Does anyone have the el-cheapo harbor freight welder? You can buy them on ebay for like $150, or they are on sale at Harbor Freight for $120.

I am not restoring a Pagoda, or trying to build engine mounts, but in my MK2 I have all the interior out and someone drilled two holes in the floor for subwoofer wires, and on my fiero I need to patch a non structural part of sheet metal. I also find myself neededing to do non-stainless steel exhaust pipe welding.

Would this little welder do the job?

I know full well this welder won't lay jesse james "roll of nickels" welds and I won't be able to build a building, but can I do small jobs with it?

I know its a cheap one and not the best quality, but it'll be a hobby welder hardly something I'll be relying on for work anything like that.

I have used a rental, gas-less welder before and had great results, but that was a Lincoln, not a Harbor Freight. It costs $40 to rent the welder, for $120 I may as well own one if it works.

http://www.harborfreight.com/90-amp-flux-wire-welder-98871.html


There is also this one.

http://www.harborfreight.com/120-amp-230-volt-mig-and-flux-welder-97503.html

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68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

Nissan GTR - Nissan Skyline GTS25T - Toyota GTFour - Rover Mini - Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 - Cadillac Eldorado - BMW E30 - BMW 135i

I've got the first one and have been happy with it for the amount of welding I do.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I've got the first one as well. It's served me well but I can only seem to make messy welds, however I am certainly a novice. It is actually not very good on thin metal, much better on thicker metal (22g and thicker, everything else will burn through unless you are VERY careful).

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

A friend has the first one. He says that it's important to use a good quality wire. The HF stuff is rubbish. If you decide to buy it, look around as coupons can routinely be found for that welder for $89.

__________________
With best regards

Al

x2 on the wire, replace it with decent lincoln flux core (available at home depot). I got mine for $89 as well, they have it on sale constantly in my local store.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Here you go.



The limit is only 5 per coupon so don't get too carried away

__________________
With best regards

Al

I bought this guy last year for restoring my SD's and other misc projects..

A bit more expensive than the HF unit but it hasnt let me down yet.

I bought a small bottle for it too.

http://www.eastwood.com/mig-welder-110vac-135a-output.html

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Cruise Control not working? Send me PM or email (jamesdean59@gmail.com). I might be able to help out.
Check here for compatibility, diagnostics, and availability!

(4/11/2020: Hi Everyone! I am still taking orders and replying to emails/PMs/etc, I appreciate your patience in these crazy times. Stay safe and healthy!)


82 300SD 145k
89 420SEL 210k
89 560SEL 118k
90 300SE 262k RIP 5/25/2010
90 560SEL 154k
91 300D 2.5 Turbo. 241k
93 190E 3.0 235k
93 300E 195k

I found a new Linclon 220V unit, the 175 HD from a guy on Craigslist for $400. I seriously doubt it was hot. The guy buys pallet fulls of odd lot merchandise - also sells Makita, etc., too much volume to be hot.

I'm challenged enough with my welding and I gather that it's more demanding with 110 so I guess I made the right choice. Oh well. It's a done deal.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

How does the wire feed on these units behave?

Has anyone had problems with that?

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

One job I was on my bud had his pos harbour freight model mentioned above and I had my lincoln 110. A 20 yr professional welder was working with us and we had to put a piece of plate--an edge on a dozer bucket, The guy tried the HF and quickly disgarded it and did the job with my lincoln--he said he wouldn't even bother pissing on the HF.
He had to make three passes but secured 12" good enough to hold with the lincoln. I mainly use it on sheetmetal.

I wouldn't weld anything to a dozer bucket with the HF welder either.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Kind of like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

That thing looks like an exact knock off of the Lincoln 135A welder. All the reviews are glowing. Where did you buy your small tank?

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

I bought the harbor freight one with the coupon, and went to lowes and bought a Lincoln helmet and spool of lincoln wire. Going to mess with it tonight.


Panzzer -

__________________
68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

Nissan GTR - Nissan Skyline GTS25T - Toyota GTFour - Rover Mini - Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 - Cadillac Eldorado - BMW E30 - BMW 135i

Can't remember the quote I read in a welding book about cheap welders and duty cycles but it had something to do with smoke.