81 replies to this topic

[psychobob]

I personally think they are a bargain. the first one I had lasted a year, but only died because I mounted an auxiliary fan directly to it, which wore through the ends of the fins. I replaced it with another, which has been on for three years now. if anything it cools too well, when combined with a tropical fan. as everyone says, the welds aren't particularly pretty, but they are very strong. it still looks great when autosolled up. comes up like a mirror! they do take a long time to warm up in winter though, I guess due to them radiating heat so well. it does seem ridiculous to pay over £200 for a UK made one just for tidier welding.

[KernowCooper]

Theres the old saying if it looks like a terd it probally is a turd! sorry but they may be cheap and work but depends what you want and for £50 quid ? Me I'm anal and hand finish brackets and remove tin and make dural replacements and yes I can weld,

 

Its what you want something that works and looks good or something that works? If they are in fact not falling apart and giving a reasonable service and you can accept poor workmanship then go for it.

[Captain Mainwaring]

The thermal conductivity or heat transfer rate of copper is 92% versus aluminum which is approximately 49%.  However, the copper fin bonded to the tubes, or water passages, using lead solder is very inefficient and slows the heat transfer rate to just slightly better than that of aluminum.

 

If you are going to quote it...http://www.coolcraft...tor-core-styles

 

A website full of inaccuracies.

 

Fins are not sweated on to copper cores. Google "spiral tension wound fins".

 

"Left unprotected, a copper radiator core will turn green and deteriorate rapidly especially in a damp environment. That is why copper radiators have always been painted, usually black."

 

 

Is a real classic, and you have to wonder at the mentality of the author. Yes indeedy, when I installed central heating back in blighty - I had someone climb inside all the pipes and paint them black to stop them corroding. Someone had better tell IMI to stop using copper, it corrodes in a damp environment.

So, all we know about black body radiation goes out of the window....we paint copper radiators black to prevent them turning green and their logs falling off.

[Captain Mainwaring]

I personally think they are a bargain. the first one I had lasted a year, but only died because I mounted an auxiliary fan directly to it, which wore through the ends of the fins. I replaced it with another, which has been on for three years now. if anything it cools too well, when combined with a tropical fan. as everyone says, the welds aren't particularly pretty, but they are very strong. it still looks great when autosolled up. comes up like a mirror! they do take a long time to warm up in winter though, I guess due to them radiating heat so well. it does seem ridiculous to pay over £200 for a UK made one just for tidier welding.

 

A bare aluminium shiny radiator would radiate so little heat as to be totally useless. Radiators move heat by convection, not radiation.

If your car takes too long to warm up in winter - check your thermostat.

[Captain Mainwaring]

Theres the old saying if it looks like a terd it probally is a turd! sorry but they may be cheap and work but depends what you want and for £50 quid ? Me I'm anal and hand finish brackets and remove tin and make dural replacements and yes I can weld,

 

Its what you want something that works and looks good or something that works? If they are in fact not falling apart and giving a reasonable service and you can accept poor workmanship then go for it.

 

 

well since you give an opportunity....i'd guess that by the time all the duty, VAT and shipping is paid, and everyone takes their cut, that the things are bashed out for less than £15 each. China sells mountains of equipment for little more than the price of the materials - they purchased so much scrap so they could conquer the world, but ran into a brick wall, no one had any money to buy it.

I could post up hundreds of photos of chinese stainless 316 going rusty, and 904L with holes in it...could show you how the chinese try and trick inspections by welding good quality SS on to the ends of bar stock that they know is going to be tested....

 

Everything is throwaway now and cheap chinese subsidized goods fit that mindset.

[Captain Mainwaring]

 

 

get a radtec one . much nicer last longer . looks better and always will

mmmmm porn! lol

Get a Radtec one! -sounds easy but in my case that was the blooming problem!!!!! They were awful to deal with, the Chinese one was bought because Radtec were useless. They were tested back to back and the Chinese one performed as well. It's crazy that the Chinese one took 5 days, but I ended up getting the Radtec one through an intermediary because they were useless and they are less than 12 miles away. Grrrrr!!!!!!!!! If you are purely interested in looks then go Radtec (but be prepared to have unanswered calls, ignored requests for info etc etc). For price, performance and customer service then go Chinese. People go on about 'lasting longer', where is the evidence? I have had three, none have failed despite being abused in various ways from racing to sitting in traffic jams. The oldest is three years and still going strong. The only way I can see a Radtec one lasting longer is that it will be 6 months before you get it! Apart from someone on here who seems very Anti-Chinese and hasn't owned one, all other comments seem to be based on looks. In that case I will scrap the mini and start saving for a 250GTO immediately.

 

 

 

Well there was a post taken down, do you remember the one where you mentioned your chemical engineering background and I asked you for a purely technical opinion of aluminium versus copper for heat exchanger construction, and also observations on requirements for coolant in a mixed material cooling system? I think it was the post where your friend was selling imported chinese rads.

 

From a technical point of view you can't really abuse a rad except mechanically - it either cools what you put through it, or it doesn't. It's just a question of capacity. Mechanically, if you shake the thing around, then you can get issues with hardening and cracking.

 

There are a few things that heat exchangers don't like, they don't like big thermal shocks, they don't like water hammer, and in steam installation, they don't like dealing with superheated steam, and obviously they don't like anything likely to cause anode/cathode issues (right up your street as a chemist, this one - jot down the reaction with aluminium, cast iron, steel and the original copper heater exchanger from the interior heater, together with an electrolyte).

 

You mention that I am anti chinese - not so, but I am very anti pirating and copying of third party hard work. It;s inevitable in the world that we live in now, but with the majority of chinese equipment, it's just matter of time to sit back and watch it disintegrate. 

I bet if I contact Serck Marsden, they can tell me just how many BTU a mini rad will shift at every conceivable air flow and differential water flow temp - get someone to try and get the same info from a chinese supplier - you won't get it because they don't have it. What they do have is generally a team in a drawing office somewhere charged with copying every dimensions and sticking it into autocad. 

That's all your 15 quid will get you, not engineering.

 

I'm just watching and waiting now while a chinese company runs off with an equipment suppliers drawings for a big industrial drier - notwithstanding it takes a bloody magician to understand the drawings, but this company has given them everything to construct these driers from scratch. 

They have just locally built a big tobacco drier to CNTC and got quotes for three different drier capacities - they insist on the heat exchanger capacities, all they have to do is draw a line through them and they have everything they need for any size drier with a simple mx+c calculation....we in the UK did the hard bit working out drying curves and heat balances - the chinese copied the lot.

 

You want to use that sort of equipment, it's your choice, wherever possible, I will avoid it.

Edited by Captain Mainwaring, 04 June 2013 - 12:11 AM.

[firstforward]

 

The thermal conductivity or heat transfer rate of copper is 92% versus aluminum which is approximately 49%.  However, the copper fin bonded to the tubes, or water passages, using lead solder is very inefficient and slows the heat transfer rate to just slightly better than that of aluminum.

 

If you are going to quote it...http://www.coolcraft...tor-core-styles

 

 

 

Is a real classic, and you have to wonder at the mentality of the author. Yes indeedy, when I installed central heating back in blighty - I had someone climb inside all the pipes and paint them black to stop them corroding. Someone had better tell IMI to stop using copper, it corrodes in a damp environment.

So, all we know about black body radiation goes out of the window....we paint copper radiators black to prevent them turning green and their logs falling off.

 

 

Ahhh there is an easier way than climbing inside them pipes to paint them, use Ferox like everybody else, it protects the radiators also.

[Captain Mainwaring]

 

 

The thermal conductivity or heat transfer rate of copper is 92% versus aluminum which is approximately 49%.  However, the copper fin bonded to the tubes, or water passages, using lead solder is very inefficient and slows the heat transfer rate to just slightly better than that of aluminum.

 

If you are going to quote it...http://www.coolcraft...tor-core-styles

 

 

 

Is a real classic, and you have to wonder at the mentality of the author. Yes indeedy, when I installed central heating back in blighty - I had someone climb inside all the pipes and paint them black to stop them corroding. Someone had better tell IMI to stop using copper, it corrodes in a damp environment.

So, all we know about black body radiation goes out of the window....we paint copper radiators black to prevent them turning green and their logs falling off.

 

 

Ahhh there is an easier way than climbing inside them pipes to paint them, use Ferox like everybody else, it protects the radiators also.

 

 

Fernox....

But fernox really doesn't do much for copper pipes...it doesn't have to. 

Fernox is good for CI and steel in DCH systems, it's a good corrosion inhibitor and scale reducer, also a good wetting agent. 

 

 

Take a look at the name...the clue is in the name.

[Tamworthbay]

get a radtec one . much nicer last longer . looks better and always will

mmmmm porn! lol

Get a Radtec one! -sounds easy but in my case that was the blooming problem!!!!! They were awful to deal with, the Chinese one was bought because Radtec were useless. They were tested back to back and the Chinese one performed as well. It's crazy that the Chinese one took 5 days, but I ended up getting the Radtec one through an intermediary because they were useless and they are less than 12 miles away. Grrrrr!!!!!!!!! If you are purely interested in looks then go Radtec (but be prepared to have unanswered calls, ignored requests for info etc etc). For price, performance and customer service then go Chinese. People go on about 'lasting longer', where is the evidence? I have had three, none have failed despite being abused in various ways from racing to sitting in traffic jams. The oldest is three years and still going strong. The only way I can see a Radtec one lasting longer is that it will be 6 months before you get it! Apart from someone on here who seems very Anti-Chinese and hasn't owned one, all other comments seem to be based on looks. In that case I will scrap the mini and start saving for a 250GTO immediately.

 
 
Well there was a post taken down, do you remember the one where you mentioned your chemical engineering background and I asked you for a purely technical opinion of aluminium versus copper for heat exchanger construction, and also observations on requirements for coolant in a mixed material cooling system? I think it was the post where your friend was selling imported chinese rads.
 
From a technical point of view you can't really abuse a rad except mechanically - it either cools what you put through it, or it doesn't. It's just a question of capacity. Mechanically, if you shake the thing around, then you can get issues with hardening and cracking.
 
There are a few things that heat exchangers don't like, they don't like big thermal shocks, they don't like water hammer, and in steam installation, they don't like dealing with superheated steam, and obviously they don't like anything likely to cause anode/cathode issues (right up your street as a chemist, this one - jot down the reaction with aluminium, cast iron, steel and the original copper heater exchanger from the interior heater, together with an electrolyte).
 
You mention that I am anti chinese - not so, but I am very anti pirating and copying of third party hard work. It;s inevitable in the world that we live in now, but with the majority of chinese equipment, it's just matter of time to sit back and watch it disintegrate. 
I bet if I contact Serck Marsden, they can tell me just how many BTU a mini rad will shift at every conceivable air flow and differential water flow temp - get someone to try and get the same info from a chinese supplier - you won't get it because they don't have it. What they do have is generally a team in a drawing office somewhere charged with copying every dimensions and sticking it into autocad. 
That's all your 15 quid will get you, not engineering.
 
I'm just watching and waiting now while a chinese company runs off with an equipment suppliers drawings for a big industrial drier - notwithstanding it takes a bloody magician to understand the drawings, but this company has given them everything to construct these driers from scratch. 
They have just locally built a big tobacco drier to CNTC and got quotes for three different drier capacities - they insist on the heat exchanger capacities, all they have to do is draw a line through them and they have everything they need for any size drier with a simple mx+c calculation....we in the UK did the hard bit working out drying curves and heat balances - the chinese copied the lot.
 
You want to use that sort of equipment, it's your choice, wherever possible, I will avoid it.

Before I start, I have to admit I couldn't be bothered to read all your post due to its diversion from the world of reality. But please make sure you are accurate before you post. The person selling the rads is not a friend, I have never met him or spoke to him. I am sure he is a decent bloke but I have no links to him and the inference that I was providing biased support is both inaccurate and offensive.

As for the idea that you can't mechanically abuse a rad you have obviously never raced'!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will see if the present owner will take a pic. It is very definately abused but still works perfectly, despite being 'fixed' with a screwdriver and hammer amongst other things.

Whatever is the basis of your anti-Chinese sentiment is your business but it does not affect the efficiency or otherwise of these rads. My background is Chemistry including a masters in industrial chemistry and PhD working on large fermenters. I am used to looking at pressure vessels and the workmanship on these rads compares favourably with what I have seen on vessels carrying four times the pressure. AND their customer service is excellent. What more can you ask? (Apart from them not being Chinese, but how that makes a difference??????.)

[klivins]

if this topic is still about the radiators, not Chinese, I might contribute by saying my mini performs better with a (slightly askew) Chinese aluminium radiator as it did last year with reasonably new copper one. The copper one got damaged by fan, so I had to find the replacement anyway.

As the delivery was included in the price, it worked out cheaper than a copper one would have been for my location.

[Captain Mainwaring]

 

 

 

 

get a radtec one . much nicer last longer . looks better and always will

mmmmm porn! lol

Get a Radtec one! -sounds easy but in my case that was the blooming problem!!!!! They were awful to deal with, the Chinese one was bought because Radtec were useless. They were tested back to back and the Chinese one performed as well. It's crazy that the Chinese one took 5 days, but I ended up getting the Radtec one through an intermediary because they were useless and they are less than 12 miles away. Grrrrr!!!!!!!!! If you are purely interested in looks then go Radtec (but be prepared to have unanswered calls, ignored requests for info etc etc). For price, performance and customer service then go Chinese. People go on about 'lasting longer', where is the evidence? I have had three, none have failed despite being abused in various ways from racing to sitting in traffic jams. The oldest is three years and still going strong. The only way I can see a Radtec one lasting longer is that it will be 6 months before you get it! Apart from someone on here who seems very Anti-Chinese and hasn't owned one, all other comments seem to be based on looks. In that case I will scrap the mini and start saving for a 250GTO immediately.

 
 
Well there was a post taken down, do you remember the one where you mentioned your chemical engineering background and I asked you for a purely technical opinion of aluminium versus copper for heat exchanger construction, and also observations on requirements for coolant in a mixed material cooling system? I think it was the post where your friend was selling imported chinese rads.
 
From a technical point of view you can't really abuse a rad except mechanically - it either cools what you put through it, or it doesn't. It's just a question of capacity. Mechanically, if you shake the thing around, then you can get issues with hardening and cracking.
 
There are a few things that heat exchangers don't like, they don't like big thermal shocks, they don't like water hammer, and in steam installation, they don't like dealing with superheated steam, and obviously they don't like anything likely to cause anode/cathode issues (right up your street as a chemist, this one - jot down the reaction with aluminium, cast iron, steel and the original copper heater exchanger from the interior heater, together with an electrolyte).
 
You mention that I am anti chinese - not so, but I am very anti pirating and copying of third party hard work. It;s inevitable in the world that we live in now, but with the majority of chinese equipment, it's just matter of time to sit back and watch it disintegrate. 
I bet if I contact Serck Marsden, they can tell me just how many BTU a mini rad will shift at every conceivable air flow and differential water flow temp - get someone to try and get the same info from a chinese supplier - you won't get it because they don't have it. What they do have is generally a team in a drawing office somewhere charged with copying every dimensions and sticking it into autocad. 
That's all your 15 quid will get you, not engineering.
 
I'm just watching and waiting now while a chinese company runs off with an equipment suppliers drawings for a big industrial drier - notwithstanding it takes a bloody magician to understand the drawings, but this company has given them everything to construct these driers from scratch. 
They have just locally built a big tobacco drier to CNTC and got quotes for three different drier capacities - they insist on the heat exchanger capacities, all they have to do is draw a line through them and they have everything they need for any size drier with a simple mx+c calculation....we in the UK did the hard bit working out drying curves and heat balances - the chinese copied the lot.
 
You want to use that sort of equipment, it's your choice, wherever possible, I will avoid it.

Before I start, I have to admit I couldn't be bothered to read all your post due to its diversion from the world of reality. But please make sure you are accurate before you post. The person selling the rads is not a friend, I have never met him or spoke to him. I am sure he is a decent bloke but I have no links to him and the inference that I was providing biased support is both inaccurate and offensive.

As for the idea that you can't mechanically abuse a rad you have obviously never raced'!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will see if the present owner will take a pic. It is very definately abused but still works perfectly, despite being 'fixed' with a screwdriver and hammer amongst other things.

Whatever is the basis of your anti-Chinese sentiment is your business but it does not affect the efficiency or otherwise of these rads. My background is Chemistry including a masters in industrial chemistry and PhD working on large fermenters. I am used to looking at pressure vessels and the workmanship on these rads compares favourably with what I have seen on vessels carrying four times the pressure. AND their customer service is excellent. What more can you ask? (Apart from them not being Chinese, but how that makes a difference??????.)

 

 

 

Odd the whole post disappeared - I wonder why that was? I did back track the price, and by the time you took VAT and duties off, and profit both ends, then they were being made for very small money.

 

Normally I find that Industrial chemists are observant sort of guys, but you seem to have issues with reading simple summaries, notwithstanding that you never seem to answer a technical question.

 

I'll quote you from my post above since you're having trouble with it. 

 

"From a technical point of view you can't really abuse a rad except mechanically - it either cools what you put through it, or it doesn't. It's just a question of capacity. Mechanically, if you shake the thing around, then you can get issues with hardening and cracking."

 

Trust that's clear now for you. I did ask you as a professional chemist what your opinion was regarding mixing CI, steel, an unknown but shiny aluminium alloy and copper in one cooling system was, if you've got any experience, I'm sure it would be useful. More to the point, do you know which material makes a better radiator for a given surface area and DP for both water and air, copper or aluminium? It's a straightforward question.

 

I won't comment on the fact they the welding looks like it was put on with the back of a shovel, as you say, they hold water, so they must be OK.

 

The technical shortfalls are quite sufficient that I wouldn't touch one of these over a decent copper radiator - aside from technically it's a shame that there is no pride in buying a british product anymore. Should I wish to adulterate my car, I don't see any need to do so with Chinese rubbish, I'll buy British.

Edited by Captain Mainwaring, 04 June 2013 - 08:50 AM.

[Mini Mad Drakeley]

copper is always going to be a better conductor than aluminium, whatever the application. on the other hand ive had one of these chinese radiators fitted to my car since september when i finished the restoration and it has been superb, ive had absolutely no problems with it and its nice that theres a draining plug on it to make draining the system easier.

 

and as said the chinese copied the original designs so why shouldnt it perform the same or similar.

 

the simple fact of the matter is though, the chinese rads are much cheaper than any other radiator, has very good cooling capabilities and will do the job its designed to do without any problems and if your on a budget then its simply a logical choice

 

the welds arent quite so pretty but when its in the engine bay, who is really going to be sad enough to look at the welds and actually care?

 

Adam

[lrostoke]

Seems to be a fair variaty of them ranging from £69 upto £149 delivered all from winner racing. (Ebay)

 

I guess you can throw all the science and politics into it you want. The company as plenty of positive feedback and accounts on here of actual useage are positive.

Edited by lrostoke, 04 June 2013 - 10:53 AM.

[Captain Mainwaring]

copper is always going to be a better conductor than aluminium, whatever the application. on the other hand ive had one of these chinese radiators fitted to my car since september when i finished the restoration and it has been superb, ive had absolutely no problems with it and its nice that theres a draining plug on it to make draining the system easier.

 

and as said the chinese copied the original designs so why shouldnt it perform the same or similar.

 

the simple fact of the matter is though, the chinese rads are much cheaper than any other radiator, has very good cooling capabilities and will do the job its designed to do without any problems and if your on a budget then its simply a logical choice

 

the welds arent quite so pretty but when its in the engine bay, who is really going to be sad enough to look at the welds and actually care?

 

Adam

 

 

1) Because the materials aren't even close in performance - hopefully our chemist will confirm the potential trouble you'll have with corrosion too - though I suspect ya might wait a while for the answer.

 

2) I am. Not only should a job be done, it should be seen to be done. Why change to something made in a country by people who have never seen a mini or even care what one is, for no other reason than some sort of fashion? My copper rad works fine, if I wanted to replace it, it would be copper again (which I can repair myself) or aluminium from a british supplier who can show me the relative differences in efficiency between it and copper - not just guess and post observations based upon an uncalibrated 20 year old temperature gauge of course the same observations were made with the old copper rad !!

 

 

Be interesting for everyone to get there cars up to "N" and measure the temp - see how close the gauges are - I bet they are miles apart - notwithstanding the £1-50 sender was probably made in china too.

 

Every standard has a price - and a radiator flown half way around the world including VAT, profit and duty for £40 will have a standard.

 

As you say, it;s a free choice.....

[Tamworthbay]

get a radtec one . much nicer last longer . looks better and always will

mmmmm porn! lol

Get a Radtec one! -sounds easy but in my case that was the blooming problem!!!!! They were awful to deal with, the Chinese one was bought because Radtec were useless. They were tested back to back and the Chinese one performed as well. It's crazy that the Chinese one took 5 days, but I ended up getting the Radtec one through an intermediary because they were useless and they are less than 12 miles away. Grrrrr!!!!!!!!! If you are purely interested in looks then go Radtec (but be prepared to have unanswered calls, ignored requests for info etc etc). For price, performance and customer service then go Chinese. People go on about 'lasting longer', where is the evidence? I have had three, none have failed despite being abused in various ways from racing to sitting in traffic jams. The oldest is three years and still going strong. The only way I can see a Radtec one lasting longer is that it will be 6 months before you get it! Apart from someone on here who seems very Anti-Chinese and hasn't owned one, all other comments seem to be based on looks. In that case I will scrap the mini and start saving for a 250GTO immediately.

 
 
Well there was a post taken down, do you remember the one where you mentioned your chemical engineering background and I asked you for a purely technical opinion of aluminium versus copper for heat exchanger construction, and also observations on requirements for coolant in a mixed material cooling system? I think it was the post where your friend was selling imported chinese rads.
 
From a technical point of view you can't really abuse a rad except mechanically - it either cools what you put through it, or it doesn't. It's just a question of capacity. Mechanically, if you shake the thing around, then you can get issues with hardening and cracking.
 
There are a few things that heat exchangers don't like, they don't like big thermal shocks, they don't like water hammer, and in steam installation, they don't like dealing with superheated steam, and obviously they don't like anything likely to cause anode/cathode issues (right up your street as a chemist, this one - jot down the reaction with aluminium, cast iron, steel and the original copper heater exchanger from the interior heater, together with an electrolyte).
 
You mention that I am anti chinese - not so, but I am very anti pirating and copying of third party hard work. It;s inevitable in the world that we live in now, but with the majority of chinese equipment, it's just matter of time to sit back and watch it disintegrate. 
I bet if I contact Serck Marsden, they can tell me just how many BTU a mini rad will shift at every conceivable air flow and differential water flow temp - get someone to try and get the same info from a chinese supplier - you won't get it because they don't have it. What they do have is generally a team in a drawing office somewhere charged with copying every dimensions and sticking it into autocad. 
That's all your 15 quid will get you, not engineering.
 
I'm just watching and waiting now while a chinese company runs off with an equipment suppliers drawings for a big industrial drier - notwithstanding it takes a bloody magician to understand the drawings, but this company has given them everything to construct these driers from scratch. 
They have just locally built a big tobacco drier to CNTC and got quotes for three different drier capacities - they insist on the heat exchanger capacities, all they have to do is draw a line through them and they have everything they need for any size drier with a simple mx+c calculation....we in the UK did the hard bit working out drying curves and heat balances - the chinese copied the lot.
 
You want to use that sort of equipment, it's your choice, wherever possible, I will avoid it.

Before I start, I have to admit I couldn't be bothered to read all your post due to its diversion from the world of reality. But please make sure you are accurate before you post. The person selling the rads is not a friend, I have never met him or spoke to him. I am sure he is a decent bloke but I have no links to him and the inference that I was providing biased support is both inaccurate and offensive.
As for the idea that you can't mechanically abuse a rad you have obviously never raced'!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will see if the present owner will take a pic. It is very definately abused but still works perfectly, despite being 'fixed' with a screwdriver and hammer amongst other things.
Whatever is the basis of your anti-Chinese sentiment is your business but it does not affect the efficiency or otherwise of these rads. My background is Chemistry including a masters in industrial chemistry and PhD working on large fermenters. I am used to looking at pressure vessels and the workmanship on these rads compares favourably with what I have seen on vessels carrying four times the pressure. AND their customer service is excellent. What more can you ask? (Apart from them not being Chinese, but how that makes a difference??????.)

 
 
Odd the whole post disappeared - I wonder why that was? I did back track the price, and by the time you took VAT and duties off, and profit both ends, then they were being made for very small money.
 
Normally I find that Industrial chemists are observant sort of guys, but you seem to have issues with reading simple summaries, notwithstanding that you never seem to answer a technical question.
 
I'll quote you from my post above since you're having trouble with it. 
 
"From a technical point of view you can't really abuse a rad except mechanically - it either cools what you put through it, or it doesn't. It's just a question of capacity. Mechanically, if you shake the thing around, then you can get issues with hardening and cracking."
 
Trust that's clear now for you. I did ask you as a professional chemist what your opinion was regarding mixing CI, steel, an unknown but shiny aluminium alloy and copper in one cooling system was, if you've got any experience, I'm sure it would be useful. More to the point, do you know which material makes a better radiator for a given surface area and DP for both water and air, copper or aluminium? It's a straightforward question.
 
I won't comment on the fact they the welding looks like it was put on with the back of a shovel, as you say, they hold water, so they must be OK.
 
The technical shortfalls are quite sufficient that I wouldn't touch one of these over a decent copper radiator - aside from technically it's a shame that there is no pride in buying a british product anymore. Should I wish to adulterate my car, I don't see any need to do so with Chinese rubbish, I'll buy British.

Crying out loud, just do some research mate! In case you are unaware aluminium has been used in engines for decades. The corrosion issue is no more relevant/ irrelevant for a rad than a head or block. Ally is ally. As for grade, Radtec refused to state a grade. Winner racing claim it is either 6082 or 2014 depending on which bit. Personally I think it is mostly 2014 as its not hard enough to be 6082 unless they are using an unusual heat treatment such as T2 or T7 which I very much doubt.

At the end of the day they work very well, if your own predujices don't allow you to buy one fine, but there is a difference between ethical reasons for not buying and rubbishing performance. I personally don't buy from amazon anymore because I don't agree with their tax evasion, but I wouldn't try to say their books don't work!