HF clearance MIG

[wallythacker]

Geez, for a $159 it seems like a steal. Even if it does half of what it's rated for how can it be that bad? It seems like a great starter welder for a n00b.

[wallythacker]

Couldn't find the edit button, sorry, but I forgot to include the link

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=55250

[TIGBOY]

Buddy Had One.is Sticks Metal Together Thats About The Only Good Thing I Can Say

[cricman]

Like TIGBOY said, they'll stick metal together. For light jobs around the house and shop, they're not terrible, but they have really low duty cycles, smallish wire feed motors, and have slightly overrated outputs. The good thing is that you will never wear out the gas solenoid,.....because there isn't one! They use a torch with a mechanical gas valve built into the handle of the gun. It's a clever design, but you can't "inch" or "purge" as separate functions. I have a Clarke mig that uses a similar torch set-up. I took it apart and modified it so the gas valve is activated just before the motor is activated, that way I can at least "purge" before the wire feeds. I'm actually thinking of getting one and modifying it to use as a wirefeeder with my 300gms multi-process power source. If you get one open it up (before you plug it in), and take some notes, and let me know what you think of the motor size and motor-speed PC board (i.e. do they use a heatsink for the voltage regulating transistor).

cricman

[tessdad]

My take on this...
Buy something of a better quality.

Great quality last forever, good quality lasts a long time, and poor quality is junk from the start, (and gets worse) Just try and get a switch or other replacement parts.
I would rather have someones old used, past it's prime, third hand, name brand (any color or kind) tool, you know what to expect in the end.

[iWeasel410]

Just try and get a switch or other replacement parts.


I'm not standing up for HF welders as I have never owned one, but the thing I do like about HF is their warranty. Everything they sell comes with a (usually 1-2 year) warranty, and you can extend it for an extra cost. Now, if you have a local HF store, you don't need to worry about getting replacement parts because you can just take it back and they'll give you a new one.

[deadman11699]

I had used one before at a buddys house. It sucked the wire feed motor was sluggish and would result it crappy beads.