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Have they upped the quality that they are worth it to purchase for home user?
Harbor Freight Welders and Plasma cutters.....
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wreckdiver1321
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I've heard nothing but good things about the Titanium and Vulcan series welders. So much so that I bought their Titanium MIG 170 recently. Haven't had a chance to use it yet, but there's plenty of guys on here that are very positive about theirs.
As far back as I can remember, it seems like the only people with quality problems with even the earlier Chicago electric line was by those who didn’t own one or had never even welded with one for that matter.
Otherwise they all seem to get pretty high marks from actual users
I have the Vulcan 215 I have not had a chance to use it, but I’ve seen many examples from people who could use them to make welds that are downright gorgeous, Most often because they have welding skills
Otherwise they all seem to get pretty high marks from actual users
I have the Vulcan 215 I have not had a chance to use it, but I’ve seen many examples from people who could use them to make welds that are downright gorgeous, Most often because they have welding skills
Bought a Vulcan 215 for my dads place a year ago.
I have the Miller 211, so pretty similar welders.
In the cold weather the Vulcan's rubber power cord and gun whip are both a little stiffer than my Miller.
Actually using the Vulcan though it welds just fine.
The Miller has a few upgrade features like the drive roll is just push in and turn to change wire drive size. Vulcan you have to flip it around if I remember correctly however this doesn't affect anything when your welding.
I have the Miller 211, so pretty similar welders.
In the cold weather the Vulcan's rubber power cord and gun whip are both a little stiffer than my Miller.
Actually using the Vulcan though it welds just fine.
The Miller has a few upgrade features like the drive roll is just push in and turn to change wire drive size. Vulcan you have to flip it around if I remember correctly however this doesn't affect anything when your welding.
emeraldcoupe
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i've had a migmax 215 since 2018, not a single problem with it.
hefnerconstructionlc
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i dont put much validity in welder reviews or reviews in general. plenty of the reviewers probly barely know how to use the item and only put a very short amount of time on it then say *yep it works fantastic*. or they may be recieving some type of compensation for positive reviews. anybody putting out negative reviews is likely to get a legal threat of some sort .
silentpoet
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Ran the entire spool of mig wire than came with the migmax 215 padding beads on a 1/4 inch plate. I had to take a break to cool off my hand and did not hit duty cycle. I came away impressed.
internally? its the same as every other welder out there... just cheaper parts..... some will get one that last for years and others parts start breaking.... im not as lucky as others. mine always broke, weather it was the feeder, or something internally giving out
dnschmidt
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They probably come out of the same factory as the Everlast, AHP, Primeweld, and every other Chinese welder. There isn't any reason if the company that imports them has on site quality control, and HF is clearly big enough to do that, that they shouldn't be capable welders. That's how Milwaukee does it it’s how Callaway Golf does it that's how Apple does it. I’m an HTP guy myself but there isn’t any good reason for these not to work from my point of view.
i can understand why poeple are going with HF welders and plasma. theyre unsure of how much theyll use the machines or if theyll lose interest all together at some point and dont want thousands of dollars worth of top shelf machines rotting away in the corner of the garage.
while i dont use my welders (htp, miller) or my plasma (hypertherm) even close to 5days a week ,i had no doubt ill never lose interest in them and will always have projects to make and stuff to fix. buying equipment other than gold standard never crossed my mind. having full confidence the machines will work everytime theyre turned on over the long haul is priceless imo
while i dont use my welders (htp, miller) or my plasma (hypertherm) even close to 5days a week ,i had no doubt ill never lose interest in them and will always have projects to make and stuff to fix. buying equipment other than gold standard never crossed my mind. having full confidence the machines will work everytime theyre turned on over the long haul is priceless imo
100% agree. and just in case i have a millermatic 200 sitting in the back ready to fire up and run a bead
Why would someone buy an expensive welder to not use and then buy an inexpensive welder to use?100% agree. and just in case i have a millermatic 200 sitting in the back ready to fire up and run a bead
quickfarms
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My first welder is a Lincoln SP130T, that was one of the first small 220v machines delivered in Southern California, and is now almost 30 years old and I added a Lincoln 216 several years ago because I was having to wait for the machine to cool down.
my plasma in a Miller 625
I bought the 216 and 625 as close out machines, still new, to get a huge price savings
they are like all tools the price will only sting once but the quality will follow you every time you use it.
my welding is sporadic but it only takes about an hour to get back into the groove
my plasma in a Miller 625
I bought the 216 and 625 as close out machines, still new, to get a huge price savings
they are like all tools the price will only sting once but the quality will follow you every time you use it.
my welding is sporadic but it only takes about an hour to get back into the groove
Xcursion88
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Yep...Why would someone buy an expensive welder to not use and then buy an inexpensive welder to use?
Like I have this SO ratchet but I'm going to use this $9 dollar Pittsburgh ratchet until it fails then I'll get the SO out and finish the job.
Pretty much ----->
emeraldcoupe
Well-known member
not everyone. i had a small 110v lincoln and wanted something with more power and on a budget. i don't weld every day, or every week for that matter, but i've been welding for 25 plus years.
I said i have an inexpensive welder?? " I do not remember that" ..... i have many different welders i use for different jobs. the miller i bought for $300 at a yard sale, the gentleman said thats what he bought it for so he sold it for that..... now i own it and i dont use it much.... Thats why it sits there. I have done 3 jobs with it and it has paid for itself, now it sits.Why would someone buy an expensive welder to not use and then buy an inexpensive welder to use?
I have purchased many hf welders in the past to test them out and see what they are like, why? because i wanted to.
Willie Makeit
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Since you mentioned Harbor Freight, I am guessing your are shopping based on price primarily. With that being said, check out Primeweld. Less expensive than HF and 3 year warranty.
Since it seems to have devolved into a ******* match like it always does when the HF welders are brought up I am going to answer your question directly. Yes, the welders are well suited for home users. I have the Omnipro 220 and it has done everything I have asked of it so far. It has been used to box in a couple jeep frames and weld in subframe connectors and other reinforcements on a 68 barracuda. All without any hick-ups, just dialing wire speed and voltage. No it is not a ton of work on it but enough to know its going to reliably do what I ask it do when I need it to. I am a very novice welder but it was very easier to get set up and start laying beads.
While I am a novice welder I do know what I am looking for in a quality weld. My background is in Mechanical Engineering and I have written welding specs and inspected welds in chemical process facilities including lethal service processes.
Are there better welding machines out there? Absolutely, but you can absolutely buy a competent welding machine at HF. Take some time to really understand what all you want to be able to weld and pick the machine that best covers your use case. Personally, I would stay away from any 120V only machine. I slightly regret getting a multi process since dedicated machines are going do their job better but I really doubt I will push mine to the limits any time soon.
Have had my eye on the Titanium 125 but a friend has recently bought a YES welder (cant remember which model) and said he was very impressed.....and he is a long time career welder who swore by Esab. I have not welded since high school many moons ago so Im not looking to spend a boat load on a welder.
Fair enough.
I just wonder why having a good quality American made welder, But instead using a Chinese import, but your answer, is certainly a good one.