Harbor freight welder

[Mozingo]

So I'm new to welding I've done a little stick welding for work but nothing more than a tack here and there, I just bought my first welder which is a cheap $75 harbor freight welder want to see what anyone has tried to do with one currently gonna work on extending a utility trailer a foot to haul longer boards on easier


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[jimgood]

There are several videos on Youtube that answer your question.

 

[Bobcat753]

Please do not work on trailers with that welder. Before you start any project do a lot of practice laying welds flat, horizontal,vertical,etc. Also those welders aren't good for much, do your self a favor and return that welder and buy at least an everlast,lincoln,miller,etc. You can find used lincoln tombstone AC225 welders for cheap off Craigslist.

 

[Fender1325]

Yup....

 

[readhead]

That is a pretty broad statement. I assume that you guys have used that particular machine. You can weld with a car battery. It may not be the best way but it can do the job.

This guy wants to start out cheap and see what happens. Nothing wrong with that. I will be the first one to say that a better machine will provide a better experience. If he gets some help he will find out the potential flaws in the HF machine and be inspired to move up the food chain to a better machine. Who knows, the thing might work very well.

 

[RickP]

I'm definitely in favor of using the right tool for the job and I have a cheap HF flux core welder, but I wouldn't use it on a trailer. I've got a 240v AC stick welder for welding the heavy gauge steel you need for extending a trailer bed.

Your new welder is only strong enough for light gauge steel - anything too heavy and you won't get good penetration. If your budget won't allow you to get a nice MIG welder, you could pick up a nice Hobart AC buzz box for about $300:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200304603_200304603

If you've already done stick welding at work, then you're probably already better than me at it. Using that HF welder on a trailer is just going to frustrate you at best, and be unsafe on the road at worst.

 

[1930artdeco]

Would the HF welders be good for someone to start out on and just practice? Normally I don't think very highly of their stuff but I just figured if I want to practice on scrap metal with both gas or mig?

Mike

 

[Mozingo]

Well I'm new to it all but I've practiced on 1/4 with it and it held strong


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[Zeke]

One thing you can do is buy top quality wire. Lincoln wire is pretty good and I think available at HD.

 

[Mozingo]

Yea I've read lots of reviews. Bought Lincoln .35 wire and tips it helped a lot


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[Mozingo]

All the reviews I read said that's all you need to make it a good welder for the money and for 1/4 or less which is all I'd be using I think it'll be more than ok


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[jimgood]

Before you start any project do a lot of practice laying welds flat, horizontal,vertical,etc.

Good advice.

I'd ignore everything else in that post.

 

[Mozingo]

Good advice.



I'd ignore everything else in that post.

Planned on it. Negative advice is never good advice


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[jimgood]

Planned on it. Negative advice is never good advice


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It is if it's true. Like advising a blind person that's about to step off a curb that there's a car coming and they might not want to do that. Then it's good. And useful.

 

[readhead]

.035 wire would probably be to big for that machine.

 

[Mozingo]

.035 wire would probably be to big for that machine.

It says it runs .30-.35 I ran the spool of .35 it came with through it practicing never had a problem


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[TauntDevil]

I gave away my HF welder. Was the 220v version. It did meh. Had lincoln wire as well but you are talking about welding 1/4 and I just dont really see that. Maybe 1/8. It will weld on it but wont fully penetrate or at least with my experience not preheating, it wont. If you have a press, weld two plates together and press it, see what happens. With HF welder, usually will crack in the weld because of lack of full penetration.

However, it is a decent start welder but once you upgrade, you will have to tweak what you know as the other welders will weld a lot better. $75 is not too much but spend a extra $140 and you could have a lincoln 125 mig which, from my experience, welds better than the HF welder or spend a bit more and get a 140hd which can use gas. Reason I say this is that you are using it to learn... but once you learn, why have to look for another welder right away when the lincoln will do great as is for awhile. Of course, depending what you are working on.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Would the HF welders be good for someone to start out on and just practice? Normally I don't think very highly of their stuff but I just figured if I want to practice on scrap metal with both gas or mig.

Which specific HF welder are you looking at ? The small ones will help you learn a lot as long as your material does not exceed their capability.

The biggest complaint I ever hear is that the flux core welder does not make "pretty" welds, but I think that is true with any flux core MIG. Spend the money and upgrade to a welder that CAN use gas.

The other big complaint people have is wanting a bigger welder. There are a lot of dual voltage (120/240V) welders out there now. They cost more, but will save you money if you keep welding.

 

[zkling]

Please do not work on trailers with that welder. Before you start any project do a lot of practice laying welds flat, horizontal,vertical,etc. Also those welders aren't good for much, do your self a favor and return that welder and buy at least an everlast,lincoln,miller,etc. You can find used lincoln tombstone AC225 welders for cheap off Craigslist.

It's not just the machine it's primarily the operators skill or lack there of. Good friend of mine has one of the 220v HF mig units. He's pretty good with it, used my millermatic 220v once and he was even better than he was with the HF machine. Erratic feed issues are common on the cheaper units, what specific machine are you looking at?

 

[Mozingo]

I got the 90 amp flux cored welder little black one


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[readhead]

We have three Lincolin 120 volt mig machines for field work and we run .030 wire. The machine has to work harder to burn .035 which may mean less penetration.

This misconception that flux core wire is no good needs to be put to bed. In the proper hands flux core can produce very good welds. Sure there is clean up but there is clean up with just about any weld process. We use it in the field to build guard rails and hand rails. I recently had to modify some headers for a car project. I switched over to flux core so I could get into some tight places. Turned out great. Didn't even sand the welds.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

I must say I **** at welding. I am buying a Miller 211 so I can get serious about it. I do have the bigger HF mig welder. The older blue one. I couldn't really weld well, but accomplished a few small things. My buddy who welds for a living was able to lay some seriously good beads down with it in the 1/4 plate I use for my floor covers. It's all about the person and how well they dial in the machine. It's a great machine to learn on. I am switching because I want to learn on the machine I will use going foward.

 

[Greeny]

I've had the 90amp Flux core for a couple years. Works great for the price for my needs. I don't do trailer frames, but did weld up truck steps and a pipe rack and numerous small projects.

 

[stihlntime]

I had a Lincoln 140 wire feed set up on 110. Even with .030 wire and gas I wouldn't be welding on a trailer, something were poor penetration welds could result in causing harm or injury or damage to what I was hauling. I recently bought a Forney 190MP inverter style welder that will run on 110 or 220. Using it on 220 I wouldn't hesitate. For sheet metal work the little 90 amp 110 will work fine with .030 or .023, would prolly work for learning how to run beads.

 

[trackwelder]

Planned on it. Negative advice is never good advice


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It's not negative if it's true. Bottom line is that welder is a turd. Might not be what you want to hear but it's the truth.

 

[LumpyMusic]

If you ended up with a 90A flux core machine, read it's specs for whatever they recommend is the maximum thickness of metal you can weld. Consider THAT to be under 100% optimal conditions and in the hands of a very practiced, very skilled person doing the welding. If you like, and you're a reasonable kind of consumer, consider the HF claims, like any claims, to be inflated by a factor of your choosing and de-rate accordingly.

When you're done doing the math, will it weld what you intend to weld?


I can change a flat using the OEM scissor jack and stamped steel combo lug wrench/jack handle that came with my truck. Practicing my *** off with those tools will only make me marginally better. But if I had a simple floor jack and a cross handle lug wrench, even without air tools, the simple upgrade would make the job go a gazillion times smoother.


As long as you would trust a repair job to carry your grand kids or your puppy, it's ok.


Sgt Lumpy

 

[Mozingo]

As long as it will carry some 2x4s and camping equipment occasionally I'll be fine. The trailer is 3x7. I planned on extending the end 1 foot just so I don't have overhanging boards.


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[Mozingo]

The trailer never sees a road it's a deer camp trailer for the most part. It takes a dirt road to a general store where I pick up material to use at camp


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[Toolhorder]

Buy a Miller 211, it's the ****

 

[Mozingo]

Buy a Miller 211, it's the ****

If I had 1200-1500 for a welder I would have


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[johnoutdoors]

I have a cheapo HF welder. It does me fine for little things. A broken finial on a bar stool, a cracked mount on my mower deck, body work on an old Jeep I'm working on, etc. Small homeowner stuff is right up its alley. That said, I wouldn't use it for anything my life (or expensive property) depended on.

 

[Zrexxer]

The trailer never sees a road it's a deer camp trailer for the most part. It takes a dirt road to a general store where I pick up material to use at camp

Oh good, then you'll be able to pull over and pick up the parts that fall off of it...

 

[Zeke]

.035 FC is not the same as .035 solid wire. I agree that a 90A welder from anyone welding .035 solid won't work too well but I don't think many in that class have the provision to use a shielding gas. If it could, CO2 would heat the weld up for better fusion. The actual amount of filler metal being fed into the weld arc is less than solid wire of the same size with all conditions otherwise the same.

I do mostly FCAW with my Lincoln 100 using .030 FC. When I use 25/75 I switch over to .023 wire, liner and tip. If I weld on something like 1/4" mild steel, I use my tombstone. I've even used to tombstone on 1/8" with 1/16th rod. It's like buttering bread.

 

[RickP]

The trailer never sees a road it's a deer camp trailer for the most part. It takes a dirt road to a general store where I pick up material to use at camp

Okay, I've got the exact same HF welder that you have. For a small trailer like that, you might be able to get it to work on angle iron. But if you've got it cranked up to max power, remember that it's only a 10% duty cycle at that setting. Which is probably about right, cause you'll need to spend about 10 minutes grinding for every 1 minute of welding. Trust me, I know from experience with that flux core welder. But it will be a good learning experience and if you've got more time than money, it will do the job for you.

 

[BD1]

As long as it will carry some 2x4s and camping equipment occasionally I'll be fine. The trailer is 3x7. I planned on extending the end 1 foot just so I don't have overhanging boards.

Get a sheet of 3/4'' plywood 4x8 and cut down to 3x8. Box in the overhang with 2x4's and your done. Will be safer and a better job then a hf 110 volt welder for sure.

 

[Fender1325]

I owned that HF welded for 3 days and it quit. I went and bought a hobart 140. Much better quality, But I still want a more powerful welder.

If you want to weld up your trailer and F around on some other projects like that - buy a used stick welder. You could prob find a lincoln ac only for maybe 200 or less.

 

[pepi]

Oh good, then you'll be able to pull over and pick up the parts that fall off of it...

Spot on there Zrexxer.

The guy needs a window in his stomach to see where he is going.

 

[Zeke]

As long as it will carry some 2x4s and camping equipment occasionally I'll be fine. The trailer is 3x7. I planned on extending the end 1 foot just so I don't have overhanging boards.

Get a sheet of 3/4'' plywood 4x8 and cut down to 3x8. Box in the overhang with 2x4's and your done. Will be safer and a better job then a hf 110 volt welder for sure.

How long will that plywood last outdoors at the camp?

Jeeze, the man is adding one whole foot, 12 lousy inches with a cheap welder.

 

[404]

Planned on it. Negative advice is never good advice


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That bulged can of food may be unsuitable to eat. Oh! Sorry! Never mind!

I have nothing against trying out the HF welder. I do not have one. Have a 120 volt Hobart 125 MIG. Takes a lot of practice, and reading glasses so I can see what I am doing. I still **** most of the time.

Oddly, welding is not like spray painting.
What's up with that?

You will have fun with it. Preheat on thicker stuff (weed torch) helps penetration.

 

[T_R]

I have that Harbor Freight welder, the sub 100 dollar fluxcore one.

It will stick metal together. It does not make pretty welds.

It works fine for autobody sheetmetal repairs.

I built a plow frame for my Samurai with it from black pipe and angle iron. Welds were ugly, but it took 2 years of pounding snow with no failures.

I have medium welding skills, I'm not a beginner, but not a trained professional.

The feed on it *****, not enough pressure on the rollers. I added a c clamp around the feed rollers and it feeds better.