Sale on a beginner's welder at HF?

You will outgrow it before you can turn around if you can weld at all. Spend the money and get one that will last, and you won't outgrow.

Steve

On Mon, 03 May 2004 22:09:20 -0400, Mike Patterson vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!: remove ns from my header address to reply via email

hmmm... My answer is yes and no. Yes it gets you welding. No it will not last you long, unless you are doing very little and do not expect to expand.

I bought a "100Amp" MIG welder when I started. Luckily I bought it secondhand, at a reasonable price.

Let's say it was enough to convince me that I wanted a real Mig welder, over stick welding.

It was not Flux Cored. FC was hardly known then, and certainly not by the hobbyist.

I have not used FC except once, to try it out. I use gas shielded always. Just me. - The biggest thing for me about MIG was never having to chip another slag layer, and being able to build welds in multi-passes without getting slag inclusion!

I _suppose_ that because they do not have to provide regulators, and gas paths, you would get more welder for your monye than a dual purpose machine?

But the wire will cost more.

However:

These little welders are not just low current. You can overcome that in many cases, with a bit of work and smarts.

Problems: (1) Regulation. They use little transformers and little parts. They ONLY JUST do their rated current. You will feel this in the performance. Regulation makes for smoother welds. I can weld thin steel easier with my 220Amp than I could with the 100Amp. - Admittedly I am a better welder than I was then. I should haul the little beastie out and see what I think of it these days.

(2) Duty cycle. This is a percentage (I think usually in any 5 minute period) that you can actually weld. I was always using mine up! The welder would simply stop. I think its Duty cycle was about 15-20% at even 80 Amps of the 100. - So you had a minute's welding in every 5, welding maybe 2-3mmm steel, without preparatory grinding. And that was on a cool day! - Of course if you ground down and did multi-passes, you needed to use the machine longer and the duty cycle kicked in . - I put a fan in there and that helped to get about 1.5 minutes out of 5. - Even that was risky, because it is not going to help the core temp of the trannie much.

- even with larger welders, watch duty cycle.

(3) Wires. You are likely only going to be able to get little reels. - IME this means limited types of wire. - I realise this is not a beginner's problem, usually, but does limit the machine. - it also is probably a lot more expensive.

Same unit I have. While Im not a "Welder" per se, Im quite happy with it for the usual this and that. Duty cycle is a bit low though if you want to run long beads. Does stitching just fine and the usual short beads. I just welded up a roof rack for my buddies pickup truck with it. Worked just fine.

Wont of course, do Aluminum as there is no provisions for gas.

Gunner

That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there. - George Orwell

If you were in Dallas TX I have the same one I bought new & used it to see if I needed a mig welder (2 weeks), I had a stick & gas. So I bought a Miller 130 & never used the 90 again, $75 if you come & get it.

Mike, for $120. how can you go wrong? You will learn the basics of welding with this machine. Even if you decide you want a larger mig set up down the road, this will still be a nice portable outdoors "fix the busted fence" type machine. I started with a CH flux core machine pretty similar to that and it suited my needs. Dont expect to weld anything over 1/8" with it, or anything thinner than 18 ga either, but it's only $120. so you really cant expect more than that. Most people will tell you to save your money and buy a name brand mig, they have a good point, but if cash is tight and you want a machine to monkey with, i cant see how you can go wrong. Also buy the HF $59. helmet, great deal as well.

I have a similar unit set up for flux core only. And I just HATE it. In the shop I have several stick and MIG outfits to choose from, the little guy collects dust. But when I need to travel (race cars among other things) guess which one goes with me? Works fine for adding an extra roll bar support after the rules committee got in their licks!

And I did teach my daughter how to use it for Theater set c> Harbor Freight has a 90-amp welder, normally $200 for $120.