A while ago, I posted my interest in buying a gas welding setup. From the responses I got, I figured I would have to wait and get myself a MIG welder.

Today, I got an email from Harbor Freight with some coupons in it. One of them was for a 90amp flux wire MIG welder. It looks to be a light duty unit, but I am only really interested in doing light welding.

The reason I am posting this is that the welder is on sale for $90. If anyone could give me some advice on this I would appreciate it. Of course, all advice, ridicule and finger pointing is greatly appreciated.


Here is a link to the welder.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=98871

All I can say is; that I strongly recommend spending a bit more and get a gas MIG welder. Of course if you aren't going to do much welding the gasless version may get you by but the gas version is easier to use (IMHO) and just makes a better weld.
Roy

Save your money. Keep looking for a small Hobart, Miller or Lincoln unit that has provisions for shielding gas. A decent 120 volt unit will set you back around $500-750 new and be worth every cent over the years you will use it. There's not a lot to go wrong with the good ones, so a good used set up from someone that has upgraded can save you a few bucks. There was one on Craigslist today in my area for $250. I am sure you can find one close to you if you choose that route. Just stick to the big three names. (BTW Hobart is made by Miller)

That little flux core box you are looking at is basically useless.

P.S.
If you are a novice welder, you would become quickly frustrated at you inability to learn how to weld with that box. It wouldn't be your fault that you couldn't weld with it, but as a novice you would not know that. A little practice on some scrap metal with a good unit and you will be looking for things to melt together.

Some cheaper models have problems with the wire feed not being stable, as the feed rollers slip at times. For a decent weld, you don't want this to happen. Also the cheaper ones are not very good on maintaining a proper heat range. If your budget warrants it, I'd do what the other guys recommend and buy a brand name welder, used or new. I like the Hobart, but that's just my preference. JMHO. PJ

Gas shielding rather than flux core is the main reason to go with a more expensive unit. Also, a lot of times the cheapo wire feeders have the wire always charged. The trigger is just to activate just the feed, not the feed and and the current. My nephew received one of those like you have pictured for X-mas and was very disappointed.

I have a Hobart 180 Handler for use around the shop, and a Lincoln Ranger on the back of my welding truck. I sometimes wish I would have got the 120 volt Hobart for ease of portability.

I picked up the Hobart Handler last year from Northern and it is a great middle of the road MIG welder with all the basic bells and whistles. It will do gas or flux core and for a hobbyist it's suits most purposes.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200306073_200306073

I agree that it's a nice welder for the hobbiest and the price is average. The separate line purge is a good feature, not waisting wire, that some cheap models don't have.

I agree about the HF unit, that's not what you want or need. Move up a bit to a unit that uses gas shielding and has a few more features for wire speed and finer amperage controls. The key to any electrical device that makes them cheap or inexpensive is the quality of the wiring and transformer windings. The cheap units use the minimum amount of windings on transformers and those tend to heat up and cause the insulation to break down shorting out the unit. The more use they get the more likely they are to fail. Go with a quality unit such as a Lincoln, Miller, or Hobart that you can get service and parts for if needed. You'll pay a bit more going in but it will be worth it. You might check craigslist in your area, I've seen some good deals on small MIG units there. Brands like Snap On or Century are ok, just rebadged units from one of the major brands and parts are available for those as well.

I have been looking on Craigslist, and I see what appear to be a few good deals in my area. I would like to get a Lincoln, since that is what I was used to, at least until a "friend" borrowed it for a while, and then moved out of state.

I will keep my eyes open for a better quality used unit. Thanks for the advice guys.