Harbor Frieght Tig welder

Try Miller,i have as i stated in the original post

 

for the umteenth!? time read the original post!

 

I played with one for a bit. I didn't like it, and welding anything more substantial than 3/16ths was pushing it.

 

The last time I needed a spool of Mig wire, I went to my friendly local farm hardware store and all they had was the Chinese stuff. Then I went to HF and theirs was made in Italy, for half the price of the hardware store wire. The stuff feeds just like the name brand Hobart and Lincoln wire. HF's grinding wheels are made in Russia. I've even gotten stuff there that was US made. You may not like some of their stuff, but at least Harbor Freight is honest about where stuff was made. It says it right on every label. I trust HF more than I trust Wal Mart.

 

i have one of the new $399.99, led read out tigs from Hf, yes it has it's draw backs. first is it needs 220 volts and at start up it draws over 20 amps, so it does and will pop the breakers most of us have in the garage. i have 100 amps into my gagarge any way and had over gauged all the wireing 'ie a 15 amp.14 gauge circuit got 12 gauge and so on. my air compresser and welders got 8 guage wire" so i just upped to a 30 amp breaker. second is it's only good for sheet metal .no thicker then 3 /16th. weld a alloy it won't. and my 3rd is the short duty cycle when at full open power. it is a light duty hobby welder and thats about it. if you have one,dealing with it's draw backs is just the way it is.

i also have one of hf's 220 volt.110 amp migs.yes i had several problems with it also.1st a wire spitting problem,thanks to it's plastic linner. took a trip to the local air gas store and came home with a steel linner from a miller, to replace the factory plastic one. cut it down to lengh and ended that problem. another problem i have to say. yes i agree with many .is it's PCB's copper tracks are junk. it over heated and burnt up. with some carefull work i soldered in wire on the full pcb. thats 3 years ago and no problems since.

as to HF's customer service. the people them selfs. no problem, stock on replacement parts, there it just plainly stinks. hence making the tool a throw away many times over. but then i have had the same problem with sears. try getting a part for one of their items at times. i just needed a pcb for my garage door opener. found that after 5 years it was NLA and had to get a full opener kit.

HFT has several different models of each tool. the cheapest is just what they are! throw away's. looking up or around the catalog one can find the same type of tool made at a better grade. the highest priced hand tools they sell work fairly well to do what they are made to do.

yes it's not a snap-on, mac or matco like i used when i was still working as a mechanic.but some grade of the Hf tools are now pretty good, esp.the ones made india that look and feel like my snap-on's.

yes if i had more money and needed a welder for more then a now and then thin steel hobby work. and i would go out and get a miller.hobart or lincoln. but it's good for welding a exhaust pipe or a rust patch on a car's body. we get what we pay for. thats about the truth of it all.

 

i got the miller 180 sd and it kicks ass hooked up a water cooler also for aluminum,habor freight is good for airtools cutoff wheels .alot of times they dicontinue crap and you are stuck with what you bought........

 

I did the same thing. Works like a champ. I've owned it for five years now and not had any other problems.

 

Surgeon,

If you buy a HF will you let the rest of us know your opinion after you've used it some? I think a lot of guys have interest in a cheap tig for light duty use. Thanks,

Jim

 

I love the deals on hand tools, clamps, and hardware, etc. The prices can not be beat! But anything with moving parts, power tools, or this welder should be considered "throw aways" . Use em once and throw em away. my two cents.

 

Never used one, but here's something to think about. A few years back a friend of mine had one of those super cheap MIG machines. He had moderate sucess with it and somehow I ended up trying it out as well - I think maybe because he had less experience than I and initially assumed all his issues were self inflicted. My welds were no better - we both struggled with it - NOT on the THICKER stuff but the THINNER stuff (the reason the welder was purchased in the first place). Since I work with a few electrical genius types I had one take a look at the schematic. He immediately said - no wonder you guys can't weld thin stuff with this machine!!! He ended up modifying the machine to make it weld better on the low end. WHich it did - however it was no where near as nice as my Miller (no shock) but after the mods was better.

So long winded point - I believe that the "thing" you often pay for when buying the high end machines is not only the better grade components, but the better electrical designs as well.

Given that - why not find someone local who will let you try out their HF Tig. If it's acceptable to you and you're ok with everything else then what the heck. I understand that's partly what this post IS, but keep another thing in mind - it's possible that the guys who have this machine may or may not have anything else to compare it to.

My first TIG weldign was an awesome experience - and I knew immediately I needed one.

Years later I tried out an Inverter Tig machine - holy crap now I wish I had one of those!!!!!!

YMMV

 

Harbor Freight tools are great for "arm-chair mechanics". They look great sitting around the shop. But if you plan on actually using them, don't expect them to last. Never buy anything from them that is electric, has a cutting edge, or needs to have precision. Some hand tools are ok, some are junk. As far as a welder, buy a Miller. Look on craig's list. They're out there. I picked up my Miller Syncrowave 200 for half price of a new one and it came with a full bottle. The hour meter read 59 minutes
Just my .02 worth.

 

I have many harbor freight tools and just about all of them work relatively well .. You have to undestand that Hf is like buying a tool you will F@#@@ around with after you get it set up .. I have that welder , paid $199 for it and have welded enough thin ss steel to have made it worth the while , even if it broke today.. Do a couple of gas tanks and your money ahead meanwhile the unit is still working flawlessly ..Remember , its always better to use shit tools and finish a project that to use no tools and read about eveybody else finishing their stuff....

 

perfect,thanks for all the Positive posts and information guys.And Jim i will no worries.

thanks again

 

A friend of mine found a used older HF TIG rig on c-list, and when I wasn't interested he ran over and grabbed it up. Basically it's a small buzz box machine with a TIG converter on top.

DC only, so no aluminum. You have to strike the arc on a copper block then move into the work piece which is a little weird to me. Basically you just turn it on, scratch-start a bead and take off. It was really difficult to learn how to even run a bead on a test piece, I never tried actually doing anything else with it.

Doesn't have enough omph to weld more than about 1/8" or 3/16", very short duty cycle too. Sometimes it would rather pop the breaker than start an arc.

If you don't want to spend the money for a nicer machine, that's cool, everybody's been there. But some stuff's worth what it costs.

 

When I bought my welder, I went to sears and had them price match the H.F. Unit.

 

Got one too it will do everything and dial back to the point you can weld razor blade thickness steel! I have been welding for years and it is one of the best I have used the next would be the Miller Econo Tig.

 

Alfred;
you can explain that or I'm calling B.S.
Went to sears and cheapest tig they had was hobart for $1599.99
No way did they adjust that to the price of H.F. unit?
I've eaten my words before and if wrong this time will do so again
with apologies!
Bill.

 

This is why i hate sit'n in front of the computer i suck at spelling and use'n a kee bord if you try to express your veiws on something you have 20 assholes cutting you down how about trying to se the point im trying to get across and deal with the fact im a fucking retard. HAHAHAHAHAH HIM'S CAINT EVEN SPELL CAMARO WHAT A DUMB FUCKER

 

All I have to add is you will be surprised on what you can do and not spend a ton of $$$$ doing it. You will never know if it works for you until you try it.

Mac Tool Box $5495.00
Snap on Torq Wrench $215.00
Custom Heated Distributer wrench Priceless

 

Picked up my tig attachment today for my Miller arc welder. Torch and arc welder adapter with taxes in was $149.65. I hope to try it out later this week. Still need collet and collet holder and tungsten rods as well as a Ceramic. I have no idea what Ceramic to buy so I am thinking 3/8ths. I could use info on Ceramic sizes if anyone feels generous.
Don

 

I just found out that thermal dynamics makes a 95 amp tig stick combo that plugs into 110 and weighs in at nine pounds. I don't know how it works yet, i got one free with my new plasma. It should be here tommorow, i will let you know.

 

cheap tools arent good and good tools arent cheap..........

 

cheap tools arent good and good tools arent cheap..........

Depends what you want them to do. Also depends what you have to spend.
As a professional mechanic I have worked beside guys who had more money spent on tools and tools boxes than i did on my car or truck. meanwhile I worked 41 years and never felt I lacked anything in tools. Many times I was asked how do you do this or that? Or what do you use to remove this? Fancy tools are no substitute for knowledge and skill. A tool you use once in a while needs to be functional and durable but does not need to break the bank.
Don

 

cheap tools arent good and good tools arent cheap........and Snap on tools aren't either, almost $400.00 for a 3/8's impact and the next week when he came around for the second payment I had to send it back for repair. I told him since it's only a week old and F-ed up I should get a replacement ..he told me "it doesn't work that way"... so F.. Snap On.

 

there is something to be said for buying quality welders etc etc.
sure the cheapo welder will fuse metal, but then its always ugly and boogered up, so you spend a lot of time grinding.

a "real" quality welder has more than a name, it actually has power, a transformer that is bigger than transistor radio ones, sine waves that make welds happy, etc etc. It does make a difference to run a bead that neads no grinding, saves time, looks great and just an all around better quality / penetrating weld. It DOES make a difference.
Now on the the Tig question, me personally, I gave mine away because I was tired of messing with it, didnt want it near me any more or I would feel compelled to "beat" and make a pretty weld with it. It was haunting so it had to go. for some weird reason, always made crappy puddles with it.

 

amen to that.i have near 200k in snap on tools and boxes, all from one dealer. now that i'm retired! try and get one warrenty'ed. at least if i cut up and make a special out of a hf or craftsman i don't cry as hard and they are worth as much as the snap-on used a nickel to a dime on a dollar.

 

Someone said I wouldnt know a good tig if it jump up and bit me on the ass,

OUCH I think one just bit me !!

 

I had an HF MIG that I bought off someone. The feed was horrible. I replaced it with a Lincoln a couple months later. I've had good luck with their air tools, but I wouldn't spend my money on any of their welders. Save up for a Miller.

 

I have a lincon pro 175 Tig/Stick and it works fine for me I think when I purchest it I paid 1800.00 for it, But I do have a couple of HF migs and they are ok for small jobs. I suggest you do what feels right for you and don't pay much attention to the wind Bag they are always out there trying to tell People what they should do.

 

they do offer a 25 month warranty for about 15 bucks.
i just bought a bunch of new welding tips at tractor supply and its funny that all the parts interchange between lincoln,miller,hobart,century and campbell housfeld etc.
the cases and feeds all look identical too.
it makes me wonder if a lot of their lower priced models are made by the same overseas companies.
it would be funny if everybody that was beating their chests about name brand welders were just paying for the pretty paint jobs on the case.
ive been working in the automotive aftermarket for a while and more stuff is badge engineered than you would believe.