Anyone got info on those Harbor Freight Welders

[SpeedBoy]

I have this mig welder as well and i don't listen to the 10% anymore... Just today i was using it for 20min straight welding 1/8 inch sheet metel and never even blew the welders internal over heat sensor.... I think the 10% is way off or my welders over temp. breaker doesn't work right.

I've heard that the main problem with these welders was the efficiency rate (10% at max power or something like that) meaning that for every continuous minute you wled, you have to let it cool down for 10 minutes. this can be a hassle if you intend to weld for a long period. then you should get something with a higher rate. I don't know about this one thought, here in quebec we have canadian tire instead of harbor freight and i've noticed they offer the same range of products and welding machines.

For stick welders out there, you should use 7014 electrodes at 75-80amps welding downwards. you won't want to weld with anything else. the flux on it has iron and makes it easy to start without sticking on the parts you weld.

with this electrode, anyone can be good!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I have this mig welder as well and i don't listen to the 10% anymore... Just today i was using it for 20min straight welding 1/8 inch sheet metel and never even blew the welders internal over heat sensor.... I think the 10% is way off or my welders over temp. breaker doesn't work right.

There is a substantial difference between can and should. You can get away with exceeding the duty cycle. Should you? No. Ultimately, it will shorten the life of your machine. And don't think that just because your machine didn't go into thermal shutdown, that everything's cool. That mechanism is NOT on a timer, tuned to the duty cycle. Sometimes things have to get blisteringly hot for it to shut down...

I speak from six years of experience welding in the field, having burnt out a couple of Lincolns. My job demanded that I GROSSLY exceed the duty cycles on the machines, and my boss took it all in consideration. He knew he could buy a new machine for about $600 and the warranty was 3 years. Mathematically, it worked out. I could burn my brains out all day long on a machine that worked out to $200/year. After that, throw it out and get a new one. While this concept worked for the business, it's maybe not such a good idea for a hobbyist.

Thermal shutdown? Been there, done that. Blown internal breakers? Been there, done that. Duty cycle? How 'bout 100 on a machine rated at 20?

...But it doesn't mean you should. Treat your machine well, and your grandkids'll be using it- never mind 3 years.

 

[SpeedBoy]

Ya i know i shouldn't do it but i plan on getting a good lincon when this burns up... I have had it for 2 1/2 years and have used it atleast once a week ever since i got it! Im ready for something better im just waiting for it to go and it kinda doesn't want to die lol. I think i will end up using it as a little one to take with me places, back up, ect.