That 200 should be just fine for sheetmetal...take a look and see if it had the high and low tapon the inside...when I bought my Vintage (similar to the 200, but "old technologhy for the Arc) I tried the 200, but went with the Vintage since it was more like my MM35...anyway, my Vintage has a "High/Low" tap/change on the insdie of the welder up front by the wire feed...I'd bet yours does too. You shouldhave no issue at all on sheetmetal with it.
I'll have to check that. I should run into the garage right now to check but it is just too f-ing cold. I'll report back on that, though. Thanks again!
Not a prblem...I know for a fact that welder will do sheetmetal "tacks" with out issue, the only reason I went with the Vintage, is I was used to my MM35...which has a "softer" kind of arc, but if you've never used an older welder, you'd probably never know the difference. Hey, put on a beanine and run out there!
put it this way i got mine off craigslist for 150 was a brand new fresh out the box and out of the back of some stores back door wink wink..... lincoln 180 best buy ive gotten in a long time
Made in China....Replacement parts none existent. Throw away machine. Enough said! Save the your money.....Keep an eye on the HAMB Ads. And stick with a Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, ESAB. More volts/amps...better penetration. And we all know better penetration is where its at!!!!
budget can really limit your choices. i have a couple lincoln welders: weldpack 225 solid core mig and AC/DC arc welder both 220 and work great. i have been using a lincoln flux core 110v welder and it seems to really be really handy being 110v and gasless. seems to be a construction favorite. with flux core i would use the anti-platter spray as they do make lots of splatter.
I have that very welder. I bought it last summer from a guy that was getting divorced and was selling everything cheap. I figured since it was new in the box, and for $30 i would give it a try. I used it to weld new front and rear floor pans in my '56 Chevy. I've used the hell out of it for lots of little projects and for building shelving frame work in my garage and storage shed. It is a little messy (lots of splatter) but with practice you can run some fairly decent welds with it. Would i have paid full price for it? Probably not. But for what it is it works okay for small projects or something where you don't have to be real picky about having perfect welds. But if your budget allows for it, save up and buy a Miller, Lincoln or Hobart.
I have a 110 lincoln that welded up frame brakets,etc,just fine,great penetration.will get a larger welder one day.
I think most are missing the reason he is buying the welder. It does not appear that you are looking to even restore a car but rather learn how to weld?? I will tell you my first welder was an Eastwood stitchwelder. Scared the hell out of me at 16 as sparks flew everywhere. Then moved onto a flux mig and thought wow this is welding. Have had Millers, HTP and Lincoln since. i know mig, tig etc and owe it all to that stupid $100 welder. If it helps you make the jump and get the all important eye to hand coordination go for it. Just know in a couple months it will be on EBAY so you can upgrade. use it to lean a skill on a hard machine. Anything after will be a piece of cake. If you do have spare cash spend as much as you can as much as your electrical source will allow. It is a downward spiral of spending money after that if you get hooked. Good luck!!!
Come on now , are you really that serious to ask a question like that ? HF shit is cheap ass Chinese stuff and look at the price ! If you are going to weld anything , buy a good used one before you piss your money away on that crap from HF ! Some thing are OK to get by on from HF but a welder isn't on my list ! You get what you pay for ! Didn't you parents ever tell you that before ? RetroJim
i bought a lincoln weldpac 3200 hd from home depot and it works great,,, from sheetmetal to cage work,,,it was 350 came with a small bottle and reg..
The issue isn't that it's flux core, it's that the machine is crap. Some guys have had decent luck with the Chinese junk machines doing small stuff, and other guys have had nothing but problems with them. The internals are just cheap, plain and simple. If you just want to learn to weld, put the 90 bucks towards a c.c. welding class.
I'm getting one. My buddy picked one up for me at the $90 sale price - there is no HF store near me, and he lives near one; he picked it up yesterday. Once it arrives I'll report on how it works. Yes, I realize this is probably a junk unit. But that is relative. I have a Miller 200 and it is a production to roll it out, uncoil the cables, turn on the gas when all you are doing is tacking one crappy little bracket. The idea of a small light flux core device at times like this is compelling. So there it is and we'll see how it does. Someone mentioned getting better flux core wire from Home Depot - which one was that again?
Finally had a chance to try that cheapie HF MIG welder. It seems to work fine. Someone mentioned a better flux core wire to use than the stuff that comes with the welder. What was that again?
Sorry, junk. Just buy a Miller and spend some bucks to get a good one. As they say you really do get what you pay for.
Yah, I think you might be a little late to the party. Take a look at the entire thread. Many folks including me already own 'real' welders. The HF unit is for small quick jobs where portability and no setup time counts.
A friend of mine bought that very welder yesterday as he wanted to some minor welding on his 67 Chevelle body. It was extremely frustrating and the flux core wire gives a terrible weld. The best I can say about that flux core welder is that it is worthless. Having used a regular Miller (gas) MIG welder, their is no comparison. A MIG gas welder gives you better welds and is easier to use. DO NOT BUY that welder.
I went by the local AirGas store and got a deal on a Miller 140 autoset with a bottle. Best dam thing I have ever done for what I need. Think it cost me 740. What a breeze to use this machine. All my friends come by now and remark that they did not know that I could weld! Guess it makes you look good.
The HF stuff is "cheap" stripped of all good things that make good welders do what theyre suppose to do. They weld very bad from the start. I suggest buying the Lincoln at HD for a few bucks more. The problem with HF 90 AMP is the lack of stuff its missing. They are not DC, one high and low setting only, cheap ground clamp, bad flux wire, the wire feeder flexes, and no fans for cooling. However, if you have spare computer parts laying around you can upgrade it and have it working just fine for simple projects. Just dont go welding frames. lol! 2 computer fans, on in front - one on the side power supply on/off switch that had electrical spike prevention and reduced noise from other appliances that are connected in your house. Note: most welders use a dedicated wall outlet Lincoln flux wire bracket to stiffen up the feeder Lincoln ground clamp
Definately need something with gas ,Another cheap welder is Astro mig ,It works ok on sheetmetal .Just a few hundred
Does anyone have a really good screwdriver? With good steel and a strong handle and a perfectly ground blade? And, maybe like you also have some cheap screwdrivers that are just fine for certain tasks? Why not welders too? I like this little HF unit because it was cheap enough that I can justify having it around. So, to repeat an example I previously used in this thread, when my snow blower needs a bracket tacked to the handlebars at the other end of the property, I don't have to deal with moving and setting up my big 'regular' welder. Which Lincoln fluxcore wire do you recommend? I agree that the stock HF wire is crap.
Don't use flux core!! Mah. Bah bah. Bah bah rahm dah. Dah bah dah. Hub bub bub bub. No flux core. Mad Face. I had to do that. I just love it when folks just read the first page. For some helpful insite, I've heard Hobart produces a mean flux core wire, though some folks have a hard time locating it. I've heard Lincoln is good too but a lot rides on your amps. Hope this helps.
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