I have a project that needs some repair panels welded in ( rockers, floors, lower cowl, and lower quarter ) i was thinking of a harbor freight flux core wire welder for this project due to budget. any suggestions or opinions would be nice to hear.
Save up a little longer and buy a Miller. Check with your local dealer, they sometimes run deals and sometimes have demo models and trade ins. You can get it serviced-if you ever need to-also. Good luck! Bob
I just sold my flux core welder for $100. It was a craftsman 90 amp and was great for body panels. Mostly stitch work, and a LOT of grinding, but it got the job done. I upgraded to a hobart handler 140 with a C25 bottle. I would never go back. Also, just a side note but most of the smaller welders can only take the 1 lb spools. I like my 12.5 lb spool that I don't have to change out all the time. And remember.. you get what you pay for.. especially at HF.
I prefer gas over wire for sheet metal. My Hobart only cost me about 300 bucks at greainger. Is the harbor frieght welder capable of gas? If so I have a spare regulator.
PS my Hobart was $400 on CL... new in the box. thats $100 cheaper than what it costs retail and its a great welder.
Same experience here !! Flux-core is ok in a pinch, but gas is all around so much better !! At one time here, you could get some of the 110 volt Miller MIG's at WalMart for around $200.00 . I would say save a little longer if you have to and forget about going with the fluxcore !!
Miller, Lincoln or Hobart. You can get parts and service for those at almost any welding supply. If you pack a HF welder in you have to wait until they get done laughing before they can tell you that they don't have parts and usually don't work on them. Usually the Farm and ranch stores sell Hobart and put the 140 on sale a couple of times a year. I think Lowes and or Home Depot sell Lincolns along with the welding supply stores that aren't Miller stores. I got my Lincoln 175 220V off Craigslist when the seller decided he needed a bigger unit for the production work he had started doing. It didn't look like it had ever been used when I bought it although he said he had built several things with it. I've found that flux core works outside in the wind when you need to weld something but it doesn't need to look great.
I know it is tough sometimes to get the money together to buy something as expensive as a quality welder, we all have budgets and bills to pay. But in the long run you will be so much better off buying either a new or used Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart welder and putting a bottle on it. It is an investment that will last you for years and years, and your workmanship will be so much better because of having a high quality tool to use. We've all at one time or another bought something because it was cheap, only to have to go back later and buy a better one that we should have bought in the first place. I buy a lot of stuff at HF, but when it comes to things like welders it is better to buy a name brand. Keep watching Craigslist. With so many companies folding and people hurting financially you can find used ones that are perfectly good pretty often. Don
Stay away from the HF welders - the duty-cycle is so low, you'll find yourself waiting even when doing small projects. Also with flux-core, you'll find yourself needed to grind and clean welds more than with a gas setup. I have had very good experiences with both the lower end Miller and Lincoln offerings (used as a travel welder - 110v) and prefer the Miller - the Millermatic series is built well and the duty cycle is reasonable. I have not used the smaller Hobart setups, but have heard good things about them. A used decent welder will beat a new cheap welder every time...
Hobart Handler 140, 370 bucks......Love it on gas, and you can run some nice beads on thick stuff running the flux core and gas at the same time.
Here's some advice, When you buy one you definately want one with the ability for gas. If you run gas, get in your owners manual and look up reversing the polarity in the welder for gas or flux core......Ask me how I know about this...
Since you are going to learn welding how about learning with oxy-acet and gas weld the panels. The best in the business gas weld body panels becase of the low distortion - check 'mindover' build threads. I bet you can get a really good OA setup for less than a harber frieght welder and we all know that OA works when you want it to.
tried my eastwood 175 and it seem pretty good, way better than 110 volt ande has a gas kit dont know the price but it will hold 10 pd spools and is gas equiped google em and look costs more but does more
Check Craigslist tools and yard sales. Also pawn shops. I've always had good luck getting quality Lincoln and Miller 110V machines for around $200 this way.
Keep an eye on craigslist, just picked up a 110v lincoln with regulator and bottle as a back up unit... less that two bills......and stick with the big three Miler Lincoln and Hobart...you will save a ton of headaches by avoiding flux core, once you have the welder you wonder how you ever got along without one
Sears has a pretty good Craftsman welder that is gas capable. It is a 110 unit but should work ok for your panels. You could also open a sears charge account. They usually give you some incentive for doing that. You could also spread the payments if you needed to. Mine works good, but just upgraded to a Hobart 190.
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