Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Tractor Seabee]

Was looking at their welders today. I will be in the market for a new one this month (it's my birthday). Debating on the Titanium 200 Multi Processor, Vulcan 225 Stick, and Vulcan Omni Pro 220. Both the 200 Pro and the Omni Pro 225 would get me into MIG and TIG that I would, but don't have to, learn. My budget is $800 max.

Who in TBN land has experience with these products? The OMNI PRO has some reviews about the software not being accurate and manual adjustments are required. Problem there is if they update the software to fix; there is not input port to feed the data.

Ron

 

[thepumpguysc]

RC>> I still use a laptop for my "home browsing"..
SO what I do is, just take a picture of the coupon on the big laptop screen & pull it up when I'm at the register..
instead of TRYING to pull up a website IN THE STORE.. It works great.. unless they wont honor the coupon {tool cart 86-107.00}

 

[aczlan]

Was looking at their welders today. I will be in the market for a new one this month (it's my birthday). Debating on the Titanium 200 Multi Processor, Vulcan 225 Stick, and Vulcan Omni Pro 220. Both the 200 Pro and the Omni Pro 225 would get me into MIG and TIG that I would, but don't have to, learn. My budget is $800 max.
Who in TBN land has experience with these products? The OMNI PRO has some reviews about the software not being accurate and manual adjustments are required. Problem there is if they update the software to fix; there is not input port to feed the data.
Ron

I would look at Everlast's offerings.
Looking at the OmniPro 220, its rated at
MIG Rated Output:
120V; 100A 19V 40%; 20.8A Input;
240V; 200A 24V 25%; 25.5A Input;

Stick Rated Output:
120V; 80A 23V 40%; 19.5A Input
240V; 175A 27V 25%; 23.7A Input;

TIG Rated Output:
120V; 125A 15V 40%; 20.6A Input
240V: 175A 17V, 30% 15.6A input
That 25% duty cycle for MIG means that you can weld for 2.5 out of every 10 minutes at that power setting.

By comparison, the Everlast PowrtMTS 211SI (which is currently $999) is rated at: PowerMTS 211Si With TIG Package | Everlast Generators
MIG Amps/Volts @ Rated Duty Cycle:
240V
210A/24V @ 35% Duty Cycle/40º C
160A/22V @ 60% Duty Cycle/40º C
130A/20.5V @ 100% Duty Cycle/40º C

TIG Output Amps/Volts @ Rated Duty Cycle:
240V
210/18.4V @ 40% Duty Cycle/40º C
160A/16.4V @ 60% Duty Cycle/40º C
130A/ 15.2V @ 100% Duty Cycle/ 40º C

Stick Amps/Volts @ Rated Duty Cycle:
240V
175A/27V @ 35% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
130A/25.2V @ 60 % Duty Cycle/ 40º C
100A/ 24V @ 100% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
Note that those are at 104F ambient temperatures

On the Vulcan 225, its rated at:
Duty cycle 225A / 29V / 20% (AC), 150A / 26V / 20% (DC)

Everlast has the PowerArc 200STi on sale for $319 (POWERARC 2STi - Stick Welders | Everlast Generators), it is DC only, but has the following ratings:
120V:
120A/24.8V @ 35% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
90A/23.6V @ 60% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
70A/22.8V @ 100% Duty Cycle/ 40º C

240V:
200A/28V @ 35% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
160A/26.4V @ 60% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
130A/25.2V @ 100% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
(waiting on my 200STi to be delivered, should be here on the 8th)

They also have the the i-Mig 200 which does MIG and Stick, currently $639: MIG Welder, Power i-MIG 2 - Everlast Generators
MIG Amps/Volts @ Rated Duty Cycle:
@120V
125A/20.3V @ 35% Duty Cycle/40º C
100A/ 19V @ 60% Duty Cycle/40 º C
75A/17.8V @ 100% Duty Cycle/40º C
@240V
200A/24V @ 35% Duty Cycle/40º C
160A/22V @ 60% Duty Cycle/40º C
130A/20.5V @ 100% Duty Cycle/40º C

Stick Amps/Volts @ Rated Duty Cycle:
@120V:
100A/24V @ 35% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
80A/23.2V @ 60% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
60A/22.4V @ 100% Duty Cycle/ 40º C
@240V:
160A/26.4V @ 35% Duty Cycle/40º C
130A/25.2V @ 60% Duty Cycle/40º C
100A/24V @ 100% Duty Cycle/ 40º C

Aaron Z

 

[rangerfredbob]

I found this thread looking into the Titanium Unlimited 200 welder, and this drove me to reply... as an avid HFT connoisseur this thread is near and dear to me and some of my friends (much to the amusement of other friends, but you guys probably get that too...).

Anywho, there's a whole 3 youtube video's on the Unlimited 200, all with good things to say, and as of last Thursday a whopping 18 reviews on the website... The coupon was for $650 (what the Omnipro was a year ago... where it's $850 now) and expired on the 31st so I acted... went for the extra 2 year warranty for $99 for good measure since I don't have an immediate project for it... welded with it for about 5 minutes with the flux core wire it came with and it did great, now I need to get a bottle so I can go true MIG. I went this route because of the manual settings, I don't want to spend 20 seconds setting the thing up for a 30 second project... plus if the auto settings are off anyway for thick stuff then might as well be manual...

 

[Threepoint]

I found this thread looking into the Titanium Unlimited 200 welder, and this drove me to reply... as an avid HFT connoisseur this thread is near and dear to me and some of my friends (much to the amusement of other friends, but you guys probably get that too...).

Anywho, there's a whole 3 youtube video's on the Unlimited 200, all with good things to say, and as of last Thursday a whopping 18 reviews on the website... The coupon was for $650 (what the Omnipro was a year ago... where it's $850 now) and expired on the 31st so I acted... went for the extra 2 year warranty for $99 for good measure since I don't have an immediate project for it... welded with it for about 5 minutes with the flux core wire it came with and it did great, now I need to get a bottle so I can go true MIG. I went this route because of the manual settings, I don't want to spend 20 seconds setting the thing up for a 30 second project... plus if the auto settings are off anyway for thick stuff then might as well be manual...

Rangerfredbob, welcome to TBN. :welcome:

 

[rangerfredbob]

Thanks Threepoint!

While I'm remembering, there's the free flashlights that used to suck... they aren't 9 LED anymore, they have one good one with a focusing reflector now... now they project a beam of light instead of just some random light going everywhere.. I think I'll start picking them up again... The blue magnetic ones are also improved with one of those strip LED's instead of the array of standard LED's, same if not more light and more focused. I've found they work good for a work light if you pull out the hook and hang it from your shirt neck or if you have a zipper jacket on you can adjust the beam height...

 

[Rock Crawler]

Both the same price, considered by HF to be the same part... But typical of HF, they have different places making similar built and packaged items that all hang in the same hook.

In this case you notice a slight color variance in the labels as well as one touting Chrome vanadium steel while it's sibling is touting high carbon steel.

Question I have.... What is the better too on my 1/4" impact driver? I would think that CV would be more ductile and less likely to break.... Any metallurgical guys on here that would tell me what they would pick for the $4 with 20% coupon?

 

[PJSprog]

Thanks Threepoint!

While I'm remembering, there's the free flashlights that used to suck... they aren't 9 LED anymore, they have one good one with a focusing reflector now... now they project a beam of light instead of just some random light going everywhere.. I think I'll start picking them up again... The blue magnetic ones are also improved with one of those strip LED's instead of the array of standard LED's, same if not more light and more focused. I've found they work good for a work light if you pull out the hook and hang it from your shirt neck or if you have a zipper jacket on you can adjust the beam height...

Welcome to TBN, fredbob.

I have one of those small free flashlights as my nightstand light. That thing will throw a beam from our house to light up the front of the barn 60+ yards away. It's impressive. I've used it so much that the switch has started to wear out and it now occasionally flickers a bit. Time for a new one. I also use one of the magnetic oval-shaped ones when I have to go out to close up the chicken coup at night or when taking out the trash in the wee small hours of the morning. Just put fresh batteries in that one this week, and almost forgot how bright it is as well. It hangs by the back door.

 

[KubotainNH]

Where are you seeing the light bar for $20? I am only seeing $39.99 plus a 25% coupon.

Ha, as you can see from the post after yours, Rock posted the coupon. I did validate that it works on the website.

 

[John_Mc]

Both the same price, considered by HF to be the same part... But typical of HF, they have different places making similar built and packaged items that all hang in the same hook.

In this case you notice a slight color variance in the labels as well as one touting Chrome vanadium steel while it's sibling is touting high carbon steel.

Question I have.... What is the better too on my 1/4" impact driver? I would think that CV would be more ductile and less likely to break.... Any metallurgical guys on here that would tell me what they would pick for the $4 with 20% coupon?View attachment 585610View attachment 585611

I'm what we at work used to call a "Butt Metallurgist" (as in "I'm not a metalurgist, but..." followed by some opinion on metallurgy). I worked in a steel wire mill for decades. We worked with high carbon steel and chrome vanadium. The chrome vanadium is definitely a tougher alloy: it can be heat treated it to higher tensile strengths without getting brittle (there are limits with any alloy, but the limit for most chrome vanadium alloys is higher than for most high carbon steel alloys: that's why you go to the extra expense of the chrome alloy). We used chrome vanadium when a customer needed higher strength, but didn't have the option of simply going to a larger part to get the strength (for example, when weight or space was at a premium).

Having said all of that, it's all in the quality of the steel and the heat treating. Chrome Vanadium is less forgiving of poor heat treating. So this will depend on how well these folks have control of their processing.