Got a Harbor freight titanium 125 flux core.wire feeder

[Sberry]

I tried flux in another small machine and it didnt work, coulkd have been the wire,,, but I had roll of 030 came with a machine and my neighbor came over with a junk import with hi and low, on high with the wire turned up a little it actually ran quite well. I was surprised.

[tapwelder]

Random thoughts

I have used their welder several times for repairs and installs. Even the hesitancy/ shame of owning a HF welder is wearing
Off. It has been working well. The only issue is design, the short lead is difficult to manage if you are moving around and welding. It causes the welder to be on the work or bench. Having it on the work leads to burnt/ melted parts like leads and power cord. I end up welding on my knees or laying down and lots of repositioning of the machine is required.

I have also had more success with using tips larger than the wire. The stock like size tips seem to be very grabby/jerky.

.035 and .030 run equally well powerwise. However .030 seems to be the limit you can adjust the rollers, you cannot overtighten 0.030 wire. This may contribute to some slipping/jerking.

I typically run it off an 24year old Honda generator. However, no issues running it on 15 amp inside my shop… never tripped breaker.

I initially got it to have a simple machine I could use to tack parts together that I was gang cutting on my bandsaw. My plan was to place it at end of my feed roller … load, tack cut.

But it has its place in fast repairs.

Don’t leave rolls of wire on the dashboard of your vehicle.

[tapwelder]

Another thought, as suggested by somebody many years ago. Check all connections on your new welder. Yesterday the ground lead came out of the little ground clamp. The lug appears to be stainless steel and but was not crimped tightly. I suspect the could contribute to some feed issues when it get hot.

Also the lead only clamp about 1 inch diameter wide material. So I will put a larger clamp on it.

[Brand X]

Best thing I did to my small Blue Demon welder was turning it into a flux only machine. The gun was a gas trigger design, and not my favorite. I took a 15 ft Tweco Mini mig gun,cut the back-end off it, and made it fit into the drive setup, Pretty much the same as the Klutch/HF/Century flux only or gas setups. Cut it down to 10 ft, and this machine supports 4-8 inch welding wire rolls.. It feeds the wire great, and is very powerful on a 120 volt line. It did surprising well on on Yamaha 3000 inverter with boost.. The boostt adds 500 more watts to the Yamaha, but was not hooked up at the time (Runs through the battery) Ideal was using my 30 amp Champion open frame inverter, and you could get around 120 + stick amps out of that setup..

[tapwelder]

Been almost 2 years since I purchased the little welder. Still welding strong. It works best with .035 tip for 030 wire. Feed issues disappear.

Today, I Butt Welded some 1 inch square bar.completed about 10 passes without any issues.

[52 Ford]

Been almost 2 years since I purchased the little welder. Still welding strong. It works best with .035 tip for 030 wire. Feed issues disappear.

Today, I Butt Welded some 1 inch square bar.completed about 10 passes without any issues.

Thanks for the update!

[cornchip]

Still welding strong. .

cool .but do you use it twice a year or 6hr a day. why leave out the most important details

[tapwelder]

I use it quite often. It is on my truck 24/7. Has answered the call each time I have needed it.

What does 6 hours/day of welding look like? If production, then no. If using it for 6 hours while you fit, tack and weld then lunch mixed in, then not daily, but definitely been run a few times at length.

Not my go to welder, but definitely makes quick work of small repairs and Weld trailer jacks.

I initially purchased this to weld metal tube together for gang cutting. It had been quite a surprise in performance.

I will keep y’all posted on my normal use experience and reasonable expectation.

[dieselguy]

I tried Harbor Freight flux core wire, didn't like it. Tried Lincoln flux core wire didn't like it. Long story short I tried Forney https://www.amazon.com/Forney-42300-...0009ZH7KW?th=1 and will never use a different wire. To me, that stuff is the bees knees.

[N2 Welding]

I tried Harbor Freight flux core wire, didn't like it. Tried Lincoln flux core wire didn't like it. Long story short I tried Forney https://www.amazon.com/Forney-42300-...0009ZH7KW?th=1 and will never use a different wire. To me, that stuff is the bees knees.

Wondering if the HF Titanium 125 flux machine is limited to the small 2lbs rolls or if it can accept bigger rolls? Some manufactured wires may run differently in different machines/set ups based on the size of the spool the wires are spooled on. Wires are coiled onto the spool per the size of the spool and might run differently in each machine based on the way it unravels and or drags on the inside of the liner etc.

It might help to check the date or lot/batch # of the wire as well prior to purchasing it. I recal Carl CEP talking about getting a whole pallet of defective wire on the job site. Went through a few spools to determine the whole batch was bad.

Branded wire Manufactures may use multiple countries of origin when manufacturing the wires and thus quality of wires can vary significantly based on the location and or date of manufacture.

[whtbaron]

I found this video interesting in terms of brand selection of wire... I would assume that different machines will give you different results however...

[dieselguy]

Wondering if the HF Titanium 125 flux machine is limited to the small 2lbs rolls or if it can accept bigger rolls? Some manufactured wires may run differently in different machines/set ups based on the size of the spool the wires are spooled on. Wires are coiled onto the spool per the size of the spool and might run differently in each machine based on the way it unravels and or drags on the inside of the liner etc.

I don't know. I have it set up in a old Lincoln 110V 125T, that I use for nothing but flux core. I used Lincoln wire for years and finally said to myself this can't be as good as it gets. I went through a bunch of wire after seeing that wire brands do make a difference with flux core and finally found the Forney. They explicitly tell you its single pass only wire and that it burns hot. I dont know about the single pass, but it does seem to burn really hot. I use Vulcan solid wire for mig and have tried a few other brands but none seems to run much different to me with solid wire, at least with my limited skill.

[SlagMatt]

No larger rolls for the Titanium 125.

[cornchip]

I tried Harbor Freight flux core wire, didn't like it. Tried Lincoln flux core wire didn't like it. Long story short I tried Forney https://www.amazon.com/Forney-42300-...0009ZH7KW?th=1 and will never use a different wire. To me, that stuff is the bees knees.

was the forney usa or taiwan wire ? ive gotten both from homedepot. usa stuff worked quit well. real well actually. taiwan stuff didnt work that great even with identical settings. adjusted settings a bit but it didnt get much better. slag was forming in a odd manner and some what blotchy. maybe just a bad spool. not sure
lincoln nr211 isnt bad.
watch out as some of the fluxcores arent for multi pass.

[SlagMatt]

Can anyone who runs a lot of wire confirm if the titanium 125 performs better with E71T-11 rather than GS? My understanding is that -11 has an actual specification while GS can vary? I'm still on my original roll of GS so that shows how much I burn but will replace sooner than later.

[Daniel-S]

I only use E71-t11. It's rated for multipass. I use fabshield by Hobart, in .035 most. The smaller wire sizes are only rated to weld 5/16 thick welds, according to Lincoln. I have run many spools of the Hobart and Lincoln. I like the way that the Hobart runs better and that the spools are 2lbs.

[tapwelder]

Tried some Xtrweld e71-gs fluxcore wire. Probably the best wire I have used. I purchased it from my lws. 2lbs for $22.

[tapwelder]

The xtrweld glided through the liner very smoothly. I can weld with the torch more awkward angles without feed issues. I had a roll prior to this that would stop welding for an instant. I thought it was the the machine, tried playing with contact tip distance and cable position. The other wire welded fine, just an annoying instantaneous pause. All totally went away with the xtrweld. Buttery smooth and consistent.

[tapwelder]

I got some stainless steel fluxcore wire. This product is from nicetech. It says polarity EN. I got it expecting EP like mig. All other stainless flux core I have seen is run EP like regular mig.

So, I was expecting to use it with another machine. I will try it on the titanium 125. I will test it sometime soon.

[California]

How does the HF Titanium Flux 125 compare to the Toolium 200M for light flux core work? Advantages of either? Convenience? Weld quality? Weight, portability?

Thanks in advance!

[tapwelder]

I have not used the toolium much. Other than testing I doubt I use it for fluxcore. If the titanium failed, then I would mig and stick weld in the field. Ironically, last week with the toolium was the first time I mig welded since February.

This machine has been impressive. I was recently tempted to try something “better”.

[tapwelder]

I did discover the fan, boards need to be inspected, blown out, perhaps filter added? I use mine in the in the grass and dirt. The debris really builds up. And air is direct across heatsinks and 2 large capacitors, so they collect substantial debris too.

[tapwelder]

Been using it the cold, 20F. Wire was not feeding well. Noticed the tension spring holding spool is too long. If the nut is just on a single thread, then there is too much tension for to pull the wire. Not too noticeable on warm days. Running it with the nut off makes it smoother.

I took it apart a couple weeks ago, thinking there was an issue with the lines. Changing the liner is a significant feat. I did not change mine, though I did remove it to inspect.

[tapwelder]

All I have to say it this is a nice welder. Quite satisfying to use.

[California]

All I have to say it this is a nice welder. Quite satisfying to use.

Toolium or Titanium? Both?