Billiumss Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Hi guys, I'm thinking of buying a small welder to do light duty stuff, up to 1/8" thick. I saw this in the latest Harbor Freight Ad, they one for $89.99 plus I can use a 20% coupon on top of it. 90 Amp Flux Wire Welder http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=98871 I do have some experience welding but very far from a pro, just want something to do light stuff and to learn. Would this work for what I need to do? Any info or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NXfedRam Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 this is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. I have used one of these welders and they are garbage. Find yourself a 100 series lincoln wire feed and do a gas conversion kit. Hi guys, I'm thinking of buying a small welder to do light duty stuff, up to 1/8" thick. I saw this in the latest Harbor Freight Ad, they one for $89.99 plus I can use a 20% coupon on top of it. 90 Amp Flux Wire Welder http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=98871 I do have some experience welding but very far from a pro, just want something to do light stuff and to learn. Would this work for what I need to do? Any info or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 this is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. I have used one of these welders and they are garbage. Find yourself a 100 series lincoln wire feed and do a gas conversion kit. +1 If you want to become a decent welder, you need to learn with a decent tool and that is not one. I can hold my own MIG welding and I couldn't imagine learning on a flux core welder anyway, next to impossible to make nice work. Invest in a smaller gas feed MIG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koolrayz Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Inner shield core blows. The shit welders wont feed the wire well the will always be sticking the wire in the nozzle everything you weld will look like shit with the inner shield. Flux core is different than inner shield. Flux core uses a combination of a shielding gas and a inner flux. It works great on surfaces that are to dirty for solid wire. It is used with the bigger mig machines using a .035 or .045 wire. You can really lay the wire down with it. So what you need is a solid wire gas shielded machine. Get a decent lincoln with gas shielding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 +1 If you want to become a decent welder, you need to learn with a decent tool and that is not one. I can hold my own MIG welding and I couldn't imagine learning on a flux core welder anyway, next to impossible to make nice work. Invest in a smaller gas feed MIG. Inner shield core blows. The shit welders wont feed the wire well the will always be sticking the wire in the nozzle everything you weld will look like shit with the inner shield. Flux core is different than inner shield. Flux core uses a combination of a shielding gas and a inner flux. It works great on surfaces that are to dirty for solid wire. It is used with the bigger mig machines using a .035 or .045 wire. You can really lay the wire down with it. So what you need is a solid wire gas shielded machine. Get a decent lincoln with gas shielding. Shows how much I know, I didn't realize there were two differnet ways of having a non-solid wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiumss Posted September 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 What is the cheapest/decent one to weld up to 1/8" material? What do you guys suggest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinHawk1647545499 Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 i would defiantly get gas and over 100amps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTurbo Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 I picked up the Lincoln 175 HD before they quit making it/changed models. They sold in Home Depot, Lowes etc for about $400. I think they now have a 180 model or something out there. VERY nice welder for a beginner, or someone with just the basic knowledge (like me). Easily able to do 1/8" material, in fact it would be over kill,... but, buy bigger than you think you'll need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPL_Josh Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 if your worried about price get a used lincoln or miller from CL or a some that services them. I welded stainless steel 20ga-1/4" for a company here in town before I switched to my current job. I would deff. recommend gas assist. Mig is ok, but i prefer tig (much cleaner weld/lower temp/easier to do once you get familiar with it [than arc imo]) Something around 150-200amps would be ideal. Heres one on craigslist, alot more $ than the cheapo form Harber Freight but its a decent welder and already has everything you need Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillbot Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 I had the harbor freight welder, it was total shit. Get a low end Miller or Lincoln. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limitedslip7 Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 I would go with a Miller Dynasty 350. Once you start getting into welding, you're quickly going to want something better than a POS Harbor Freight flux core pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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