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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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After wiring up the L/E flux-core spool and grabbing some spare brackets from Cleetus' floor shifter, I went about showing my daughter how to fuse two pieces of metal together. She wanted to have a turn. With some important safety instructions and using my gear, she was tacking like a champ! :)

 

http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=693&pictureid=7446

^ ^ ^ Making practice dots on an old Cleetus III flexplate.

 

For what I need, it's a great welder. There was almost no weld splatter on clean metal, and the penetration on some pretty thick brackets was impressive. I'm very happy with the welder as it sits. If you're a shadetree mechanic with maybe a half-dozen small projects/repairs a year, this would suit you well. :thumbup::thumbup:

 

I've got a couple of exhaust pipe projects (Cleetus and BMW) as well as an egress window grate that will more than pay for this welder. Will provide updates soon once it fuggin' gets warmer!

Edited by zeitgeist57
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I purchased one as well and I bought the helmet you did... I've just used the mask that it came with because it concerns me as I couldn't find a test button on the mask to make sure that it darkens properly. The other issue I have found with mine is that it's a "hot tip" welder and the button on the nozel just feeds wire which makes me a bit anxious... but like Clay stated, for a shade tree mechanic, it does just fine... I used it to weld a frame around my trailer and I have no major complaints about how it turned out.
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Josh, I heard about "hot tips" but I'm happy that mine is not.

 

The helmet triggers very well. I used it for a few test welds and then gave it to my daughter for a few second bursts. I used the hand-held shield when she worked. Still, I would invest in a more expensive helmet if I was welding for more than a few minutes at a time.

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After wiring up the L/E flux-core spool

 

For what I need, it's a great welder. There was almost no weld splatter on clean metal, and the penetration on some pretty thick brackets was impressive

 

Flux core generally has better penetration than mig.

 

Welding table?

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