Harbor Freight FCAW welder

[radios1]

They're Lithium batterys and dey recharge from de solar panel. Problem is lithium has only so many charge/discharge cycles. Replacement cells are about a quarter on ebay.

Then again what do I know, only done 2 of mine so far.

the Lithium batteries used are not designed to be recharged.. that info should be mentioned by battery suppliers.. "The practical difference between Lithium batteries and Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is that most Lithium batteries are not rechargeable but Li-ion batteries are rechargeable. ... A lithium battery should never be recharged while lithium-ion batteries are designed to be recharged hundreds of times."

 

[WranglerX]

I haven't seen a welding helmet that uses Li-ion batteries, when the batteries go dead, you just either replace them, or buy a new helmet.. a Li-ion battery charging circuit would add extra cost to the helmet, as it has to be designed for that purpose, it's not like you can just add a solar cell to recharge those!..(without serious problems)..

Well designed LI-ION battery operated AD could be designed to charge off any USB power just like cell phone.... Don't see any cost factor there other than initial development... You can find USB chargers everywhere people leave them in receptacles at a lot of public places ( have 3-4 relatives have left at my house) and you can get a 2 amp one for about $3.... The LI-ION technology probably has just not caught up with AD helmets yet... Don't see it as any more inconvenience the replaceable batteries That go dead at the wrong moment....

Dale

 

[radios1]

Well designed LI-ION battery operated AD could be designed to charge off any USB power just like cell phone.... Don't see any cost factor there other than initial development... You can find USB chargers everywhere people leave them in receptacles at a lot of public places ( have 3-4 relatives have left at my house) and you can get a 2 amp one for about $3.... The LI-ION technology probably has just not caught up with AD helmets yet... Don't see it as any more inconvenience the replaceable batteries That go dead at the wrong moment....

Dale

a rechargeable battery can go dead at the wrong moment too, and will take a while to charge, perhaps that's why they only use replaceable batteries, because it's faster to replace a battery than recharge it..

 

[oliver1555]

Oh, mmmmk...

 

[duramaxsky]

I find (removed)'s posts to be somewhat amusing. I may or may not be the only one. But may I suggest a quick fix. Hit the ignore button and unless someone quotes him you won't see it.

 

[oliver1555]

Pretty dang funny, (removed). Took you a long time, but kinda funny.

 

[Buggs67]

I find (removed)'s posts to be somewhat amusing. I may or may not be the only one. But may I suggest a quick fix. Hit the ignore button and unless someone quotes him you won't see it.

Where is that ignore button?

This took a quick turn from welders, which BTW I bought the Titanium. I was surprised after just a couple tries I got some beads that were not totally embarrassing and actually welded two pieces of angle iron together.

 

[Buggs67]

Harbor Freight had their Titanium 125 FCAW DC inverter welder on sale for $159 so I decided to buy it. I dont need to weld thick stuff, I have stick rod for that, so the 125 works well for me.

Gary did you get a .035 tip and wire for it? Do you happen to know if these tips are interchangeable with other brands? I saw tips at TSC and they looked the same. I can get tips at HF but I won't be by there for awhile.

And would .035 wire be better when welding thicker steel, say 1/4?

 

[Buggs67]

But this is about welding, and not ever having welded before I was looking for advice from those who are adept at it. By BIL is an expert but he lives in Cali and is reluctant to advise.

 

[oliver1555]

But this is about welding, and not ever having welded before I was looking for advice from those who are adept at it. By BIL is an expert but he lives in Cali and is reluctant to advise.

Buggs67,
I came to the realization that my engagement with another poster would do nothing to help you. My apologies for getting sidetracked.
To ignore someone, click on their screen name at the left side of the post. The next screen has a menu on the left and you can click on "Add to ignore list" and not see what that person posts. Then, the only way you see anything from them is if someone quotes them in a post. Pretty handy feature that I've only used a couple of times. I don't know if you can find that on a phone, but it will show up on my computer.

As far as learning to weld, you may benefit from finding a junior college that offers a welding class. These are often offered at night and taught by people who work as a welder for their "real job". When I worked in the oil patch, a friend taught a weekend class once a month. He was a fantastic welder and did an excellent job of teaching in a way that helped you master each skill - students burned lots of rod. He knew how important seat time is. If you don't have access to that, you may be able to find someone who is willing to help you get started. I've always maintained a sideline welding business and have helped a few get started. You might check at your local welding supply to see if they can be of help locating someone to help.