The best spotters: what is it, how it works, how to choose, review, rating of 2023, TOP 9, price, photo

Every time automakers reduce the thickness of the cladding metal on new models of cars, there are more problems for the master flatteners. Aligning dented thick metal on the wings or on the roof is much easier than the thin steel of the “inflated” lining of modern cars.

If earlier the problem was solved by replacement, now the metal is extracted with spotters. With sufficient skill, it is possible to level the metal with virtually no traces of dents and without painting the damaged surface.

What to look for when choosing a spotter?

The essence of the operation of the device is to first weld a thin metal pin (rod) in the center of the dent using a welding inverter. Then, using a special tool, pull the cladding metal to its original position. After that, the bar is cut off, and the surface is cleaned from traces of spot welding.

If everything is done correctly, then the dent will be leveled without residual stresses in the metal. If the paint on the metal is of high quality, then there will not even be any traces of deformation. The point from the welded electrode will need to be cleaned and painted over. Spotter is made primarily for body repair, but it can be used to repair dents on any sheet steel structure.

How does the process of metal leveling take place:

1. The point for welding the electrode is determined, the place is cleaned to white metal.
2. A positioning suction cup is installed, through which the end of the electrode is welded to the damaged metal of the cladding with a gun using an inverter.
3. Next, the ballast (handle) of the pistol strikes in the direction opposite to the surface of the cladding. This is the so-called reverse or inertial hammer.

During impacts, the entire structure moves by inertia from the damaged area and simultaneously pulls the deformed metal to its original state.

In fact, the device consists of a gun with a reverse hammer on the rod and an inverter. The correct choice of the welding current mode, polarity and tip material determines how firmly the electrode will be welded to the facing metal. In addition, it depends on the weight and dimensions of the reverse hammer whether the generated inertial force is enough to pull out the deformed metal.

That is, when choosing, you need to pay attention to the operating voltage of the inverter for spot welding, the design and weight of the hammer, a set of nozzles.

Therefore, when choosing, look:

• device weight;
• supply voltage (can be 220 V or 380 V);
• connection options, whether it is possible to weld electrodes from the back side or from both sides at the same time;
• the limiting current can reach several thousand amperes;
• is there an automatic protection;
• simple and understandable setting system that allows you to select the optimal welding mode;
• reverse hammer design (weight of ballast-chipper).

The kit includes various attachments. For example, a triangle is used to level small dents a few millimeters in diameter. Tip - Corrugated wire provides a wider grip on metal, flapping hood or roof lining. There are also rings that can be welded to the deformed surface, thereby evenly distributing the pulling load.

The optimal output welding current for triangle rings will be 1000 A, for a wave - 1200 A. If you heat a lump on the metal with a graphite electrode, which remains after drawing with an electrode, then you will need at least 2200 A, for copper - 1500 A.

For your information! Many manufacturing companies in the kit, in addition to cables with clamps, add several types of nozzles: “star”, “ring”, triangle, as well as electrodes made of steel, graphite and copper. They can be bought separately, but the ones that come with the kit are usually of better quality and are definitely suitable for the spotter of this model.

Read also: Heating systems in motorhomes. Do-it-yourself wind generator from a car generator.

Review of the best

The best spotters, as a rule, are produced by leading manufacturers of electrical equipment in Italy and Germany. There are Russian devices. In the top of the best you can find good devices copied by Chinese companies or manufactured under license. Sometimes the only difference is the price.

FUBAG TS 2600

The brand is German, but the welding machine itself is produced under license in China. One of the simplest spotters. Welder power — 5.4 kW at 220 V supply voltage.

The device is quite light - 14 kg, although the welding current in the pulse is only 2800 A. The design uses an inverter converter on the keys with one output transformer. The large weight and average values ​​​​of the current pulse indicate that the manufacturer did not spare the copper wire for the transformer winding. This says that the welder will definitely serve for a long time.

But when welding the FUBAG TS 2600 electrode, it produces a moderately increasing current pulse. It is necessary to press the electrode or sprocket well, otherwise the connection will turn out to be weak, it can be torn off from the welding point when the metal is pulled out.

Comes with a reverse hammer, several pieces of sprockets and rings.

Price — 30500 rubles, guarantee — 2 years.

Great Wolf GW-60L 220

The spotter was developed in the Russian Federation and is manufactured at industrial enterprises in China. Pretty big and heavy welder. The manufacturer positions the Great Wolf GW-60L 220 as a spotter and at the same time a spot welding machine for professional car repair.

Characteristics:

• weight — 54 kg;
• layout — vertical stand on a single-axis wheel support;
• electric power - 10.9 kW;
• limiting current when working in spotter mode - 3500 A;
• there is an output for connecting a graphite electrode (metal heating);
• the recommended thickness for working with a spotter is 0.7-1.2 mm.

Included with the welder are two reverse hammers of different lengths, a hook, a suction cup, two dozen tips of different types: a “star”, a ring, copper-plated bolts. The scheme of work is built on an inverter and two transformers.

Management is built on the basis of a microprocessor. For welders, this is not the best solution. The model is saturated with electronics, there is a screen and several adjustment knobs. Spotter control is quite complicated, many functions in a home workshop will simply be superfluous.

The model can be recommended for a small car repair shop for a couple of workers. Price - 39 thousand rubles. rub., warranty - 12 months.

Kraft Well 220 V

Despite the sonorous name, this is a completely Chinese brand. Spotter KraftWell 220 V, which got into the rating, is designed and made according to the inverter scheme. Thanks to this, the dimensions and weight of the spotter allow one person to freely carry the welder. We can note the good build quality and thoughtful arrangement of buttons on the control panel.

Characteristics:

• spotter power — 10 kW;
• limit value of the current in the pulse — 3500 A;
• there is a built-in protection against overheating of the element base.

Supply voltage — 220 V, output from 1 V to 10 V. The control system is equipped with a current hold timer when welding the electrode to the metal. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the operation parameters of the spotter to the working thickness of the metal (0.8-1.5 mm).

The kit comes with a set of tips, suction cup, reverse hammer. According to reviews, the spotter is able to work even with a slight heating overload. But it is better to let the device cool down after every 2-7 minutes of operation.

Price — 42 thousand rubles, guarantee — 12 months Most users consider KraftWell 220V a worthy competitor for most German licensed spotters.

GYS GYSPOT 2700

Spotter 2700 of the famous French company GYS, but the production is located in China. In fact, this is not only a spotter, but a universal device for performing body repairs. Unlike most Chinese licensed welders, the GYSPOT 2700 stands out for its endurance, ability to work at low and high air temperatures in spot welding and spotter mode with irregular overload. First of all, because of the special cooling system.

GYSPOT 2700 Key Features:

• weight - 14 kg;
• power - 6.2 kW;
• welding current - 2700 A;
• supply voltage - 220 V;
• output - 1-5.6 V.

The discharge occurs due to the accumulation of energy in supercapacitors. Therefore, the design turned out to be much more reliable and durable than traditional transformer spotters.

Most users praise GYSPOT for fine tuning the performance. If you correctly set the welding parameters, then the spotter will give exactly the required amount of current. Moreover, during operation, even with strong heating, the settings do not change and do not require correction.

Price for GYSPOT 2700 — 29 thousand rub., guarantee — 12 months

If you need a more powerful machine for a bodyshop, then the GYSPOT 3904 is better than the 2700. This is a pro-class device, powered by 380 V, weight — 34 kg. This spotter is designed for almost round-the-clock work with short breaks.

Price — 54 thousand rub, guarantee — 1 year.

RedHotDot HAMMER T-34

Made in China according to the tracing paper of the German brand RedHotDot. One of the heaviest machines in the 5.2 kW power class. Even when compared with the Sino-German FUBAG, which weighs only 14 kg, while the HAMMER T-34 — 25.5 kg. This means that the developers have tried to make the welder of high quality, easy to maintain and, if possible, indestructible. For this, they even made protection according to the IP21 class.

In part, they succeeded, since the RedHotDot HAMMER T-34 spotter enjoys well-deserved attention from all bodybuilders.

The limiting welding current is 3.8 kA. This is enough to grab any stars, crosses, studs to dented metal. And most importantly at the same time — do not burn the damaged area.

The spotter kit comes with:

• a pair of reverse hammers (one of them is 1.1 kg);
• gun with a welding hose and a "ground" section of 70 mm2;
• a large set of nozzles, studs and stars.

To control the spotter, the SINERGIC assistant system is used. It will help you choose the current parameters for the first metal drawing. Then all this will be stored in memory and can be used in other areas.

Price — 55 thousand rub., warranty for RedHotDot HAMMER T-3 - 2 years.

Garwin GS 5000

The spotter is a professional level, so the design is focused on continuous use at car service stations, in small car repair shops. Unlike most light spotters (14-20 kg), this model weighs as much as 60 kg.

The entire electrical part is made on a single power transformer with several copper windings. The power of the spotter is 16 kW, but in terms of protection and resistance to shock loads, the device turned out to be much more reliable than the more common capacitor and inverter models.

In this case, the setting of the current and output voltage parameters is controlled by a microprocessor. There is a function to automatically turn on the blower, a board with keys and a transformer winding.

The spotter is equipped with a complete set of welding accessories: a reverse hammer, a pair of cables, a disconnected power cord, several types of nozzles and electrodes.

Important! Garwin GS5000 — one of the few spotters whose electrical characteristic of the welding transformer allows it to work with thin stainless steel sheets. Therefore, it is often used to repair tuned cars with a large number of chrome and nickel parts in the lining of the car.

TELWIN DIGITAL PULLER 5500 400V

One of the best spotters available for the hobby welder or small auto repair shop. Produced in Italy. Has earned a reputation as a reliable and very accurate tool for straightening and extracting dents. Unlike Chinese spotters, there is practically no marriage when working with TELWIN. The price of the model is 59 thousand rubles. rub. This is the most affordable model. More powerful spotters of this brand are three to four times more expensive.

Characteristics:

• weight — 21 kg without cart;
• power — 11 kW;
• the limiting welding current in the sticking mode of the electrode on the surface of the dent is 3800 A. It is possible to weld thin sheet metal up to 1.5 mm thick;
• idling — 6 V, in spot welding mode — 1 V;
• power supply — 380 V.

The spotter uses a combined electrical circuit on inverter keys with one power transformer. The use of a three-phase network to power the spotter made it possible to reduce the weight and dimensions of the welder.

The system provides effective protection of wiring and electronics from overheating. Even if you use the spotter constantly, then when the critical temperature reaches 80OC turns on automatic blowing. In extreme cases, the electronics will block the operation until the device has completely cooled down.

Guarantee — 12 months

WIEDERKRAFT WDK-9BN

Produced in China, but the development of a well-known German brand. Price — 38 thousand rub. For the same money you can buy a good spotter with a stabilizer from the same manufacturer. But WDK-9BN has certain advantages. First, there is a built-in spot welding module. Secondly, the electrical circuit is different:

• thoughtful protection against overheating or operation in emergency mode;
• automatic control system and mode settings. There are several typical settings in memory that can be used for welding electrodes;
• the ability to create your own modes of operation of the spotter and store them in the memory of the settings block.

Despite the fact that the spotter belongs to the class of a professional tool, the device turned out to be relatively light. — 19 kg with a capacity of 14.3 kg. The maximum current that can be obtained for spot welding, — 3.8 kA. The spotter is easy to set up and maintain. If necessary, it can simply be plugged into an outlet.

The welding set includes an inertial hammer, cables, a set of washers and nozzles.

Warranty - 1 year.

Nordberg WS4

The device is made in China, the scheme was developed by German engineers as part of the Nordberg brand. It is positioned as inexpensive (33 thousand rubles). rubles) a domestic welder, available for use even by untrained workers. In addition to spotter functions, the device can be used for spot welding, soldering, thermal local softening of metal. Mains powered — 220 V, the case is made according to the protection class IP21.

Characteristics:

• weight - 19 kg;
• transformer power — 10 kW;
• limiting current - 3500 A;
• it is possible to weld sheets with a thickness of 0.8 mm to a base of 1.2 mm.

The output voltage in the spotter and spot welding mode is 1-6 V, there are 10 V leads for heating the metal (usually springs) with a graphite rod, butt welding 13 V. Spotter response time can be adjusted from 0-99 milliseconds.

The welder turned out to be simple, without any complicated settings. The simplified membrane keypad on the front panel allows you to switch modes, even if your hands are gloved.

According to the manufacturer, the spotter has a microprocessor control system. In fact, the electronics only work when the mode is selected, all other functions are at the level of a simple welding transformer. According to user reviews, the device did not turn off even with a slight overheating even in severe frost.

You can buy a good spotter, but without the spot welding function, or a more expensive combined type machine. For a large car repair shop, it is more profitable to separately purchase spot welding and a spotter. For one master, perhaps the combined apparatus will be optimal.

Tell us about your experience with spotters of various brands. Which of them, in your opinion, turned out to be the most successful and deserve attention? Also save the article to bookmarks and share it on social networks.