MIG Welder @ Harbor Freight, Is this unit worth it? Options

[Spoke]

I'm contemplating buying a welder. I saw this one at Harbor Freight. Is this unit worth looking into?

Dual MIG Welder 151

For use with or without gas. Comes with welding torch, tip, grounding cord with clamp, brush/hammer, hand held welding mask and manual.
Input: 230V, 60 Hz, single phase; Welding current range: 30-120 amps; Duty cycle: 15% @ 115 amps; Draws 15 amps @ 230V; Max. open circuit voltage: 36V; Weldable wires: .023", .030", and .035 steel or stainless steel; .030" and .035" aluminum; .030" flux core



ITEM 6271-4VGA
Regular price $399.99

Sale price $199.99

[Dr. Roger]

man, if that thing does AC/DC reverse polarity it's a steal.

that's my $0.02

Roger

[Dr. Roger]

whoops. checked your link....

i've got the 110V version of that one. it's work horse but barely meets the duty cycle..... i've blown the thermal protection on many occasions.

the 220V welder has got to be better... price is right.

but for a few dollars more....... as i'm sure someone on this board will tell you.... go Lincoln or Miller. =-)

This post has been edited by rogergrubb: Sep 3 2005, 03:01 PM

[McMark]

You'll never get anything better than quick and dirty out of that machine. But it will stick things together. The Lincoln WeldPac 100 is a great machine with a MIG upgrade that can be performed later. So you can buy a WeldPac 100 and run flux core and then get the MIG later. A great upgrade path IMHO. If it's in your budget, get the Lincoln.

[sean_v8_914]

MILLER.

[TravisNeff]

I have a miller 175, it is great. 5 times the price with all the goodies to come with it (and that was a good price).

I haven't used a HF unit, but I have seen the floor models in the store locally. The handles are all busted up on them, as for the rest??? For $199 and IF it comes with all the parts for gas go for it! If it does not, are the conversion parts cheap? Just figure that unit as a consumable itself, It would pay for itself on its first couple of jobs. At that point you can decide if welding is a major thing in your life and move up, or use it for what you need and forget about it. Oh yeah, buy the extended warranty on it if you do.

[Sammy]

A couple years ago i bought a chicago electric wire feed mig welder from HF. it is one of those 120 volt deals and uses flux core.
What a POS. it is up in my attic gathering dust, I am accepting offers for it (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

I like HF (I spent $180 there yesterday, electric planer, belt sander, HVLP spray gun, etc) but I will never buy another welder from them.

[Maltese Falcon]

Many people don't realize that you can get a deal on a portable welder everyday at your local welding supply store. You can choose Miller, Lincoln, Hobart, all U.S. made with 2 or 3 year warrantys. Also something else-- you can order spare parts, a service NOT available from HF.
Marty

[sj914]

I've got the CEN mig it's made in Italy and it's almost basically the same as Harbor Freight migs.
Parts like the spool holder is made of plastic which do break and mine is broken right now. It can do flux core, but I don't see anyway to reverse the polarity. Consumables like the nozzle are not standard size, so good luck trying to find them. It doesn't have the electrically cold feature you have to be very carefull where you position the gun cause it'll start welding as soon as the wire makes contact with the metal.

It's good for what it is in a pinch, but it doesn't have the adjustability and the features of the other name brand migs.

Pretty much you get what you pay for. In my case I've just about had it with mine and I'm getting a miller 175.

[Mr.C]

I just bought a Lincoln 175 from Lowes. I paid $639.00 out the door with a welding cart. Actually the welding cart wasn't suppose to come with it, as it is $77.00. They made a mistake on the tag, but the manager was cool and honored it anyways.

I used it yesterday to make a tow bar attachment for my 914 and it works great!

[BigD9146gt]

No. Miller 135 Millermatic. Save up, be happy, do it right the first time.

[ehick72]

I bought a Mig 100 at Harbor Frieght for $119. It works. Short duty cycle but that means I take a break every 20 inches or so. However Texas weather you want that. I put in a VW floorpan with it.

[Andyrew]

Bought a mig from hf....

Used it for about a year, and the wire feed motor broke, no more feed period. motor doesnt spin (I had a clamp on the wire feeds so that it would actually FEED the wire.... Piece of crap... lol)

DOnt remember what dad spent on it.

Aways got dirty welds with it, Always.

I know its not just me because I went over to a friend of mine's work, and the guy had a real gas mig. $1000+ welder, used it with his auto darkening helmet and welded up some nice welds, and I even welded pot metal with it to steel!!! (I was attaching metal trash cans to posts to use as drums for a beats team... pretty cool..)

So I think I will get a real welder very soon...

I see a roll cage coming up in my future!!!

Andrew

[ehick72]

Yeah, I'm sure that I will get something better when this craps out. Now that I have gotten experience in welding. However for the price it has already paid for itself with the first floorpan. Migs have more moving parts so it is probably better to pay a little more.

I also have a arch welder from HF that will build a freaking bridge! I got that first not knowing what I was doing. It blows holes through sheet metal. So be care. Don't get something too powerful.

Eric

[Spoke]

QUOTE (BigD9146gt @ Sep 5 2005, 02:47 PM)

No. Miller 135 Millermatic. Save up, be happy, do it right the first time.

Yep, I'm going with the Millermatic 135. Just talked to a guy from AirGas here in Allentown and I think I'll go there to purchase. I checked the web for better deals and all were within $50 plus they include a cart. I don't mind buying online but it sure is nice to walk in and talk to the dude selling me the equipment. Of course PA tax of 6% sucks but that's the price to live in this rathole state.

Thanks all for the feedback. I can't wait for the sparks to fly.

Spoke

[Katmanken]

Miller 135- Great welder Spoke,

Ya won't be sorry.

Those alumiunum drive parts are much more substantial than the Lincoln plastic parts.

Did a little wheel arch fabrication this weekend using mine and and wow!

Welding thin sheetmental was a cinch. Small tack welds went on easy and came out very clean.

Yup. One of my really great tools. Right up there with the HVLP paint spray system with turbine and my John Kelley shrinking disk.

Ken

[jd74914]

QUOTE (Cabasa @ Sep 4 2005, 09:45 AM)

I just bought a Lincoln 175 from Lowes. I paid $639.00 out the door with a welding cart. Actually the welding cart wasn't suppose to come with it, as it is $77.00. They made a mistake on the tag, but the manager was cool and honored it anyways. I used it yesterday to make a tow bar attachment for my 914 and it works great!

I've got one. Excellent welder. Definately worth the wait to save the $$ (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[dlee1967]

The Harbor Freight unit is junk. My friend bought one to do his floorpan repair and asked me to use it to do the welding. Result.....I went home for my Century unit with a good Tweco gun so we could get the job done. DLee

[Powerman]

I couldn't get a decent weld out of that unit without gas, the 115v unit is marginal.
My buddy has one and I only do non critical stuff with it. 220volt all the way, also a 120 volt extension cord is too much voltage drop.

I have a Miller 175 MIG and Lincoln 185 TIG

I would think of it as an investment, I would go with the 175 over the 135 if you can swing it. I wish I would have got a 225 TIG, I never knew how much juice an aluminum cylinder head sucks up!

[ein 6er]

anybody know anything about the Clarke 130EN ? anybody dealt with the wleding depot?