First: Please pardon me for barging in... With a question.

Preamble:
I haven't welded for 20 years +.. I Was never any good at stick welding mild
steel (I'd blow holes in 1/4" with the welder off!) But could stick weld
stainless any way you wanted vertical up/overhead/flat what have you...

I could run a mig welder on mild, we used to practice welding 1/8" expanded
metal filling the holes... that I could do with a Mig...

Question:
Harbor freight has a Chicago Electric 200 amp mig unit for sale @ $399.
It ain't a Hobart, Lincoln, or any other brand name... it's their house brand.
Seems it'll take a large spool. seems to have adjustable speed feed, though
it "presets" feed based on amps (and you can adjust from there). 20% duty
cycle at 200 amps. The tips don't appear to be replaceable (replace the entire
weld head and cable cover) but I may be wrong.

I'm wondering if anyone has this unit... if any one can recommend it, (I KNOW,
it's "HF... Junk") But at 1/3 the cost or less than a good one... Will I get
any use outa it..? I'm not planning on building the Eiffel Tower... But I
really would like the occasional capacity of the 200 amp end for thicker
stuff... and the low end, at 30 amps, should do sheet metal... No?

If you can't help withthis question... steer me to some group that can
please....

Charlie

On 08 Jun 2004 13:19:32 GMT, (Oakchas) wrote:


I'm wondering if anyone has this unit... if any one can recommend it, (I KNOW,
it's "HF... Junk") But at 1/3 the cost or less than a good one... Will I get
any use outa it..? I'm not planning on building the Eiffel Tower... But I
really would like the occasional capacity of the 200 amp end for thicker
stuff... and the low end, at 30 amps, should do sheet metal... No?

I have a similar one from HF, 180 instead of 200 amp. It's "finicky"
and overheats easily, but for most of my work, it does well. I don't
weld anything heavy, 3/16 inch wall square tubing is about it for me.
Not saying it won't do heavier, I don't do heavier. Unless they've
changed vendors since I got mine, it's made in Italy, not china. I'd
be surprised if that hasn't changed.
Lennie the Lurker

I was in Home Depot at lunch. They have at least one Lincoln 110V MIG
for $325. How much 1/4" plate will you be using? Should work fine on
1/8" mild steel.

On 08 Jun 2004 13:19:32 GMT, (Oakchas) wrote:
Question:
Harbor freight has a Chicago Electric 200 amp mig unit for sale @ $399.

On 08 Jun 2004 13:19:32 GMT, (Oakchas) vaguely
proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email


I don't own the machine, but have some ideas from previous lives.

First: Please pardon me for barging in... With a question.

Preamble:
I haven't welded for 20 years +.. I Was never any good at stick welding mild
steel (I'd blow holes in 1/4" with the welder off!) But could stick weld
stainless any way you wanted vertical up/overhead/flat what have you...

I could run a mig welder on mild, we used to practice welding 1/8" expanded
metal filling the holes... that I could do with a Mig...

Question:
Harbor freight has a Chicago Electric 200 amp mig unit for sale @ $399.
It ain't a Hobart, Lincoln, or any other brand name... it's their house brand.
Seems it'll take a large spool. seems to have adjustable speed feed, though
it "presets" feed based on amps (and you can adjust from there).


*******20% duty at 200 amps. The tips don't appear to be replaceable (replace the entire
weld head and cable cover) but I may be wrong.************

Both of those could be a pest, if you need to do that one big(ger)
project. Duty cycle is important.

Non-replaceable tips? Sounds weird. Is that where they make their
dough? I would check the cost of that option, and the work involved,
if that is true.
- You can ruin a tip by accident, not just wear, on a 180-200 A
machine.
- How do you adjust for wire sizes?


I'm wondering if anyone has this unit... if any one can recommend it, (I KNOW,
it's "HF... Junk") But at 1/3 the cost or less than a good one... Will I get
any use outa it..? I'm not planning on building the Eiffel Tower... But I
really would like the occasional capacity of the 200 amp end for thicker
stuff... and the low end, at 30 amps, should do sheet metal... No?

If you can't help withthis question... steer me to some group that can
please....

Is it gas/gasless, just gasless (flux cored), just gas? Personally if
I coud not have both, I would go for gas.
************************************************** *****

Sometimes in a workplace you find snot on the wall of
the toilet cubicles. You feel "What sort of twisted
child would do this?"....the internet seems full of
them. It's very sad

I purchased one from www.chpower.com and love it. I loaned it to my dad who
only did stick welding, and welded professionally for years and he won't
give it back. If you go to their web site they have refurb ones. Which is
what I got. Same as new but about $100 less. I think I paid $229 for mine
and it'll do up to 1/4" and has the adapter for gas but comes with flux
core.


Russ

www.metalhobbies.com
www.professorwiz.com
Forums for discussion of model engine making now online! No ads
"Old Nick" wrote in message
...
On 08 Jun 2004 13:19:32 GMT, (Oakchas) vaguely
proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email


I don't own the machine, but have some ideas from previous lives.

First: Please pardon me for barging in... With a question.

Preamble:
I haven't welded for 20 years +.. I Was never any good at stick welding
mild
steel (I'd blow holes in 1/4" with the welder off!) But could stick weld
stainless any way you wanted vertical up/overhead/flat what have you...

I could run a mig welder on mild, we used to practice welding 1/8"
expanded
metal filling the holes... that I could do with a Mig...

Question:
Harbor freight has a Chicago Electric 200 amp mig unit for sale @ $399.
It ain't a Hobart, Lincoln, or any other brand name... it's their house
brand.
Seems it'll take a large spool. seems to have adjustable speed feed,
though
it "presets" feed based on amps (and you can adjust from there).


*******20% duty at 200 amps. The tips don't appear to be replaceable
(replace the entire
weld head and cable cover) but I may be wrong.************

Both of those could be a pest, if you need to do that one big(ger)
project. Duty cycle is important.

Non-replaceable tips? Sounds weird. Is that where they make their
dough? I would check the cost of that option, and the work involved,
if that is true.
- You can ruin a tip by accident, not just wear, on a 180-200 A
machine.
- How do you adjust for wire sizes?


I'm wondering if anyone has this unit... if any one can recommend it, (I
KNOW,
it's "HF... Junk") But at 1/3 the cost or less than a good one... Will I
get
any use outa it..? I'm not planning on building the Eiffel Tower... But
I
really would like the occasional capacity of the 200 amp end for thicker
stuff... and the low end, at 30 amps, should do sheet metal... No?

If you can't help withthis question... steer me to some group that can
please....

Is it gas/gasless, just gasless (flux cored), just gas? Personally if
I coud not have both, I would go for gas.
************************************************** *****

Sometimes in a workplace you find snot on the wall of
the toilet cubicles. You feel "What sort of twisted
child would do this?"....the internet seems full of
them. It's very sad

On 08 Jun 2004 13:19:32 GMT, (Oakchas) shouted from
the rooftop:


Question:
Harbor freight has a Chicago Electric 200 amp mig unit for sale @ $399.
It ain't a Hobart, Lincoln, or any other brand name... it's their house brand.
Seems it'll take a large spool. seems to have adjustable speed feed, though
it "presets" feed based on amps (and you can adjust from there). 20% duty
cycle at 200 amps. The tips don't appear to be replaceable (replace the entire
weld head and cable cover) but I may be wrong.

If all you're doing is sheet metal, take a look at the Made-in-Italy
Clarke MIG/"gasless" unit that Sears sells.

I bought one for some bodywork welding and it works just dandy- better
than I'd expected. I've welded 1/8" plate and 22 ga sheet with it, all
on gas. I haven't tried the gasless wire yet.

I looked at the HF machines, but the feed mechanism on the Sears unit
looks to be a bit more robust.

HTH.

-Carl
"If you don't have enemies, you don't have character"-Paul Newman

Thanks for your opinions, guys...
I will occasionally want to do more than sheet metal. Hence the "desire for
higher" amperage. Finiky.. I can live with... And I agree about the
non-replaceable tips.. they've gotta be replaceable... but I can't find them
listed in their parts etc...

So.. I am not pulling the trigger yet... but It seems like "such a deal"... ya
know?

Thomas Kendrick wrote in message . ..
I was in Home Depot at lunch. They have at least one Lincoln 110V MIG
for $325. How much 1/4" plate will you be using? Should work fine on
1/8" mild steel.

On 08 Jun 2004 13:19:32 GMT, (Oakchas) wrote:
Question:
Harbor freight has a Chicago Electric 200 amp mig unit for sale @ $399.

Do yourself a favor and spend just a little more, (less than $100) and
get a Lincoln, used Hobart, used or new Miller, etc. You will want to
change wire sizes, and you will need to change the tips at some point.
Your welder will eventually need some sort of service and you'll not
get it when you take a HF welder to the shop and ask for service.

I know of one Miller 110V wire machine thats over 12 years old, has
had the **** run out of it, and it's still going strong, almost daily
in some months. I recently saw a Hobart Handler 175 in the Thrifty
Nickle for $375. I paid $550 for my new Miller-Matic 135. The deals
are out there if you'll look.

$400 is a lot of money to pay for a tool that you may eventually have
to replace because it's not serviceable. For another $150 you can buy
a Miller, or for the same $400 you can buy the Lincoln, and your
done...no more wire machine purchases, for as long as you want to use
it.

Just my .02 worth...having learned the hard way.

I have a HF model 6271 (Dual MIG 151). I got it on sale for $199 but the
cheapest I can find now is $239. For the occasional job it works great for
me and you sure can't beat the price. This one does have replaceable tips.
It doesn't come with a gas regulator so you'll need to supply your own.

Duty cycle at the highest setting kind of sucks but since I'm just an
occasional hobby welder I have all the time in the world.

Robert

"Oakchas" wrote in message
...
Thanks for your opinions, guys...
I will occasionally want to do more than sheet metal. Hence the "desire
for
higher" amperage. Finiky.. I can live with... And I agree about the
non-replaceable tips.. they've gotta be replaceable... but I can't find
them
listed in their parts etc...

So.. I am not pulling the trigger yet... but It seems like "such a
deal"... ya
know?