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MIG welder for $159.99?


zeitgeist57

WWCRD? China welder for less than $200:  

36 members have voted

  1. 1. WWCRD? China welder for less than $200:

    • For a first welder or occasional hobbyist, YES.
    • Shit's gon break in the first job. So will all the welds. NO.


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http://www.harborfreight.com/170-amp-migflux-wire-welder-22-volts-110-amps-68885.html

 

HOT ROD Magazine has a coupon to knock another $40 off the price of this welder. Yes, the duty cycle is only 20%, and I'm sure parts are impossible to come across. I can't imagine anyone using their welder for paid jobs would consider this unit.

 

However, considering the hobbyist has to fight every other schmoe to get CL leftover welders, and newer quality units sell for 3-4x the price...

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No, I had one and it wouldn't feed for shit. You'd have to crank up the tension to the point it would nearly break the feed wheels and still would slip. Pay the extra and get a used decent brand from craigslist if cost is a concern.
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no. I bought a used Hobart 135 off craigslist and had zero issues. If I ever need parts tractor supply has just about everything I need or I make a quick run to the welding place in downtown columbus. I bought a chinese plasma cutter and it's a cluster fuck just to order consumables.
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No avoid that piece like the plague.

Also I know of several coupons codes that you could save $50 off that welder.

 

Hobarts 135 is supposed to be decent for the price. If it were me I'd get a used millermatic but that's 3x-4x what that pos harbor freight costs.

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I have a HF 180- since 2004! This has build (in part) every car I have build-and used as the main welder for the cage that saved my life.

 

I has died, twice, and we had to hodge podge pars from a doner miller. I would say yes, but USE GAS- its a terrible flux wire welder. (no one should be doing that anyways IMO

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I'll say yes. There is even a small community around modding the welder.

 

Edit: BTW, nearly everyone says throw away the wire that comes with it and get a good name brand wire.

 

I spent a half-hour threadsurfing on Weldingweb about the capicator upgrade and better wire...more intrigued about this machine more than ever...

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Rally Pat is correct about small communities around upgrading harbor freight tools. There is some pretty impressive stuff online. You can lose days on homemadetools.net. I bought a bead roller from there with the hopes of reinforcing it and adding an electric motor. It just depends on how much time you want to put into it. By the time you blow hours and hours dicking around online, you could have bought the right tool 1st shot. Comes down to whether you want a project or buy it once.
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I have a HF 180- since 2004! This has build (in part) every car I have build-and used as the main welder for the cage that saved my life.

 

I has died, twice, and we had to hodge podge pars from a doner miller. I would say yes, but USE GAS- its a terrible flux wire welder. (no one should be doing that anyways IMO

 

This.

 

1.Get HF welder

2.Replace wire with name brand wire

3.????

4.Profit!

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Rally Pat is correct about small communities around upgrading harbor freight tools. There is some pretty impressive stuff online. You can lose days on homemadetools.net. I bought a bead roller from there with the hopes of reinforcing it and adding an electric motor. It just depends on how much time you want to put into it. By the time you blow hours and hours dicking around online, you could have bought the right tool 1st shot. Comes down to whether you want a project or buy it once.

 

This ^

 

Many of the HF tools are a good entry point if you have the time and patience to upgrade them as needed. For me, the welder simply wasn't worth it. I got it to weld up an exhaust on my old beater since no shop would touch it (no cat converter) without adding a full exhaust and cat converter. No way would I pay $500+ for that on a car that I literally paid $50 for. After I welded up the exhaust, I promptly sold that welder and never looked back.

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No avoid that piece like the plague.

Also I know of several coupons codes that you could save $50 off that welder.

 

Hobarts 135 is supposed to be decent for the price. If it were me I'd get a used millermatic but that's 3x-4x what that pos harbor freight costs.

 

Here it is spoken by the professional welder. I have tried to use a HF welder before, fuck that, save yourself the time and hassle and buy something decent. I'm no pro but I can do decent welding with a decent MIG.

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I might also add a 20% duty cycle is horrible. Yes a lot of lower end and entry level tigs will have that same rating. But the difference is a good welder should be able to run past it's duty cycle and the harbor freight I would assume cannot.

When our 350 and 400 amp delta welds power supplies are being used I've ran the millermatic 250 (what I recommended earlier) easily past it's duty cycle and continued to weld without stopping at 26v and 650in/m (nearly maxed for hours)

Millers rating:300 amp @ 40% duty cycle

200 amp @ 60% duty cycle

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  • 2 months later...

Welp, I received a healthy HF gift card for Christmas (fkking enablers in my family!:)) so despite the majority of experienced opinions on here, I got the welder I had my eye on, along with the MIG cart and auto-dimming helmet. I really couldn't turn it down because my out of pocket for everything was less than $100, and I really, REALLY couldn't bring myself to troll CL for used welders. For future HF purchases, make sure you sign up for their email newsletter: definitely has better coupons than the circulars.

 

http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=693&pictureid=7432

 

YEA:

The cart is a nice item, and I'm very glad I had that. Auto-dimming helmet made me nervous but it's passed the test so far: snaps dark and the dimming function works well in bright direct lighting. I took people's recommendations and bought Lincoln Electric wire at Lowes on my way home; hoping that will help out with some of the basic, hobby-level projects I have in mind.

 

NAY: Having used Lincoln Electric SP-175's from two friends in the past, the functions of this welder are a little laughable: there is no gas regulator for the MIG, and the gas tube is really wimpy. My dick is bigger than the gun line and main power cord; may be just as effective to weld with. Time will tell.

 

Overall, I'm OK with the purchase and hope it'll do well a few times to stop me from returning it. Will keep CR informed!

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I will say-my HF welder was bought in 04. Has built countless exhaust/IC set ups-lots of fab work, and a few roll cages- including the one that saved my life.

 

Its well worth the money IMO-yes, there is a LOT better stuff out there-but the bang for the buck is untouchable.

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Be careful with the helmet, I have one too and even at it's highest setting it isn't dark enough. If I would weld for a while, i'd see spots which says it isn't blocking enough. My father in law let me borrow a real mask and it was a world of difference. He tried mine and advised me to toss it in the trash.
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Welp, I received a healthy HF gift card for Christmas (fkking enablers in my family!:)) so despite the majority of experienced opinions on here, I got the welder I had my eye on, along with the MIG cart and auto-dimming helmet. I really couldn't turn it down because my out of pocket for everything was less than $100, and I really, REALLY couldn't bring myself to troll CL for used welders. For future HF purchases, make sure you sign up for their email newsletter: definitely has better coupons than the circulars.

 

http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=693&pictureid=7432

 

YEA:

The cart is a nice item, and I'm very glad I had that. Auto-dimming helmet made me nervous but it's passed the test so far: snaps dark and the dimming function works well in bright direct lighting. I took people's recommendations and bought Lincoln Electric wire at Lowes on my way home; hoping that will help out with some of the basic, hobby-level projects I have in mind.

 

NAY: Having used Lincoln Electric SP-175's from two friends in the past, the functions of this welder are a little laughable: there is no gas regulator for the MIG, and the gas tube is really wimpy. My dick is bigger than the gun line and main power cord; may be just as effective to weld with. Time will tell.

 

Overall, I'm OK with the purchase and hope it'll do well a few times to stop me from returning it. Will keep CR informed!

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj288/Dubs740/20qantj.gif

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