the harbor freight tig - worthless?

[toki]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91811

 

link says it all. no foot pedal, low power, and cheap.

 

I don't think I would be using it for anything over a .120" wall thickness, all steel.

 

I am wondering, from those of you who are educated on what makes a welder worth a damn, if it will be sufficiant for things like welding joints on suspension components. Again it's not like I need to get through some 3/8" plate, just need a weld that will hold. I am thinking things like welding fitted threaded tube ends in when making control arms, etc. Also intercooler and exhaust piping, but I can't see that being a problem.

[grumpyvette]

generally ANY welder for under $300 is going to be highly suspect if quality welds are required , especially a MIG or TIG unit,

look, reading material

 

http://millerwelds.com/education/TIGhandbook/

 

http://millerwelds.com/products/tig/

place to ask questions

 

http://www.weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=10757

 

products

 

http://millerwelds.com/products/tig/econotig/

 

 

http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WD&Category_Code=TW

 

http://www.htpweld.com/

 

http://store.cyberweld.com/millerwelders.html

 

http://www.weldingdirect.com/tig252helsys.html

 

you get what you pay for and $300 won,t buy anything youll be happy with

[G.I.jonas]

Seriously man,do not buy that.I just spent more money on my new tig than i did for my last car($2100) plus accesories and i still nedd about $500 in stuff to get it where i want.For $300 you are way better off trying to find an old mig machine of good brand(even something ancient)used on e-bay or locally.Either that or save some more cash,you simply are not going to get a tig worth owning for less than $1200 and at least $2000 for something worth keeping.This is more than just an opinion(in my opinion)lol

[toki]

roger that....back to the original plan of picking up a decent mig

[proxlamus©]

use that money, buy a mig.

[G.I.jonas]

ROFL!! i love how one of the two advertising points is the fact that it has an adjustment knob lol.And it weighs only 17 pounds??? my tig is 276 lbs!!

[buZy]

When it comes to welding you get what you pay for.

[Pop N Wood]

So in other words no one has any direct experience with that particular unit?

[240hoke]

Well its also a DC unit from what I see... which mean you can't weld aluminum....

 

No foot pedal?? Its almost impossible to weld TIG without being able to change the amperage as you go, pulsing the pedal, stoping and starting, coming up on corners, anything.... you name it you gotta vary the amperage a to make a good weld, unless maybe you are going in a straight line in the middle of new sheet metal

[Lunar240z]

Any decent tig or mig would more than pay for itself throughout your lifetime. [or however long you keep the machine]

[SHO-Z]

Being an old broke down pipe welder I do not really see the need for a foot petal. I welded on everything from a comercial projets to a nuclear power plants. The only time I needed one was making a belt buckle, very fine work. Never got into aluminum welding so could work there.

 

When using a high freq unit the petal was off or all of the way on.

 

I would look at getting a good DC welder and tig torche, unless your want to weld aluminum.

[johnc]

I have used that exact HF TIG welder when doing a trackside repair at Thunderhill. It worked fine for repairing a broken CroMo suspension arm once I figured out how to work with the machine and not expect too much. As a tool to learn how to TIG and for welding steel parts in your garage, its fine and a cheap way to figure out if TIG welding is your thing. Its also something you can stash in the race trailer along with a small bottle of Argon for emergency repairs.

[toki]

hehe yeah, unfortunately all of my tig instruction so far has been on an industrial tig machine at my school's machine shop...when I have access to that to learn on I wouldn't see much point in buying that thing if I won't actually be able to use it to make stuff, less emergency repairs.

[76s30]

if you hunt there are good deals out there you don;t have to buy new.

I've had the same lincoln dc-250 multi-process machine for years. I got that for 400 bucks with a LN-7 wire feeder and 50 ft power cord to the feeder so I can go ANYWHERE. I added a tig torch and pedal to that for 200 (used but they still work) and just last week I scored a Miller Dialarc ac/dc HF machince with cooler and cart everything minus gas tank and tig torch for 100 bucks thats right 100 bucks. 400 dollars for the tank and torch and consumables. and I'm welding alum at home now. Buying used old equipment for good deals is better than buying new cheap stuff any day.

[Zerrari GTO]

if you hunt there are good deals out there you don;t have to buy new.

I've had the same lincoln dc-250 multi-process machine for years. I got that for 400 bucks with a LN-7 wire feeder and 50 ft power cord to the feeder so I can go ANYWHERE. I added a tig torch and pedal to that for 200 (used but they still work) and just last week I scored a Miller Dialarc ac/dc HF machince with cooler and cart everything minus gas tank and tig torch for 100 bucks thats right 100 bucks. 400 dollars for the tank and torch and consumables. and I'm welding alum at home now. Buying used old equipment for good deals is better than buying new cheap stuff any day.

 

76S30,

I could not agree more; that Harbor Freight contraption is a hand grenade!

Do you have any advice as where to look for used equipment? I bought a good commercial stick welder from a rental store years ago but bought a new Miller MIG about 6 years ago (it's awesome). Any suggestions on where to find a good used TIG would be helpful.

[tannji]

I work at a welding supply shop, with a reasonably busy repair, rental, and trade-in department. Equipment comes and goes, but TIGs and Plasma Cutters dont seem to, or at least, the ones we get are either abused, or not worth looking at in the first place. It seems to me that people with a good TIG or Plasma use them until dead, or have a list of people who want their machine if they upgrade. I have been waiting almost a year for the right deal... and the longer I wait, the more I learn, which translates into: the machines I want go for almost as much used as they sold for new. Even on Ebay, it seems by the time you factor in accessories and shipping, you are not saving enough generally to justify not getting a new warranty. There are exceptions, but thus far I have missed out on them, lol. As pointed out earlier, if there is an older machine that will do... jump on it. Look for them in auctions and going out of business sales. I have helped several customers lately that were buying accessories and consumables for auctioned machines, which can go for very low, sometimes even sold by weight, lol. I just need to make the time to get to some auctions.

[76s30]

My lincoln came from an auction. My miller I got at a redneck yard sale.

(redneck yard sale ... well there was a trailer home, a camaro for sale, some harley parts.... yep I think that qualifies)

 

He also paid 100 for it don;t know where he got it, probably an auction.

go to as many auctions as you can, especialy if your tring to put together a decent shop going on a budget. I've bought lots of my tools at auctions with great sucess. just go with an open mind, if you think you might need it and the price is dirt A$$ cheap, jump on it you can alwasy sell it for a profit. Thats my number one rule when I go, I only buy if I know I can sell it for more. Don't go just looking for one thing, that donest get you far.

 

after a while of hunting you make contacts, then the stuff just starts finding you.

 

I've been hunting for equipment for 5 years now and probably wont ever stop.

[Tony D]

It seems to me that people with a good TIG or Plasma use them until dead, or have a list of people who want their machine if they upgrade.

 

Yep, I had to wait till someone retired and only then did I get his machine. A Cybertig modular unit (state of the art, 1975!)

 

I have seen the EXACT same model that I got (with coolant cart, three bottles of gasses, foot pedal, attachments out the ying-yang, the owners/instruction manual AND original bill of sale!) sell for almost 10X what I paid for it ($350).

 

It was worth it---with this machine there is NOTHING I can't get done. This was an old welder, but functioned fine and I watched it in operation to the day I came to pick it up! Having to run a 100A 220 line for it was small potatoes...for the price I got it, I'd buy a GENERATOR to run it if I had to!

 

Same place I bought my Bridgeport as well. Curiously, it was new in 1975 as well... See the pattern here? LOL

 

Now, if I could only convince him to sell me that 12X48 Atlas Lathe he has (same price, $350...but then he backed out at the last minute and kept it for himself to 'look at in the storage unit') the guy has EVERY attachment for that thing... and I reallllly want that gem. Same situation: old equipment owned by a German who emigrated after the war and believed in maintaining his tools.

 

Curiously, he also was very particular who he would sell to as well. I had a cohort that worked with me, who he refused to sell anything to because he felt he was not a 'craftsman' as he'd watched him use a hammer a bit too much over the years...if you catch my drift. That was kind of funny. Guess it made me feel special that he'd sell me his two biggest pieces of equipment from his shop as well. "I know you will take care of them!" was the last thing he said after we loaded up.

 

Watch for shops closing, or being reposessed. Deals are out there, you just have to keep that money in reserve and be able to move NOW to get them.

[PUSHER]

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1433370

[Careless]

what I paid for it ($350)

 

hahaha, that's what i paid for my 225 amp Powermate, and MAN can this thing ever throw a bead down.

 

Forget sizzling steak. it sounds like a jet-liner, it's so smooth!

 

HORRAY FOR 350 DOLLAR (currency unmentioned) WELDERS and THEIR PURCHASERS!

 

mine was made in 87! so 20 years old

 

 

CHYEAAAAAAAA