MY newest suggestion is the VEVOR mig 250....In all honesty it is better and cheaper. Check my new review on it. vevor is around 250 and better. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
I picked this one up, I was wanting the 170 unit with 120v and 220v but they were out. I got the 140 on a sale. Im going to use it from a 4550 watt generator. I'll be moving my old lincoln stick welder thats a good 40 years old. I'll be adding gas later on the 140. Not worried to much on the heli arc yet. From structural steel welding many years ago the main thing is prepping materials first. Using the flux wire add the splatter spray and the gel. These would be great for so many things. Playing with different rotations for material thicknesses is good. Myself I don't see why one can do thicker material by prepping such as grinding or cutting a channel to fill in multi passes. I always learn from each post I watch from everyone's posts.
Great video, you guys do a great job, no cheap special effects, 70’s -80’s adult film music or scripts. Honest, knowledgeable, thorough and I appreciate there wasn’t some 10 minute antidote unrelated to the actual product… or 5 minutes on packaging. New subscriber.
I've been thinking of getting a welder for quite some time but have been intimidated because I'm not sure of what to buy and I don't wanna spend $800 for just a couple of projects but this is the best review I've seen on one of these. I definitely have my mind made up now
I watched your videos on this a few months ago and picked one up for I think $379 with a coupon (+ warranty), to do bodywork projects on 2 of my cars. Complete welding noob. Really just got going on the projects in the past week. Yesterday I spent about 4 hours just practicing with the welder on some sheet metal scraps to get a feel for it. Came back to rewatch because I remembered that you covered the inductance setting, which I was kind of struggling to figure out. Going to go back and practice some more tomorrow, before I start welding in panels. Thanks for the equipment-specific tutorial!
yea when they were that price it was unbeatable. now they are way more I am putting this one up against it. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html cheaper and better
Nice real world review. Looks like it works pretty slick with sheet metal. At $350 hard to argue. My Century 110 Mig was more than that in the early '90s.
yea mine was I think 699 in 95. which was really cheap at that time. most migs were 1500 back then they had the HF ones but only the chicago electric ones. even back then guys were saying not to buy the HF ones because they didnt work very well. that HF titanium makes welding sheet metal super easy cant wait to use it more tomorrow.
Yeah this little welder does an excellent job. Will definitely get me a bottle for cleaner weld with less sparkling spatter. This is a well worth the investment for those who are just starting out in welding.
That sputtering and sput sput is killing me put the nozzle on the metal with one hand on the wire feed pull the trigger and adjust the speed untill its frying do this with all thickness and forget the chart they have on the welder. Every time you change the temperature set the speed this way and you will smile 😀
As a general rule you will want to "push" the weld any time your mig welding. This pushes the heat ahead of the nozzle, pre-heating the steel and resulting in proper penetration. Especially helpful on thicker material. Looks like a fantastic little welder. Great video too. I'm buying one of these asap
Thanks for your video just bought one yesterday cause my Lincoln broke I’m not a welder but I’m learning but I did not know how to set up the settings now I do thanks building a rear bumper for my semi truck using the same metal you used on second weld you guys did thanks guys god bless you new subscriber here
I agree with you, getting a new welder every 3 years or so means you're getting the latest technology. In NZ we get the choice of 240v and 400v. Three phase comes into my house and my work shed.
@@Mikefngarage Yeah. 3 phase machines are cheap on marketplace here, because nobody has the power to run them. My shop has an old gigantic Miller 3-phase 300-amp Mig welder, and the big 3-phase heaters we have for winter we got for $5 each at an auction.
I'm looking to get this welder for light lawnmower deck repair. From what I see this should be more than enough for what I need. Thanks for a great video. You have a new sub.
I have one of these welders I thank you for putting up the video because I haven't had a chance to hook up gas to mine I've been using it with flux core and like the results I got with that but after seeing this I am definitely going to get the bottle of argon CO2 and go to solid wire thanks for posting
@@nony350 It has excellent penetration on 1/8 3/16 And then something it's not rated for I did. With a bevel joint on 1/4 inche and its holding pretty well.
Welcome to the future nice weld for the first time. I am using an ESAB Caddy Mig Welder C200i a great welder machine to Its a semi-automatic or as you say an Inverter welder. to a price of 400 us dollar or 10.000,-Norwegian krone. Congratulations with your new welder have fun Greetings HCS Norway. .
Thanks for the review. I appreciate your working on different thicknesses and trying different heats and wire speeds - VERY informative for this noob in the Research phase.
just bought the 140. Welding instructor recommended this welder. He recommended buying the warranty as Harbor F has a excellent product guarantee. Anything goes wrong they will replace. if i get tired of welding I can take it back for a full credit towards anything in the store with a warranty. We will see how well it holds up...
I have been using this welder for a while now. I almost never use my CENTURY welder anymore. I replaced it 1 time on warranty. I did not renew the warranty because it has been working so well. Now the price is $450 and still not bad. Look for a sale. When you use small wire it does not sound the same as when you use the bigger wire on thick metal. So People say my settings were off but it was the wire size.
Have you done more welding with this? How has it held up welding heavier material? Like...could this thing do some vehicle rock sliders and hold up to abuse?
@@johnopina3384 I went through 10 spools of wire and about 20 150 gas bottles. Still working.....MY newest suggestion is the VEVOR mig 250....In all honesty it is better and cheaper. Check my new review on it. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
@@johnopina3384 Weak points on this welder is the gas runs for a bit too long after you stop welding. When you weld thicker steel you do need to change the wire to .030 or .8 mm or it really has a hard time. Other than that it works really good (titanium)....now if you want to save some money, and not deal with that the Vevor eliminates those issues. It does have some other ones but they can easily be fixed. all in the review. Vevor ONLY LIKe $250 and better.
you guys considering this welder. The price has gone up a lot on it.....check out this welder review it is cheaper and IMO a bit better. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
Good vid.... Throw the included wire right in the trash... Go buy some Lincoln or Hobart .23 for body work and a can of the TD-16 tip dip (old tooth brush and a light coat on everything up to the body)... .30 is for structural up to 1/8th, .35 is for >1/8 structural / multi pass. If you are using flux core make sure to switch to black flux nozzle...
Everyone is always talking about how thick it can weld. I need to know how thin it can weld. Need to work on thin autobody. I had bought a Forney 140 FC-i and even on the lowest setting it burned a hole the second you pulled the trigger. Was looking at the Titanium Ultimate 200 model but that would just be better for thicker stuff right? Would hate to spend ~$1,000 for the whole set up if I only need the 140 with gas. Thank you for this video!
I was tempting to go with the 170 but since I dont weld a lot as a hobbyist only. So decided to settle with this 140. At just around 360 bucks after tax not a bad investment for welding here and there as hobbyist. This thing runs on 120 not 110 .
I just picked this up today. I successfully welded 22 gauge with the 20 gauge .030 flux core settings. 80 amps/13.5 volts/5 on inductance.I’m not running a bead but simply tacking every inch and filling in the spaces. Worked beautifully, I noticed it stops itself at about 1 second, so I guess it has a built in timer. I took back the Titanium Easy Flux 125. I could not find a stable setting that was consistent. Sometimes I’d get a good spot weld, next time burn through, next time no penetration... don’t buy that one for less than 18 gauge which is as low as the settings go on the cheat sheet inside the welder. Cant wait to get a bottle next week for .025 wire. Great welder but I’ll probably take it back as well. There are better multi-process welders American Made that are cheaper. The spool gun option is cool though.
An update: I took this welder back. Not because it’s a bad welder, it’s actually a fantastic welder. When I look at the Pittsburgh hand tools at Harbor Freight, and then the Titanium series of welders, it leaves me with a bad case of cognitive dissonance 😂. It’s truly a quality welder and honestly, not something I would associate with the throw away tools I’ve historically bought from HF. That said, at $450 you can get a lot more bang for your buck than a 120v only, GMAW and FCAW with the option to get a spool gun for another $150. Let’s face it, it’s not a Miller or Everlast or even Lincoln. Amazon has the Yeswelder series and I think the 205DS is multiprocess, combining stick, DC TIG, both MIG’s and optional spool gun for the same price. There’s actually an American made brand called Power Man that also has a multiprocess machine for 120v input only at less than $450. I found one for $338 at a farm equipment store online. I had planned on buying that one when Northern Tool had a sale on the 140i for $289 which I bought. However, not having the ability for 240v input and unimpressive welds on 1/8” mild steel made me take it back...... While I was returning it the cashier called the manager for approval. When he came up and asked why I was bringing it back, I told him I would be needing 240v.... he then asked if I’d be interested in a multiprocess model, to which I replied sure but not for $900. He said he had a “new old stock” Klutch 200iDVLCD, which included a free spool gun....... oh, and it’s 240v/120v.... for $300!!! SOLD!!!!! I’ll take three! 😂 There are tons of these Chinese inverter welders coming out. Look around and try them out if you can. There are deals to be had.
Thanks for posting this.. I bought the Chicago welder and was about to give up on welding. I know I’m not the best, but it works terrible on sheet metal. I was looking at this exact welder. Thank you for posting this!
100% agree with your statements of the cheap mig welder at HF. After my Crafstman "lincoln knockoff" broke i was in a pinch. Bought the cheapest HF welder using fluxcore and welded up some 1/4" brackets on my trailer. Set to High setting, I thought they were great welds. Boy was i wrong, the welds didn't even penetrate the trailer metal. It was clean and it only welded the surface. That was it. Lucky for me they were just brackets to hold accessories, but what a waste of money. It's ok for chairs or art work that is it, nothing that is critical or supporting for sure.
yea those cheap ones weld way too cold. Now I really like this welder for about the price of the cheapest harbor freight and it works better than the titanium ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
Just got one brand new in box for 250. Seems like a good deal. Need to figure out where to get gas around me for a reasonable price(New welder, got used to stick and wanted to try mig)
I'd like to see what you think of this welder after 6 months to a year..... I have an eastwood mig 250 also inverter technology and I love it to death. But the harbor freight titanium has digital display that's nice.
hopefully it lasts longer than that I am guessing it will I think I am going to use it as my primary welder for at least that long just to see how long it will last. Lots of people like them too but after using one OMG I think a kid could read that diagram and set the settings and throw down a decent bead with no real experience.
@@Mikefngarage How has this welder held up since?? I have a harbor freight coupon for this welder for 350 that is good thru June 30th. I took intro welding in HS but havent touched a MIG in 15 years, so basically a newbie. Dont want to invest 500+ in a comparable Lincoln or Hobart
I was really looking hard at this welder or the 170, most reviews are positive but I just couldn't spend this type money on a Harbor Freight tool with a 90 day warranty. 90 day is an absolute joke for when your are spending $430 or $550. I ended up selecting the new Everlast Digital Cyclone 140e with a standard 5 year warranty. Reviews on the older model are good and the digital looks even better. Also has a better duty cycle then the Titanium. Time will tell if this was a good pick but I researched all units extensively and this is where I ended up.
Great video...my only complaint is when you combine the credit card with the coupon harbor says your getting 20% off you only get 19% off. They take 10% off the full purchase then they take another 10% off the $385. If this calculation was used to land a man on the moon, we'll I would not want to be that man.
Forgive the dumb question but the specs say it can work without gas - is that true ? I'm a welding noob myself and I don't have somewhere to store a tank of gas
Hi Mike, looks like this would be a good match for myself someday when I'm ready to start welding. Will watch you use it for awhile to see how it holds up. One thing I've found with electronics is they don't like sitting in cold or damp locations for long periods of time. Corrosion!
or the metal shavings. From the reviews I have seen the electronics are pretty good on this one too. Seems like some of the HF name brands are stepping it up a bit. I have the earthquake stuff and the Bauer and so far at least as good as big brands and a little less money.
@@mbirdie12 The welder works great. If you watch my channel you can see it's my number 1 welder to use. The easy flux 125 is ok but the 140 is about right.
The cheaper low amp 110v welders can lay down some decent welds, the problem is they are painfully slow. I have an old century and welding sheet metal i have it on low for heat and 2 for wire speed. What it lacks in power it makes up for with complete lack of travel speed.
Do you think you can do a video welding 1/4 steel? The website says it can do up to 5/16 so i am curious cause I want to build a rear bumper for an off road vehicle so it needs to be strong for recovery of course.
yea that might be productive. I have some .030 wire now. I usually use this for sheet metal but I am very confident it would weld 1/4 inch pretty good...On a multi pass weld of course
@@Mikefngarage That would be awesome! I was looking at the titanium 200 but i don't want to spend 700 on a welder ill only use 2-3 times as i have friends who want bumpers too lol.
While running mig mine starts off extremely slow for 4-5 seconds then speeds up to set speed? Got mine yesterday and can’t figure this out. Figured there was a setting but can’t find anything.
Been wondering how these were. Was thinking about buying one for car sheet metal. But I worry about electronics lasting. But if it lasted 3 to 5 years it would be worth it
Hey mike. What about the warranty? Would you recommend buying one? And how much more cost? Also I interested in doing scrap yard art. Is this what I need? Planing to buy one real soon. thanks
Hey man, know you're a hobbyist and it's not bad work at all but with mig push instead of pull and turn your gas up when your getting that blue color on the outside of the weld.
My next door neighbor worked at Tri Gas and 2 months ago they sold out with out telling the men nothing . They walked in the morning and was told that they did not have a job - get out . He worked there 12 years. I would have had a direct line on gas ? Yeah inverter welders even take less amps to run . I got a stick welder on Ebay that is a D-C 200 output and uses about 12 amps 220 and can burn through 3/16 angle iron ?
@mike - I need to repair my old rusty frame, 3/8ths, I was thinking I need to buy a 220v mig, but curious if u think a machine like this can get hot enough to handle a secure weld like that? I’m a diy hacker, currently using a crappy hf 90amp flux to hack through sheet metal body work, quite painful, need an excise to upgrade
I would say the next size up should be able to do that. I would cut a groove all the way around it. The 240 120 model that is 100 more than this one I am betting is the ticket. OMG from flux to this one will be like a single cylinder motorcycle to a ferrari
You want the 170 for 3/8. I've got the TI 170 mig and its a quite a differnce vs the 140. If your talking welding a cracked car frame, go 170 Amp or larger. You can do 3/8 in multiple passes but your going to struggle and risk a unsafe weld.
The only problem is PUSH with a mig welder that size, don't "drag" and use enough volts to show penetration, and you said it only has 30% duty cycle, that is pretty low, 60% would be better. If you are doing mostly sheet metal you won't have any trouble with that one.
I don't see problems with non metal wire feeders. they're only supposed to be static and be only tensioned very low to just feed wire reliable. metal is good and all but non metal is probably fine for that application.
this welder does not always make the same sound that the others do. it doe not make that perfect buzz when you weld thicker stuff. FYI.....I do know what your saying.
So Mike, based on your review I am about to go pull the trigger on this welder (140), at 59 y/o, this will be my first time welding, but I am also considering the higher end model that also runs on 220v but it is $300 more, for the novus/beginner, the one like you bought should be fine @$349, correct? Keep on buggin Vw!
yea there is a 170 that is 220 110 just like the 140. I would buy the 170 for 499. or if you can find a coupon they sell for 449 on a specific coupon. I bought the 140 because I have another 220 welder. Both are really good and work well. Use the settings on the side door and it will help you get the right setting pretty close. then adjust as you get better at welding.
It does a good weld on thick steel and great weld on sheet metal. On thick steel I would use it but just go slow. Make sure your getting full penetration. It will get good penetration on 1/8 steel but will require multi pass on thicker than that. Personally I could do it with no issues. But I would prefer using my 220 mig welder because it is faster. That welder is capable of welding 1/4 inch steel which is really thick. But you need to know HOW to do it. multi pass good heat setting and .030 wire.
It's normal for it to speed up as you're feeding the wire but you would need to adjust the speed. Just do a small weld test to see how fast it's feeding and slowly adjust the speed down til you get a smooth evenly flow as it weld. If its feeding too fast, you'll feel it pushing down on where you're welding like its back flowing. And secondly adjust the voltage up or down. Too much voltage and you'll burn through the metal making a hole. Too little voltage and it will not melt the flux wire hot enough to penetrate the metal. Keep playing with the two setting till you get a clean penetration and not over penetrating through the back side metal. You'll see a slight bump penetration on the back side.
Im looking to self teach myself , and don’t know really anything about the trade . Does this run off pure electric or does it need a gas hook up ? If does is there any welders than can run off pure Electric
The feed mechanism on the Chicago Electric 125 boogermaster is all plastic. That's what ended up failing on mine. Really debating on getting this to weld in some rocker panels. Otherwise their new DC inverter 125 would work fine for my uses. Not getting another AC boogermaster.
I am not using my other welder after using this one. these work way way too good. Everybody who has bought one so far has been totally happy. I would get the warranty for 1 year though just in case.
Dude this is awesome thanks for the review awesome review! no BS and no like over hypeness true to life genuine review thanks yall i have a stick welder right now but may look into getting this one and it wont hurt my bank account haha 😂 Two thumbs up 👍👍
I still have my own and I did get the warranty because of that reason. IT is harbor freight buy another one and get the warranty and return the one you have.... Wait I didnt say that ha ha.
@@boriskarloff598 thanks yes I ended up exchanging for the 220v welder. It works amazing and I’ve welded some thick metal under serious load with no issues.
I’ll only add a comment that you have the post flow on and you are pulling the nozzle away while the gas is still flowing. Keep the nozzle over the cooling weld to keep the O2 from contaminating the weld. Otherwise you are just wasting gas. The price is cheap because the duty cycle is very low with that machine. Perfectly acceptable for the home hobbyists though.
yea I noticed that. Plus the delay on the wire feed. after gas. Getting used to it now really easy to do small plug welds with. My big one you can lay down welds much faster for big stuff. and it can do that all day. For the smaller stuff the HF is really pretty good.
Mike Fn Garage of course we have ears. We heard you not knowing what you’re doing by simply listening to the machine so I’d say our ears work pretty good and if you want to talk about people making “excuses” then don’t look too far. Just opening the welder doesn’t excuse your content. You made a choice to upload said content. I can’t speak for everyone here but I myself am looking for reviews on this welder to perform as it should. Not to watch someone use it incorrectly. At 20:37 you said you wanted to hear what we had to say in the comments so here we are and you’re getting butthurt about it 🤦🏽♂️
these welders sound totally different. nothing like my other welder sound. It does like the material and the speed but does not sound like it. it is the way it is on these. Cant go by that buy one and try it it is totally different at the same time it is really good.
I just follow the welding chart to get an idea of where to adjust setting to find the sweet spot and this little welder did a fantastic weld. Great penetration and looks clean after cleaning it with a wire wheel.
BUY THE WARRANTY if your considering this machine. I had to return mine because of the Wand getting wire stuck in it. Warranty can be renewed when you return your welder. Figure it like a 39 dollar maintenance fee. Return it every year and get a new one. new updated video ua-cam.com/video/2zD3hiLN_aM/v-deo.html
I hear they UPPED the $$$$$ on the warranty on this......Honestly I would consider this welder instead check out this review. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
MY newest suggestion is the VEVOR mig 250....In all honesty it is better and cheaper. Check my new review on it. vevor is around 250 and better. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
Thanks for posting this. I'm 100% welding noob and will be learning on my own so posts like this with cheap products like this really help me.
Same here!
same
same
Different
Ditto.
I picked this one up, I was wanting the 170 unit with 120v and 220v but they were out. I got the 140 on a sale. Im going to use it from a 4550 watt generator. I'll be moving my old lincoln stick welder thats a good 40 years old. I'll be adding gas later on the 140. Not worried to much on the heli arc yet. From structural steel welding many years ago the main thing is prepping materials first. Using the flux wire add the splatter spray and the gel. These would be great for so many things. Playing with different rotations for material thicknesses is good. Myself I don't see why one can do thicker material by prepping such as grinding or cutting a channel to fill in multi passes. I always learn from each post I watch from everyone's posts.
Perfect cause I need this welder for automotive sheet metal. Thanks guys
Try pushing the weld instead of pulling. It heats the metal in front of the wire and keeps the weld in the gas
This. The angle of the cone forward helps keep the puddle going.
That was the first mig I bought from harbor freight and I love it
Great video, you guys do a great job, no cheap special effects, 70’s -80’s adult film music or scripts. Honest, knowledgeable, thorough and I appreciate there wasn’t some 10 minute antidote unrelated to the actual product… or 5 minutes on packaging.
New subscriber.
I've been thinking of getting a welder for quite some time but have been intimidated because I'm not sure of what to buy and I don't wanna spend $800 for just a couple of projects but this is the best review I've seen on one of these. I definitely have my mind made up now
CHECK OUT A LINCOLN STICK WELDER. USUALLY AT LOWE'S OR HOME DEPOT.
I watched your videos on this a few months ago and picked one up for I think $379 with a coupon (+ warranty), to do bodywork projects on 2 of my cars. Complete welding noob. Really just got going on the projects in the past week. Yesterday I spent about 4 hours just practicing with the welder on some sheet metal scraps to get a feel for it. Came back to rewatch because I remembered that you covered the inductance setting, which I was kind of struggling to figure out. Going to go back and practice some more tomorrow, before I start welding in panels. Thanks for the equipment-specific tutorial!
yea when they were that price it was unbeatable. now they are way more I am putting this one up against it. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html cheaper and better
Might not want to renew the warranty and when it goes bad if it ever does. titanium is pretty good. get this vevor.
Nice real world review. Looks like it works pretty slick with sheet metal. At $350 hard to argue. My Century 110 Mig was more than that in the early '90s.
yea mine was I think 699 in 95. which was really cheap at that time. most migs were 1500 back then they had the HF ones but only the chicago electric ones. even back then guys were saying not to buy the HF ones because they didnt work very well. that HF titanium makes welding sheet metal super easy cant wait to use it more tomorrow.
Yeah this little welder does an excellent job. Will definitely get me a bottle for cleaner weld with less sparkling spatter. This is a well worth the investment for those who are just starting out in welding.
Just got mine...I always used stick welder....So this is new to me.
That sputtering and sput sput is killing me put the nozzle on the metal with one hand on the wire feed pull the trigger and adjust the speed untill its frying do this with all thickness and forget the chart they have on the welder.
Every time you change the temperature set the speed this way and you will smile 😀
Soon as I got that heck of difference
As a general rule you will want to "push" the weld any time your mig welding. This pushes the heat ahead of the nozzle, pre-heating the steel and resulting in proper penetration. Especially helpful on thicker material. Looks like a fantastic little welder. Great video too. I'm buying one of these asap
Agreed, push the weld as the gas is more effective
@@nearpar Are they using gas? Will the same process (pushing) apply for flux core?
@@majorhavoc9693 flux creates slag, and if it makes slag, you drag
Thanks for your video just bought one yesterday cause my Lincoln broke I’m not a welder but I’m learning but I did not know how to set up the settings now I do thanks building a rear bumper for my semi truck using the same metal you used on second weld you guys did thanks guys god bless you new subscriber here
Thakyou sir ,the video will help me alot i bought one today and didnt do a review... But after using it today im happy with mine...
I agree with you, getting a new welder every 3 years or so means you're getting the latest technology.
In NZ we get the choice of 240v and 400v. Three phase comes into my house and my work shed.
man 3 phase wow that would be cool. I could have some serious machines there and huge compressor.
@@Mikefngarage
Yeah. 3 phase machines are cheap on marketplace here, because nobody has the power to run them. My shop has an old gigantic Miller 3-phase 300-amp Mig welder, and the big 3-phase heaters we have for winter we got for $5 each at an auction.
@@cavemanjoe7972 it's the same in the US. 3 phase anything is cheap on the used market.
I have one with spool gun and it really is a great welder, I could not believe how well it has held up so far
I'm looking to get this welder for light lawnmower deck repair. From what I see this should be more than enough for what I need. Thanks for a great video. You have a new sub.
I have one of these welders I thank you for putting up the video because I haven't had a chance to hook up gas to mine I've been using it with flux core and like the results I got with that but after seeing this I am definitely going to get the bottle of argon CO2 and go to solid wire thanks for posting
welds great with gas. OMG so easy to get a good weld.
How is this welder with out the gas hook up does it do a good job to?
@@nony350 It has excellent penetration on 1/8 3/16 And then something it's not rated for I did. With a bevel joint on 1/4 inche and its holding pretty well.
so it works good without the gas? lr dk i need the gas? sorry im new to this
Welcome to the future nice weld for the first time. I am using an ESAB Caddy Mig Welder C200i a great welder machine to Its a semi-automatic or as you say an Inverter welder. to a price of 400 us dollar or 10.000,-Norwegian krone.
Congratulations with your new welder have fun Greetings HCS Norway.
.
Thanks for the review. I appreciate your working on different thicknesses and trying different heats and wire speeds - VERY informative for this noob in the Research phase.
My pleasure!
I am starting to show my settings when I am doing work to help people who got one to know how to set it up.
just bought the 140. Welding instructor recommended this welder. He recommended buying the warranty as Harbor F has a excellent product guarantee. Anything goes wrong they will replace. if i get tired of welding I can take it back for a full credit towards anything in the store with a warranty. We will see how well it holds up...
Thanks for reviewing the Titanium 140, it’s the one most homeowners would buy since it’s a 110v.
120 not 110...
@@mrvang8077 same thing
@@carmenherrera9158Just like it but different.
I have been using this welder for a while now. I almost never use my CENTURY welder anymore. I replaced it 1 time on warranty. I did not renew the warranty because it has been working so well. Now the price is $450 and still not bad. Look for a sale. When you use small wire it does not sound the same as when you use the bigger wire on thick metal. So People say my settings were off but it was the wire size.
Have you done more welding with this? How has it held up welding heavier material? Like...could this thing do some vehicle rock sliders and hold up to abuse?
@@johnopina3384 I went through 10 spools of wire and about 20 150 gas bottles. Still working.....MY newest suggestion is the VEVOR mig 250....In all honesty it is better and cheaper. Check my new review on it. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
@@johnopina3384 Weak points on this welder is the gas runs for a bit too long after you stop welding. When you weld thicker steel you do need to change the wire to .030 or .8 mm or it really has a hard time. Other than that it works really good (titanium)....now if you want to save some money, and not deal with that the Vevor eliminates those issues. It does have some other ones but they can easily be fixed. all in the review. Vevor ONLY LIKe $250 and better.
you guys considering this welder. The price has gone up a lot on it.....check out this welder review it is cheaper and IMO a bit better. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
As a welder it's hard to watch this guy weld ,caring worthy to say the least!
Good vid.... Throw the included wire right in the trash... Go buy some Lincoln or Hobart .23 for body work and a can of the TD-16 tip dip (old tooth brush and a light coat on everything up to the body)... .30 is for structural up to 1/8th, .35 is for >1/8 structural / multi pass. If you are using flux core make sure to switch to black flux nozzle...
Everyone is always talking about how thick it can weld. I need to know how thin it can weld. Need to work on thin autobody. I had bought a Forney 140 FC-i and even on the lowest setting it burned a hole the second you pulled the trigger. Was looking at the Titanium Ultimate 200 model but that would just be better for thicker stuff right? Would hate to spend ~$1,000 for the whole set up if I only need the 140 with gas. Thank you for this video!
Picked this up for $160. Excited to see how it rolls.
I got the 170 I’ve used it to weld up my sprinter exhaust. Not bad for the money.
I was tempting to go with the 170 but since I dont weld a lot as a hobbyist only. So decided to settle with this 140. At just around 360 bucks after tax not a bad investment for welding here and there as hobbyist. This thing runs on 120 not 110 .
Any updates?
I just picked this up today. I successfully welded 22 gauge with the 20 gauge .030 flux core settings. 80 amps/13.5 volts/5 on inductance.I’m not running a bead but simply tacking every inch and filling in the spaces. Worked beautifully, I noticed it stops itself at about 1 second, so I guess it has a built in timer. I took back the Titanium Easy Flux 125. I could not find a stable setting that was consistent. Sometimes I’d get a good spot weld, next time burn through, next time no penetration... don’t buy that one for less than 18 gauge which is as low as the settings go on the cheat sheet inside the welder. Cant wait to get a bottle next week for .025 wire. Great welder but I’ll probably take it back as well. There are better multi-process welders American Made that are cheaper. The spool gun option is cool though.
An update: I took this welder back. Not because it’s a bad welder, it’s actually a fantastic welder. When I look at the Pittsburgh hand tools at Harbor Freight, and then the Titanium series of welders, it leaves me with a bad case of cognitive dissonance 😂. It’s truly a quality welder and honestly, not something I would associate with the throw away tools I’ve historically bought from HF.
That said, at $450 you can get a lot more bang for your buck than a 120v only, GMAW and FCAW with the option to get a spool gun for another $150. Let’s face it, it’s not a Miller or Everlast or even Lincoln. Amazon has the Yeswelder series and I think the 205DS is multiprocess, combining stick, DC TIG, both MIG’s and optional spool gun for the same price. There’s actually an American made brand called Power Man that also has a multiprocess machine for 120v input only at less than $450. I found one for $338 at a farm equipment store online. I had planned on buying that one when Northern Tool had a sale on the 140i for $289 which I bought. However, not having the ability for 240v input and unimpressive welds on 1/8” mild steel made me take it back...... While I was returning it the cashier called the manager for approval. When he came up and asked why I was bringing it back, I told him I would be needing 240v.... he then asked if I’d be interested in a multiprocess model, to which I replied sure but not for $900. He said he had a “new old stock” Klutch 200iDVLCD, which included a free spool gun....... oh, and it’s 240v/120v.... for $300!!! SOLD!!!!! I’ll take three! 😂
There are tons of these Chinese inverter welders coming out. Look around and try them out if you can. There are deals to be had.
Thanks for posting this.. I bought the Chicago welder and was about to give up on welding. I know I’m not the best, but it works terrible on sheet metal. I was looking at this exact welder. Thank you for posting this!
Returning the second one on warranty today. Sounds like the protection relay keeps crapping out. We'll see if third one is the charm.
100% agree with your statements of the cheap mig welder at HF. After my Crafstman "lincoln knockoff" broke i was in a pinch. Bought the cheapest HF welder using fluxcore and welded up some 1/4" brackets on my trailer. Set to High setting, I thought they were great welds. Boy was i wrong, the welds didn't even penetrate the trailer metal. It was clean and it only welded the surface. That was it. Lucky for me they were just brackets to hold accessories, but what a waste of money. It's ok for chairs or art work that is it, nothing that is critical or supporting for sure.
yea those cheap ones weld way too cold. Now I really like this welder for about the price of the cheapest harbor freight and it works better than the titanium ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
Just got one brand new in box for 250. Seems like a good deal. Need to figure out where to get gas around me for a reasonable price(New welder, got used to stick and wanted to try mig)
I'd like to see what you think of this welder after 6 months to a year..... I have an eastwood mig 250 also inverter technology and I love it to death. But the harbor freight titanium has digital display that's nice.
hopefully it lasts longer than that I am guessing it will I think I am going to use it as my primary welder for at least that long just to see how long it will last. Lots of people like them too but after using one OMG I think a kid could read that diagram and set the settings and throw down a decent bead with no real experience.
@@Mikefngarage How has this welder held up since?? I have a harbor freight coupon for this welder for 350 that is good thru June 30th. I took intro welding in HS but havent touched a MIG in 15 years, so basically a newbie. Dont want to invest 500+ in a comparable Lincoln or Hobart
@Dominique Hardie If that's not a MF'ing durability test, I just dont know what it.
I was really looking hard at this welder or the 170, most reviews are positive but I just couldn't spend this type money on a Harbor Freight tool with a 90 day warranty. 90 day is an absolute joke for when your are spending $430 or $550. I ended up selecting the new Everlast Digital Cyclone 140e with a standard 5 year warranty. Reviews on the older model are good and the digital looks even better. Also has a better duty cycle then the Titanium. Time will tell if this was a good pick but I researched all units extensively and this is where I ended up.
Great video...my only complaint is when you combine the credit card with the coupon harbor says your getting 20% off you only get 19% off. They take 10% off the full purchase then they take another 10% off the $385. If this calculation was used to land a man on the moon, we'll I would not want to be that man.
thanks Mike for helping a new welder. I am wondering how the 140 titanium is still holding up?
I have used the titanium 125 and man it surprised me.
Forgive the dumb question but the specs say it can work without gas - is that true ? I'm a welding noob myself and I don't have somewhere to store a tank of gas
this is the 3rd video ive seen on venders sights now in last 2 days, nice bro..
Hi Mike, looks like this would be a good match for myself someday when I'm ready to start welding. Will watch you use it for awhile to see how it holds up. One thing I've found with electronics is they don't like sitting in cold or damp locations for long periods of time. Corrosion!
or the metal shavings. From the reviews I have seen the electronics are pretty good on this one too. Seems like some of the HF name brands are stepping it up a bit. I have the earthquake stuff and the Bauer and so far at least as good as big brands and a little less money.
I got one for $270 and its a very good welder. I uploaded a video of it and its a beast compared to Chicago welders.
does it still perform well?
@@mbirdie12 The welder works great. If you watch my channel you can see it's my number 1 welder to use. The easy flux 125 is ok but the 140 is about right.
it didnt sound adjusted right at all, but the weld looked ok. Surprising
Great video you answered my question without me asking it.
before you buy that one......check out the Simder or the Vevor. they are both better and over $100 cheaper.
The cheaper low amp 110v welders can lay down some decent welds, the problem is they are painfully slow. I have an old century and welding sheet metal i have it on low for heat and 2 for wire speed. What it lacks in power it makes up for with complete lack of travel speed.
Do you regret not buying the dual voltage model considering that you seem to prefer this welder over your old one?
At time 21 were you using gas and pulling instead of pushing? Those welds look very good.
What is the thickest metal you can weld with it.
Never welded before but is this welder good enough to weld a idler bracket plate onto the frame of a truck ?
Do you think you can do a video welding 1/4 steel? The website says it can do up to 5/16 so i am curious cause I want to build a rear bumper for an off road vehicle so it needs to be strong for recovery of course.
yea that might be productive. I have some .030 wire now. I usually use this for sheet metal but I am very confident it would weld 1/4 inch pretty good...On a multi pass weld of course
@@Mikefngarage That would be awesome! I was looking at the titanium 200 but i don't want to spend 700 on a welder ill only use 2-3 times as i have friends who want bumpers too lol.
While running mig mine starts off extremely slow for 4-5 seconds then speeds up to set speed? Got mine yesterday and can’t figure this out. Figured there was a setting but can’t find anything.
Been wondering how these were. Was thinking about buying one for car sheet metal. But I worry about electronics lasting. But if it lasted 3 to 5 years it would be worth it
yea over 1 year no issues. just dont plug it into a generator that might be a problem with the electronics.
How does it perform now? How thick of sheet metal can it weld? Wanting to start a welding business.
Can it stick weld since it has the connectors
Nice welder. Thank you.
Hey mike. What about the warranty? Would you recommend buying one? And how much more cost?
Also I interested in doing scrap yard art. Is this what I need?
Planing to buy one real soon.
thanks
Hey man, know you're a hobbyist and it's not bad work at all but with mig push instead of pull and turn your gas up when your getting that blue color on the outside of the weld.
My next door neighbor worked at Tri Gas and 2 months ago they sold out with out telling the men nothing . They walked in the morning and was told that they did not have a job - get out . He worked there 12 years. I would have had a direct line on gas ? Yeah inverter welders even take less amps to run . I got a stick welder on Ebay that is a D-C 200 output and uses about 12 amps 220 and can burn through 3/16 angle iron ?
@mike - I need to repair my old rusty frame, 3/8ths, I was thinking I need to buy a 220v mig, but curious if u think a machine like this can get hot enough to handle a secure weld like that? I’m a diy hacker, currently using a crappy hf 90amp flux to hack through sheet metal body work, quite painful, need an excise to upgrade
I would say the next size up should be able to do that. I would cut a groove all the way around it. The 240 120 model that is 100 more than this one I am betting is the ticket. OMG from flux to this one will be like a single cylinder motorcycle to a ferrari
You want the 170 for 3/8. I've got the TI 170 mig and its a quite a differnce vs the 140. If your talking welding a cracked car frame, go 170 Amp or larger. You can do 3/8 in multiple passes but your going to struggle and risk a unsafe weld.
I bought this welder a few months ago and I’m welding railroad spikes with it. I have the gas set to 20psi. Does that seem right to you? Thank you.
15lbs is the standard. 20 will work but you use a lot of gas
WILL IT PENATRATE A 1/4 INCH PLATE ?
How is this welder doing after a year
The only problem is PUSH with a mig welder that size, don't "drag" and use enough volts to show penetration, and you said it only has 30% duty cycle, that is pretty low, 60% would be better. If you are doing mostly sheet metal you won't have any trouble with that one.
yea its the KING of sheet metal. some heavier welding would need to give it a break from time to time. I still have my 220 for heavier stuff.
That hard thing with me is finding the settings. It could also be that the metal im messing with is about 1/4 😂
The harbor website says it will weld 1/4” but the chart on the inside says it will only do 1/8”. Interesting.
Great review very informative😊
Do you have issues with the torch hose feeling twisted? like you cant untwist it to get it to hold the torch where you want to?
Does this need gas to run?
I don't see problems with non metal wire feeders. they're only supposed to be static and be only tensioned very low to just feed wire reliable. metal is good and all but non metal is probably fine for that application.
My dad just got this and the 170 he retired the old Lincolns
Are you using gas?
Either the welding machine is dragging or you dont have the wire fast enough, i dont think i heard you set it right through the whole video.
this welder does not always make the same sound that the others do. it doe not make that perfect buzz when you weld thicker stuff. FYI.....I do know what your saying.
? Can I use this with just electric and weld some joist hangers and some conduit onto a conex shipping container?
So Mike, based on your review I am about to go pull the trigger on this welder (140), at 59 y/o, this will be my first time welding, but I am also considering the higher end model that also runs on 220v but it is $300 more, for the novus/beginner, the one like you bought should be fine @$349, correct? Keep on buggin Vw!
yea there is a 170 that is 220 110 just like the 140. I would buy the 170 for 499. or if you can find a coupon they sell for 449 on a specific coupon. I bought the 140 because I have another 220 welder. Both are really good and work well. Use the settings on the side door and it will help you get the right setting pretty close. then adjust as you get better at welding.
@@Mikefngarage Thanks, appreciate your input.
Would you trust this welder to fab up a front winch bumper on a Jeep.
I have a guy local thats selling one of these Mig 140's cheap.
Hell no
It does a good weld on thick steel and great weld on sheet metal. On thick steel I would use it but just go slow. Make sure your getting full penetration. It will get good penetration on 1/8 steel but will require multi pass on thicker than that. Personally I could do it with no issues. But I would prefer using my 220 mig welder because it is faster. That welder is capable of welding 1/4 inch steel which is really thick. But you need to know HOW to do it. multi pass good heat setting and .030 wire.
"This is electric galvanized steel" I like your style.
Thank you!
Does your wire feed start up slow and then speed up? I'm trying to figure out if I got a bad one or if they'll do this
i just bought this welder and i've noticed the same. wire feed is slow for about 2 seconds then it speeds up
It's normal for it to speed up as you're feeding the wire but you would need to adjust the speed. Just do a small weld test to see how fast it's feeding and slowly adjust the speed down til you get a smooth evenly flow as it weld. If its feeding too fast, you'll feel it pushing down on where you're welding like its back flowing. And secondly adjust the voltage up or down. Too much voltage and you'll burn through the metal making a hole. Too little voltage and it will not melt the flux wire hot enough to penetrate the metal. Keep playing with the two setting till you get a clean penetration and not over penetrating through the back side metal. You'll see a slight bump penetration on the back side.
Just got a question whats the nob all the way to the right for ??
inductance. to make the welds flow better. not totally necessary.
@@Mikefngarage but how are u supposed to calibrate it like how does it work exactly??
@@bryanmercado3344 I usually left mine at 5 I dont recall which way does what.
Im looking to self teach myself , and don’t know really anything about the trade . Does this run off pure electric or does it need a gas hook up ? If does is there any welders than can run off pure Electric
Hank Chinaski can this welder use flux cord
Hat size generator do I need to accurately run this machine
wouldnt recommend using it on a gen but 3500w inverter would be the minimum.
Will it run off a 20 Amp breaker 120 reliably???
Yep
I think you just sold me on this one
The feed mechanism on the Chicago Electric 125 boogermaster is all plastic. That's what ended up failing on mine.
Really debating on getting this to weld in some rocker panels. Otherwise their new DC inverter 125 would work fine for my uses. Not getting another AC boogermaster.
I am not using my other welder after using this one. these work way way too good. Everybody who has bought one so far has been totally happy. I would get the warranty for 1 year though just in case.
Grinder and paint make you the welder you AIN’T
Dude this is awesome thanks for the review awesome review! no BS and no like over hypeness true to life genuine review thanks yall i have a stick welder right now but may look into getting this one and it wont hurt my bank account haha 😂 Two thumbs up 👍👍
I appreciate that!
@@Mikefngarage your welcome Sir! Hope you guys had/have a good memorial day weekend :)
this hooks up with gas easy?
You guys don’t weld very often do ya?
I'm learning can you elaborate on what you are see that they're doing wronc?
We're you using gas?
You still like this welder now that you have used for awhile?
yea it is great for sheet metal
I'll buy your old mig... mine just died.
I still have my own and I did get the warranty because of that reason. IT is harbor freight buy another one and get the warranty and return the one you have.... Wait I didnt say that ha ha.
Do you guys think the 110 vs the 220 is a huge benefit?
Absolutely. When I plug in my titanium 170 to 230v you get lots of penetration at a lower setting than 110v.
@@boriskarloff598 thanks yes I ended up exchanging for the 220v welder. It works amazing and I’ve welded some thick metal under serious load with no issues.
Yeah man I picked up one a few weeks ago!! It's the truth bruh and cheap! Folks better get themselves one before they raised the price!! Yup
Is the Vulcan 140 better than the Titanium 140?
not sure on that one I think the Vulcan is a tig too. But I dont think it is ac dc. so I would rather have the mig and tig separate.
I’ll only add a comment that you have the post flow on and you are pulling the nozzle away while the gas is still flowing. Keep the nozzle over the cooling weld to keep the O2 from contaminating the weld. Otherwise you are just wasting gas. The price is cheap because the duty cycle is very low with that machine. Perfectly acceptable for the home hobbyists though.
yea I noticed that. Plus the delay on the wire feed. after gas. Getting used to it now really easy to do small plug welds with. My big one you can lay down welds much faster for big stuff. and it can do that all day. For the smaller stuff the HF is really pretty good.
There's no post flow on GMAW... This feature is only available with a GTAW machine.
it would be amazing if these guys knew what the hell they were doing
I so badly want to reach through the screen and adjust that machine
DUDE REALLY??? we just opened the box do you have ears. Were you listening??? only deaf people have that excuse.
Mike Fn Garage of course we have ears. We heard you not knowing what you’re doing by simply listening to the machine so I’d say our ears work pretty good and if you want to talk about people making “excuses” then don’t look too far. Just opening the welder doesn’t excuse your content. You made a choice to upload said content. I can’t speak for everyone here but I myself am looking for reviews on this welder to perform as it should. Not to watch someone use it incorrectly. At 20:37 you said you wanted to hear what we had to say in the comments so here we are and you’re getting butthurt about it 🤦🏽♂️
@@misaelsantiago guess what? He may of used it wrong but it still performed well. I dare say for how they used it, it performed quite well
@@harleyhiebert2862 you should read my comment again..
Not complaining about welder, complaining about guy doing the weld...;-) need to listen to that welder. it's not happy with speed or voltage.
these welders sound totally different. nothing like my other welder sound. It does like the material and the speed but does not sound like it. it is the way it is on these. Cant go by that buy one and try it it is totally different at the same time it is really good.
I just follow the welding chart to get an idea of where to adjust setting to find the sweet spot and this little welder did a fantastic weld. Great penetration and looks clean after cleaning it with a wire wheel.
It's 50 dollars off right now. The 170 is also 50 bucks off.
BUY THE WARRANTY if your considering this machine. I had to return mine because of the Wand getting wire stuck in it. Warranty can be renewed when you return your welder. Figure it like a 39 dollar maintenance fee. Return it every year and get a new one. new updated video ua-cam.com/video/2zD3hiLN_aM/v-deo.html
I hear they UPPED the $$$$$ on the warranty on this......Honestly I would consider this welder instead check out this review. ua-cam.com/video/sit-JYlAKvU/v-deo.html
Thanks for the video
How’s it holding up
Trying to get into welding but don’t have that much money but this is in my price range