Thoughts oh Harbor Freight mig welder?

[Queso1]

I need a welder to do spot Welds for the floor pans etc. will a 170 amp handle the job?

Thanks!

 

[rustbucket]

That’s plenty for doing spot welds for floors.


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[ngsd]

But what about bigger jobs in the future? If you are sure that you only want it for this project then I agree but I have always regretted cheaper tool purchases in the long run. I know the expense but I went with a Miller tig/mig and and so happy I did. I have no issues building a rolling cart for my body and other larger steel projects.

 

[SteveL]

If you spend the 3xtra cash for a decent one it will pay for itself pretty quick.

 

[ObscureMachine]

I'm not a welder but when I needed one for spot welds I bit the bullet and got a better one, because things always seem to escalate and I figured I would need something more substantial down the road. I've already used it for other projects.

X2 on what SteveL said.

 

[ngsd]

My project area.

 

[sykanr0ng]

If I was going to buy a welder from Harbor Freight I would spend the extra and get one from their Vulcan line, their quality has been said to be nearly that of the name brand welders.

 

[SteveL]

I've got a Lincoln but if buying now I would look at a Miller. More bang for the buck.

 

[Knuck]

What ever you do, get one that's gas capable. Flux core only is ok, but speaking from experience, you will outgrow it quickly. I would spring for a Hobart at the minimum. Check out http://cyberweld.com

 

[rustbucket]

The biggest benefit to name brand welders is the ability to buy parts. I think you would have a hard time finding parts for a HF welder. That said, they are a fraction of the price. If your only goal is to do floor pans and sheetmetal work, the HF will probably be fine, but be aware that it might be disposable. If all you want to do is the floor pans, you can probably do all you want to do before the warranty runs out.


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[Cortez]

I bought the Vulcan Migmax 215. Added gas bottle and couldn’t ask for anything better. It has automatic settings based on metal gauge and has worked excellent...especially for a newb welder like myself. Plenty of power to do a lot more on 220v but all I have ever needed is 110v up to this point. Ran through 2 spools of wire and maybe 3 bottles of gas so far and not even a single problem.

 

[hyghlndr]

Better off with a Craigslist used quality welder, it is worth going to gas version.

 

[Queso1]

What other projects might I need to do on my bronco other than some spot welding? I’m asking so I can decide whether to get something better. I’ve never needed a welder in the past.

 

[SteveL]

Bumpers, roll bars, add ons to the roll bar, shock mounts, motor mounts, broken parts or brackets(not just for the bronco), light tabs......

 

[bronkenn]

There is a large commercial fab shop by me and they have all the best equipment. I was in there a month ago and they had a Vulcan welder there from HF and when I asked about it the owner said it was recommended to him so he thought he would try one out. Showed me some work they had done with it and it did an awesome job. I talked to the welder and he said he was skeptical about it but it performed really well. Don't know yet if it will last.

 

[simmsjeremy]

I have purchased two mig welders from HF. My first was the Chicago electric flux core welder 90amp and more recently my Vulcan 750 that is 140 and 240 compatible. Night and day difference and recommend the Vulcan to anyone. The one I purchased also comes with some autoset features similar to the millermatic 140 which is great for a novice like me.

 

[Muddy1966Bronco]

I did the HF flux cored welder and I agree with the others, you quickly outgrow it. It does the light welding and spot welding well, don’t get me wrong. Between my husband and I, we have spot welded and welded multiple 4x10 sheets of metal between my Bronco and his Willys. But it’s messier compared to gas and you go through tips fast at times. Get extras. We have a stick welder for the bigger stuff, but we are considering upgrading to a gas mig soon. Just stuff to keep in mind. I don’t regret our purchase at all. At the time it allowed 100’s more to go into the Bronco and it got the job done. But it’s just not the same caliber as gas and you will be longing for more if you have a lot of welding to do.

 

[LilMixedUp]

I know I'm a little late to this party, but I have owned my original 240 century welder(Lincoln clone) from HF for over 20 years... it's welded many floor pans, roll bars, bumpers, trailers, and everything in-between. Yes its gas capable and only thing I've replace has been the control switch and recently a new lead. My son-in-law has a roofing business and I’ve started maintaining his large trailers, so I did a little research and settled on a new Vulcan 220 multi-purpose. And so far, welding ¼ inch plate has been a breeze. Now to see if it holds up like the Century!!

 

[u10072]

It’s $1500 to get a good 200 amp Hobart machine, a big tank and all the wiring to run it. Buy better and cry once - buy cheap and buy twice!

 

[rydog1130]

Don't get a flux core HF welder...the spatter alone it throws off is terrible...I bought one and gave it away. I picked up a miller 141 and it welds up to 0.25" steel no problem and can handle metal as thin as 22 gauge....good luck