"Joe Pfeiffer" wrote in message
...
I've been browsing looking at light-duty MIG welders, and I'm coming
up with some questions.

First, does anybody have any opinions on the Northern Tool MIG135?
Looks like a fairly nice, 110V machine capable of either gas or
fluxcore out of the box. The reviews I've seen of it have looked
good, but they've almost all been on Northern's site. Over on a Jeep
site, there is one frequent poster who harps on it as being cheap, but
he seems to be in something of a minority. The welder is at
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...2691_200332691

What's got me really puzzled, though is what I seem to be finding in
the real bottom-feeders of the MIG world (down below the light-duty
welders I'm actually considering): looking at the front panel
of things like the bottom-end Chicago Electric welders at Harbor
Freight, they seem to list a max open circuit voltage, and list
amperages for various switch settings (and also have a continuously
variable wire feed speed) -- looking for all the world like they are
CC machines. Are they, or am I misreading?

One of the major considerations when buying a low end MIG is the weight.
Once it craps out or you can't find parts, you will be using it for a boat
anchor. Buy one with the highest weight.

Buy a good one, and don't look back. A long time from now, it will still be
working and you will be happy you sprung for a good one.

I've been welding since 1974, and that's my opinion. YMMV.

Steve