERYWERE. i find it sus that there also only about 2 years old. i dound 160 amp rated powerboards for sale on china sites that look very very very close to the yeswelder ones, and in the keygree factory photos it shows another brand name as well but i couldnt find it. at least with prime weld and weld pro im pretty sure where the building is that makes them and those guys have us baised operations and phone numbers
I know the address that was on the old Amico website was a location in China. They had an "about" page where they talked about being a major, long-time manufacturer of cutting edge welding equipment. There was a picture of a gigantic office building with an out of place Amico logo on top. It was a bit tough to find the address because in that part of China the street overlay didn't match up with the actual satellite view, but I eventually found the address and it was a large apartment block.
@@bigtb1717 the plot thickens
So the advertisements of 200amps is false?
Correct, the Yeswelder is not a 200 amp machine.
I’m not saying it’s a good idea, or OK, but you can generally get away with a switch being rated for less than current draw since it’s a duty cycle. And you aren’t switching under full load. though it’s not ideal..
Absolutely. I don't imagine the switch will be a problem. However, the "rated" amp draw of the welder does take duty cycle into account, which is why the rated amp draw of the Miller is so low. The "rated" amperage of the Yeswelder is higher than the rating of the switch. So even factoring in duty cycle, it isn't rated high enough to meed the 60974-1 standard. I don't imagine it will be an issue and it won't matter to most people. It doesn't really bother me. Worst case scenario the switch fails some day and I swap it out for $1. I was just pointing out that one of the requirements for meeting 60974-1 standards is that the switch must be rated at or above the "rated" amp draw of the welder.
Honestly, I'm more disappointed that the welder doesn't meet the stated output specs. It's not even that the output is bad, it's just not at all what is claimed, and that bothers me.
Fun fact about the 60974-1 standard: Meeting that standard requires the welder to be switched on and off at full output a certain number of times without the switch failing. It's one of the few actual testing requirements of the standard beyond duty cycle and component temp testing. Also, any included welding leads must have insulation "suitable for the application." There is a separate code referenced that any cables must meet in order to be considered "suitable." My guess is that the insulation on the Yeswelder cables wouldn't meet that spec, lol. Just interesting to me. I guess I'm a bit of a nerd about this stuff.
@@bigtb1717 well that make you our US Q/C 👍.
if i had the funds i always throught it would be fun to go throuse a bunch of the chinies welders and find out what is what on there insides and what china factory's actually make them
That would make for a great video
many companies in the USA do the exact thing regarding addresses
I don't doubt it. I only pointed it out because people were saying it was an American company that simply had their stuff made overseas, just like many American companies do these days. The implication was that Yeswelder is very different from the other cheap welder companies. But it's fundamentally not. Their "US locations" amount to a rented address at a company that rents their address to dozens of companies, and some space in a California warehouse that rents space to many companies who's products come in on the nearby ports. Which is fine, but it's not like they have a corporate office or R&D center here, or anything like that.
I think there is something that separates Yeswelder from other Chinese welder companies, and that is marketing. Their social media and RUclips campaigns have convinced a lot of people that their machines are higher quality and more personally involved in the American welding community and industry than others. This is despite the fact that most of their welders still come with incorrect specs, inaccurate data tags, poorly translated manuals with inaccurate info (if they come with manuals at all), etc. For better or worse, their machines are pretty much the same as what you get from any of the generic brands on Amazon, eBay and others.
Want to buy one, could you try and run an open root and see how it does
Are you talking about the Thunderbolt? Are you wanting to do open root with 6010?
@@bigtb1717 yea brother please before the 12th if possible
@@bigtb1717 no video unless possible, just a yay or nay
@@bigtb1717 would love a video tho. Ran on anything you have. I’m trying to see if it would work enough to run some roots on schedule 40 pipe and 3/8 bevel plate for practice but I’ll be capping it with 7018 and I seen that the 7018 runs well so I’m curious about running a root because the specs said not ideal for 6010 roots
I wouldn't recommend it for 6010 open root. I actually don't have the welder right now, so there's unfortunately no way I could try open root before the 12th. But just based on how easily the arc would go out when just running a 6010 bead on a plate and the fact that Miller themselves even say not to use it for open root with 6010, I wouldn't pay the money only to find out that it really doesn't work for your intended purpose.
Super educating video reality is this what it is you’re getting what you pay for so many people all the education is worthless. That’s my opinion.
We all know your a Miller fan so please buy us one to replace the cheeped welder that we can afford!
I don't know how likely it is for people to see this, but I just wanted to clarify that YESWELDER is in fact not a China brand and was founded by tradespeople who wanted to provide quality product to consumers at reasonable prices. Not super important but know some people care about things like that.
Interesting. Do you have the names of any of these "tradespeople?" The people at the company who I've communicated with via email were in China. Also, can tradespeople not be from China? If you have some additional information about the company, the tradespeople who founded it or how it's run, I'd love to read it. If the "tradespeople" who founded the company were welders, I can't imagine them letting welders go out with manuals written so poorly that some parts are legitimately incorrect or misleading, inaccurate specs, inaccurate data tags, non-functional features, incorrectly labeled features, no warranty, cords that don't meet electrical code in the US and more.
Part of your comment is almost a word-for-word line taken straight from their about page. Just saying.
@@bigtb1717 It's true I could have written that comment better and I wasn't trying to imply that "tradespeople" only exist in certain countries, I'm also not trying to step on anyone's toes or hide anything. Just sharing the information that I've collected, and I may be wrong. Whatever the case I appreciate your reply and clarification, you have valid points.
No problem. My reply may have come across a little harsh as well. No offense taken or intended. The tradespeople from China thing was a joke. I edited it in after the fact because it popped into my head and struck me funny. I know you didn't mean that.
I honestly wish Yeswelder would correct some issues. They are really pushing the marketing and just finished up a Kickstarter campaign that raised over five million dollars. I had a phone conversation with them over a year ago (at their request) and discussed the things I thought they needed to improve (basically all the stuff listed in my first reply) if they wanted to make their name as respected as all their marketing made it out to be. They assured me they were working on all of it. Over a year, TONS more marketing and a $5,000,000 Kickstarter campaign later and nothing has changed. So I have my doubts. Hopefully they do fix some of the bigger issues and improve.
@@bigtb1717 That's a relief. You've got my subscription.
How about something a little more comparable in price? The Yeswelder is a quarter of the price of the miller, you can get a Chinese multi process machine for still less then the thunderbolt. The tig welding bit is a bit of trickery, the thunderbolt could claim the same, as any arc welder can be converted to a tig welder. There are other comparably priced machines that have a lot of features in the same price range of the Thunderbolt, like the LOTOS LTPDC2000D. Many of these machines have been on the market for a quite a while now and are excellent hobby machines.
Great review, but the miller is still expensive for what your getting. Even in the 205DS series of Yeswelders you can get a multi process machine that has stick, mig and tig. Mind you there's still no quality but they are hobby or starter machine at best.
Personally for stick welding give me an old transformer buzz box like a Lincoln tomb stone. You can find a used one for a hundred bucks and it will outlast your children.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Miller is the best value out there. It may be the right choice for someone, but there are definitely other machines out there with far more features for the money. I have looked at a whole lot of Chinese machines at this point (Amico and Yeswelder being the primary ones, but also Deko, Juba and a couple others) as well as an Everlast and a more. This Miller is built much better than all of them and has a better warranty. Does that mean it will actually hold up longer: Nope. But I just wanted to look into the idea that with them all being made in China, there was really no difference other than the name.
But I do agree that the Miller isn't best value out there from a pure price/performance or price/features standpoint. In fact, I have a Klutch ST201iDV welder arriving any day now, and it has FAR more features than the Miller Thunderbolt 160 and it's currently $389.
And as for the TIG welding, the Yeswelder claims "lift start" which is not true. It could be set up for scratch start, but it does not have lift-start TIG.
@@bigtb1717 Klutch will probably be more of the same if you can get one, it's another one of those currently unavailable stores. $389 is a good price for a Miller, haven't seen one under $500, that's getting into Hobart money there.
I mean the Klutch has more features and is currently $389. Not that the Miller is $389. Sorry for the confusion. I ordered the Klutch over a month ago and it finally shipped last week. It is currently in transit.
@@bigtb1717 No problem, keep up the good work. What do you like in the cheep Chinese mig welders? I bought a Lincoln 140HD and it basically sucks. I watched your review of the Yeswelder 205ds mig and a few of the HF Vulcan welders and I'm kind of scared. I don't need a great machine, as I'm just a hobby guy, but i would like a decent mig welder without going crazy expensive. I'm not afraid of the Chinese stuff, I have a Primeweld tig 225 and a matching plasma cutter and they have both been a lot of fun. I'm sure there's much better stuff but as a hobby guy it's all about getting the job done. The inverter machines are much cheaper, all be it no where near as robust as the transformer machines, but they work.
Like I said keep up the good work, I've got some videos to watch, the big squirrel was cute. One more subscriber. Thanks
I'm getting a yeswelder for stick
And Miller for mig
The Miller welder might be made in china but it’s still made with millers specifications!
No fricken way are you going to convince me otherwise!
And Millers over priced welders, a lot of money for the Blue name.
I would never use that Yeswelder on 240v...lol. YOu can clearly see that the cord is not actually appropriate for 240v. Fine for 120v.
No need to worry about duty cycle when you could buy 3 of the cheap welder for the price of the miller and cycle through them to achieve 100 percent duty cycle at peak amperage. Lol
So, $500 vs $150... I would hope that the more expensive one is better built. This is comparing a pinto to a Bently.
Maybe try comparing similarly priced units.
As for now, nobody can convince me that a Miller or Lincoln is worth the money compared to yeswelder. I own the mig 205ds. It works amazing, for my.home use.
I'm glad your Yeswelder is working for you. I had a specific reason for comparing these two welders and I explained in the video. I also explained at the end that I wasn't trying to convince people to buy the Miller. I understand that many people will still choose the Yeswelder because it is much cheaper, and that's fine.
I do have another review coming up of a welder that is extremely similar to the Yeswelder ARC 205DS, and it is even cheaper. So I will be making some comparisons to the Yeswelder in that video.
The off brand welder from china have little to no customer service, where Miller is long standing company.
Yea for sure Miller has always been a better welder especially when your talking cheap throw away priced welders. The quality control they offer has value.......BUT for the smaller diy or guy who is just starting out the Yes welders are not too bad. and priced competitively compared to like other china products. Not a bad value for a cheap machine. If you buy Miller your are PAYING MUCH MORE.....and you get a better machine. Not everyone can afford a Mercedes or Lambo.....That is why FORD is still in business.
Hey, that's why I test out so many cheap welders. I fully understand that most people really don't need anything fancy.
At this point, my issue with Yeswelder is that despite the fact that they have been fully aware (I know because I spoke on the phone with them about it over a year ago) of multiple issues and claimed to be working to resolve them, they have done nothing to fix any of the issues. Issues with false claims, inaccurate specs, inaccurate data tags, inaccurate manuals (for the few that actually exist) and no actual, official warranty in writing anywhere. When we spoke over a year ago they insisted they were working to correct inaccurate specs and were working with lawyers to get a proper warranty written. They made excuses about how they were a small company and they were at the mercy of the factory on some of this stuff, but they were working on it. Over a year later and MILLIONS of dollars raised in a Kickstarter campaign and there is still zero mention of a warranty on their website and their new Firstess MP200 that just came out makes zero mention of any warranty anywhere and has the same inaccurate specs as many of their other machines.
I understand this is all pretty standard with the "generic" welder brands from Amazon/EBay/etc. But Yeswelder are trying to establish themselves as a well-known, well respected name in welding. I really wish they would get their act together and at least advertise proper specs for their machines.
I'd rather not give money to a virtual address kind of company.
Wish you did a breakdown of the Eastwood Mig 135.
Just too much marketing bs everywhere, can't make a decision.
Basically everywhere/everyone says igbt is significantly better than transformer but most entry level igbt is just chinese trash, so I dunno what to buy for my first welder.
IGBT is significantly more efficient and capable of much smaller, more lightweight designs.
I haven't looked at any Eastwood welders at this point. It's easy to get paralyzed with all the decisions these days. Are you primarily looking for a MIG welder?
@@bigtb1717 I was just going to buy the cheapest stick to try to rebuild some stuff. But for not much more there are 3 in 1 units that I was looking at, previously a flux 135 yeswelder unit with flux mig, life tig option, and stick. I'd rather not bother with 240v mainly. My drier plug is 10-50p and all the welding plugs are different, don't really feel like building an extension cord and running out of the drier exhaust of my house (lol). The Eastwood was on sale for $195 so I was looking at that one. Has a 3 year warranty from a real company with a gas option, seems to be a trusty plow horse. But to answer your question I'd prefer both stick and mig, but flux mig does seem more practical for entry and less frustrating potentially.
I think youre kinda comparing oranges and orange juice. Why not get a amazon welder that cost the same as the miller and see if you get more bang for your buck. Of course miller is going to be better at alot of things than a $150 yes welder
Mr Negative again just saying!
The 205ds does run Tig.
Anyone who thinks everything made in China is the same degree of crap is not even worth arguing with.
I doubt it's an accident that incorrect Yeswelder claims all happen to be to their advantage.