Harbor Freight Flux Core welders

[HomeBrew2]

Here's one: Link. The guy on the left seems to have found what makes him happy!

Two thoughts:

1) In my dreams, Hooters would buy Home Despot ... consumating Dargo's Hoe Depot

2) The guy looks like a city boy ... wonder if there's any intended connection to the first sale item ... stubby ratchet

 

[rjgogo]

Your disclaimer really only tells me that you don't know how to weld. Not sure what it was supposed to convey. I only wear sandals cuz I'm sick and tired of bleeding on my carpet because of stepping on the goathead stickers.

Cheers!

okay, okay, okay, joke taken Whenever I weld in sandals, the splatter gives me some nice roses on the top of my feet.

But seriously. that weld is representative of the quality of the HF product.

For the few hundred more over the course of 30 years, you could have a machine that produces clean, penetrating welds that you can depend on for a total cost of about $10 a year.

what you have there can easily be done with a tombstone and stick and KNOW that it will last but still look as bad. 60XX rod may look like crap but it penetrates. With the HF machine I would not trust it.

If the harrow comes apart no big deal but I have welded on my jeep and if that comes apart it is a big deal and someone could get hurt. Those welds are not welcome there.

If you are really that proud of the work, I would suggest you post that pic on the Hobart forum and get their input.

 

[HomeBrew2]

okay, okay, okay, joke taken Whenever I weld in sandals, the splatter gives me some nice roses on the top of my feet.
But seriously. that weld is representative of the quality of the HF product.
For the few hundred more over the course of 30 years, you could have a machine that produces clean, penetrating welds that you can depend on for a total cost of about $10 a year.
what you have there can easily be done with a tombstone and stick and KNOW that it will last but still look as bad. 60XX rod may look like crap but it penetrates. With the HF machine I would not trust it.
If the harrow comes apart no big deal but I have welded on my jeep and if that comes apart it is a big deal and someone could get hurt. Those welds are not welcome there.
If you are really that proud of the work, I would suggest you post that pic on the Hobart forum and get their input.

Well, it's obvious now, I'm just not going to be able to learn a single thing from you. Thanks for your effort though

 

[rjgogo]

Well, it's obvious now, I'm just not going to be able to learn a single thing from you. Thanks for your effort though

so again post the weld pics on the Hobart site..

 

[Dargo]

Two thoughts:

1) In my dreams, Hooters would buy Home Despot ... consumating Dargo's Hoe Depot

2) The guy looks like a city boy ... wonder if there's any intended connection to the first sale item ... stubby ratchet

Hey, how'd I get in this? I'm not on their "Preferred Customer" list, but I am on their "Bam, Bam" list. But, honest, I've never been able to break their tools just by looking at them. That guy in the ad doesn't seem interested in the tools either! Besides, look, her arms are as big as his. He doesn't do any physical work! He thinks he is carrying a record old record player and is trying to figure out what kind of pistol that young lady is fixin' to use on him.

 

[HomeBrew2]

so again post the weld pics on the Hobart site..

So, yet again, my only purpose for posting was to show, as you confirmed, the glue gun can produce welds comensurate with it's mfg and apparence of 6011 rod on an AC tombstone. This was to balance California's unfortunate luck with his unit, which sadly only produced birdie doodoo and, to balance comments made by folks that seemed to have no actual experience with the machine. The reason for describing my physical and mental condition as well as the poor condition of the material, was to demonstrate that it took no real skill to get the anticipated results from such a machine. I also believe that I showed from my destructive tests, that the machine produces adequate penetration from a single sided weld to not just "fall apart" as was eluded to in another post, and furthermore was stronger than my expectation. The original poster wanted to know if buying the machine was a waste of money. From actual documented experience with the subject machine, I believe it to be worth the money that I paid for it. As you seem to be so obsessed with the Hobart site, my pix are not copyrighted, so feel free to post them and kindly replay any comments back to this thread for all to read so continuity can be maintained.
Cheers!

 

[Sully2]

No coupons though?

Oh yeah...discount coupons. 20% off..etc.

 

[California]

Here is what you can do with .035 flux core. ... Lincoln Weld–Pak 100 ...[and quoting from a later post] I had the little unit maxed out at 80 amps. It just takes time and practice to become good with one of these rigs. It also helps to have a quality machine. The Lincoln is nice and has four power settings and infinite wire speed adjustment. Those HF units just don't have the adjustability. I was a structural steel welder for 9 years, so I am sure it helps me with my baby Lincoln.

Dang ringer! 9 years professional experience and a machine that cost 6 times as much for less amperage.

OK, you are the guy that us beginners can learn something from.

The manual for the HF unit I returned said 104 amps flat out. It came with .030 wire that exploded before it could penetrate.

My theory - this promotional welder, a model that isn't in their catalog, has excess amperage that is too hot for .030 wire regardless of the hi/lo switch.

 

[rjgogo]

Okay, The weld quality is in standing with the quality of the machine. but you and I both know the HF weldor is a POS. there are various levels of bad.

I have used a like machine, with equally crappy results. I have first hand experience.

It may look like 6011 but it aint.

As for welding on ****, you will get ****. Prep is one of the most important aspects of a good weld.

Again for a newbie, the extra couple of hundred dollars spent on a good unit will be more the paid off in results, that is if and that is a big if, they take the time to learn how to weld. And dont try to weld a bunch of rusted crap.

 

[HomeBrew2]

... ... ...

Ok, how 'bout this, I'll pretend the welds I make to get my stuff fixed so I can actually get out of the freaking shop and get some real field work done are "good for me". You can lament about my POS unit and it's poor results and my bad habits while you admire your high-dollar unit and expert skills and flawless welds. I say to the original poster that the unit works well for me with my published examples, and you say it's a POS while providing no real examples with a comparable unit. Does that seem fair?