Check this out:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94164

On sale cheap. The only wire feed welders I have are 80 amp, and only do flux core.

This one you can change polarity, and with 110amp I'd think you could weld cast aluminum without preheating.. What do you guys think?

-- Joe

 

Was looking into harbor freight welders for thier savings in money, but then figured with any decent amount of use, the 5/3/1 warranty I got on my Hobart would pay for itself for a little less than an addition $100 or 2 in initial purchase. This was before the sale of course.

 

Yeah.. I dunno.. I've had one of those walmart special, cambel hausfeld 80amp welders (110v) for over 10 years. Thing works great. Duty cycle is a little lame,so if I'm doing thick metal I have to stop every few minutes and let it cool down, OR if I'm doing a complete exhaust job I have to stop half way for cool down.

But I was thinking, for $170 or whatever the ability to weld aluminum might be nice.

Think they are as durable as my walmart welder has been? I think I paid $200 for the cambel back in like 1999..

-- Joe

 

You will have either luck or misfortune in any welder you buy, i've heard horror stories about some, and great stories from others. I say if the walmart welder has done you well, why not try the harbor freight welder. Seems like it should get the job done.

 

i've burned one of these up in less than a year of use. maybe too much bondo dust through the case, but no excuse.

 

the way i look at it, its cheap for a reason. I would pass. Im sure parts are a bitch to find too

 

Pre heating isn't an issue of amperage on aluminum,it's a matter of cooking out impurities.Oil,grease,and dirt are your biggest enemies when welding aluminum.
As far as the machine goes,I encourage you to visit a local welding supply.Often times a quality manufacturer will have an entry level machine for little more than a HF unit,that will weld circles around it.You get the bonus of consumables that are run of the mill,(tips,cups,etc.)and a guy that not only speaks fluent english to talk to if you have a problem,but you can stand on the other side of the counter,and SEE him.

 

ive been running a harbor freight 105amp ot 100amp mig/flux welder for years! i leave it out in the rain and treat it like a filthy WH0RE! thing keeps on ticking tho. i had to replace the wire tube(the tube the wire runs through from the case to the gun) bc the HF unit used a nylon tube, so the stronger rigid metal wore right through it, i went to a local welding shop and bought a steel twelco replacement for a miller and cut it to length. fixed it and it works great. i was just using it tonight in the 15" snow storm were getting in jersey right now.

ive been to welding shops, suppliers around me and the are rip offs. even home depot is on crack when it comes to welders/supplies. I was looking at the same welder since i got the coupon in an email... i would def consider it as a replacement if i had the cash, the HF welders arent bad for the money but if u got money to waste then get a lincoln or a miller.

i even run the HF shoebox TIG welder... i use that for the thick stuff like roll bars, but i just did some 3/16" to 5/16" steel with the HF mig tonight. The TIG works great but i cant do aluminum wit the TIG bc its DC only

 

Yes,if someone is careless enough to leave a piece of equipment laying outside in the rain,there is no need to "waste" their money on a good welder.For those of us who use them every day and actually understand the function and dynamics of a welder,a brand such as Lincoln,Miller,or Esab comes to mind.

 

You do bring up a good point. I use my welder maybe once a month.

I suppose for the cost of a "good" welder, I should just continue to have my alum welded by a shop. Probably would take years and years to pay for itself. I guess, the more I think about it, I've had to pay to have alum welded 3 times in the last 10 years. Which cost me a total of $140 or so.

For thick steel, if my 80amp flux core welder can't do it, I have my torches, and worst case scenario I could probably trade my 100amp stick welder in for a 160 amp, 22v lincoln. I often see them used for $200 bucks on craigslist.

Thanks guys!

-- Joe

 

lets not start this.

i dnt actually leave it out in the rain but since most of my fab work is ON the car if its raining out then it gets rained on, my tent has lots of leaks so it gets wet a good bit. i dnt "clean" it or baby it like MOST ppl do with there tools/ welders. i drag it around and push it with my feet to move it when im laying down, i dnt treat it like a baby. most ppl dont need a 600$ MIG welder and can get away with using a 150$ welder that will do the same stuff as the 600$ one since most ppl dnt need anything crazy for body work etc. how many average ppl work with something thicker than 3/16-1/4" steel? not many.

point of my post was to state that given their price the HF welders are pretty tough, cheap, reliable, and can accomplish what the average welder needs to do. id rather save my 400$ and get something to give me more power honestly.