I’m very impressed with the quality of your welds for never having run a wire feed welder before. Your stick and TIG skills were clearly helpful. Those hand held face shields are pretty useless for welding as you mentioned, but are a nice thing to have around in case you have somebody that wants to watch you weld.
Thanks, I was unsure about pulling the trigger on buying this until I watched your review. I'll be getting this sooner now I've seen this. Great video, Thanks again.
The thumbs down is that a RU-vid thing to call people’s attention to drive people pissed off about the good videos, is it a teaser or something? I don’t get it, anyways, great video, I feel encouraged to go out there buy me a welder and stop being average guy which is life changing, thanks for sharing, God bless
@jami w very kind of you to take the time indeed this info will help me a lot, I lost my job as a bus driver a while back, I’m changing I’ve been thinking auto painting and welding a lot of rust in cars out there plenty of work and pretty good money even charging fair prices, that means thin sheet metal, I got a Eastwood sct to prepare the metal is a great machine, and I’m into raptor bed liner paint people is going crazy for it, yeah I think that’s what I’ll do, I’m already on decision mode, I haven’t been able to sleep well lately, thinking what I’m gonna do with my life, is time to jump into it, THANKS AGAIN 🙏
Thanks man, that's encouraging as I've had that machine in my shop for a year or more but never really learned to use it myself because my neighbor is a welder. I need to go practice myself. Nice review
Just bought mine yesterday,and I love it for doing any motorcycle fabrication I do,it's light weight,with my generac generator it's portable,just throw the geni and welder in the cargo area of my 4runner and can fix anything needed on the side of the road for Brothers out riding but broke something.. honestly for $269 It's well worth having if you do fabrication on cars,trucks,or in my case motorcycles.. kool welder
this was a great review. im also new to welding, on month 11 of a hobbyist class (with no prior experience metal fab or mechanical) but compared to some other videos ive watched that completely disregard regular welding knowledge and promote terrible welds as good, you were spot on with your observations of your welds and used great terminology. i like that you used good steel, not some rusty stuff that greatly affects the porosity and causes inclusions and all that. grind that rust and mill scale off! lol. my class is about over and so is my access to the sweetass millers they have so i bought a lincoln just like this with a gas hook up. i haven't got it yet but im glad i know what to look for when welding, and how to make my welds look better with the knowledge ive gained. you've definitely illustrated what to look for and what the real expectations you can expect with a welder like this. bravo! your welds look pretty good too my man. great video.
The Lincoln 140 is a huge step up from the Harbor Freight. Still it's not a professional welders go-to unit, but it's more than enough for my non-mission critical garage projects. Being able to weld on small scale has really opened huge doors to my garage fab capabilities, so I love these little flux core machines!
Very good job, I have a Weld Pak 100 I got years ago and never got around to using it. After watching your video I am going to give it a try. PS for first time MiG, your welds look damm nice.
Is this model 10949? If so I have the same welder. I thought something was wrong with mine in the beginning. The spool of wire that came with it did not easily feed off the reel. Sometimes I had to open the box and grab the wire and force it loose from the spool and that roll of wire was like that off and on till it was gone. The other issue I had with it and of course my fault was using an extension cord that was too long and too light. A light 14 gauge 100 ft long extension cord alone will make the welder seem like a pile of junk. It will run on a 12 gauge 100 ft cord decent but the manual only recommends a 25ft heavy wire gauge extension cord. The wire I bought at Tractor supply was a huge improvement over what came with it. I'm on my 2nd spool of that wire and I have come to like it. It is limited in its settings and near as I can tell works best on high. I haven't gotten much out of it on low settings.
Hello my friend I watched your video for your welding Can you please explain some about those 2 red switches and one red knob to how to use it thank you
I really appreciate this video. I have wondered about using a welder like this on 1/4", and it looks like it wouldnt be an issue based on your 3/8" test, so thnk you!
Dear Bigtb Thanks for the video. I have owned one of these same units for over 10 years. I purchase it way back when. I only use it for light duty welding around the home and some spot jobs for the bikes and cars. The only issue I have is really my own, since I had the unit connected via various connectors to the 111 plug in on the wall of my garage. It was a power issue making the welding very difficult. The unit itself is great and I had no other complaints. QUESTION - What would be a good unit to buy to step up a notch with more heavy-duty welding. I learned how to weld when I was a 12-years old kid when two of my rowdy friends stole some tanks at a construction job that they told me were abandoned. These tanks were for gas welding. Instead of asking for some toy or other kiddy item for XMAs, I asked my folks to get me the gauges, hoses and hand attachments for gas welding. My older brother purchased a chopped and shortened 1935 Ford P/U. He left to West Point and I learned on sight about hot rodding just taking apart stuff and putting it back together. Believe it or not, my first welding attempts was with “coat hangers” …yes coat hangers. Don’t laugh. From there I got some welding rods and practiced on all sorts of metal I could find. Let me know. Thanks !
I've had good experience with Everlast welders. Definitely more bang for the buck in terms of features. I like your cut and etch tests. Not many people would go through that effort to confirm their welds are good.
Everlast welders have definitely come a long way from the days of being called "neverlast". They have some good offerings these days, and most are generally well regarded in terms of quality.
I have the Handy Core with no spark, not sure if a fuse blew or transformer waxed. Haven't had time to open it up. I use straight beads with low duty cycle welders.
Really good video, but, I am more impressed with all of the tech support you've given to everyone. I read through every comment and reply, and you covered every question I had about this machine, what it can do, and how to make it do it. I really appreciate all of the time you've taken, I'm sure it's all very basic for you, but for me it was a thorough how to manual for a topic I dont know much about. So, thank you! Can you tell me if there are things that can be added, or subtracted from this machine to make it better? Change tips, wire size you recommend, etc. I looked up that table you have in you're garage and it seems pretty pricey for the amount of welding I intend to do. Do you think that the cheap Harbor freight table would work well for a beginner? Do you ever tack pieces directly to the table or is that a bad thing to do? You mentioned you didnt use yours for the testing because of the smoke, is that an issue because of fire safety or just to avoid the fumes getting in the house? Thanks!
The table I used for testing was actually a table almost the same as the folding table available at Harbor Freight. It's not the fanciest or sturdiest table, but I've done a lot of work on it. Light and easy to move around the garage and stow back out of the way so I can get the cars back in when I'm done working. And yes, the reason I used that table for the testing is because I could set it right near the door, almost in the driveway. Less smoke build-up in the garage. The table is pretty thin, and I believe it is zinc plated to help prevent corrosion, so I probably wouldn't recommend tacking directly to it (the Harbor Freight table). You could tack stuff to the table, just grind it smooth when you're done. Not a big deal, just not ideal with a thin table, but it can work. Replacement tips for this welder are available pretty much everywhere (local hardware, local welding shop, Harbor Freight, etc.). I recommend 0.035", Lincoln NR211 MP wire. Works great. Only thing I'd possibly change out on the welder is the ground/work clamp. The included one works ok, but I prefer a solid copper clamp.
This particular model Lincoln cannot use shielding gas. Flux core probably isn't the ideal thing to use for body work, but I'm sure it can be done. The Eastwood 135 is a MIG welder that can use shielding gas, but I have no personal experience with it.
Thanks for the video. Would you recommend MIG or SMAW (stick welder)? For DIY, around the house, some fences or window protectors. Mainly for weld up to 1/4 steel thickness. Thanks in advance for your help. By the way, I have little experience with stick welder, wonder which is better option. My budget is around 400 dls (I am DIY)
MIG (gas shielded) is a nice process, but it would be tough to get a complete setup with welder, gas bottle, etc. Flux core (like the welder in this video) or stick should both be possible to get in your budget. Flux core is a bit easier to run but stick is a bit simpler (in some ways). Do you have access to 240V power, or only 120V?
@@bigtb1717 thanks! At be my hose I have both, but at the country hose only 120. I just came from there and I found some rovers got in and I need to reinforce a couple of doors. Not needed very often to do welding at country hose. Just now. Perhaps, I can build the fences at my hose and borrow a pick up truck to take them there. Somebody is selling the same welder on your video. Is that 70 or 80 amps? I also found at Homedepot the "weld-pak" 120 amps. By the way, how many amps on MIG welder machine is needed to weld carbon steel, maybe up to 1/4 thickness? Because stick welder I guess it should be in between 200-250 amps right? Anything lower could work but usage recommended will be lower work cycle, right?
I would say that the welder in this video would be a bit weak for 1/4" material, depending on the project. If it's not a super critical weld, you'd probably be able to get by though. A larger flux core welder (120-140 amp) would probably do 1/4" okay. I don't have any 1/4" steel in the garage right now, but maybe I should do a little cut-etch testing with 1/4" material in the future. With a stick welder, you are much less likely to get a lack of penetration as long as the rod is running well. So with multiple passes you can weld just about any thickness. As long as you can run a 3/32" or 1/8" rod good and hot, you could weld 1/4" metal. Might take multiple passes with a 3/32" rod depending on how large a weld you want, but it's definitely doable. A 1/8" 7018 rod running 125-130 amps or so should be able to weld 1/4" metal without issue. Higher amperage can allow you to run larger rods and put down a larger weld more quickly, but 200+ amps is not necessary for most projects.
Thanks a lot for this video. I've got this exact same welder and I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to welding. I was thinking for what I'm trying to do that this welder isn't up for the task but you've proven otherwise. I guess I need more practice. Do you have any advice on what I can do to improve if I'm experiencing poor penetration when welding 1/8" steel to a 1/4" piece?
1/4" is getting thick for this welder, and you may never get the penetration you are after. But there are some things to be aware of that may help. A long and/or thin extension cord can cause voltage drop and reduce the total output of the welder. Plug directly into a 20A outlet for best results. If an extension cord is required, use as short as possible and a heavy gauge. Too long of a contact-tip-to-work distance (too much wire stickout, i.e. holding the tip of the gun too far from the weld) can limit the heat getting to the weld. A bit of pre-heat of the joint can help as well. Also, joint prep is very important. A non-grooved butt joint will be almost impossible to penetrate properly with this welder, for example. Also, dirty, painted, rusty, mill-scale, etc. will all limit success. Even though flux core is better at dirty stuff than MIG, it sill can go better with clean metal. Also, keep an eye on the puddle and work on a consistent travel speed that allows the puddle to wet out a bit, but not build up too much.
Well even though one piece was 1/4 my welds did not come out as well as yours even after I cleaned them with a wire wheel. It looked like the 1/4 wasn't even penetrated but parts of the 1/8 got burned through. It didn't make any sense and the welds would break after some hammering. Thoughts?
What type of joint? Varying thickness can be tough, particularly when one is above the welder's rating. One thing is rather than pointing right at the root of the joint, keep the arc towards the thicker part.
Yeah, that is almost worst case scenario because you are trying to heat up the middle of the 1/4" material, which will sink a lot of heat, while the edge of the 1/8" material heats up very fast. Try pointing the wire almost completely towards the thicker material, and try to run the bead so that only the edge of it catches the 1/8" piece. You want to put most of the heat into the thicker piece. Also, get a tight fit with as little gap as possible and put in tacks every inch or two before you start welding it out. This will help the heat from the 1/8" piece transfer to the thicker piece. Clamp your ground to the thicker piece as well. Thick to thin takes some practice, no matter what.
I’m just starting to learn welding. Can you go into more detail about what not to do in terms of safety. A lot of people say to avoid shock, don’t complete the circuit. Can you explain this? Also what about different shade numbers when talking about helmets? Some say you need a certain shade number for this or that etc. thanks
Most welding helmets should block virtually all UV light. The different shades are mostly about maximizing visibility while maintaining comfort and reducing eye strain. A shade 10 is generally usable for just about any scenario you are likely to run into any time soon. Really high amperage stuff can get uncomfortably bright (as well as making it hard to see), and in that case an 11-13 shade is helpful. On the opposite end of the spectrum, really low amp TIG stuff can benefit from an 8 or 9 shade for a brighter view of the puddle and surrounding area. Most electronic helmets are adjustable and you can just tweak it as you want. If you get a fixed shade, a 10 would probably be fine for just about anything you'll likely do.
As for shock. Current can only flow if there is a complete circuit. So current in a welder can flow when there is an electrical path from the electrode (whether it is a stick electrode, the wire in MIG/Flux core, or the tungsten in TIG) to the work clamp. In TIG and MIG the voltages are generally low enough that you aren't as likely to get shocked as with stick welding, with the exception that the high frequency start of a TIG welder can give you a bite. But completing the circuit just means contacting both the electrode and work clamp (or your work piece that the clamp is connected to) while the circuit is live. This makes your body the electrical path for current to flow. This is mostly a concern with stick welding, as the rod is typically live all the time, and the voltages are usually higher, though the same can be said of using a stick welder for scratch start TIG. I could probably explain better in a video, and I'm sure there are videos out there talking about it. But as long as you are careful not to touch a live stick electrode while also touching the work piece/work clamp (either with bare hands or wet gloves), you probably won't get shocked. When you are welding, even if you touch the work piece you shouldn't be shocked because while you are touching part of the circuit, you aren't completing it in any way. Your body isn't a good path for the electricity to get from one side of the source to the other. Don't get me wrong, a little bit of care should be taken to avoid shock, but in most situations it's very unlikely. I also think that people get a little hung up on the possibility of shock, because it's not the easiest thing to understand. But you are far more likely to flash your eyes, burn yourself on something hot, or cut yourself on a sharp edge of a piece of steel than you are to get shocked. I've done all those things while welding, and I've never been shocked. Again, just because it hasn't happened to me doesn't mean it can't happen. Be careful, but don't worry too much.
Most importantly, wear protective gear. I know people who have thought "just going to weld up a few quick things, my bare skin will be fine" and they ended up with what amounted to a severe sunburn the next day. Skin cancer sucks too. It's often hot, sometimes uncomfortable, can be an inconvenience and take time; but it's worth taking the time to ensure your skin is covered and you are wearing a proper eye/face protection. Don't get in a hurry, particularly when you are learning. As soon as you get in a hurry you will make a mistake and accidentally pick up a 600 degree piece of steel and leave a small layer of your skin baked onto it. As dangerous as getting shocked; probably not. More likely than getting shocked; about a million percent. LOL.
Not cheap to me lol. But love the welder and thinking about buying one, how long can you weld with it before the thermal light kicks on and you have to let it cool off?
Yeah, cheap is definitely relative. It was simply the cheapest that could be purchased locally outside of Harbor Freight. I can't say for sure how long it would go before thermal cutoff. I never hit it, but I didn't do a lot of long welds. It has a fairly low rated duty cycle, but that is the norm for these types of machines.
Weaving can be used to increase bead size, achieve a certain look, fill a gap, etc. But a weave is typically not needed, and in some cases can be problematic or disallowed by a specific weld procedure specification. A weave can limit penetration into the root of a joint, put too much heat into a part, etc.
Thanks, that's helpful. I'm using it for little projects. A few gate repairs, a couple sensor bungs in exhausts and a cart for the welder and a compressor.
The table is from Tab and Slot. It comes as a kit, ready to weld together. I like it. It is on casters for easy movement around the garage. Didn't use it for the welding in this video because I didn't want to smoke up the garage with flux core. Mainly use it for TIG in the garage.
I have the same unit but I am definitley a novice (hobby) welder My machine, regardless of setting with out consistanly for a micro second. Do you think I may be running my wire length a little too long I am about 1/2 inch plus
Are you saying it randomly cuts out for tiny fractions of a second, but otherwise runs okay? If so, that does sometimes happen with flux core. 1/2" of wire stick out should be okay and I don't think it's an issue. But you could try a bit more or a bit less to see if it will smooth out.
@@bigtb1717 As I draw the pool too me, it will suddenly "cut out" for the smallest fraction and the re spark and continue, Thought it may be length or speed
@@billparno3016 Yeah, it could be a travel speed issue, but you'd probably have to be outrunning the puddle before it would be a big issue. How clean is the metal you are welding when this happens? Dirty metal will often cause minor stuttering as you move over dirty (rust, paint, slag, etc.) spots. It could also be a wire feed issue. If the wire feed slips momentarily or if the feed speed just isn't smooth in general, this could cause stuttering. Poor wire feed reliability can be caused by a number of issues. Is the contact tip in the gun in good condition? Honestly, if it isn't causing an issue with the weld, I probably wouldn't worry too much about it. I've had occasional stutters on flux core with pretty much every machine. It's one of those things were "It's not a problem unless it's a problem." Meaning, if it's causing an issue with the welds, look into what's going on. If it isn't causing a problem, weld away and don't sweat it.
I don't remember the part number, but it was the Lincoln Weld Pak HD. I bought it off the shelf from my local Home Depot. It is flux core only, no gas. There is another model one step above this one that can use gas, but this one cannot.
It looks like the Powerbuilt 90A is an AC output welder. It will not run nearly as smooth as this Lincoln welder, which has DC output. The Powerbuilt welder will have a rougher arc, more spatter and less penetration. It will probably be very similar to the Chicago Electric 90A flux core welder from Harbor Freight.
Are you talking about the knob that holds the spool of wire on the welder, or the knob that tensions the wire in the wire feed mechanism? Without the knob that holds tension on the wire in the feed mechanism the wire wouldn't feed. Without the knob that holds the spool on you could probably figure something out.
The speed dial does adjust the wire feed speed/heat. It's just that when you pick a given voltage with the switches the speed dial adjusts within a certain range, and that range changes when you change voltage. For instance, on the lowest voltage setting the max wire feed speed will be lower than the max wire feed speed when set at a higher voltage, but it can be changed from there. So at a given voltage setting you can turn the speed up and down, changing the amount of heat.
@Donald Kasper The spool diameter will have no effect on feed speed. The wire is pulled from the spool by the wire drive mechanism and the spool simply free-wheels. Spool diameter makes no difference in wire speed. It's possible you got a different type or brand of wire that runs better, but the spool size won't make a difference.
@Donald Kasper If the wire spool was the driven component its diameter would matter, as would how much wire is left on the spool. This would cause a changing wire feed rate at a given setting as the wire ran down on the spool. But this is not how the wire drive system works on wire feed welders. The wire feed motor pulls wire from the spool at a given feet per minute, based on the feed speed setting. That feet per minute of wire feeding does not change based on the spool size. I could have a length of wire strung out straight across my shop, not on a spool at all, no spool diameter, and the wire drive system would feed it at the same rate.
Only if you complete the circuit. If you had one bare hand on the table, grabbed the tip of the gun with the other bare hand and pulled the trigger, then maybe. If open circuit voltage was 30 volts you would get a tingle, but probably not too bad, and not likely dangerous. While welding normally, not likely at all. When you touch the table you become the same electrical potential as the work clamp, but you aren't completing any circuit, so no shock.
Just a note. Stick welders generally have much higher open circuit voltages, and the output is usually on continuously. It is much more likely to get a shock from stick welding, particularly if you are working in wet conditions. Always be careful not to touch the electrode or a metal part of the electrode holder while any part of you could potentially complete the circuit to the work clamp. Some older or cheaper MIG/wire feed welders have the wire always electrically live, not just when pulling the trigger. Extra care should be taken with those as well. I've never personally been shocked by a welder. From other things, yes. But never a welder.
The Titanium 125 is an inverter with continuous adjustable voltage and it is lighter and less expensive. It may have a bit more output than this Lincoln, but unfortunately I don't have either of these welders anymore to test them. The Lincoln is a bit simpler internally, so it could be a bit more reliable, but anything can fail, so it's hard to say for sure.
you keep referring to it as just a cheap 120v welder but as far as 120v welders go the lincoln is anything but cheap. for every 120v lincoln sold there are probably 50 of the $100 harbor freight 120v welders sold. the only reason i bring this up is to the person who knows nothing about welders they aren't going to know that the lincoln is capable of welding DCEN while all the other flux core welders are DCEP only. also i don't think you are aware of this but the lincoln MP-211 flux core wire is one of the only flux core wires on the market that is rated for muliti-pass meaning on thicker metal you can increase your penetration by stitching the metal together through multiple passes. anyway, referring to the lincoln welder as "one of these cheap 120v welders" i think is very misleading for the person trying to figure out which first welder they should buy.....
You make some good points. I did mention that it was the cheapest I could get locally at Home Depot, but I probably should have made it more clear that if you spend less you will likely get less performance. There obviously are much cheaper options out there, and not just at harbor freight, but all over Amazon and eBay. Spend much less than what this Lincoln costs and you are likely getting an AC output machine with inferior performance. I don't know of any flux core only welders that run DCEP (maybe a cheap MIG machine designed for use with shielding gas would be this way). Most of the very cheapest flux core welders are AC output. I do have another video reviewing a less expensive, AC output flux core welder and show that the penetration is very poor with that welder (I even used some NR211MP wire). I do know about the multi pass capability of the NR211MP wire. I didn't do any multi pass welds in the video. And the multi pass rating isn't so much about penetration, it's more about maintaining desirable properties when welds are stacked on top of each other, with little to no base metal dilution, etc. Some flux core wire won't have good characteristics with multi pass. Multi pass welds are typically about getting the desired weld size, but if you don't have enough power for proper tie-in of each pass, you aren't getting a proper weld either way. Other than the pre-heating from the previous weld, multi pass doesn't really help with penetration. If your first pass doesn't tie in well, the next one on top of that may not help very much. It may be adding a bit of strength to the joint, but it may have nearly as much lack of fusion as the first pass.
Sorry, just another quick note. The reason I called this a cheap welder, is because it was $269. Yes, that is much more expensive than the Chicago Electric 90A flux core welder from Harbor Freight (AC output), and the Forney Easy Weld I reviewed later ($150, AC output). But it is also FAR cheaper than other Lincoln 120V welders, which are priced anywhere from $500-$800. Miller 120V machines priced around $800, and even the new Vulcan 120V welder from Harbor Freight priced at $550. So I guess it's all relative. I could have been more clear.
The two voltage switches adjust between four different voltage levels. Low 1, low 2, high 1 and high 2. The wire feed speed lets you adjust the amperage output at whatever voltage you have selected. If you follow the chart on the door you can't go too wrong.
This welder cannot use shielding gas. It does not have the correct internal provisions or MIG gun. No gas should be used with self-shielded flux core wire. In general, gas shielded solid wire MIG will have slightly less penetration than self-shielded flux core, all else being equal. There are types of flux core wire that are called dual shield, or gas shielded flux core. They are flux-core wire, but require shielding gas as well. I imagine penetration is similar to self-shielded flux core. All these types of wire feed welding wire can achieve adequate penetration in the right situations. With a small, 120V machine like this one, self-shielded flux core will likely provide the best overall penetration, by a small amount. This is simply due to the fact that the welder is limited by the amount of power that can be drawn from a standard 120V outlet.
For cut and etching I typically cut with a Makita 12" dry cut chop saw. Then polish with a 3M disk on a die grinder. I use Naval Jelly I picked up at Home Depot to etch the welds. If the piece has already cooled from welding I heat it with a propane torch before etching. Works much faster and gives better contrast if the part is warm/hot. You could cut the piece with almost anything, but depending on what you use it might take more polishing is all.
I haven't used this welder in a long time, im an extreme novice welder, and I forgot how to actually turn it on lol. Can you explain to me the steps to get it ready to weld? I'd appreciate it, thanks!
Not a whole lot to it. Make sure there is a spool of wire installed. Tension settings are basically pre-set on this welder. If there is a roll of wire installed, connect the work clamp to the table or work, set the settings for the thickness you will be welding based on the chart inside the door, flip on the power switch and see if it works. If there is no wire in the welder, you will have to get some.
bigtb1717 Ok, so I'm probably going to try to weld a heat shield or a exhaust manifold cover. So for the knob, what number do you think it should be on, should the first switch be on low or high, and should the second switch be on 1 or 2? Sorry for the multiple questions, like I said I'm a complete novice welder lol. My weld pak is practically brand new because i don't even think I've ever actually used it haha.
Thin material can be tough, particularly with flux core. Do you have any material you can practice on? That would let you dial in the settings and get a feel for how it goes without potentially ruining a good part.
bigtb1717 I tried playing around with the settings and I was trying to get it to actually weld, so basically I just used a random setting and I touched it against some metal and it didn’t weld, just made a noise.
If I just need a small amount of flat stock or 1-1/4" angle or something like that, I will sometimes pick up a piece or two from Home Depot. It's not the best price to quantity ratio by any means, but it is convenient. For larger amounts, or for things HD doesn't carry, I go to a local steel supplier. There are some national and regional chains, but the one I use is just a little, local place.
The prices aren't too bad. Not fantastic, but not terrible. The people are nice and helpful, and it's very convenient to just walk in and browse their stock. I can look at what they have and decide what I want, or I can call ahead with a specific order and they'll have it ready when I arrive. There are some online places, but shipping kills it. It's really a matter of checking around the local area and see what's nearby.
I Would love to see you do this Same Kind of review/test onf the Forney 299 125amp Flux core Easy Weld i beleive its called lol. Its about 160 bucks on Amazon. And supposedly a really Good and Easy to use Welder.
One reason that welder is so much cheaper than the Lincoln is that it is has AC output, while the Lincoln in this review has DC output. DC, electrode (or wire, in this case) negative is recommended for flux core. Since AC is constantly switching polarity, it doesn't run nearly as smooth. That means that with the Forney you will get more spatter, and it will be much larger and more difficult to remove. It will possibly have less penetration as well. Could be interesting to test and compare though. I'll consider it.
bigtb1717 Thanks for the info! I am currently on the market for a lower end welder and really struggling with a semi decent one to buy! Lol any suggestions? Thanks have a Great day!
Just FYI. I just ordered one of the Forney Easy Weld 299 welders to review. With the holidays coming up I can't say exactly when I'll get to the review, but I'll do it as soon as possible. I'll do some penetration testing as well.
With a max of $500, most of the options will be 120V MIG welders. Nothing wrong with that, but you will be limited in output vs. a 240V welder. Do you have a 240V receptacle in your shop, or can you install one? To get a 240V welder, just about the only option I know of under $500 is from Harbor Freight. Their 170a welder is under $200 and has DC output. I have no direct experience with it. Many more options for 120V input MIG welders.
and never drag or weave or inline whip, all of those teks will cause horrible penetration and weaving will cause undercut in ur material and also less penetration, u need to straight push ur weld with mig and will get u the best penetration and eliminate undercut and roll.
@@stevenconley3136 I agree that weaving and whipping isn't ideal with flux core. I haven't personally done it since this video. But you should drag with flux core. Pushing with flux core can cause slag inclusions because you are pushing the slag to the front of the weld and then running over it. Slight manipulations can sometimes be fine with actual MIG welding (as in, gas shielded, solid wire). Just depends on what you are after. MIG can also be pushed or pulled. It may affect your final results slightly, but again, each may have advantages in certain situations and there has been much debate and testing. It's not quite as clear cut as "you must always push."
@@bigtb1717 pushing or dragging with flux is all about the profile ur trying to achieve pushing with flux will give me more of a flat and bigger size weld while pulling will give u a tight more filled size weld its good to pull if ur trying to achieve a 3/16 - 1/4 size weld pushing with flux will help u fill gaps and achieve bigger size weld if ur not welding a T joint.
