Harbor Freight tools thread.

titled my trailer in Maine and was a heck of a lot cheaper too

 

I purchased the for my 170amp HF Welder. It made a world of difference. The arc is not only more steady, but a bit hotter. I actually had to turn back the setting (wire speed) a bit as I started to burn through metal rather than actually welding it.

 

I have the same one. It's great

 

I am about to buy my first welder. From my research I want a flux welder with no gas as it will be used outside.
I am looking at the Harbour Freight option And also saw the option from Northern Tool
http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200632003_200632003?hotline=false

I don't really k ow what I'm looking at, but the northern tool one "looks" nicer I think. I have a coupon code for them to save $20 so the price is basically the same.

Usage will be welding a frame and drawers for the bed of my truck, then whatever other jobs I come up with.

 

Harbor freight it is then! I can pick it up vs shipping.

 

I'm buying the 120v flux welder later this weekend. Is this sometging I need to pick up while buying it? Already plan on a mask and some right angle magnet triangles.

 

Is it something you NEED? Not totally. That type is a bit nicer when dealing with sheet metal over the one that comes with the unit (based on the pic at least).

Id start with what you have and if you are getting a good ground wouldnt worry to much about it. Now if you plan to eventually get a mig/tig or a nicer machine...then i'd go ahead and get since you could move it to the new machine later on.

 

Not sure it's the same model, but I bought one about 13 years ago. Used it a few times, worked well.
I was disappointed with the impact sockets though. The one I was using spilt during the 1st use.

 

The Pro Impact sockets are unbeatable.

The standards not so much.

 

They have an upgraded ground clamp that makes a pretty big difference, the one they come with is pretty weak.

 

Can anyone recommend a HF welder? I have to do some modifying of my bed roll bar to get it to fit the body lines of the cab right. I was looking at cheap stick welders but everyone keeps telling me to get a MIG welder instead.

 

Don't take my advise to far as I have never owned my own Welder, but I plan on buying one for my next trip to HF so I have been researching alot.

Tig welding is better for thinner materials as you can control the temps better. Also by changing your welding rods you can weld more types of material. But I have read it's the hardest to do properly.
Mig you need to have shielding gas in addition to the welder. This type is harder to do outside as the wind can blow away the gas marking for poor welds.
Flux is like mig, bit the shielding gas is contained in the wire. Easy portable, and can work outside easily. Also the one HF has is 120volt so no need for a stronger circuit.

I plan to buy the 120volt flux welder when I get mine. It's currently priced at $99.95.

 

HF has a 25% off Mother's day sale tomorrow for any single reg price item.
I'm gonna get Then go back in and get These never seem to go on sale or have coupons on them.
I've used the Ball Joint Set that I have almost permanently borrowed from @stairgod about 3 times now.
One time on the trail with @HolyHandGrenade , we helped fix @Sub-Zero 's driveshaft, another time it helped me press out a Dakar leaf spring bushing that was a SOB to deal with.
I now believe it's a good investment.

 

My opinion on welders is that they are the poster children for the fact that "if you buy the cheapest there is there is a very good chance you will get the cheapest there is."

I have used that 90 A HF fluxcore unit, my grandson has one, there is no way I would recommend it over a typical 225 A AC/DC unit. Use low hydrogen rods (7018 is my favourite) on DC reverse--good looking, strong welds on nearly any steel. I have been looking at as a more compact replacement for my 35+ year-old Lincoln 225...

 

I agree that the cheapest is oftem the cheapest, but I don't have a 220 circuit so from what I've seen that doesn't leave many options.

 

Unless your house is 45+ years old you must have a 240 V split phase entry, if you have an electric stove/clothes dryer/whatever that is an "on demand" just tap off of that breaker and add a 30A receptacle right next to the breaker panel--don't use the stove/dryer/whatever while welding and you're in business...

 

I have both the HF 90 Amp and the HF 170 Amp. While the difference is night and day, the 170 is far more capable, that doesn't mean that 90 amp is useless. I have built two cargo racks, one for a trailer, and one for the camper shell on my Taco, with my 90 amp. The real trick is that it is AC instead of DC, so getting good penetration is/can be, difficult.

If you don't have an available 220 plug, the 90 amp will work for small projects, if you keep some things in mind.

1) Don't try welding thicker than 1/8 steel. You can "stick" 3/16 together, but the weld isn't very strong. 1/8" seems to work just fine with max settings however.
2) Make sure you have a good ground clamp location. Clean the area with a wire brush or even a quick hit from a grinder. A bad ground will just leave you frustrated and bad welds.
3) Practice. Get some junk pieces of steal and practice a lot. Old bike frames, broken casing for a washing machine, chain link fence post (see note about galvanized steel), really just about anything made of steel.
4) Be careful. Safety first, no bull. Don't weld wet metal. Don't weld while standing in water. (Yes people do it)
5) Welding galvanized metal can kill you. It will emit a gas that is toxic as you weld it. Simply grind it clean before welding to remove the galvanized coating.
6) Practice some more.
7) Experiment. Try holding the "torch" at different angles and distances from the material. Try "pushing" vs "pulling". Try "Up hill" vs "down hill". You tube can answer questions on how to do these.
8) You can "modify" the 90 amp welder to work with thicker metal. Adding a rectifier (switching output from AC to DC) you can do 3/16 reasonably well, but the head ache of keeping up with it, burning out rectifiers and other issues, just are not worth it. Wait until you can afford a better welder.
9) Use the 90 amp for learning technique. If you can weld well with a HF 90amp, then you can be amazing with anything more powerful.
10) Practice some more.

 

I bought their "Click" Torque Wrench on sale for $20. I tested it against a buddy's $200 Snap-On and it was dead on accurate. It might drift over time but I only needed it for one project.

 

I agree with you, but do not own my home. I will not be altering the electrical of someone else's house. When I own my own house I will pay a electrician to do it proper if it does not already have 220v.

 

The only project I have planned currently is a bed storage system for my Tacoma. Most make them out of wood, and i have a full wood shop, bit would prefer to save the space and weight of wood. Also, it will be cooler....

I bought the welder, red welding helmet, and angle triangles tonight. I then went to Home depot and bought a piece of the metal I plan on using. I'm going to cut it up and weld a bunch of connections for practise before starting on the project. I am planning on using 3/4" square tubing, with 1/16" sidewalls.