Harbor Freight has a 90-amp welder, normally $200 for $120.
Uses "self-shielding flux-cored welding wire".

Is this thing suitable for a home hobbyist newbie like me to learn
with? Any gotchas other than that it came from HF?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44567

Thanks folks.

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

You will outgrow it before you can turn around if you can weld at all.
Spend the money and get one that will last, and you won't outgrow.

Steve

"Mike Patterson" wrote in message
...
Harbor Freight has a 90-amp welder, normally $200 for $120.
Uses "self-shielding flux-cored welding wire".

Is this thing suitable for a home hobbyist newbie like me to learn
with? Any gotchas other than that it came from HF?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44567

Thanks folks.

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

On Mon, 03 May 2004 22:09:20 -0400, Mike Patterson
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Harbor Freight has a 90-amp welder, normally $200 for $120.
Uses "self-shielding flux-cored welding wire".

Is this thing suitable for a home hobbyist newbie like me to learn
with? Any gotchas other than that it came from HF?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44567

Thanks folks.


hmmm... My answer is yes and no. Yes it gets you welding. No it will
not last you long, unless you are doing very little and do not expect
to expand.

I bought a "100Amp" MIG welder when I started. Luckily I bought it
secondhand, at a reasonable price.

Let's say it was enough to convince me that I wanted a real Mig
welder, over stick welding.

It was not Flux Cored. FC was hardly known then, and certainly not by
the hobbyist.

I have not used FC except once, to try it out. I use gas shielded
always. Just me.
- The biggest thing for me about MIG was never having to chip
another slag layer, and being able to build welds in multi-passes
without getting slag inclusion!

I _suppose_ that because they do not have to provide regulators, and
gas paths, you would get more welder for your monye than a dual
purpose machine?

But the wire will cost more.

However:

These little welders are not just low current. You can overcome that
in many cases, with a bit of work and smarts.

Problems:
(1) Regulation. They use little transformers and little parts. They
ONLY JUST do their rated current. You will feel this in the
performance. Regulation makes for smoother welds. I can weld thin
steel easier with my 220Amp than I could with the 100Amp.
- Admittedly I am a better welder than I was then. I should haul the
little beastie out and see what I think of it these days.

(2) Duty cycle. This is a percentage (I think usually in any 5 minute
period) that you can actually weld. I was always using mine up! The
welder would simply stop. I think its Duty cycle was about 15-20% at
even 80 Amps of the 100.
- So you had a minute's welding in every 5, welding maybe 2-3mmm
steel, without preparatory grinding. And that was on a cool day! G
- Of course if you ground down and did multi-passes, you needed to
use the machine longer and the duty cycle kicked in G.
- I put a fan in there and that helped to get about 1.5 minutes out
of 5.
- Even that was risky, because it is not going to help the core
temp of the trannie much.

- even with larger welders, watch duty cycle.

(3) Wires. You are likely only going to be able to get little reels.
- IME this means limited types of wire.
- I realise this is not a beginner's problem, usually, but does
limit the machine.
- it also is probably a lot more expensive.
************************************************** **
The Met Bureau is LOVE!

On Mon, 03 May 2004 22:09:20 -0400, Mike Patterson
wrote:

Harbor Freight has a 90-amp welder, normally $200 for $120.
Uses "self-shielding flux-cored welding wire".

Is this thing suitable for a home hobbyist newbie like me to learn
with? Any gotchas other than that it came from HF?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44567

Thanks folks.

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

Same unit I have. While Im not a "Welder" per se, Im quite happy with
it for the usual this and that. Duty cycle is a bit low though if you
want to run long beads. Does stitching just fine and the usual short
beads. I just welded up a roof rack for my buddies pickup truck with
it. Worked just fine.

Wont of course, do Aluminum as there is no provisions for gas.

Gunner

That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer's
cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays
there.
- George Orwell

"Mike Patterson" wrote in message
...
Harbor Freight has a 90-amp welder, normally $200 for $120.
Uses "self-shielding flux-cored welding wire".

Is this thing suitable for a home hobbyist newbie like me to learn
with? Any gotchas other than that it came from HF?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44567

Thanks folks.

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

Mike, for $120. how can you go wrong? You will learn the basics of welding
with this machine. Even if you decide you want a larger mig set up down the
road, this will still be a nice portable outdoors "fix the busted fence"
type machine. I started with a CH flux core machine pretty similar to that
and it suited my needs. Dont expect to weld anything over 1/8" with it, or
anything thinner than 18 ga either, but it's only $120. so you really cant
expect more than that.
Most people will tell you to save your money and buy a name brand mig, they
have a good point, but if cash is tight and you want a machine to monkey
with, i cant see how you can go wrong. Also buy the HF $59. helmet, great
deal as well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47277
Good Luck,
walt

I have a similar unit set up for flux core only. And I just HATE
it. In the shop I have several stick and MIG outfits to choose
from, the little guy collects dust. But when I need to travel
(race cars among other things) guess which one goes with me?
Works fine for adding an extra roll bar support after the rules
committee got in their licks!

And I did teach my daughter how to use it for Theater set
construction, works great on the 1" sqaure, 16 gauge steel tubing
used on bigger they use there. Joints are real pretty, works
great for that.

Mike Patterson wrote:

Harbor Freight has a 90-amp welder, normally $200 for $120.
Uses "self-shielding flux-cored welding wire".

Is this thing suitable for a home hobbyist newbie like me to learn
with? Any gotchas other than that it came from HF?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44567

Thanks folks.

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.