@@StrangeGarage what's the difference between 125 amp flux and a 80-100 amp stick ark welder? At what point should you spend around 300-400 dollars for a 200 amp plus stick welder? My biggest complaint with 125 amp flux core welder is can't dial amps as precise and I'm brand new to welding.
@@MC-hs4mf I know what you mean. Best advice I can give you is keep practicing with what you have. When you get good with that, then switch it up. Get proficient with carrying a puddle and knowing what will be a strong weld. The rest will all fall into place if you get used to looking through the shade. It was really rocky for me, but pushing past the hard learning phase made me a better welder!
The first welder I ever bought was the old 90 amp MIG made by Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight special). I think I paid around $100 or $115 for it, 8 or 9 years ago. Anyway, I bought it just as a cheap, temporary solution. The result was that, even running basic flux through it, I was able to weld anything and everything I found a need to weld, all the way up to 1/4" steel, and I NEVER had a single weld fail. I even used that little 90 amp MIG w/ flux for putting together custom strongman equipment for a local circuit, which included a car-deadlift frame. To test it, we drove a big-ass, lifted, extended cab, 4x4 Silverado onto it and had a couple of guys do a buddy-lift on it. Sure enough, it held. I'm not saying that good welders aren't worth the money, as they are damn good and will usually last a lifetime. But, I will never under estimate a "cheap" welder, ever again.
i was just looking at a HF 125A welder for $130. Looks like you don't need gas for this kind of welder and it works in a regular 120V electrical outlet. Makes it a little easier. i actually have wanted to weld for years. wife just left me, so i got a ton of time on my hands now. lol. i guess this is my path. thanks for the info!
I have this... it welded a crack in an ALUMINUM mower deck that went on to mow hundreds of more lawns, so that alone paid for the welder a few times over. I just wish i had some skills... I recently welded some exhaust pipes up and its just a big old dog turd. OBVIOUSLY its not the machine tho its all my lack of skill. I really wish I had some scrap laying around to practice with... Thinking about making a dumbell/ weight plate rack...
I am a complete welding noob, and looking to build a custom trike frame from square tubing. I've had lots of people tell me this welder cant do the job, but after watching this, I know it can. Thank you!
I used one of these to weld a barrel to a receiver on a homemade gun I made. it worked. I use a decent welder at work that is a snap-on but most of the time I use the 90amp HF at home which is where I do a lot of project welding. I've welded 1/4, 1/8th all the way down to 22 (this is tricky to not burn through) never failed me and even welded a bad 1911 frame. This welder requires a few extra parameters to get a good weld like the bevel, knowing the right speed (I think for 1/4 mine is set 5 1/2 speed and max heat), clean the ass ton of slag off every time your stop but it will do it, if it is not doing it the it is probably due to an extension cord (I see a lot of new people do this). I would not weld a car frame with it and the reason for it is simply because in a lot of cases the gun would not fit in a tight spots resulting in a half ass weld if it was accessible easy I would attempt it. The good welder I use just takes the guess work out of the equation where there is a lot more room for the settings to be slightly off and still weld right. The cons of the HF welder is really a few things that takes modifying the internals to change. Like it welds on an A/C current which is messier and the spatter is extensive, the lack of gas will cause pits if you weld like it is a normal mig (your over lapping slag every time reducing the strength of the weld) I admit I thought it was going to break due to this and the circles are a hard thing to not do but it is necessary. The best thing to keep in mind with this welder is due to its lack of gas it acts more like a stick welder inside of a mig body and due to the use of flux drag your bead don't do the circles like you would a normal stick welder, you want that slag to be a complete case over the weld. I personally think this may be the only reason the weld is OK, if you convert to DC then this welder will weld a little better. Either way I consider this welder to be a good welder at its price point. The 1/4 inch weld is 100% possible with this thing. Usually when people tell me my hobby welder is shit I ask them to point me towards another welder that cost 100 bucks that welding 1/4 steel is possible.
"Your not a Professional..??" Dang man you definitely look like you know what your doing and you are Totally a Professional in My Book......1/4 Steel on a 90 amp AC welder.....making Shhh happen
Bought the same unit a few years back. For the reason I didn't want to drop major $$$ on something I'm not gonna use that often. The times I've used it -It always performed well. For the price I believe it is well worth it.
It sometimes even burns through thinwall exhaust tube, so the sweet spot is probably 3/32" to 3/16", but with great skill you could probably weld 3/64" and get away with it. If I'm in doubt I just hook up the TIG 165, old faithful.
Buddy made a winch bumper with one and it's running a 12k winch on a 5k rig and has winched 250's outta holes and hasent cracked a weld yet, actually broke a cable with a snatch block after lots of use and bumper still doing it's job
-aaallday - That's awesome, makes me feel even more confident about the bumper I made. After watching that chain recovery video you can't be too careful man!
haha i welded the leaf spring perches on my ford 8.8 with one and 30k miles they hold strong. its the person behind the mask that makes a good weld not the machine.
I am a welder and have used this little machine for years... Once people get over their egos they realize that you don't need a miller or Lincoln to get the results you need... Rarely are people welding anything that needs those rigs... Great machine
I made a grill from a gas water heater tank almost 10 years ago on a Harbor Freight welder, and after cooking on it every summer since, not a single weld has broken... it was the very first thing I ever welded.
There’s hell of a lot of snobbery around power, especially so with hobbyist/enthusiast. So many people buy much more than they need to say they have it. Most of us buy a welder to stick two pieces of metal together and get our grinder and paint brushes out at the same time as the machine. I’d be as proud as punch if my welds were as neat as yours. Having said that here in the UK East European machines seem to have largely replaced the Chinese models like the Harbour Freight, these do tend to be more advanced machines that MIG, stick and flux weld at a very reasonable price. I have bought one such machine partly for less smoke indoors, I’ve got a very serious respiratory condition, and for the robust guarantee that will outlive me. This might not be the usual criteria for choosing a welder but they are mine. My total package with a 200amp machine and 0.5kg flux wire, 5kg 3.2mm rods, gloves, automatic darkening helmet, spatter spray, spare tips, spare nozzles, welpers and magnets was around £200 ($246 USD). I’m not sure I will ever use all the rods up! I don’t know about America but the cost of new power tools here has risen significantly since the outbreak of Corvid19 and the offer I went for doesn’t seem to exist anymore. An absolutely brilliant video, thank you.
Thanks for the info about speeding the wire. My problem is me starting at low speed and moving quick thinking i will burned the metal. Now i know i can build walls on my lawn care trailer. Now i gotta buy metal build a cage. I was searching welders maaaaan they charge to high $64 to $80 per hour. I am glad i found this video i will get on it before next season begins. Plus the strength of the weld actually holds.
All Season Landscaping & Handyman I weld like a madman with this machine and the welds hold up! As long as I take my time this is a good welder! Not in the looks department, but weld strength is obviously no issue. Good luck! Glad I could help!
This is an incredibly valuable video to me. I'm Homestead who doesn't do but very little welding and don't want to spend $700 or more on a welder it will only get used once or twice a year for about 10 minutes.
Yeah I have no sponsors, so I get to control my content completely. If my videos are bad then people wont watch them, so I try to make them good. Thanks for watching!
Okay, so I was at a HF sidewalk sale last Summer and found this 90 amp Flux core wire feed welder for $80, but because the box was ripped and the welder frame had a big dent in it, they lowered the price to $55. Then I found this video today and I gotta say, man. I'm even more satisfied than I was when I completed the purchase. Thanks for an amazing demo! I'm sold. I also subscribed.
That’s a good looking weld out of that machine. I just bought one and I’m learning for the first time. Got the 125 because it’s all they have. Either way hopefully one day I can get a weld like that out of it.
Just bought myself a 125 flux welder and your videos give me confidence that ill get here someday, l just tried welding for the first time yesterday and they are by far the worst welds ive ever seen but i got a taste of how to do it lol patience and a steady hand mixed with a little know how and ill be in business in no time, and after seeing you do it i really wanna make a bumber for my truck lol.you gained yourself a follower my fellow washingtonian 😂🙋♂️
Good work on welding such a thick piece of metal with a 90 amp mig welder. The weld was clean no doubt, but its the strength that matters. So what worked. The wire speed or the movement. I think you had a bit of movement going on in there because of which the metals fused strongly with each other.
I'm not a seasoned welder lol but I am testing this tonight haha. I've got some quarter inch to weld and didn't want to buy a 220. With My 90 amp welder I have welded unibody car frames but never anything as big as quarter inch. Thanks for the testimony!
Lololol... being a certified welder who started out self tought on a HF- I always recommend them to new and aspiring welders. Firstly, you'll get valuable experience troubleshooting weld- and a lot of it. Secondly, it forces you to learn to properly prepare your metal. Thirdly, if you can't do the above 2 things and give up, you only have$200 worth of skin in the game. It's refreshing not seeing some douchebag with a financed Esab insisting that anything that you can afford cash is useless. Right on.
@@theoriginalcttheoriginalct6938 Other than you really should be using stainless wire for the higher grades of S.S. this is a very informative test. I knew S.S. wire or rod welds mild steel but flipping the equation and getting such results is interesting. Still, i would not be betting my life on 309-16 S.S. holding welded with that wire. I knew that this wire would join with the carbon molecules. Still very interesting results.
@@gregorytimmons4777 - I think that any welder above beginner would only weld stainless like this in an extreme emergency. Typically, stainless requires a lot more heat for the same thickness as compared to mild. So, I think this video demonstrated the undeniable fact that the HF welder is more than capable of welding mild steel at the stated thickness.
Excellent video here!! I have the same welder and a complete novice at it! My Pop taught me stick welding as a young teen, but that was a lifetime ago!! I need to make some hard face welds on an Anvil that was given to me, in which to level off and resurface the face of the Anvil! I've watched other videos about preheating the Anvil before welding, but need to know what wire to use in the HF 90amp mig welder to accomplish this task?? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance 😎👍 Mongo
Was just reading the reviews on the 125 version of this welder at Harbor Fright dot com and a reviewer references this exact video and your hammering stress test. He wend on to say that the operator has a lot to do with the strength of the weld which I agree. You have skills mate. A+ fun review.
That was an amazing test and i am a believer... It all boils down to electricity and the electricity and arc point to the metal are going to be the same both a $100 or $2000 welder.
DAMN! YOU WENT APE-MONKEY POUNDING ON THAT WELDED RIGHT ANGLE 1/4" JOINT & YOU JUST ABOUT KNOCK OVER THE BENCH & SHE TOOK EVERY BIT OF THE POUNDING! WOW, I'M IMPRESSED TOO! I WAS THINKING THAT I MAY NEED TO BUY A MORE POWERFUL WELDER THAN MY 90 AMP HARBOR FREIGHT WELDER, AS YOU HAVE, TO DO MY FIRST PROJECT TO MAKE A WALL ATTACHED SUPPORT SYSTEM TO KEEP UP MY NEW 5-5 GALLON VERTICAL WATER SHELVING UNIT SHOULD WE HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE USING STOP SIGN LIKE SQUARED METAL MATERIAL THAT WILL BE CUT & WELDED AT RIGHT ANGLES & THIS VIDEO MADE ME A BELIEVER! THANKS!
Pretty cool 😎,,,, you’d be ssurprised what youcan do with a 88 or 90 amp welder like that,,,years ago 16/17 years ago I bought a little wire welder from tractor supply and I believe they called it the tractor supply ranch king or ranch master or farmhand or something like that,,,,I can’t remember,,,but the number on it was 125,,, I thought when I bought it I was getting a 125 amp welder however,,, later on after I bought it I found out the dam thing was only 88 Amps.I surprised the shi+ out of myself sometimes what I could weld with that little thing,,,it had a gas kit sometimes I would run gas however if I was welding some thick stuff I reversed polarity and turned off the gas and used flux core wire I run about 0.30 in mine .I’d clean it up real good and then heat the shi+ out of it with a little handheld propane torch and man you’d be surprised,,, iI seen the other day Harbor freight was offering me a coupon for their 125 amp flux core wire welder for $99 that’s unbelievable,,, I have an older model probably eight years old or so flux core only Hobart EZ 125 wire welder that does pretty good however,,,I may go buy that little harbor freight just to have a back up. By the way very cool video.
Thanks, I bought the 125, because I thought it rated for .25 ( it’s not ) and it’s nice to know it’ll be able to handle it. Nice looking weld too. Any suggestions for someone who’s had only a little experience a long time ago who’s got a big project coming up? Thanks
R. McCloud Yeah, buy extra wire and follow the duty cycle, lol. I burnt up the switch in my 90 amp by not following the duty cycle. I have a couple instructional videos on getting good welds with these welders, It's a good idea to check them out. Just concentrate on the puddle, smooth and steady, and clean the welds well between passes. Good luck brother!
I have one of these lil 90a boxes and it welds damn near every thing I’ve ever needed around my dumpster yard. Not the prettiest welds cause the flux spatters but the welds are strong.
For most stuff, nice isnt necessary, if it should be nice you probably paint it and has to prep it anyway. When I build some "art" I dont remove the spatter because it give them some charactere.
Hey, I appreciate that very much, I'm working hard to improve my content so I'm glad the work is paying off! Dropping another vid in a couple hours, check it out if you'd like.
wow I did not know you could do such a good job with this welder. I have one and have not been able to make this good a weld. I am a beginner so now I see I have some learning to do. thanks for the great video.
Those Harbor freight welders are very under rated. They're excellent. I have the old AC 40/70A welder. I have the DC welder and the gasless mig. I haven't got into the mig yet. The DC I have used but I've not done aluminium welding yet.
Strange Garage Thanks for the info and getting back to me so quickly. I've seen videos of them doing this but I'm not sure which type of welder they're using.
Depends on the type of weld and the desired finished product. For example, pipe welders always bevel (in my experience), and millwrights rarely bevel. I just beveled it for better weld strength.
@@StrangeGarage ah I see! I picked up a good ole HF 125 Amp Flux Core. First welder/never having welded before, just doing a bit of homework first!😜 Thanks for the tips!
Excellent demonstration. I would buy three of these welders- one for welding , one for back up and one for a paper weight and with extra$1700 bucks Id save from buying a high end machine , I d buy a ticket to Australia and chill on a beach reading all the negative comments.
Great video! You're an animal with that hammer, dawg! :) I've been using my HFT flux core for over 5 years and it works great. I've fabricated motorcycle engine stands, a yard trailer for my riding mower, a table for my series of progressive bench grinders and a stand for my heavy duty buffer amongst other projects. How confident am I in it? Tomorrow I start fabricating a motorcycle lift table with it. Heck, I was so happy with it I even did my own YT video on it!
Well I'm certainly glad you made the video because I was thinking about buying one of those welders and now I'm going to but you sure as hell put that Vise through hell such a nice big heavy duty Vice I'm certainly glad you didn't break it during this operation LOL because I thought maybe the place was going to break before the weld but everything seem to turn out okay thanks for the video
Strange Garage you did an awesome job on that weld. Great friggin' demo of what some good talent can do with a cheap tool. Can you please state the brand/model# of the Flux Core wire you used as I've heard over & over HF consumables suck. Thanks !!!
Just picked this unit up new in box with new helmet and new roll cart and 1lb roll of Lincoln wire gloves and hammer, everything is new in box for 100$ did I make out ok ?
Hi just stumbled onto your channel and i just subscribed! I haven't tried my welder on thick metal yet and wanted to see if anyone else did. And for you not being a " professional , you did an awesome job on that weld! Great video!
Putting a bevel on it makes a huge difference with thicker metal, and if all else fails, do multiple passes and clean the weld between passes. Glad you stumbled across my channel! Welcome aboard! Any questions hit me up man.
Nah, everyone knows you can't weld stainless with E71T and a 90 amp AC flux core machine... well, apparently everyone but you! 🤣 All kidding aside, this is a great video. I remember watching it after I picked up the same welder years ago. I knew nothing about welding then, (still don't but I can fake it a lot better now.) I did the DCEN conversion to mine, and a couple of the other mods available on the internet... it made a big difference in performance, and I've built more than a few projects with it since, most notably a rock bumper for my old Willys and an old school coal forge, not to mention a ton of exhaust work. Would I buy one again, knowing what I know now? Maybe, maybe not, but it definitely has served me well over the past 6 years. Great video and demonstration of what can be done on a budget.
Hey strange garage if I build an off road bumper with HF 125 flux core welder and mount a 12000lb winch on it. What do you think it gonna handle it. Can you do some experiment like that please. Thanks
Dude I got the same welder, and my welds just break right off and would NOT fuse with metal im welding, what am i doing wrong? Tried to fix my exhaust with it, and i COULD NOT get the weld to go into the metal if you know what im saying. Even grinding to nice clean metal first. The welder just like pools up on top of the pipe. Wont go down into it. :(
Got the 125 two weeks ago . not bad but hard to weld 1/16 gauge square tube. even on low settings it burns through. i wish this had the second control like Mig 130. Although harbor freight does have higher duty cycle so it's a trade off. not sure if i will keep the 125 and get the MIG 130.
That's my biggest gripe too! Honestly for a serious welder the cheap AC machines aren't the way to go. It is a good learning resource but not a great resource for very many welding applications.
You need to cut a cross section out of that weld and then etch it with some acid to see how much penetration you actually got. I don't know what stainless alloy that is, but typical mild steel is rated at around 36k(IIRC) psi tensile strength. Your wire there should be either a 60k or 70k psi tensile strength, so the filler not failing isn't a surprise.
Its not the welder all the time..its the technique, sure a Lincoln or Miller may outlast it, but their welders are great, I have both the flux core and the gas welder...both are equally compared to Lincolns and Millers....its just those other people that like to spend thier money and say they have the best...well a transformer is a transformer with electricity and arcing out people....great vid..
I know it has been a while since this video, but do you recall your feed speed setting? I am new to welding with the CE 125 and am trying to weld horseshoes.
The welder in this video is a basic machine, with "high/low" power modes. I ran it on high with speed set about 4 or 5. Most flux core welders run well with very low wire speed. If the dial goes to 10 I set it between 2 and 3, with the power set pretty high. They burn great.
Yep. The HF cheapo wire feed welder. Get better wire (read: ANYTHING but HF wire), replace the BS ground clamp, and go real real slow... You'll weld 1/4 if you do multi pass and on both sides if you notch. Nope. Your not repairing battleships hulls. but for 99% of anything us normal folk will haveto weld.. It'll do..
Now why would you say "You'll weld 1/4 if you do multi pass" and "It'll do" when you just saw this guy weld an unbreakable 1/4" bead with a single pass? Just trying to be argumentative? If you had a 900,000 amp welder you'd have to crank it down to just about what he has here and get the same exact weld.
Had he done a second pass it wouldnt have cracked, he didnt fill the bevel at the top which basically created an undercut. Yes it was a good weld, but a multipass would have filled the bevel in better and elimated the stress comcentration area caused by the "undercut"
Bro I legit was looking for a vid if it was possible to weld stainless with flux core and I have the same welding machine and basically you answered my question but welding that to the 1inch stainless plate
A proper bevel that allows really good penetration on the root weld is the key. Good penetration on the subsequent passes and a good cap weld will make a solid weld on 1/4"
I got one of those 90 amp flux core welders but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Besides the fact that the weld held, the weld itself looked very nice. While I haven't welded myself I have watched quite a few videos and I think I can tell a shitty weld from a good looking one. Great job. I am impressed.
I have put lots metal down field, so I have no excuse to lay down bad welds. Thanks for the compliment! These welders work pretty well, great for getting started with welding!
That was quite possibly the most amazing testimony of a good welder I have ever seen on UA-cam. Awesome job!
Sometimes you just get lucky I guess. Thanks for watching!
@@StrangeGarage what's the difference between 125 amp flux and a 80-100 amp stick ark welder? At what point should you spend around 300-400 dollars for a 200 amp plus stick welder?
My biggest complaint with 125 amp flux core welder is can't dial amps as precise and I'm brand new to welding.
@@MC-hs4mf I know what you mean. Best advice I can give you is keep practicing with what you have. When you get good with that, then switch it up. Get proficient with carrying a puddle and knowing what will be a strong weld. The rest will all fall into place if you get used to looking through the shade. It was really rocky for me, but pushing past the hard learning phase made me a better welder!
Yep I definitely agree
I concur
The first welder I ever bought was the old 90 amp MIG made by Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight special). I think I paid around $100 or $115 for it, 8 or 9 years ago. Anyway, I bought it just as a cheap, temporary solution. The result was that, even running basic flux through it, I was able to weld anything and everything I found a need to weld, all the way up to 1/4" steel, and I NEVER had a single weld fail. I even used that little 90 amp MIG w/ flux for putting together custom strongman equipment for a local circuit, which included a car-deadlift frame. To test it, we drove a big-ass, lifted, extended cab, 4x4 Silverado onto it and had a couple of guys do a buddy-lift on it. Sure enough, it held.
I'm not saying that good welders aren't worth the money, as they are damn good and will usually last a lifetime. But, I will never under estimate a "cheap" welder, ever again.
i was just looking at a HF 125A welder for $130. Looks like you don't need gas for this kind of welder and it works in a regular 120V electrical outlet. Makes it a little easier. i actually have wanted to weld for years. wife just left me, so i got a ton of time on my hands now. lol. i guess this is my path. thanks for the info!
@@tomwalling5796 freedom at last!
I have this... it welded a crack in an ALUMINUM mower deck that went on to mow hundreds of more lawns, so that alone paid for the welder a few times over. I just wish i had some skills... I recently welded some exhaust pipes up and its just a big old dog turd. OBVIOUSLY its not the machine tho its all my lack of skill. I really wish I had some scrap laying around to practice with... Thinking about making a dumbell/ weight plate rack...
Anyone who can "do" more, with "less"--has a bright future. . To include you sir...
Igor Sanchez Hey, I appreciate that man! My projects keep me out of trouble! Thanks for watching!
I am a complete welding noob, and looking to build a custom trike frame from square tubing. I've had lots of people tell me this welder cant do the job, but after watching this, I know it can. Thank you!
Did you ever end up finishing it?
Why not round tubing? Round tubing will be stronger.
The frame split in half on him at 75 on the freeway and he is dead
@@garetfitzpatrick2043 na man for real! That's terrible!
@@chrisemerson7743 im just kidding
A lot of the strength of the weld has to do with the talent of the person doing the welding, too. Give yourself some credit.
Thank you. I said the same thing. A good welder is what he is whether harbor freight or Miller.
I used one of these to weld a barrel to a receiver on a homemade gun I made. it worked. I use a decent welder at work that is a snap-on but most of the time I use the 90amp HF at home which is where I do a lot of project welding.
I've welded 1/4, 1/8th all the way down to 22 (this is tricky to not burn through) never failed me and even welded a bad 1911 frame.
This welder requires a few extra parameters to get a good weld like the bevel, knowing the right speed (I think for 1/4 mine is set 5 1/2 speed and max heat), clean the ass ton of slag off every time your stop but it will do it, if it is not doing it the it is probably due to an extension cord (I see a lot of new people do this).
I would not weld a car frame with it and the reason for it is simply because in a lot of cases the gun would not fit in a tight spots resulting in a half ass weld if it was accessible easy I would attempt it.
The good welder I use just takes the guess work out of the equation where there is a lot more room for the settings to be slightly off and still weld right.
The cons of the HF welder is really a few things that takes modifying the internals to change. Like it welds on an A/C current which is messier and the spatter is extensive, the lack of gas will cause pits if you weld like it is a normal mig (your over lapping slag every time reducing the strength of the weld) I admit I thought it was going to break due to this and the circles are a hard thing to not do but it is necessary. The best thing to keep in mind with this welder is due to its lack of gas it acts more like a stick welder inside of a mig body and due to the use of flux drag your bead don't do the circles like you would a normal stick welder, you want that slag to be a complete case over the weld. I personally think this may be the only reason the weld is OK, if you convert to DC then this welder will weld a little better.
Either way I consider this welder to be a good welder at its price point. The 1/4 inch weld is 100% possible with this thing. Usually when people tell me my hobby welder is shit I ask them to point me towards another welder that cost 100 bucks that welding 1/4 steel is possible.
"Your not a Professional..??" Dang man you definitely look like you know what your doing and you are Totally a Professional in My Book......1/4 Steel on a 90 amp AC welder.....making Shhh happen
Indeed.
Bought the same unit a few years back. For the reason I didn't want to drop major $$$ on something I'm not gonna use that often. The times I've used it -It always performed well. For the price I believe it is well worth it.
You can't fuck with the harbor freight 90amp. I love mine.
Just bought the new Harbor Freight 125 amp Flux welder, what do you guys want to know about it for my next video?
Whats the differwnce between the 90 amp and the 125 amp? They cost about the same at harbor freight
Mikey Garcia I actually have a video up of me answering that exact question. Short answer is: not much...
hay u never said the modle of the welder.... you used for the video..... everuone is curious.... especially me.... please fill us in.....! thx
Strange Garage what is the thinnest sheet metal you can weld
It sometimes even burns through thinwall exhaust tube, so the sweet spot is probably 3/32" to 3/16", but with great skill you could probably weld 3/64" and get away with it. If I'm in doubt I just hook up the TIG 165, old faithful.
Buddy made a winch bumper with one and it's running a 12k winch on a 5k rig and has winched 250's outta holes and hasent cracked a weld yet, actually broke a cable with a snatch block after lots of use and bumper still doing it's job
-aaallday - That's awesome, makes me feel even more confident about the bumper I made. After watching that chain recovery video you can't be too careful man!
haha i welded the leaf spring perches on my ford 8.8 with one and 30k miles they hold strong. its the person behind the mask that makes a good weld not the machine.
I am a welder and have used this little machine for years... Once people get over their egos they realize that you don't need a miller or Lincoln to get the results you need... Rarely are people welding anything that needs those rigs... Great machine
Flux core, is extremely strong. Clean surface and good Penetration. And it won't break.
Your shop is falling down around the weld -good job.
I just bought one of these yesterday.
the not so well known flying sledge weld test. we have a winner.
Forney wire isn’t garbage wire either. It’s like he just doesn’t know welding?
I made a grill from a gas water heater tank almost 10 years ago on a Harbor Freight welder, and after cooking on it every summer since, not a single weld has broken... it was the very first thing I ever welded.
I love the fact everything broke including the hummer except the welde amazing video that could of been the best advertisement for that welder. 😆 🤣 😂
There’s hell of a lot of snobbery around power, especially so with hobbyist/enthusiast. So many people buy much more than they need to say they have it. Most of us buy a welder to stick two pieces of metal together and get our grinder and paint brushes out at the same time as the machine. I’d be as proud as punch if my welds were as neat as yours.
Having said that here in the UK East European machines seem to have largely replaced the Chinese models like the Harbour Freight, these do tend to be more advanced machines that MIG, stick and flux weld at a very reasonable price. I have bought one such machine partly for less smoke indoors, I’ve got a very serious respiratory condition, and for the robust guarantee that will outlive me. This might not be the usual criteria for choosing a welder but they are mine. My total package with a 200amp machine and 0.5kg flux wire, 5kg 3.2mm rods, gloves, automatic darkening helmet, spatter spray, spare tips, spare nozzles, welpers and magnets was around £200 ($246 USD). I’m not sure I will ever use all the rods up!
I don’t know about America but the cost of new power tools here has risen significantly since the outbreak of Corvid19 and the offer I went for doesn’t seem to exist anymore.
An absolutely brilliant video, thank you.
Awesome job man, I’ve got the same welder I can’t wait to start practicing
Thanks! That may be the best weld i've seen from one these units. I'm just learning and am happy to see with practice what may be possible.
Thanks for the info about speeding the wire. My problem is me starting at low speed and moving quick thinking i will burned the metal. Now i know i can build walls on my lawn care trailer. Now i gotta buy metal build a cage. I was searching welders maaaaan they charge to high $64 to $80 per hour. I am glad i found this video i will get on it before next season begins. Plus the strength of the weld actually holds.
All Season Landscaping & Handyman I weld like a madman with this machine and the welds hold up! As long as I take my time this is a good welder! Not in the looks department, but weld strength is obviously no issue. Good luck! Glad I could help!
Thank you so much. Ive watched like thirty videos on this welder and im completely sold now. So excited!!!
This video has been so good to me, it's not perfect but it has changed my life!
A good weld is always stronger than the metal. Good video
+MassacMongo99 I was real surprised! Thanks for watching!
I even heard that about bones. That after a bone breaks the repair to it is stronger than the bone itself.
@@fringestream990 correct
I have that welder too and I love it. 10 years old and keeps up with the big boy welders
This is an incredibly valuable video to me. I'm Homestead who doesn't do but very little welding and don't want to spend $700 or more on a welder it will only get used once or twice a year for about 10 minutes.
I love videos that are honest and real like this and aren’t just trying to make money! Great video brother!!
Yeah I have no sponsors, so I get to control my content completely. If my videos are bad then people wont watch them, so I try to make them good. Thanks for watching!
I have no problem with mine it's great for the price I paid 100 bucks 4 years ago for mine still going strong for the price
Okay, so I was at a HF sidewalk sale last Summer and found this 90 amp Flux core wire feed welder for $80, but because the box was ripped and the welder frame had a big dent in it, they lowered the price to $55. Then I found this video today and I gotta say, man. I'm even more satisfied than I was when I completed the purchase. Thanks for an amazing demo! I'm sold. I also subscribed.
That’s a good looking weld out of that machine. I just bought one and I’m learning for the first time. Got the 125 because it’s all they have. Either way hopefully one day I can get a weld like that out of it.
I have a lot of practice with this machine, it cooperates with me most of the time. The 125 is really similar, just keep at it, you'll get it.
Hell yeah!👍 I think people underestimate those welders.
Tool snobs underestimate a lot of stuff that is cheaper than what they paid.
Just bought myself a 125 flux welder and your videos give me confidence that ill get here someday, l just tried welding for the first time yesterday and they are by far the worst welds ive ever seen but i got a taste of how to do it lol patience and a steady hand mixed with a little know how and ill be in business in no time, and after seeing you do it i really wanna make a bumber for my truck lol.you gained yourself a follower my fellow washingtonian 😂🙋♂️
Wow, the Flux Fairies came out in full effect for this one. This is all the validation they need.
“2lb adjustment tool”
Damn that worked. For the times I've used my HF welder it worked great.
Good work on welding such a thick piece of metal with a 90 amp mig welder. The weld was clean no doubt, but its the strength that matters. So what worked. The wire speed or the movement. I think you had a bit of movement going on in there because of which the metals fused strongly with each other.
Thats a fucking awesome test. When you broke the hammer I saw all I needed to before purchasing a welder. Thank you!!
Good to see you're using proper safety equipment!
I'm not a seasoned welder lol but I am testing this tonight haha. I've got some quarter inch to weld and didn't want to buy a 220. With My 90 amp welder I have welded unibody car frames but never anything as big as quarter inch. Thanks for the testimony!
Butt hurt "welding pros " crying. Hahahahahahahahahah!!! Awesome job!
lmao. The youtube welding experts are conspicuously missing from this comment section. lmao.
Lololol... being a certified welder who started out self tought on a HF- I always recommend them to new and aspiring welders. Firstly, you'll get valuable experience troubleshooting weld- and a lot of it. Secondly, it forces you to learn to properly prepare your metal. Thirdly, if you can't do the above 2 things and give up, you only have$200 worth of skin in the game.
It's refreshing not seeing some douchebag with a financed Esab insisting that anything that you can afford cash is useless. Right on.
@@theoriginalcttheoriginalct6938 Other than you really should be using stainless wire for the higher grades of S.S. this is a very informative test. I knew S.S. wire or rod welds mild steel but flipping the equation and getting such results is interesting. Still, i would not be betting my life on 309-16 S.S. holding welded with that wire. I knew that this wire would join with the carbon molecules. Still very interesting results.
@@gregorytimmons4777 - I think that any welder above beginner would only weld stainless like this in an extreme emergency. Typically, stainless requires a lot more heat for the same thickness as compared to mild. So, I think this video demonstrated the undeniable fact that the HF welder is more than capable of welding mild steel at the stated thickness.
Excellent video here!! I have the same welder and a complete novice at it! My Pop taught me stick welding as a young teen, but that was a lifetime ago!! I need to make some hard face welds on an Anvil that was given to me, in which to level off and resurface the face of the Anvil! I've watched other videos about preheating the Anvil before welding, but need to know what wire to use in the HF 90amp mig welder to accomplish this task??
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance 😎👍
Mongo
Was back and forth on this or the DC Titanium.... this video sealed it. Thanks dude.
Was just reading the reviews on the 125 version of this welder at Harbor Fright dot com and a reviewer references this exact video and your hammering stress test. He wend on to say that the operator has a lot to do with the strength of the weld which I agree. You have skills mate. A+ fun review.
Oh don't give me too much credit, I thought it would snap right away. That's cool that word is spreading though, helping out my channel for sure!
That was an amazing test and i am a believer... It all boils down to electricity and the electricity and arc point to the metal are going to be the same both a $100 or $2000 welder.
HAHAHAHA everything breaking and falling except the weld 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
DAMN! YOU WENT APE-MONKEY POUNDING ON THAT WELDED RIGHT ANGLE 1/4" JOINT & YOU JUST ABOUT KNOCK OVER THE BENCH & SHE TOOK EVERY BIT OF THE POUNDING! WOW, I'M IMPRESSED TOO! I WAS THINKING THAT I MAY NEED TO BUY A MORE POWERFUL WELDER THAN MY 90 AMP HARBOR FREIGHT WELDER, AS YOU HAVE, TO DO MY FIRST PROJECT TO MAKE A WALL ATTACHED SUPPORT SYSTEM TO KEEP UP MY NEW 5-5 GALLON VERTICAL WATER SHELVING UNIT SHOULD WE HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE USING STOP SIGN LIKE SQUARED METAL MATERIAL THAT WILL BE CUT & WELDED AT RIGHT ANGLES & THIS VIDEO MADE ME A BELIEVER! THANKS!
No BS, just video proof of the facts! Perfect!
Great video man. I have a similar welder and am an beginner also. But it makes a ton of fun. Lol
Pretty cool 😎,,,, you’d be ssurprised what youcan do with a 88 or 90 amp welder like that,,,years ago 16/17 years ago I bought a little wire welder from tractor supply and I believe they called it the tractor supply ranch king or ranch master or farmhand or something like that,,,,I can’t remember,,,but the number on it was 125,,, I thought when I bought it I was getting a 125 amp welder however,,, later on after I bought it I found out the dam thing was only 88 Amps.I surprised the shi+ out of myself sometimes what I could weld with that little thing,,,it had a gas kit sometimes I would run gas however if I was welding some thick stuff I reversed polarity and turned off the gas and used flux core wire I run about 0.30 in mine .I’d clean it up real good and then heat the shi+ out of it with a little handheld propane torch and man you’d be surprised,,, iI seen the other day Harbor freight was offering me a coupon for their 125 amp flux core wire welder for $99 that’s unbelievable,,, I have an older model probably eight years old or so flux core only Hobart EZ 125 wire welder that does pretty good however,,,I may go buy that little harbor freight just to have a back up. By the way very cool video.
Thanks, I bought the 125, because I thought it rated for .25 ( it’s not ) and it’s nice to know it’ll be able to
handle it. Nice looking weld too.
Any suggestions for someone who’s had only a little experience a long time ago who’s got a big project coming up?
Thanks
R. McCloud Yeah, buy extra wire and follow the duty cycle, lol. I burnt up the switch in my 90 amp by not following the duty cycle. I have a couple instructional videos on getting good welds with these welders, It's a good idea to check them out. Just concentrate on the puddle, smooth and steady, and clean the welds well between passes. Good luck brother!
What wire you running
So the 125 amp should have more penatration right? Good video by the way
I have one of these lil 90a boxes and it welds damn near every thing I’ve ever needed around my dumpster yard. Not the prettiest welds cause the flux spatters but the welds are strong.
For most stuff, nice isnt necessary, if it should be nice you probably paint it and has to prep it anyway.
When I build some "art" I dont remove the spatter because it give them some charactere.
found you channel just surfing and liked what I saw! You made what you hve work for!! well done!
Hey, I appreciate that very much, I'm working hard to improve my content so I'm glad the work is paying off! Dropping another vid in a couple hours, check it out if you'd like.
wow I did not know you could do such a good job with this welder. I have one and have not been able to make this good a weld. I am a beginner so now I see I have some learning to do. thanks for the great video.
Yeah man, this is a good welder for the money. Practice makes perfect, I have had this welder for a long time! Good luck!
Those Harbor freight welders are very under rated. They're excellent. I have the old AC 40/70A welder. I have the DC welder and the gasless mig. I haven't got into the mig yet. The DC I have used but I've not done aluminium welding yet.
Strange Garage Thanks for the info and getting back to me so quickly. I've seen videos of them doing this but I'm not sure which type of welder they're using.
thank you for you're informative review explaining the whole process on this welder
Just by watching this video. Subscribe. I'm pressed from that weld. Harbor freight should sponsor you.
Tony You know, I asked for a welder from them twice and they ignored me. Thanks for the Sub! I really was surprised that weld didn't snap off.
Shop looks like mine. Pittsburgh here,there and everywhere. Along with central pneumatic,Bremen and some Titanium green in my corner.
This video right here won my subscription, I just bought the CE 125 @HF for tent sale @just $89.99. Looking forward to hacking shit up...
wow time for a harbor freight hammer haha
SuperChuck79 Lol, I MAY have gotten this one there, but I'm not sure.
Yo! What wire type are you using and how does the weld look now as far as rust and separation etc? I was looking at getting e71t-11 wire
This is an awesome video! Question for a newbie welder, is it customary to bevel the end of a piece when welding them together like that? Thanks!!
Depends on the type of weld and the desired finished product. For example, pipe welders always bevel (in my experience), and millwrights rarely bevel. I just beveled it for better weld strength.
@@StrangeGarage ah I see! I picked up a good ole HF 125 Amp Flux Core. First welder/never having welded before, just doing a bit of homework first!😜 Thanks for the tips!
Excellent demonstration. I would buy three of these welders- one for welding , one for back up and one for a paper weight and with extra$1700 bucks Id save from buying a high end machine , I d buy a ticket to Australia and chill on a beach reading all the negative comments.
Damn!! Harbor Freight needs to give you free stock.
You just sold a couple a thousand welders for them.
I just bought one because of this video
Great video! You're an animal with that hammer, dawg! :) I've been using my HFT flux core for over 5 years and it works great. I've fabricated motorcycle engine stands, a yard trailer for my riding mower, a table for my series of progressive bench grinders and a stand for my heavy duty buffer amongst other projects. How confident am I in it? Tomorrow I start fabricating a motorcycle lift table with it. Heck, I was so happy with it I even did my own YT video on it!
I called it. The bevel is where you went right.
Makes a big difference.
This would hold without a bevel just fine .
Well I'm certainly glad you made the video because I was thinking about buying one of those welders and now I'm going to but you sure as hell put that Vise through hell such a nice big heavy duty Vice I'm certainly glad you didn't break it during this operation LOL because I thought maybe the place was going to break before the weld but everything seem to turn out okay thanks for the video
Strange Garage you did an awesome job on that weld. Great friggin' demo of what some good talent can do with a cheap tool. Can you please state the brand/model# of the Flux Core wire you used as I've heard over & over HF consumables suck. Thanks !!!
stan stolarski
It was Forney, same as Hobart
Thanks for answering the question that no one would answer. will be subscribing to your channel
I want to weld a bbq smoker out of a old 250 gallon propane tank. Do you think this will be able to handle a job that large?
Just picked this unit up new in box with new helmet and new roll cart and 1lb roll of Lincoln wire gloves and hammer, everything is new in box for 100$ did I make out ok ?
Jason B Not too bad my man, you can't usually do that good even with a coupon.
Jason, it sure sounds like it!!
Bro. Thank you for this video. Harbor freight is sounding real good right now
These welders have been really good to me man. They aren't amazing, but for the money they do the job!
Hi just stumbled onto your channel and i just subscribed! I haven't tried my welder on thick metal yet and wanted to see if anyone else did. And for you not being a " professional , you did an awesome job on that weld! Great video!
Putting a bevel on it makes a huge difference with thicker metal, and if all else fails, do multiple passes and clean the weld between passes. Glad you stumbled across my channel! Welcome aboard! Any questions hit me up man.
Nah, everyone knows you can't weld stainless with E71T and a 90 amp AC flux core machine... well, apparently everyone but you! 🤣
All kidding aside, this is a great video. I remember watching it after I picked up the same welder years ago. I knew nothing about welding then, (still don't but I can fake it a lot better now.)
I did the DCEN conversion to mine, and a couple of the other mods available on the internet... it made a big difference in performance, and I've built more than a few projects with it since, most notably a rock bumper for my old Willys and an old school coal forge, not to mention a ton of exhaust work. Would I buy one again, knowing what I know now? Maybe, maybe not, but it definitely has served me well over the past 6 years.
Great video and demonstration of what can be done on a budget.
Hey strange garage if I build an off road bumper with HF 125 flux core welder and mount a 12000lb winch on it. What do you think it gonna handle it. Can you do some experiment like that please. Thanks
One thing iv learned from experience is good wire gos a long way
I'm blown away by this... Never would've tried 1/4" but now im second guessing about upgrading to Hobart 140.. I'm just tired of the spatter
4Wheel & Chill
Don’t be blown away until he welds some standardized test pieces and sends them out for X-ray examination
Good stuff man !
What settings did you use ?
Have to tried any sheet metal ?
Liked and subbed
The brand new one 125 flux core is even better! And welds really well
lucian kristov I'm gonna have to check it out for sure.
Dude I got the same welder, and my welds just break right off and would NOT fuse with metal im welding, what am i doing wrong?
Tried to fix my exhaust with it, and i COULD NOT get the weld to go into the metal if you know what im saying. Even grinding to nice clean metal first. The welder just like pools up on top of the pipe. Wont go down into it. :(
Got the 125 two weeks ago . not bad but hard to weld 1/16 gauge square tube. even on low settings it burns through. i wish this had the second control like Mig 130. Although harbor freight does have higher duty cycle so it's a trade off.
not sure if i will keep the 125 and get the MIG 130.
That's my biggest gripe too! Honestly for a serious welder the cheap AC machines aren't the way to go. It is a good learning resource but not a great resource for very many welding applications.
Will this welder weld 1/4 hardened galvanized to 3/16 angle iron? tryinmg to repair a cracked trailer frame. Its Hard steel-Cannot drill thru it.
Hell yeah but what was the feed and amp set at
You need to cut a cross section out of that weld and then etch it with some acid to see how much penetration you actually got. I don't know what stainless alloy that is, but typical mild steel is rated at around 36k(IIRC) psi tensile strength. Your wire there should be either a 60k or 70k psi tensile strength, so the filler not failing isn't a surprise.
Sometimes inexpensive does not always mean crap!Good Enough is Good Enough!
Its not the welder all the time..its the technique, sure a Lincoln or Miller may outlast it, but their welders are great, I have both the flux core and the gas welder...both are equally compared to Lincolns and Millers....its just those other people that like to spend thier money and say they have the best...well a transformer is a transformer with electricity and arcing out people....great vid..
i just bought 1 today...i burned a hole through an old lawnmower blade...the thing is phenomenal..
I don't even need my weld to be strong 😂 just to be held together 😅 I'm definitely invested now lol
Hahaha, not bad, this is what I was wondering about! Great demonstration!
I love ❤️ my welding 90 harbor tools
I bought a 150amp 120v flux core at harbor freights for 100$ haven't used it but I'm excited
+Klaxz _ sounds like a good deal bro. They do pretty well for cheap machines.
Great job dude! I just bought one. Can't wait to fuck around with it. PEACE ✌️
I know it has been a while since this video, but do you recall your feed speed setting? I am new to welding with the CE 125 and am trying to weld horseshoes.
The welder in this video is a basic machine, with "high/low" power modes. I ran it on high with speed set about 4 or 5. Most flux core welders run well with very low wire speed. If the dial goes to 10 I set it between 2 and 3, with the power set pretty high. They burn great.
Yep. The HF cheapo wire feed welder. Get better wire (read: ANYTHING but HF wire), replace the BS ground clamp, and go real real slow... You'll weld 1/4 if you do multi pass and on both sides if you notch. Nope. Your not repairing battleships hulls. but for 99% of anything us normal folk will haveto weld.. It'll do..
Now why would you say "You'll weld 1/4 if you do multi pass" and "It'll do" when you just saw this guy weld an unbreakable 1/4" bead with a single pass? Just trying to be argumentative? If you had a 900,000 amp welder you'd have to crank it down to just about what he has here and get the same exact weld.
Had he done a second pass it wouldnt have cracked, he didnt fill the bevel at the top which basically created an undercut. Yes it was a good weld, but a multipass would have filled the bevel in better and elimated the stress comcentration area caused by the "undercut"
I weld with 1/4 with it all the time with no problems at all great little machine for the price.
Bro I legit was looking for a vid if it was possible to weld stainless with flux core and I have the same welding machine and basically you answered my question but welding that to the 1inch stainless plate
You can indeed man. The weld isnt stainless but the metal will stick! Good luck!
Do you think I could use a welder that size for a small carport? It looks like it would been fine to me
A proper bevel that allows really good penetration on the root weld is the key. Good penetration on the subsequent passes and a good cap weld will make a solid weld on 1/4"
I got one of those 90 amp flux core welders but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Besides the fact that the weld held, the weld itself looked very nice. While I haven't welded myself I have watched quite a few videos and I think I can tell a shitty weld from a good looking one. Great job. I am impressed.
I have put lots metal down field, so I have no excuse to lay down bad welds. Thanks for the compliment! These welders work pretty well, great for getting started with welding!
My freind nice video i have an question what wire is that becose the wire come whit machine is SUCK
Yeah, I hear that all the time. I think this is "Forney .035", but I usually use Lincoln .030 that I get at home depot for like $10 a spool.