Back in 1986 I bought a Pow'r-Mate 90 amp wirefeed 120V welder from the local welding store. It was their cheapest machine amongst their other lines, is no longer made, but it has served me well for 25 years!

I've used it to build several cars and trucks from the frame to the sheetmetal, rollbars, dog kennels, motorcycle parts and about everything that was 3/16" and smaller. For the heavier stuff I use a Lincoln AC 225-S arc welder.

I recently bought a 230V, 120 Amp flux/mig welder, but in six months I still haven't bothered to plug it in. I'll probably wait until the old and familiar wirefeed machine burns out.

You don't need to spend big bucks for a mig welder, the prices have come down in the past 25 years. The technology of 1985 can now be bought for 1/4 the price....Adjusted for inflation, that is a steal!!

In other words, $200 will buy you all the machine (if it's flux) that you will need. If you have more money to spend, that's even better. Flux core only machines have less initial cost because they don't use tanked gas. The cost of tanks and the associated regulators for using solid wire will add a few more hundred dollars the the cost.

Just don't let the high cost of an expensive machine keep you from becoming a hobbiest welder! Harbor Freight can have you welding for under $200!

 

For a day or two! Everything I have bought from them has broke within a few weeks! Cheap china junk, we need to quit supporting them.

 

Lincon Electric 220 w/ gas Argon mix. try to stay away from .035 if possible, .045 is way better(wire) see if the dealer can get you the .35-.45 drive rollers so you can change them. Also get the different contact tips.

Kev

 

Yeah, though you were commenting on my referral to Harbor Freight, I agree with your position. I support American made products, but anymore they are hard to find.

My girlfriend bought me a $475 leather jacket for Christmas at the Harley Dealer, Genuine Harley stuff "An American Legend" it says on the tag. The tag underneath it reads "Made in Indonesia".

I looked at some of the parts for the bike that I bought from American companies, same thing. My Levi's are no longer made in the USA, my gas comes from foreign shores and the number I call for customer service is answered in India. My cell phone is imported, my furniture is imported, my shoes, clothing, tools, auto parts, on and on, they aren't made in the US of A. A portion of my taxes are spent to support foreign nations. It is impossible to not, in some way, support foreign nations in one way or another.

I bought a plasma arc cutter at Harbor Freight, it was either buy it for $700 there or not buy one at $2500 from a supposedly "American" source. Anymore, you don't know where things are made. I would rather have the machine than not have it. Same goes with my other tools, HF can outfit me with a half dozen tools for the price of one "quality" supposedly "American" made one. I'll take my chances now and then on an inferior product, I can always buy the warrantee for 10% more if I'm afraid that the tool will only last me "a day or two".

In your quest to boycott Harbor Freight, are you also going to quit buying clothes, produce, gas, et al?? Do you know where your chosen welder is really made? Do you think that choosing to not buy from HF is going to make a difference?

Our last hope for keeping American made products ended with NAFTA and subsequent '90's free trade agreements. With those passages, just like Ross Perot warned, the money of our country was sucked out.

I'm not saying to buy foreign made products, I'd buy American made, but until there is a change in product descriptions saying "built and made in America with 100% American materials and labor" I'll be suspicious that it is made by a foreign country.

I long for the old days when the USA ruled, when we were free to do as we pleased, bring our guns to school, drag race on the country roads, ride without helmets and buy genuine American made goods. Those days are gone.

 

Woah dude! I think you read into my statement a little too much! I do make purchases at HF...typically things that don't cost much or are disposable. Gloves, zip ties, shrink tubing....stuff like that. I'm just saying, buy a Lincoln, Hobart, miller....it will last forever and when u out grow it you can get most of your money back by selling it. Who is gonna buy a used HF welder? I personally wouldn't buy it new!

I am fully aware that many american parts and products are made over seas or have foreign parts in them. It's nearly impossible to buy 100% American made. You almost make it seem like it's ok to not even try!

I do shop there, for disposable stuff, cause that's what the store is full of!

 

I do not own a welder from HF but I do buy from them, mostly perishables. There is no reason for customers to lie in the product reviews so read them for yourself.
http://www.harborfreight.com/welding...out-98233.html

 

If you get a wire feed welder i was told to get a 220v and even better get a MIG...the gas makes a better bead and even better is the TIG. I took welding in school but only used Arc and gas... My son in law has a Lincoln Mig and works like a charm...He built a custom drop front end for his 66 Chevy II Nova....

 

Good advise is shop on Craigslist.com I bought my 110 flux core welder there about 5 yrs ago. It is a small mig welder without gas. I have used it for just about everything. I wound up picking up for like 100 bucks used. It has more than paid for it self. I even welded all new floor boards in my old car. Without the gas you get a little more splatter and not as smooth of a weld but that is what my grinder was for. Non the less you should check out your local craigslist for a used one.

 

Get lost.