Do I need to get a 220v mig

[jpsaf8geusa]

Hello,

I have a Miller 140 and have loved it until had to do some welding on my bucket and had to load some flux wire and still had some trouble getting a good weld. I am a relative noob to welding, but I am learning. Will the Harbor Freight 220v MIG make me happy welding 1/4"?

Thanks John.

 

[coxhaus]

I might look at a Hobart 190 or 210 at TSC if you are looking for MIG. If your bucket is heavy not garden tractor size then I think I would want to stick weld it. A stick welder and a Miller 140 would be a good combo. I have not been happy with my Harbor Freight purchases.

 

[dragoneggs]

Don't know your situation but if you plan to own and use this new welder for a long time, maybe pony up or swap for another Miller, or Lincoln or Everlast. Not much long term history on the newer HF welders. Getting support, and long term holding its value is going to favor Blue, Red, or maybe even Green these days. I sort of hate the saying but... buy once, cry once. What should also be added, enjoy the quality and a better chance to die before your tool does.

 

[jpsaf8geusa]

I might look at a Hobart 190 or 210 at TSC if you are looking for MIG. If your bucket is heavy not garden tractor size then I think I would want to stick weld it. A stick welder and a Miller 140 would be a good combo. I have not been happy with my Harbor Freight purchases.

I have a cheap 220v stick welder. Maybe I need to get it out and learn. Thanks for the info.

 

[MF RED in MT]

Hello,

I have a Miller 140 and have loved it until had to do some welding on my bucket and had to load some flux wire and still had some trouble getting a good weld. I am a relative noob to welding, but I am learning. Will the Harbor Freight 220v MIG make me happy welding 1/4"?

Thanks John.

I have the exact same Miller 140 Auto-Set Welder for 10 years now and love it.

Almost got the 141 which is dual input 110v/220/ but the way I figure if I am welding 3/8" - 1/2" heavier plates, I just preheat it with a propane weed burner torch then weld.

I have never needed to use my flux core wire, since all of my welding is indoors with 75/25 gas, much cleaner welding.

If it were me, and I was set on getting a 220v welder, I would sell my 140 or trade it in on a Miller 141 Auto-Set.

I can't say enough about this Auto-Set, back in the day we would mark up all of the dials with welding reference information.

About HF welders, I purchased a Tig with foot pedal years ago and took it back after 2 days, disappointed, don't know if it was a bad welder or not, but did not want another one.

KC

 

[fatjay]

I bought a HF 110v stick welder and it was absolute garbage. Would stick constantly. Gave it to a buddy who also hated it and tossed it. Have a Lincoln HD125 gasless wire feed and do 3/8 all day long on 15a 110v.

Harbor freight has some great ****. I have all their sockets, wrenches, and even their 70lb hammer. But their welders, not so much.

 

[spitter]

They bought a HF it lasted 3 months and ran about 2 ft. of bead poorly.:thumbdown:

 

[3Ts]

Since you're welding on your bucket, I have to ask the condition of the bucket. Have you cleaned it thouroughly? As in down to bare shiny metal. MIG likes clean metal, stick can penetrate rust and other crud better than MIG. But, clean is always easier and better for all welding operations.

 

[shaeff]

Just out of curiosity, if you were previously welding with solid wire and switched to fluxcore, did you switch the polarity on the welder? If not, you'll have issues.

That being said, many new tractor buckets aren't that heavy but I'd still want a 220v machine regardless. It gives you many more options now and down the road.

Other than that, the other things to mention (and have been already):

Make it clean, shiny metal that you're welding.
Groove out any cracks, it doesn't hurt to terminate any cracks with a drilled hole.
Burn it in hot, there's a lot of mass to the bucket. If your welder is underpowered, you can preheat the area with a torch. That may be required no matter what welder you have if the bucket is very heavy duty.
Remove the gas nozzle if using fluxcore, it gives you better visibility.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD, SHINY GROUND!!! AND THAT YOUR GROUND CLAMP IS ACTUALLY GOOD!. Most ground clamps these days are JUNK. It makes a huge difference. If your welding sounds like a drive-by shooting, check that ground clamp!!

 

[rangerfredbob]

Like everyone is saying, clean is best, and like said flip the polarity for flux core.

I have a Titanium MIG 175 set up with .035" Lincoln flux core right now on 220V and it welds great following the chart on the door, but I haven't used it for 1/4 and checked penetration yet... For heavy welding my go to is my AC/DC Century stick welder on DC with 7018 1/8" rod, but 6011 is close behind, I have a gross of both...