Author Topic: Harbor Freight Chicago Welder, Any Way to Make it Suck Less? (Read 20902 times)

BUDDERS · « **Reply #30 on:** May 13, 2009, 03:02:01 PM »

I'm glad I read this. I have the $90 HF Flux Core welder too and it spits and spatters all over the place with the HF wire. I'll have to try out the Lincoln wire when I weld up my other half door. The first one came out looking like crap with the HF wire - had to do a lot of grinding and will have to do a bunch of bondo work to get it to look decent. I've done some welding with a nice Miller mig welder that looked way better than this - but then again, it was a high dollar welder my old shop owns. I just bought the cheap HF welder to get me through some home projects and 4 my rig.

When you use the HF wire, you spend more time grinding than welding...LOL...

Thomas P · « **Reply #31 on:** May 13, 2009, 03:48:43 PM »

Quote from: BUDDERS on May 13, 2009, 03:02:01 PM

When you use the HF wire, you spend more time grinding than welding...LOL...

Thats what I was talking about, it would have been cheaper and less time consuming in the end to buy a cheap lincoln, after you spend hours cleaning up welds, and $ on grinding wheels, and flap discs etc.

junya92toy · « **Reply #32 on:** May 13, 2009, 04:55:56 PM »

I have a gmaw in all position, for d1.1 fcaw t71 for all position( dualshield) I have fcaw 3g for d1.5 bridge, smaw 3g bridge, SAW for bridge. when you get certified for d1.5 you can not do any grinding on your test plate. d1.1 you can. I can tig all position on mild, stainless and aluminum too.

BUDDERS · « **Reply #33 on:** May 14, 2009, 07:13:07 AM »

Wow, I have big respect for anyone who can tig weld. I've spent countless hours trying to learn how to do it right and my tig welds always look like crap. Anyone who can tig weld is an artist in my book.

BUDDERS · « **Reply #34 on:** Jul 06, 2009, 01:53:09 PM »

This is the welder I have and I've been using the lincoln wire as suggested on this thread and it seems to be working great, just not pretty welds. I just got done welding all the braces to my front axle housing with it and I think I got this thing down.

Next is welding my MC front spring hanger on my frame - has anyone tried doing that yet with this welder yet? Does it have enough power to penetrate into the frame and spring hanger/crossmember? I'm a little scared since if these weld fail, well, you know the story...

:

hilux-1983 · « **Reply #35 on:** Jul 06, 2009, 02:16:46 PM »

I have a lincoln 125HD from Lowe's. It welds nice and purdy on angle iron. But when I was welding on this tubing with "taiwan" printed on it. It really blew chunks. I had to turn the heat way up and just a tad up on the wire feed. I am using the wire from lowes too. Oh, another thing. I keep blowing the 20 amp breaker after a while of welding. It blows more often when welding on the "taiwan" tubing.

CORRECTION: I got kinda happy with the numbers when typing. I meant 120v, 20 amp breaker

Crawler677 · « **Reply #36 on:** Jul 08, 2009, 08:24:21 PM »

Quote from: hilux-1983 on Jul 06, 2009, 02:16:46 PM

I have a lincoln 125HD from Lowe's. It welds nice and purdy on angle iron. But when I was welding on this tubing with "taiwan" printed on it. It really blew chunks. I had to turn the heat way up and just a tad up on the wire feed. I am using the wire from lowes too. Oh, another thing. I keep blowing the 120 amp breaker after a while of welding. It blows more often when welding on the "taiwan" tubing.

ooff, blowing a 120amp breaker? i assume its a double poll breaker for 220? Is your receptacle wired for 120 amps? 120amps is more then the the entire sub panel im installing in my shop for my 255, which is going to be on a 60amp breaker. Might want to get that checked. if this 120amp is your main breaker in your service panel and the 50, 60 whatever amp for your outlet isnt blowing, theres more then likely something wrong with the breaker.

Sorry

hilux-1983 · « **Reply #37 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 12:42:50 AM »

ttt. see correction below, oops I musta been

emsvitil · « **Reply #38 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 01:38:42 AM »

What else is on the 20 amp circuit?

hilux-1983 · « **Reply #39 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 08:27:19 AM »

Quote from: emsvitil on Jul 09, 2009, 01:38:42 AM

What else is on the 20 amp circuit?

Radio for the garage:)

Dingman. · « **Reply #40 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 09:17:12 AM »

you running off an extension cord?

hilux-1983 · « **Reply #41 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 09:23:00 AM »

Quote from: Dingman. on Jul 09, 2009, 09:17:12 AM

you running off an extension cord?

nope

Dingman. · « **Reply #42 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 09:27:06 AM »

Mine will blow the circuit just for the garage when i weld, but i HAVE to run a small extension cord. I used a much fatter gauge one once, and no problems... So i need to get a fatter guage extension cord.

hilux-1983 · « **Reply #43 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 09:30:41 AM »

Do you have to adjust the settings soo drastically when like I said before: "welding on taiwan stamped tubing compared to angle iron type of steel"

Dingman. · « **Reply #44 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 09:32:24 AM »

No, the lincoln i am running is very consistant..

I just was wondering if your problem had to do with an extension cord, so i guess we got off topic.

94MtnYote · « **Reply #45 on:** Jul 09, 2009, 09:51:33 AM »

Quote from: emsvitil on May 08, 2009, 05:12:30 PM

Is the polarity correct?

should be electrode positive for fluxcore.

crazykooter · « **Reply #46 on:** Jul 15, 2009, 09:37:35 PM »

I have a harbor freight special and the 1st 2 spools a ran thru it were utter crap welds for the most part. Very hard to judge speed for me. Yesterday I picked up a spool of Radnor while from airgas and all I can say is WOW.
Welds are laying out flatter and smoother. Once you remove the flux with a brush the welds are so clean and shinny I hate to mess with them. Not bad for a 14 dollar 2 pound spool.

emsvitil · « **Reply #47 on:** Jul 15, 2009, 10:09:19 PM »

Quote from: crazykooter on Jul 15, 2009, 09:37:35 PM

I have a harbor freight special and the 1st 2 spools a ran thru it were utter crap welds for the most part. Very hard to judge speed for me. Yesterday I picked up a spool of Radnor while from airgas and all I can say is WOW.
Welds are laying out flatter and smoother. Once you remove the flux with a brush the welds are so clean and shinny I hate to mess with them. Not bad for a 14 dollar 2 pound spool.

Is this fluxcore wire?

Crawler677 · « **Reply #48 on:** Jul 15, 2009, 10:20:15 PM »

Quote from: emsvitil on Jul 15, 2009, 10:09:19 PM

Is this fluxcore wire?

"Once you remove the flux with a brush"

Sounds it.

MTNyote, are you sure about electrode positive for fluxcore? i always thought the opposite.

junya92toy · « **Reply #49 on:** Jul 16, 2009, 08:38:05 AM »

No fluxcore self shielding is electrode negitive

crazykooter · « **Reply #50 on:** Jul 16, 2009, 10:27:18 PM »

Heck I am not a big time welder. I just mess with it since I am always big on tryin to learn new things. Welding is an art to me and some of the welds I see on here are amazing. I had a buddy who built drag racing cars and to say the least his welds were some of the best there is. He had a friend driving one of his cars when the main shoot broke and the car went off an the road bout 3/4 mile later and flipped end of end think it was like 5 times along with the rolls. The driver named steve walked away with only a bruised elboy. They est his speed when he went off the bank at 220 mph. Ever since watching him build cars ive wanted to learn the skill. My terms may be off but I am learning just at my pace.
Even with this low end welder I am managing to make some pretty flat even welds with this new Rancor wire. Its a flux core .30 . imo it was night and day diff.
I am gonna be building my bumper this weekend and ill post some of welds so yall can see what I am doing.

junya92toy · « **Reply #51 on:** Jul 17, 2009, 04:57:37 PM »

Sweet keep on trying you will only get better from here.

LilGonzo86 · « **Reply #52 on:** Jul 31, 2009, 05:51:19 PM »

which harbor freight welder is the best one to get

emsvitil · « **Reply #53 on:** Aug 01, 2009, 12:11:23 AM »

Quote from: LilGonzo86 on Jul 31, 2009, 05:51:19 PM

which harbor freight welder is the best one to get

Don't know the best, but don't get one that can't handle hooking up gas...........

LilGonzo86 · « **Reply #54 on:** Aug 01, 2009, 09:09:01 AM »

ok thanks

crazykooter · « **Reply #55 on:** Aug 01, 2009, 11:41:07 PM »

Just a little update on my exp with the HF 90amp model. I am now on my 6th or maybe 7th spool threw it and its been very frustrating at times since it just wont gen enough heat to lay flat welds. Ive messed with wire speed and welding speed with very little success. I have noticed I am getting good penetration but the welds will cont. to look like crap. Either or for the price and the amount of stuff ive welded I would say ive already got my moneys worth out of it. I am deff sticking with radnor wire tho. So far its been the best at leaving less splatter and laying down the flattest. Just a little fyi I guess.
Heres a pic of a decent weld I made while making my bumper.
I just finished making it today but I didnt get a chance to take some pics of it. I wanted to make something diff then any else ive seen out there.

illinoisyotadriver · « **Reply #56 on:** Jan 12, 2010, 12:38:05 PM »

it's all about the wire you use cheap hf wire crapie welds better wire better welds

Foghorn57 · « **Reply #57 on:** Jan 12, 2010, 05:24:11 PM »

My lincoln is a 220v and i have no problems with it. just goes to show you really cant scrimp on the money when it comes to materials. It just like when i did auto painting i used dupont base coat and tried to use a cheap clear only to have it come back 6mos later and haunt me. That was the last time i tried to save money on materials.

Foggy 8)

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