OK I know this has been on before, but this MAY be a little different. Harbour Freight has a Chicago 90 amp flux wire welder on sale here thats on sale for $90 bucks. I would want to use it to do a small amount of sheet metal body welding on my car - will this work?? I'm not looking for "show car" results just good enough results!
not familiar with the chicago version but have welded with flux wire. it did work to tack sheet metal, but welding a seam it blew out and spattered too much for my taste. this was in the dead of winter in a little garage with no heat and i was told if the wire had been alot warmer the flux would have "flowed" more evenly. (never tried again) if i were forced to do sheet metal on the cheap i would go back to brazing. with some practice it is clean, fairly fast, and strong. plus a good oxy/acetylene torch wears many hats in my shop.
flux core is gonna weld like stick. I have a lincoln 140 that I like . The key is in the wire - if you get the HF unit get some lincoln wire from home depot it welds up real nice
I have one like that. Works good, has lasted a long time. It ain't the machine, it's the operator, to do a good weld. You can run a bead with flux core just as well as with any other. The techniques vary. With a MIG, the inert gas is released in a clean form, with flux core the inert gas is formed by heat induced oxidation, creating more smoke and residue. Just requirea more cleanup. The Harbor Freight machine works exactly like a high dollar Miller or what-not, but HF is made with cheaper parts and with questioable longitivity. I've heard that the electronics won't stand up to extended all day production. I don't sit down to weld more than one pass at a time, like on a crossmember it only takes a couple of minutes max make the longest pass. Other than the cheap parts and the question about heavy/extended duty, I really don't think there is any diff. I've run a lot of wire through mine. I have built crossmembers, motor mounts, etc, and all of the tin work on Nash Hot rod with that little bugger. In hindsight, I wouldn't spend the additional that a high dollar MIG costs. I can live with chipping the residue and smoke. If I burn it up, then I'll get another new one.
remember with the cheap harbor frieght welder,there is no feed on the gun,when you strike the arc,it feeds . in other words,when the wire hits ground,that sucker is live...be careful. at least that's the way my cheapies are.
Just remember you get what toy pay for,check the threads about harbor freight you might find more answers.
i havent had very much success with the cheap HF flux core unit. Im sure a more experienced welder could get better results from it but on the other hand he would be miserable using it. tons of splatter. has anyone had decent results welding sheet metal with these things? i'd be interested to know. i like the idea of using a better quality wire. maybe that'll help a little but we're still talking about the cheapest welder on the market. you get what you pay for. any pics of decent welds with these things? just wondering whats possible in the best case senario.
You will spend more time cleaning welds than welding. I tried the flux core wire that came with my Lincoln 175 and couldn't get a presentable weld out of it. I'd shoot for a 110V mig or one that you can add the Mig setup to. I welded sheet metal for years with a torch and even used a torch to weld up my top when I chopped it. They work and a lot of guys use them daily.
I don't have any experience with a flux core welder, but I did save this comment from the last thread regarding this...(sorry, I don't remember who said this, suffice it to say it wasn't me!) "NR211 Lincoln flux core wire and you will never crave the gas bottle again. Clean good welds with minimal slag. A wire brush will take care of it in one stroke." Hope this can help someone out there
If its the one that you can convert to gas and 220 It burns a little to hot .My dad has that one I mentioned .His is converted to 220 and gas .Its ok and will get you by .If thats not the one as long as you can convert it to gas ,Youll probably be fine ,For sheetmetal .I personally use my cheap Astro Mig .
BULDICE; Check the machine you are looking at and make sure it has a heat and feed adjustment and that the feed is actuated with the trigger finger. All wire-feed that I see at HF have those features.
BLUDICE, I bought a little cheap HF 110v mig with gas when I was build three or four alum duck boats a year (already had the Teflon tube) I've welded thin aluminum sheets , Jon boat repairs , light steal patchs in a porsche and it has done good but I will say it has problems with thicker metals ........I agree with a eariler post you will not like the splater form core sheild wire spend the extra $20 and get teh one you can run gas with They also have a small and a little bit smaller tig witch will do much nicer dress work then a mig
I have a Chicago Electric Dual Mig 131. I imagine it is similar in construction. Bought it as a warranty return off Ebay. Also paid $90. Was missing a few parts *which I have now) but was workable. It is a 110V . I added a couple of things. Ist was a cooling fan (used a 110v computer fan from surplus store.) Grill and switch are already in the welder so it took only a few minutes, Impossible now to overheat . Secondly i did not like how the Hose or cable wanted to keep falling out of the front of the welder. I made an L bracket and using cable ties tied the cable to the bracket after bolting it on to the face of the welder. I use mostly flux core because i hate buying gas. I use NR211 Lincoln wire only and insist on .030" . Welder will run even as long as a hour of more or less constant use without a hitch. Welds are clean and good. I am tickled pink with it. I know there are much better machines and everyone but me has one but when i can do a good job uninterrupted for an hour or so, days or weeks on end I am happy with that. Especially for a $90 investment some 4 or 5 years ago. My side kick Vern has used ths lots too. No hassle . Right Vern? I would pop the fan in immdietely and I would recommend you be very very particular on your wire choice. There is a huge difference. Don BTW Have built two complete cars with it so far. I never really wanted a Mig but had to for this job so i wasnt prepared to break the bank. So far it has done all i wanted and much more.
Hay, I use a Chicago 151 mig. I have like 100,000 miles on mine. It's a 220v but I just plug it in the dryer plug. I have made the cord a lot longer but it works GREAT ! ! I think the 151 is only about $195.oo, it's nice to be able to turn it up, and burn in some frame boxing or brakets. good luck... Get the warrenty and before it exp. bring it back and get a new one, if your worried about how long it might last.
i have one, you get what you pay for so dont expect alot from it but if your only doing alittle then it works ok i guess, once you get use to it you can run a ok bead with it...... get real good with your grinder untill you do lol
Flux core wire shouldn't be the issue. If you can't get a good bead with flux core, its your technique. As far as the welder itself is concerened, you get what you pay for. Probably ok for your first time welder.
I'm a first time welder so I got a cheapo unit from HF. It worked well after I got the hang of things, adjusting and all. This welder will work for personal stuff but I'd suggest the better wire before doing a few teach yourself things. The wire included the HF is way cheap and makes to much of a splatter. After I got somewhat the handle on welding I tried a gas one and yes its easier but I dont really care at this point, its all about good skill with anything your trying to weld on. For guys with one project every few years I think this works out just fine.
Flux core on sheetmetal can be a bit hard to get the hang of, but it will work. The flux core welds tend to be a bit brittle if you plan to do much work to them afterward. I don't have any experience with the flux only welder, my girlfriend bought me the Dual Mig 131 about 4 years ago. It's held up fine so far. I keep forgetting to add a fan to it, so I just prop a little fan up against the back of the case after it kicks off the first time. One of these days I'll get around to adding a "proper" fan. Tim D.
For the price, you can score a good used little buzzbox made by Craftsman that will last quite a bit longer. Even Campbell-Hausfeld ones aren't bad and can be had on the cheap. I scored a nice Tweco at the swaps for 50 bucks. If you look through craigslist ads, you might be able to get a small Hobart for $150-200. It's worth it in the long run, believe me. Honestly, I have used the Chicago welders, and they're just not good. They're built cheaply, and they're not made to last. If you just want to do one job, that might be all it will give you. Why not strive for something a little better than a throwaway? However, I will say, I actually like the HF flux wire. It's not Chinese-made junk, it's actually made in Italy, and it has given me many clean welds. Well, as clean as you can get using flux-core. Spend a little extra on the welder, you will NOT regret it. And get an auto-darkening helmet. All these years I have been welding, and I just got my first auto helmet as a xmas present from my wife, and I can honestly say, something as trivial as that might seem has made me a better welder.
Yeah I know this is an old thread, but in case anybody ever does a search...I just wanted to say that I bought a HF flux core welder 6 months ago for $80.00 and have used the crap out of it and have no complaints. I'm not building NHRA rollcages or $100,000 32 Fords but this little junker has done everything I've needed it to. Maybe it's easier for me since I took welding in tech school...but this unit makes some sturdy welds with nice penetration. I use this for stuff thicker than sheet metal but under 3/8" and can't complain. When it takes a shit I'll buy a Hobart.
Quite a bit to be said, regarding that Lincoln NR211 flux core wire. I have been welding 30 plus years. Ran out of gas the other day, and thought almost $50 for gas and 40 plus miles each way, or 10 minutes and back-n-forth to Home Depot, $13.99, and give the NR211 a try. Very very impressed, and quite clean for flux core. Does burn VERY hot, keep that in mind if your new to mig and welding sheet metal. Sorry I can't comment on the HF welder, I am strictly a Miller/ Hobart guy and always will be. BDM.
i had one for 6 months and it worked great. right up untill it quit feeding wire. found out the circuit board fried. replaced that and it worked for another 3 months and some other component went out. so i guess the lesson of the day is. it works great until it doesn't work ha ha
Flux core, should be called "Sux core", or "Fucks core"! But it will melt metal together, if you cant afford a good used machine. I'm sure glad I don't have to use one!
The Jalopy Journal
