Grizzly H8153 TIG/Stick welder - Anybody ever heard of this?

[California]

Grizzly H8153 220V TIG-Pulse 160 amp, Stick 130 amp welder.

I just picked this up at a garage sale. I don't have a 220V outlet here at home in town to see if it works so I'll have to wait until I get back to the ranch next week to try it.

All I can find online is a couple of reviews when Grizzly sold these in 2007, its manuals, and Grizzly's listing showing it is discontinued and no parts available. It sold back then for $525. Hopefully it's a step above Harbor Freight's $400 #62486 that has similar specs.

I need to read the manual but my question here is does anyone have one of these, and is it a competent tool? What can I expect for reliability considering its an orphan?

I didn't pay much for it so as I noted in another thread this is one of those gambles where you win more often than not, but its definitely a gamble.

Comments welcome!

 

[California]

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Are there other similar welders?

I would like to learn more about what I bought if anyone has experience with something similar.

 

[George2615]

I've seen and used the Grizzly band saws before. They seem like a good product. Never knew they had a TIG / stick welder nor anyone that owns one. All of my welding is done by stick, mig, or torch.
I've thought of getting a TIG setup but I'd like to try it first before spending $$$ and I have no one around that i know that has one.
It does have a lot more knobs than the HF one. Not sure what each does.

 

[k0ua]

Well, what can we say. I don't know how much you have in it, and it doesn't really matter all that much I guess. It is DC only on the TIG side, so no Aluminum welding, but it does do pulse TIG and it has HF start so that is good. I didn't see what the duty cycle was. But no, I have never seen one and don't know anything about them other than it looks a lot like the chinese welders that HTP welding supply sells. Check it out and see how it does. Do you know how to operate a TIG machine? And do you has an argon bottle and a regulator?

 

[California]

No bottle or regulator came with it, he kept those for the more expensive TIG machine he upgraded to.

I'm trying to decide if it is worth setting this up properly / use it for stick only / or just resell. At 22 lbs it will be a lot more convenient for stick than pulling out my heavy 230A AC stick welder I use now (same specs as a tombstone) for larger stuff. Does TIG need pure Argon or is Mig 25/75 ok? Yeah, newbie questions.

This came along with another welder (HF180) that I bought as an upgrade for the Century 135 (120 volt) mig I've been using with Flux wire. Price for both welders was very little and today I'm learning why, the first owner made every mod on the HF180 that the experimenters recommend. He said both welders work well ... we'll see when I get back to the ranch where I have 220v. Looking at Craigslist just the two TIG torches seem to be worth what I paid for everything, so I'm not risking much with this purchase.

Is anybody parting out a dead HF180? I need the spool hub etc for 2 lb roll. I discovered the HF180 I just bought has been modified so a 10 lb roll turns more smoothly but that's all that will fit it now.

I'll look at HTP, thanks. This TIG welder is likely similar to something more widely known. Grizzly has a good reputation for moderate-cost imported machinist's stuff, similar to Jet, but it appears Grizzly didn't import this model for very long.

 

[yomax4]

Everything depends on how long it serves you. There are similar DC Tig / Stick units out there for similar price with warranty and are 115/230v. I like the pulse feature which is rare on a small DC unit as are the ramp up and down but not sure how much you'll use them until you are well skilled if you're not already. I hope you got a deal on it and I say Weld On !!

 

[California]

I got the deal of the century on these. So if they're both good, great, if not, then components like the longer stinger for the HF180 would recover what I paid.

Thinking about the TIG welder I really don't have an application for it. My use for a welder is projects like the trailer ball mount I added on the back of my box blade using the elderly 230A AC stick welder. And repairs, for example I added angle iron to stiffen the tongue of my watering trailer after I bent it backing uphill.

My likely next project will be modify this back blade that came free with this tractor so I can hook it with my Qhitch. I'll add plates at the 3-point pins to move the pins forward 4 inches, clear of the chassis. Any stick welder or probably the HF180 will be suitable for this.

 

[Shield Arc]

A Tig welder is very handy to have. Especially for small objects!

 

[k0ua]

Tig is usually pure argon. In the old days they they used helium, hence the term heliarc. Tig is a great thing to have. Especially for thinner materiels and delicate things. The heat affected zone is fairly small. You can also do things like brass and copper with TIG. TIG does require skill and practice, but if you master it, you will really enjoy the control that you have. It is quiet, clean, and it is all up to you.

 

[k0ua]

Tig is usually pure argon. In the old days they they used helium, hence the term heliarc. Tig is a great thing to have. Especially for thinner materials and delicate things. The heat affected zone is fairly small. You can also do things like brass and copper with TIG. TIG does require skill and practice, but if you master it, you will really enjoy the control that you have. It is quiet, clean, and it is all up to you. Here look at these copper "crush washers" I tigged together from 10 ga. copper wire. Nothing special, but I needed some copper crush washers, so I just made some. this is something you can do with TIG. You can't do that with stick, you can't do that with MIG, you could do that with gas if you were really really good, but with TIG it makes little delicate weld jobs easier.

You can make little chains, you can fix little broken brackets that I just couldn't find a new one of. And other ridiculous mending tasks.

 

[California]

Now you guys are talking me into buying the bottle and regulator and setting this thing up properly!

I would like to learn fine work like those examples.

 

[dragoneggs]

I think TIG would be great fun... someday when I have more time than the grind, I will set myself up with an A/C TIG and play with aluminum. I still haven't fired up my spool gun that I got with my MIG!

 

[k0ua]

Now you guys are talking me into buying the bottle and regulator and setting this thing up properly!

I would like to learn fine work like those examples.

Then you have what you need, and apparently at a bargain basement price. The regulator is cheap, about $25, and you can rent a bottle in most places if you want. Go to ebay or HTP and get the regulator.. One like this is fine:

 

[yomax4]

After reading about the Griz. The only downside to it that I see is that it only has an on off switch on the torch. While it does have 4T so you don't have to hold down the paddle once the weld is started, You have no type of remote amp control either on the torch or foot control. You simply set the amperage and start the weld. If you are doing thin material you will have to use the pulse feature to keep the work from getting too hot as you go. Start it out at 1 pulse per second until you get the hang of it.

 

[spursjingles]

Grizzly H8153 220V TIG-Pulse 160 amp, Stick 130 amp welder.

I just picked this up at a garage sale. I don't have a 220V outlet here at home in town to see if it works so I'll have to wait until I get back to the ranch next week to try it.

All I can find online is a couple of reviews when Grizzly sold these in 2007, its manuals, and Grizzly's listing showing it is discontinued and no parts available. It sold back then for $525. Hopefully it's a step above Harbor Freight's $400 #62486 that has similar specs.

I need to read the manual but my question here is does anyone have one of these, and is it a competent tool? What can I expect for reliability considering its an orphan?

I didn't pay much for it so as I noted in another thread this is one of those gambles where you win more often than not, but its definitely a gamble.

Comments welcome!

Get an adapter and plug it into the dryer or stove outlet.

 

[California]

plug it into the dryer or stove outlet.

I don't have any 240V outlets in this house in town. (Everything is natural gas).

At the ranch I have a dryer-type outlet in my shop for my 230A AC stick welder. If this rain ever lets up I'll get over there to try these modern welders I just bought. Meanwhile I'm trying to learn what I can.

 

[dragoneggs]

Get an adapter and plug it into the dryer or stove outlet.

I hate to admit it... but I made an adapter and ran a heavy duty extension cord to my shop to power my 220v Mig, compressor, and tablesaw. Pain in the arse to keep plugging in unplugging though. I so need to install a sub panel in my garage.

 

[California]

Well you win some, lose some. This time's a winner!

I got back to the ranch, cobbled together a dryer outlet to welder cord adapter, and started the other welder of the two I got in this deal. It works fine.

This second one is the current production Harbor Freight MIG 180, model 68886. He modded it with heavier 10 ft stinger, ground cable, and clamp, replacing the HF 6 ft components. Also a big capacitor added, a mystery relay, and copper buss bars replacing some wiring. I've seen threads on upgrading this welder, it looks like he took this to the ultimate.

The guy who sold me these two welders seemed to be a hobbyist, I think retired machinist, who loves to tinker with stuff and all the work looks first rate. He threw in the original HF stinger. On Ebay I see people offering this at $59 & up. If I can get half that for mine (it no longer fits the larger connectors) I've made back what I paid for both welders! Score this gamble a win. Tomorrow I'll set up the Grizzly Tig.

 

[spursjingles]

Will do 1/8 very comfortable.

 

[California]

Everything works!

Yesterday I set up the modded Harbor Freight Mig 180, everything worked as it should.

Today I cobbled together power-cord adapters to get power into the Grizzly Tig. (When I go to town I'll buy a regular 50 amp plug for it to match my other stuff.) Since I don't have gas attached I set it on minimum power and 0.5 sec pulse, (to not overheat the tip) and ran it for a moment. It's all there.

Then I switched to Stick mode, attached that cable, and tried 1/8" 6011. That sure welds cleaner than the same rod run from my 230A-AC Montgomery Wards antique.

Both welders, the HF mig and the Grizzly Tig, are keepers.

I can't understand why he offered them for so little. Not stolen, he provided the purchase receipt for the HF, both manuals, and I found where he has discussed both online including the mods to the HF. He said they had to be sold before he moved this weekend, I guess that's the explanation. His online posts show he has moved up to larger pro welders so these really were unneeded.

I'm happy. :jump::jump::jump: :cheerful::cheerful::cheerful: