Looking to buy my first welder

[!sledhead!]

Are these welders as good as the reviews make it sound?


http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...3263_200403263

[smilexelectric]

Are these welders as good as the reviews make it sound?


http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...3263_200403263

No its only 110 volts, only flux cored. You'll be limited to what you can do with it. Your better off spending more on a used lincoln/miller. Your gonna wan't something that runs of 220. Also depends on what you want to do with it, more information is needed.

[sirweldalot]

Stick with the name brands.I have a great miller 255 that i paid 500.00 for. Stay away from HARBOR FREIGHT welders.I hope this helps.

[Gamble]

For that price you are better off at harbor freight.

[DSW]

Not really.

It's probably an ok machine, but it suffers from all the same issues any small FC only machine does. Biggest issue is that I didn't see any info on converting it later to gas/solid wire mig. This means that if you want to do thin sheet repairs you will have a difficult time as FC wire is a hot process and not well suited to materials below say 16 ga. The other big down side is that it is a 110v machine. Even with FC wire it will top out at 1/8" material under real world conditions. The reviews where guys say it works great on 3/16" material aren't judging it by "normal" standards. They simply see it sticks metal together, not that the weld is cold and is just sitting on the surface.

Quality control and materials are almost always lower than what you will get from a major name brand unit like Hobart, Miller or Lincoln in the same class of machine. QC is probably better than ones from HF, but nowhere near what you get when you spend the extra money.

Most welders quickly outgrow small 110v machines. They tend to be very limiting unless you are just planning to do auto body work. A FC only machine however isn't suited for auto body stuff. You would probably be better served in the long run by buying one of the 110v/230v capable machines like the Hobart HH210, Miller MM211 Or the Lincoln 180 dual voltage machine. These will give you the best of both worlds. The ability to have a small portable machine that can do up to 1/8" when run on household power, and the ability to do 1/4" if run on 230v power. The big downside is the cost. However in the long run it's usually cheaper to spend the money up front rather than buy a 110v machine and then later get a bigger one.

[!sledhead!]

I'm just looking for something to practice with. I'm taking a high school welding class and realized I really like welding and need my own welder. I cant afford or would have the use for a bigger machine.

[BD1]

I'm just looking for something to practice with. I'm taking a high school welding class and realized I really like welding and need my own welder.

I cant afford or would have the use for a bigger machine.

Well, if you have time to search about this you will find many posts. Check craigs list, you will find many, yes many small 110 volt machines that are for sale. The reason they say it is for sale is, " NEED LARGER MACHINE ".
I and many others will say to go with the real machines, MILLER , Lincoln, and Hobart. Miller has a current rebate program. The Miller 211 would be a awesome starter setup. Buy once and be done. This could be the machine that may fulfill your requirements. Save for it.

[smilexelectric]

I'm just looking for something to practice with. I'm taking a high school welding class and realized I really like welding and need my own welder. I cant afford or would have the use for a bigger machine.

Save your pennies and buy something that can grow with you as a welder.

[Pete.S.]

As a first welder I'd look for a DC stick machine, unless you are just going to use it for body panels (then you should look at a gas/solid wire mig).

Example of low budget DC stick welders that can do both 110 & 220V:
http://www.longevity-inc.com/stickweld-140#29
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Po...T-3915-pd.html

[!sledhead!]

In my welding class I've used both the stick and mig machines. At first I liked stick over mig, but the more I have used the mig the more I like it.

What would I be limited to with a 110 flux core machine?

[Pete.S.]

In my welding class I've used both the stick and mig machines. At first I liked stick over mig, but the more I have used the mig the more I like it.

What would I be limited to with a 110 flux core machine?

18 gauge to 3/16” according the manual of the machine you looked at.

[Oscar]

In my welding class I've used both the stick and mig machines. At first I liked stick over mig, but the more I have used the mig the more I like it.

What would I be limited to with a 110 flux core machine?

This was posted above....

...
not well suited to materials below say 16 ga. The other big down side is that it is a 110v machine. Even with FC wire it will top out at 1/8" material under real world conditions.

[!sledhead!]

I knew the thickness of metal. I was thinking something else, my bad.

Thanks a ton for the info, although, I'm still not convinced that this welder wouldn't work out for me.

Right now I'm thinking. get this welder and do what I can do with it and upgrade to something better when I can.

[BradTN]

If you watch CL you should be able to find a used Lincoln/Miller MIG for close to that price. Flux core is so UGLY compared to MIG. I would recommend getting a Lincoln 225 AC(or similar) stick welder as a starter machine...they're inexpensive , tough, and very useful. Pass the Lincoln Buzzbox or Blue/Red MIG on to your grandchildren long after the cheap flux core unit has just "passed on" (to the scrap yard).

[Montana Jack]

I have never seen anyone regret buying a welder that comes ready for gas...I have seen people regret one that is only capable of flux.

[Oscar]

I have had success with my Eastwood MIG175. They have a 135A model that works on 120VAC, and for a little bit more, you get excellent customer service, gas ready, infinitely variable settings.

[jlames]

Speaking as a beginning welder, I can tell you, first, go with 220. 110 is simply too small to progress with you. I had a 140 Lincoln and in a few days, went to a 180. Now, about 60-days into it, I'm questioning not getting a continuous and saving a few bucks on a tapped. All this boils down to, if you care about your welds and you care about you progression, at the very least, get a continuous rather than a tapped and a 220 rather than a 110. I'm in the middle of my first project; a shop stool. Nothing big but more than a couple of joints. Already I wish I'd gone for the continuous over the tapped . Whether it's a Lincoln or a Miller, I can't speak to yet. But I can attest to what everyone here says; you'll outgrow a lower priced/quality/power machine FAST. Fortunately I got my 180 Lincoln HD for $400 with about 10 hours of trigger time on it. I should be able to resell it in the coming couple of months for that and when I do, its Miller time for me or a better Lincoln 180. Then it's TIG-time. I started out thinking I would just do slap-it-together farm work. But there's an art to welding; one you just can't do with a lesser machine like, in my truly humble opinion, any 110v.

[Pete.S.]

Think of the environment and your own economy. What's the point of buying something with such a limited capability when you for just a little more money can step up to something that is going to be useful even in the long run and that you can sell and actually get something for when you don't need it?

Nevermind, it was a retorical question.

[WeldRite]

It's totally up to you.......but all the advice given to you here( at the very least ) would suggest a slightly better upgrade to what you are looking at. These people here know what they are talking about.

You will regret buying that unit.

[JD955SC]

Are these welders as good as the reviews make it sound?


http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...3263_200403263

Those people dont know what they are talking about in the reviews.

If you want to just throw away $200 feel free to. Otherwise buy something better...you can easily get a 225 amp AC stick welder for that price and probably an ac/dc version if you can find someone with realistic prices on their used stuff.

[Oldendum]

I don't know where you live, but in my area, there are occasional deals on Craigslist. Lincoln SP175 for $250., Lincoln 125 for about $150.

I got a clean Clarke 130EN (which isn't great but OK) with a 5 lb CO2 tank, flow meter and 5 spools of wire for $85.

[k45]

While I firmly agree that a 220 unit is the way to go, the first question is: does the OP have 220 available, or can it be made available?

[!sledhead!]

I don't have 220. How would go about getting it?


Are there any decent brands other than Miler,Lincoln and Hobart?

[pf/welder]

Thanks for the heads up on not to purchase a welder from harbor freight.

[DSW]

I don't have 220. How would go about getting it?


Are there any decent brands other than Miler,Lincoln and Hobart?

Many homes already have 230v outlets. If you have an electric dryer or stove, they run on 230v power. There is a thread here that will tell you how to build a simple 230v extension cord that you can use to power your welder from the dryer outlet. I used one for years when I lived in an apartment and ran the cord out the window so I could weld. Ranges are a bit more problematical as some are direct wired rather than using a plug and outlet.

Option #2 is to have an electrician run wires from the main panel in the house to where you want to plug in the welder. Cost depends greatly on existing conditions and how far he has to run the wire. All homes in the US on the main grid are wired from the pole to the house for 230v power, so you just have to add the correct breaker, wire and outlet and you are good to go. If your panel is close to the garage or where you want to weld it's easy. If it's at the far end of the house, it can be a bit more difficult.



Hobart is probably the best bang for your buck new. Thermal Arc and HTP are other lesser known companies that make decent units at a reasonable price. Some of the newer TA machines look to be quite nice allowing you the ability to do mig tig and stick. You pay a premium for that however. Local availability and support are usually tough with TA and HTP though. Other big name units would be Esab, Linde, Airco just to name a few. Most of these are companies that made industrial machines. They can often be found for decent priced used, but chances are they will be over $1K on average since they are much larger output machines.

Don't be afraid to look at used. There are some really good deals out there if you know what you are buying, do your research and are patient. If looking at larger industrial machines, make sure they are not 3 phase only.

I'd avoid all of the lesser name imports. Track record with the units in the past have been spotty. Customer service has been abysmal at best and they have a record of strong arm tactics when there are problems. Unfortunately some of these companies have editing powers here and have a past record of deleting problem threads so a search won't bring up issues. Do a good bit of research on companies having really cheap prices. Most times they aren't worth the money.


Other companies like Eastwood have had a spotty reputation with their import machines. Customer service is decent, but they get their equipment from the same suppliers the "cheap" importers do. QC is questionable often and new machines frequently have issues. "Warranty work" is simply by replacement. You have to send in the old defective unit and they send you another one. If the whole batch is bad, chances are you'll get another bad unit... Be sure to read the whole warranty statement. Often return shipping is on the consumer with some companies. This can add up quick if they have a bad batch. Most of the import issues are with tig/stick machines, but there have been some issues with migs as well. Erratic wire feeding is quite common with inexpensive imports and this plays havoc with someone trying to learn.