MIG Welder for Beginner/Light Use

[TripleS]

You need to hit the trigger while the wire is touching the ground

 

[Yogi05]

Oh FFS !!
If it wasn't so dark out I'd go set the thing up again and try to run a bead on the hood of my car.
If it didn't work, I'm no further behind.
If I weld my hood, it's punishment for not thinking of that. I figured the trigger only ran the wire feed. No electricity.
In my defense, the manual is a very poorly translated document, and doesn't actually spell out things like that the way
a "welding for dummies" book might.

 

[paulsharvey]

Oh FFS !!
If it wasn't so dark out I'd go set the thing up again and try to run a bead on the hood of my car.
If it didn't work, I'm no further behind.
If I weld my hood, it's punishment for not thinking of that. I figured the trigger only ran the wire feed. No electricity.
In my defense, the manual is a very poorly translated document, and doesn't actually spell out things like that the way
a "welding for dummies" book might.

That's how the absolute bottom of the barrel, Chicago Electric AC one worked, but 99% of them do not send current without trigger pulled.

 

[AirOpsMgr]

Oh FFS !!
If it wasn't so dark out I'd go set the thing up again and try to run a bead on the hood of my car.
If it didn't work, I'm no further behind.
If I weld my hood, it's punishment for not thinking of that. I figured the trigger only ran the wire feed. No electricity.
In my defense, the manual is a very poorly translated document, and doesn't actually spell out things like that the way
a "welding for dummies" book might.

Hope that resolves it for ya, and heck man, don't feel bad, we're all human and nobody is an expert on everything (well, most of us commoners, at least ) ... Chalk it up to a learning experience and now you can provide helpful feedback if someone has a similar issue in the future.

That's the best part of the internet and forums like this, we get to learn from the advice of hundreds if not thousands of others.

 

[BigGG]

That's how the absolute bottom of the barrel, Chicago Electric AC one worked, but 99% of them do not send current without trigger pulled.

I think the majority of the old transformer MIGs kept the wire hot (my Craftsman does too), but my Yes doesn't, only when you pull the trigger.

 

[WranglerX]

I think the majority of the old transformer MIGs kept the wire hot (my Craftsman does too), but my Yes doesn't, only when you pull the trigger.

I though only BOTTOM of barrel old 70 AMP HF welder had a full time hot wire.... Guess if most people were no so cheap, they could get a decent welder with trigger control for weld voltage/current/wire feed..... This is why I try to stay towards the middle/upper end of cost/quality.....Kind of learned this working with power tools while doing fabrications for like 60 years now.....

 

[California]

I think those old HF cheapest AC 'MIG' (flux) welders, the blue ones, were marketed exclusively for beginners who didn't know any better.

After doing decent work with an ancient 230A-AC stick welder I bought HF's 'MIG-90'. It was hopeless. Returned it. I saw a huge number of them on Ebay 'as-new, open box' offered by a liquidator.

A year later after reading about a bad flux wire issue I bought the same thing again. Yep, HF had included such bad wire with the first shipment of that model that the welders were simply un-usable and it seemed near all of them were returned for refund. Note HF's flux wire is labelled DC ONLY so they know their AC flux-wire 'MIG's are bogus.

This second one was adequate for some simple projects within its narrow range of available settings. I eventually replaced this with a used 110v Century DC MIG with similar claimed specs but far better results.

One thing I learned, if a 110v welder claims much more than 90~100 amps output then it has to be run from a 30 amp circuit - which nobody has, without running a new circuit. At that point you might as well have gone with a 240 v welder and circuit.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I have a Vulcan 215 MIG from HF, it can use argon/co2 or just plan argon for cover gas and runs on 115/240v. I'm a newb, so I use wire with flux core still. Works pretty good for what I need.

 

[paulsharvey]

One thing I learned, if a 110v welder claims much more than 90~100 amps output then it has to be run from a 30 amp circuit - which nobody has, without running a new circuit. At that point you might as well have gone with a 240 v welder and circuit.

I would always say dual voltage is better, however, through modern electrical trickery and magic, they really are able to do a lot more with 120V machines then they could 15 years ago.

 

[California]

... through modern electrical trickery and magic, they really are able to do a lot more with 120V machines then they could 15 years ago.

Yeah. But there's a limit. 120 volts and 20 amps as input, 120 x 20 =2400 watts.

Then 20 volts output welding current and 2400 watts energy available, gives 120 amps theoretical maximum output.

Reduce that by some percentage for the inefficiency of the transformer in a cheap welder and you're back to 90 amps output, maximum. A modern solid state welder will do better but if its 100% efficient it still has that 2400 watt limit.

 

[ArlyA]

I tried some 120v wire machines at work but when I got one for home use, it was 240v version. Glad I did because I've used all those extra amps..

 

[Yogi05]

Oh FFS !!
If it wasn't so dark out I'd go set the thing up again and try to run a bead on the hood of my car.
If it didn't work, I'm no further behind.
If I weld my hood, it's punishment for not thinking of that. I figured the trigger only ran the wire feed. No electricity.
In my defense, the manual is a very poorly translated document, and doesn't actually spell out things like that the way
a "welding for dummies" book might.

Didn't get a chance to try it yet, but happened to find out a girl I'm dealing with at work is also a welder.
She smiled and said pull the trigger.
So it's looking that's the problem. I'll be back once I try it for sure.
And I also found someone to do some welding on the frame of a truck I bought recently. It's well beyond my capabilities
but she said she'd do it for me.
Now, will she use by tiny lunchbox welder, or an old school stick I have access to?

 

[old and tired]

Now, will she use by tiny lunchbox welder, or an old school stick I have access to?

Don't care, just take plenty of photos!!!! Only want to check out her welds!

 

[5030]

Yes it looks like Miller does use (some) cheap chinese parts in their welders, however 99% of the rest is made here.

Try 'assembled here'. Made here and assembled here today have become intermingled under the term 'World Class Manufacturing'. I think you'll find if you delve deeper into it, that the majority of internal components are off shore sourced. More to the point of 'Inverter welders', there are no producers of IGBT modules here at all. All imported, 100%

As far as items like DINSE connections, you won't find them on bargain basement entry level machines anyway.


Even my sold Lincoln Square Wave TIG machine came with a hard wired ground cable and no DINSE connector, fyi.

 

[5030]

...and my on going philosophy is... You buy a welder from say Vevor or from Amazon and it pukes or has issues, getting Amazon or Vevor to warranty it will become an exercise in frustration if you can even get warranty satisfaction at all.

HF on the other hand warrants their welders 100% for the first year of ownership, no questions asked (they will replace it with a new one) and the warranty is extendable for an additional 2 years, same deal which is exactly what I did on the 3 machines I bought last year.

Was talking to the manager at the store I purchased them from and he told me, on returned welders that are Vulcan or Titanium (plasma cutters as well) they will send them back to HF to be refurbished and then sell them at a discount. The Chicago stuff, they wind up in the dumpster.

Like I stated earlier on, I sold my Hyper Therm 85 amp plasma cutter, not because there was any issues with it as there wasn't. My primary reason for selling it (when I sold the Lincoln Square Wave TIG machine) was the stupid cost of HT consumables. I can buy consumables (cups and anodes) for about 1/4th the cost of the HT stuff and they are all readily available at any HF store. I use a lot of consumables with my CNC plasma table and in the shop because my preferential method of cutting material is with a plasma cutter and the HF 65 amp cutter comes with the voltage dividing and arc sensing female plug built right in and I used the HT interface cable to join the CNC plasma table to it, it was 100% plug and play and the person I sold the HT to had no use for the interface cable anyway as they don't own a CNC plasma table.

 

[5030]

As far as items like DINSE connections, you won't find them on bargain basement entry level machines anyway.

I might add that refitting to DINSE style connectors is very easy. Many are sold online on Amazon and CK Worldwide also has them in any flavor you want. I tend to buy all my welding perhiperals at Weldfabulous (which is Mississippi Welding, in Winona. Mn and I get my tungsten from Midwest Tungsten in Chicago, Ill. Both have websites and you can buy direct from them.

In fact I buy my filled gas bottles (120 cubic feet) from Weldfabulous as well and they ship them Fed-Ex. When empty I have them refilled at my local Air-Gas in Toledo, Ohio. I don't like renting bottles, I prefer to own them and not pay a yearly rental charge. Besides, I'm **** about having nice no beat up bottles anyway.

 

[California]

...and my on going philosophy is... You buy a welder from say Vevor or from Amazon and it pukes or has issues, getting Amazon or Vevor to warranty it will become an exercise in frustration if you can even get warranty satisfaction at all.

You didn't read my post above, did you. Also I've noted in other posts that their welder listings are accompanied by an separate warranty offer, for example $40 for 4 years on a welder under $150. Does HF match that?

Amazon returns are extremely simple if something doesn't work as claimed in the listing.

Just fill out the form online, and return instructions are provided immediately. Drop off the item at a UPS store (or other Amazon-designated place) and the refund is issued as soon as they are notified it is in the shipper's possession. Easy peasy.

I just did this yesterday with a $20 bogus generic battery I had bought for the Arlo security cams that I use for outdoor critter cameras.

I've returned numerous things to Amazon where the gamble of buying the cheapest, led to a return. No hassle at all.

I like HF, been buying there since their mimeographed 'catalog' days. But Amazon's warranty exchange process is at least as good. This makes it practical to try out stuff that seems to be too good to be true, just send it back if it isn't as good as claimed.

My refund example prior to that bogus battery was the toy excavator Christmas present for my grandson, that I showed in a recent post. Turned out the geometry was so bad that the kid had to lean forward over the controls, making it near impossible to scoop anything. (Amazon link, their own video illustrates this problem). Full refund offered, and in this case they said keep it. I went and bought a similar one with steel levers that works as it should.

Nothing wrong with buying at HF but its also good to be able to try out the wide variety of stuff offered on Amazon due to their no hassle returns. (After considering Project Farm's and other customers' reviews, of course).

 

[5030]

You didn't read my post above, did you. Also I've noted in other posts that their welder listings are accompanied by an separate warranty offer, for example $40 for 4 years on a welder under $150. Does HF match that?

I've returned numerous things to Amazon where the gamble of buying the cheapest, led to a return. No hassle at all.

I like HF, been buying there since their mimeographed 'catalog' days. But Amazon's warranty exchange process is at least as good. This makes it practical to try out stuff that seems to be too good to be true, just send it back if it isn't as good as claimed.

My refund example prior to that bogus battery was the toy excavator Christmas present for my grandson, that I showed in a recent post. Turned out the geometry was so bad that the kid had to lean forward over the controls, making it near impossible to scoop anything. (Amazon link, their own video illustrates this problem). Full refund offered, and in this case they said keep it. I went and bought a similar one with steel levers that works as it should.

Nothing wrong with buying at HF but its also good to be able to try out the wide variety of stuff offered on Amazon due to their no hassle returns. (After considering Project Farm's and other customers' reviews, of course).

Certainly do and up to 3 years I might add. Understand something, I use them in a job shop atmosphere so not a hobby thing at all. Certainly is a heck of a lot easier dealing with a local HF store for warranty exchange that dealing with ANY online seller far as I'm concerned.

I will say that the only item I've returned to HF was their Vulcan roll around large welding cabinet (not the cheap one but the 400 buck one) and the only reason I took it back was the pin lock on the large door, the key didn't match it and I was given a new, in the crate one immediately. The manager even helped me load it because it's very heavy and just fits in the back of my wife's Suburban.

Go read the reviews on it. It's a quality cabinet and the rimmed top holds my Pro Tig the plasma cutter (the 45 amp one) as well as my Everlast water cooler. Fit and finish is top shelf as well and the drawers have ball bearing slides and large wheels and locking casters... and it holds a pair of 120 cubic foot inert gas bottles as well.

In fact all the HF tool cabinets today are top shelf.

Like I said previously, your mileage may vary but I KNOW what mine is.

 

[paulsharvey]

Unless I'm missing something, Titanium welders from HF only have 90 day warranty, unless you buy an extended warranty though them.

 

[Yogi05]

Don't care, just take plenty of photos!!!! Only want to check out her welds!

Buddy who has my truck (work space for me) called this morning and said
there's a guy there right now willing to weld the truck frame I needed welded.
And he would finish up any grinding for clean up welding prep instead of me having to do it.
I said go ahead. He had everything he needed so...

Sorry, no cute welder chick pics. (She is really cute, bouncy, and laughs all the time too.
Kind of sorry I don't get to spend a few hours with her).