Another looking for a flux core MIG welder suggestion thread

[Popgadget]

HANDLER 210 is on sale at Tractor Supply, that is only 25 minutes from me.... will go check it out.

Our tractor supply stores have welding gas bottles that they exchange.

 

[Popgadget]

Look at PrimeWeld

My suggestion as well. I started with their 225a TIG machine and now have their Plasma cutter and 285a MIG machine.
You will find their support is second to none. Look at review’s.

I no longer have any miller or hobart machines in my shop. I still have a Hobart engine driven 300a AC-DC stick machine that I’ve had for 30 years.

 

[WinterDeere]

I've owned two MIG welders, and used many more. It seems to me the weak link in the very concept of the mig welder is the feed system. I've had more wire feed issues in more MIG welders than I can count, but really nearly zero troubles of any other type or form.

So when looking at these cheap Chinese wire or MIG welders, my first quesitons would be directed at their wire feed mechanism. If that fails to work, then who really cares if it's IGBT or transformer-based?

 

[alexpops]

@5030

Yeah ... looks more like a self-feeding soldering iron? but claimed to be "industrial laser welder"? on "flash-sale" sale today ... 3 for $68 ... lol

 

[5030]

@5030

Yeah ... looks more like a self-feeding soldering iron? but claimed to be "industrial laser welder"? on "flash-sale" sale today ... 3 for $68 ... lol

At 58 bucks each or 3 for 68 bucks, it cannot be much of anything useful.

 

[5030]

I've owned two MIG welders, and used many more. It seems to me the weak link in the very concept of the mig welder is the feed system. I've had more wire feed issues in more MIG welders than I can count, but really nearly zero troubles of any other type or form.

So when looking at these cheap Chinese wire or MIG welders, my first quesitons would be directed at their wire feed mechanism. If that fails to work, then who really cares if it's IGBT or transformer-based?

Interesting comment. Neither of the Hobart's I own have ever had a wire feed issue, in fact both have the original liners in the guns, only the tips and nozzles have been replaced, numerous times. I do run inline wire wipers on both machines however. If I remember correctly, both machines are about 20 years old and of course transformer based. Back then, IGBT's weren't even invented yet.

 

[WinterDeere]

Interesting comment. Neither of the Hobart's I own have ever had a wire feed issue, in fact both have the original liners in the guns, only the tips and nozzles have been replaced, numerous times. I do run inline wire wipers on both machines however. If I remember correctly, both machines are about 20 years old and of course transformer based. Back then, IGBT's weren't even invented yet.

I don't have as much trouble with regular wire, but back when I was running mostly flux core, yeah... lots of trouble. I think the feed wheel design that Hobart runs for flux core isn't as reliable as their regular feed wheels. Also, I think the liner was badly worn on one of the machines in which I was running flux core for many years. I ended up replacing the liner (and of course the feed wheel) when I switched that machine over to regular wire, and it's better now but still never trouble-free.

I sometimes wonder if the spring on the feed wheel pressure dial isn't quite what it should be, on my current machine. It could also be bad technique, fouling the tip with too much blow-back. I've been a "sometimes" welder for 40 years, doing a large project here and there with long gaps in-between. It seems each project is nearly finished by the time I'm getting really competent, again.

 

[5030]

The Harbor Freight MIG liner fits 99% of all of them and it's cheap. Never ran flux core, always solid wire and always an inline wiper before the feed rolls. Two machines I'd never part with are the Hobart 210's.

 

[etpm]

I have 2 old Lincoln machines, an SP125+ and an SP100 something or other. These machines are basically identical. I have never had feed problems with these old machines. And even though they are both older than 20 years they still perform perfectly. I also have a Miller machine, a 300 amp beast, and it feeds wire perfectly. My SP125+ is really not made for aluminum wire but I use a teflon liner in a whip that I use just for aluminum and I have no problem feeding .030 4043 aluminum wire. 4043 wire is not as stiff as 5356 so it can be problematical. Nevertheless I make good welds with no feeding problems. No birdnesting and no slippage. Maybe the machines are just a good design.
Eric

 

[kmesr9]

I agree with everything WranglerX said however you can get a Hobart Handler 140 (around here at least) lightly used for under $600 with a cart and tank. I bought a similar Miller machine with a cart for $400 and added the tank, regulator and hose for $200. Nice thing about buying used is there are typically some peripherals thrown in. Mine had 2 spools of wire with it, 1 large flux core and 1 Stainless as well as misc. tips.

 

[5030]

Not a tank, it's a bottle. Tanks hold liquid usually and not under pressure. Bottles may hold liquid or gas and usually under pressure. Keep in mind that both of my Hobart 210's are for limited production welding on fitted up sub assemblies to make a finished fabrication that I sell worldwide so they get used a alot and they both run INE 0.030 solid wire with shielding gas only.

I've tried many different brands of wire and for me, INE runs the best, produces very nice welds with minimal spatter as well. Lays down a very nice bead, vertical up or down or flat and even in limited production we have never found the duty cycle limits on either of them. Only thing I don't like about them is they aren't fan on demand. I would imagine that later builds are fan on demand as are most machines are today. Continuous fan machines require taking the covers off frequently and blowing out the innards to keep them clean inside. Neither have on board filters either as some newer machines have on board, cleanable particle filters that make taking the shrouds off a thing of the past.

 

[chim]

If I were buying a wire fred welder today it would be fual voltage. My MM175 is a nice machine but i frequently need to do a small thing where 120v would be handy. My Everlast stick welder and Hypertherm 30AIR are "bi-voltual" and a little easier to grab-n-go.

 

[5030]

Is 'bi-voltual' similar to 'bi-******? Never heard the term 'bi-voltual' before.....

 

[alexpops]

LOL ... MIGs that identify as Stick?

 

[Bmantel]

What a lame post on your part. I just so happen to own a fabrication and machine shop with 2 full time employees and for your information, I'm AWS certified in TIG in exotic metals.

I don't use a HF MIG anyway, though I do own a pair of HF plasma cutters, the 65 amp one is the power source for my Shop Saber CNC plasma table and the smaller one is for manual use in the shop. BTW I owned and sold a pair of Hyper Therm plasma cutters as well as a Lincoln Invertig and sold that as well.

Finally, the HF plasma consumables are 1/3 the cost of the HT consumables, the primary reason why I sold both HT's. I go through a lot of consumables with the Shop Saber fyi.

The HF plasma cutters get used almost daily and the HF 65 amp cutter comes with the CNC plasma table interface already installed so it's 100% plug and play on the Shop Saber.

You appear to not know poop from applebutter. They are both brown but one supposedly tastes better than the other. Maybe you should try both and report back...

I know it's lame as you must have needed to kick your seeing eye dog twice to get him to read it to you...

Hmm where did your Harbor Freight fascination go? I know you looked at the prices, didn't you? Not looking so good for HF. =⁠-⁠O

Yah, I got pissed off on the supplies costs so I grabbed some plasma spray gun parts and modded them to the YesWelder 65A plasma cutter torch. (Which takes HF consumables too) and I now get over 10x life as the Tungsten Carbide and Beryllium Copper last much longer than normal materials.

Thanks for reminding me, I have to get out back and run some samples as I will need recertification by the end of April. And I'm not as good as I was when I was younger, and could run beads down the sides of beer cans with oxy-acetylene, but oxy-hydrogen is far easier. But that's for youngsters to do to make extra drinking money off other shop idiots... I think you might be a good mark!

 

[Bmantel]

I might add that I own numerous welders, both TIG, MIG and SMAW, a Lincoln engine drive ac/dc stick welder with a Lincoln HF scratch start TIG box though I don't use it. How about 2 Hobart 210 MIGS (old style transformer machines), both running solid wire and 75-25 shielding gas plus a HF ProTig machine running a CK Series 20 flex head water cooled torch as well. Has an Everlast water cooler on it. I don't scratch start TIG ever because it causes weld inclusions. I'll list everything for your absorption...

Yawn ...

2HF plasma cutters, 1 65 1 45
HF ProTig with water cooled torch with Everlast water cooler
2 Hobart wire MIGS with shielding gas
Victor O/A setup with bottles of course

Nodding off now... I'm bored.

Let me adjust my welding gas mixer to kick in a wee bit more helium for penetration in this POS old Continental O-540 intake manifold with a crack in it. Oh,Damn. I've got no hydrogen pressure! I don't know why my friends talk me into fixing their stuff ..

I don't want to go down to the dealer and pick up a fresh tank of more hydrogen because I have better things to do. ( A percent or so of hydrogen does some amazing things to old nasty aluminum castings! Helium helps penetration, but hydrogen cleans like no tomorrow...)

2 vertical mills (Bridgeport, 1 versa Trak)
LeBlond servo shift toolroom lathe
South Bend floor lathe (restored)
Kent toolroom surface grinder
Dake hydraulic arbor press (25 ton)
Driese & Krump 30 ton hydraulic press
Shop Saber Sidekick 10 plasma table
..and of course all the associated tooling that goes with them. Both my employees are also certified AWS.

I told you, mines bigger... Now put yours away now, everyone is laughing!

You have some little presses and some cheap mills. Nice. As for lathes I'm fond of Japanese Iron, Tsudokomas (spelling? I'm not going to look at it as I don't care...)

However, I'm looking at my leg where I was stupid and tried to amputate my foot as I was running some 5 axis tooling trials in a Mitsuii-Seki with 2" dia 2' long custom ground carbide form cutters. I then slipped and got my foot between the rotary table and cover plates when raipiding to a home position. I was inside the mill watching contact patterns as it ran. I had closed the door with myself inside while it was running with the teach pendant in my hand - to get the best views. I forgot that I enabled rapid at 100% a few minutes prior...
Not the brightest thing, I agree.

As to presses - I walk into the bed with dies installed.

My Harig surface grinder doesn't even need me to be there to run, but you can run it manually if that type of drudgery is your cup of tea. Life is too short to deal with that or your blathering.

We do short run machining as well as light and heavy fabrication and I'm proud of what I own and been in business for over 20 years now.

I also hold patents on a number of motorcycle related accessories that we sell worldwide.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it...

Hmmm I'm going to turn you off as this conversation is only proving your not the brightest bulb in the pack...

Glad your proud about your shop, you should be. Why do you spend so much time here then?

I've got patients for airplane parts that cruise above the sound barrier... so that really not the point.


Your real problem is that you are so wrapped up in yourself that you didn't really answer the poor guys question: a decent cheap, usable MIG that can be dual voltage and have acceptable performance.

And HF doesn't have it anymore as I demonstrated. Other Chinese companies make welders with more features for less $$$. That's why I bought a YesWelder DS250 due to it's low cost for given features.
And frankly I'm surprised of it's decent performance as I have used mostly Miller's before and was using that as reference points.

For my friend, I needed to work on a dump truck bed that needed liner replacements and I just wasn't going to TIG it. Too many linear feet of welds - just fit new 1/8" plates quickly and then burn wire as fast as possible. Still took nearly the whole weekend to do the repairs.

Is a YesWelder a Miller, no! But at ~$500 it's still better than the more expensive HF!

Sure, I can start my JCB 300LC to dig a bed for my tomatoes, but I could use a just a shovel instead of a 75,000 lb excavator with a fine Class 4 emissions compliant MTU 300hp Turbodiesel.....

But that's not the point - Duhhh!

 

[2515R Dude]

Have you even tried it? That one lot that was an issue was like 15 years ago now, I'm pretty sure that's all out of the stores... I've used Lincoln, Forney, two versions of HFT and assuming you have an idea of how the welders work you can work around it... one of the main issues is on the A/C cheapo fulx core welders they have too much voltage for .030" wire and weld like garbage with that, switch to .035" wire and use the settings wrong (change wire speed for temp, more wire colder which is backward) and you can deal with it...

I have no problem with flux core, I use it here and there, was my primary light welding setup for many years, gotta get my bottle swapped since it's almost empty...

Yes, i definitely did. I bought a spool when i bought the welder.
1. It is one pass wire. 2 it is just a garbage.
Your opinion is yours, mine is mine.

 

[ArlyA]

I spent most of my working life welding on RR cars and various energy related jobs doing stick and inner-shield. Today I only do my own little jobs in the garage and I'm "sticking" with MIG. Pun intended. Maybe I don't do all that much but I still got lots left in the co2 tank I started out with 3 years ago. I usually are doing 3/16 to 3/8 materials.

 

[MoArk Willy]

$149 at Harbor Freight.
It can do anything a $400 flux core welder can do.

 

[lostcause]

There's enough information in here already for me not to need to add anything much (probably some dis-information and certainly some opinion thrown in for good measure too) but i will add just one thing, though maybe the OP already has investigated this too:

I also used to get by on flux core too - it was all I needed, up until the time it wasn't. I live in the same 30 mile/minute travel to the closest form of civilization no tolls here though... Just in case you do ever feel the need and think you need to brave the gas flux world... As a few mentioned, Tractor Supply in some locations (maybe most?) does gas bottle swaps. Around here there are multiple local auto parts stores and hardware stores that serve as drop-off and pick-up spots for gas bottle service with the not-so-local suppliers. None of them really advertise it, so you have to ask to know. Might be worth investigating just for the knowledge in the future.