t_bush
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Hey All,
I recently purchased a Northern Tool brand fluxcore 110V welder and thought I would share my findings with those that might be interested.
If you just do occasional welding repairs and fabrication this little box works great. I paid $150 USD for it at the local store plus another $40 for an auto darkening helmet.
So far I have run 5# of wire through it. I fabricated some engine mounts, welded reinforcments to a frame, modified an oil pan, and repaired a skid steer and some fence around the farm. No problems at all. The only thing I would fault is the tension adjustment for the wire spool. It either gets too loose or too tight. I put a small wave washer between the wingnut and washer and solved that issue.
It has a good punch to it for a 110V welder. I have not had it overheat yet. The trigger and feed mechanism work well. It is a electrically cold tip machine with a built in contactor.
It is not going to do the things you can do with a MIG or TIG box, but it has done all I need and I do not have to mess about with gas cylinders. It has worked for me outside in a good breeze too.
I have run three brands of wire through the thing. I started with Hobart wire thinking it would be better than the rest. It worked good. When I ran out of the Hobart stuff I ran the wire that came with the welder, then I got some FirePower brand wire that I got from a local auto store.
The Wire from Northern Tool works the best. It has a nice steady arc and light splatter that is easy to remove. The Hobart wire is good, but has a harsher crackle, more splatter and more smoke. The smoke makes it more difficult to watch the molten pool. The FirePower wire is not pleasant at all. Very harsh arc, lots of splatter that is difficult to remove and a lot of smoke. I will not be buying any more of that stuff.
The Northern brand autodark helmet works well. Just be sure to check the shade setting each time you put it on. I managed to accidently turn the shade knob down and got a surprise when I struck up an arc.
Sheet metal can be welded with care. I wouldn't do any body work with this welder. It really shines with items like brackets and mounts.
All in all for occasional use and plug in and go conveinence I say this is $150 well spent.
- Tim
I recently purchased a Northern Tool brand fluxcore 110V welder and thought I would share my findings with those that might be interested.
If you just do occasional welding repairs and fabrication this little box works great. I paid $150 USD for it at the local store plus another $40 for an auto darkening helmet.
So far I have run 5# of wire through it. I fabricated some engine mounts, welded reinforcments to a frame, modified an oil pan, and repaired a skid steer and some fence around the farm. No problems at all. The only thing I would fault is the tension adjustment for the wire spool. It either gets too loose or too tight. I put a small wave washer between the wingnut and washer and solved that issue.
It has a good punch to it for a 110V welder. I have not had it overheat yet. The trigger and feed mechanism work well. It is a electrically cold tip machine with a built in contactor.
It is not going to do the things you can do with a MIG or TIG box, but it has done all I need and I do not have to mess about with gas cylinders. It has worked for me outside in a good breeze too.
I have run three brands of wire through the thing. I started with Hobart wire thinking it would be better than the rest. It worked good. When I ran out of the Hobart stuff I ran the wire that came with the welder, then I got some FirePower brand wire that I got from a local auto store.
The Wire from Northern Tool works the best. It has a nice steady arc and light splatter that is easy to remove. The Hobart wire is good, but has a harsher crackle, more splatter and more smoke. The smoke makes it more difficult to watch the molten pool. The FirePower wire is not pleasant at all. Very harsh arc, lots of splatter that is difficult to remove and a lot of smoke. I will not be buying any more of that stuff.
The Northern brand autodark helmet works well. Just be sure to check the shade setting each time you put it on. I managed to accidently turn the shade knob down and got a surprise when I struck up an arc.
Sheet metal can be welded with care. I wouldn't do any body work with this welder. It really shines with items like brackets and mounts.
All in all for occasional use and plug in and go conveinence I say this is $150 well spent.
- Tim