Eh, the work clamp is fine. I bought the Titanium 125 as a secondary machine for when I need a welder in my shops where my welding equipment isn’t easily moved because of the size and weight, and I’m doing small welds or tacks on machined parts that need to fit properly before being welded, and may move while being moved. The opening in the HF clamp allows you to put the clamp securely onto a round surface from the front where the Century can’t. If you can weld well with MiG, you can make a good weld with this. If you’ve never welded before, it’s a bit harder to learn on flux core. I’ve found that 3/16” is easy. Just use the cursive “e” when welding. Most guys just push, which is wrong for this. Keep between 3/8” and 1/2” from the surface. Too close and the flux doesn’t melt properly, and the wire explodes off the tip giving almost as much metal as BBs as weld. Too far is just as bad. For 3/16”, bevel the edges, and you’ll get much better penetration. I found the HF wire to be perfectly fine. This is not going to be used for structural work (I hope, this isn’t big enough for that).
The FC-90 is a nice little machine. Easy to store and use. I have 3 other wire fed machines but the FC-90 has become the most used one just because it’s so lightweight and handy to move around.
I just wanted you to know how helpful your videos have been for me. I don't really have any welding to do but I'll be damned if that will stop me. I am going down on dismal Friday to get one. Thanks
The titanium is substantially better both low and high settings and welds overall better. Ive got the titanium 125 and it can do 3/16ths single pass and can do 1/4 on max .
I bought the Century FC-90, 3 years ago, Harbor Freight's Flux-core welder at the time was only AC not DC like the Century & the Century is made by Lincoln. I have no problem welding up to 3/8" mild steel, after watching many RU-vid videos, about how do multi-pass welds with 120V flux core welders. The trick is V cutting the metal to be welded (==>
I bought my FC-90 at Home Depot when it was $199. Was very impressed with what it did for what it was. Then it was stolen in a burglary and I have replaced it with the Titanium 125 since it was cheaper with a coupon. So far I haven’t used the Titanium enough to really compare. Used Lincoln wire in both.
I have years of tig/stick experience and never mig/flux welded. I went out and bought the flux 125 figuring it could help me make yard art. After a couple weeks use, I really like it. On the high end of power it trips a 20amp breaker which is a bit concerning, but it does quality welds on everything I have tried. Overall well worth the money.
Other welding videos of the FC90 on YT show a much stronger, more consistent performance welding than in your video. When you used the .030 wire in the FC90, did you flip the wire feed wheels, as per instructions? Something's not right here.
I'd say it's probably because I hadn't used the welder much whereas I'd use the titanium a bunch. Either way I concluded that they both welded great no issues either one.
@@-DIYPRO- I'm thinking maybe it was the fact you used the .030 wire but the FC-90 came with a .035 tip... so maybe inferior contact on the century gave the titanium an advantage? The titanium gave much nicer results based on your video for sure... Have you compared using the included wire that came with the Titanium vs Lincoln Electric wire?
Picked the Titanium Flux 125 up this morning. Just finished welding my winch bumper up, all 3/16". Clean welds, used 0035" Forney flux wire and tip. I used my 220 Lincoln arc for the 1/4" brackets. Still pretty impressed with the cheap titanium flux.
pro tip and just the tip, both SAMPLE scrap pieces should be cold or room TEMP , when you WARM the test strip the 2nd welder will always get a LEG UP .... need a few more scrap pieces to give a true apples to lemons review... just sayin, nice beads otherwise, at least you CAN weld!!!
Titanium was built as a private label for Harbor freight, it was meant to be interchangeable with Lincoln. Hence why a lot of their main components look the same
Aspiring novice welder here. Thanks so much for this, found it very useful, and sub'd after seeing some of your other vids. Please indulge some Qs if the community wouldn't mind: 1) Can we use these to weld together two pieces with 2 different thicknesses (see, told you I'm a noob)? And if so, do we use the settings for the smallest or larger of the two? 2) Can we buy replaceable parts for one of these machines and use them on the other? E.g. nozzle, wire spool ... clamp? Can't wait to try some entry flux core welding, this video is really helping me get there.
You may be a noob but keep in mind I'm NOT a professional. This is just me speaking. 1) Yes you can weld different thicknesses. It will only be as strong as your thinnest pieces and what I've done in the past is set it at one notch above the recommended setting for the thinnest piece and as you are welding you'll keep the heat on the thicker piece longer(you obviously want more heat going into that piece and not just burn through the thinner. 2) Depending on how in depth you are going yes and no. ground clamps yes, entire guns yes (you may have to change the wire connector type but it can still be done, just the nozzle, I think so. I'd have to check. Smaller items may have different threads and stuff.
Is it just me or does the Titanium look like it leaves less slag? Is that simply due to your level of grinding or possibly the wire quality? I’ve got the Titanium arriving in a couple of days and am looking forward to playing with it.
I noticed today as I was welding some 1/8 angle that when I started chipping at it, there was not much slang at all..put the wire brush on it looked very clean...I've only had this little green machine for a few weeks but so far I really like it
I noticed today as I was welding some 1/8 angle that when I started chipping at it, there was not much slang at all..put the wire brush on it looked very clean...I've only had this little green machine for a few weeks but so far I really like it
the only complain that i have from the lincon is that the trigger is in a point of the gun that if you don't pay attention you will be loosing a lot of flux core wire
Thanks Mech. Glad i made a great choice in the Titanum. I finished all the welding on my gokart and am just about ready for the big reveil on the next video. I went back to Harbor Freight the following week and was armed with coupons and walked away with a nice welders cart for $29.99. Thanks for the video i will give you shout out next time. Great job brother.
What happens when you run out of wire? Meaning the wire that is still inside the gun cable. Do you pull the remaining wire out from the gun and then add a new spook of wire and feed it? I’m confused....thanks
If you are just going to flux core weld is it worth it to buy the 140 titanium over the 125 titanium if I'm not going to weld over 3 16ths in just to save money on the 10 lb spools version the 2 lb rolls I might weld quarter in once in a while but not often thanks
I would totally go with the Titanium 125. There are a bunch that hate it because you can't do a 10 lb spool but if you are just using this for home projects you are not going to go through that much wire. I'd day if you are flux only and not real thick then stick with the 125.
I have the century because it was on sale for $99 i push it to the limits at the time i didnt have no access to 220v but now have a generator that does 220 yeah for me but those wondering i have had success with the fc90 doing up to 3/8 doing two passes
Just picked up mine yesterday with a 2 year warranty also for an additional $35.00 which is nice to have as you can take the welder back if anything goes wrong with it and get another new one! ;)
The nozzle is comes with is to protect that area from if the trigger gets accidentally depressed on the workpiece because that whole part is energized. And it would be better to have the mig nozzle on there because it will protect the contact tip on the welder so if touched in the work piece it won’t get damaged from the arc welding the tip shut, therefore prolonging tip life 😬
I would like to see a vid of a 125 amp inverter welder running off of a deep cycle battery hooked to modified sign wave harbor freight 2000 watt inverter . I don't know if it's even possible
Yep. I fabricated two half in. rebar hinges for a grill using the hf 90amp welder. Never had an issue. But im going to purchase an amico 180 for the aluminium mig feature and the stick function since i have a collection of rods that were thrown away buy a contractor after finishing a job on an old building.
@@robertblackshear8963 i want a dc welder or some kind ive got a 90 amp i can weld with it but i want a dc gonna buy one when hf welders go back on sale
@@leasttrending Dont blame you. Dc welders get really hot and the hotter the better the penetration. I recently bought a lotos 3in1 50 amp dual voltage plasma cutter, stick and tig welder and i can say the stick function is unbelievable on 110. The plasma cutter is ok but ill be getting an extension cord and 220 adapters to fit my stove outlet to get the full capacity of the plasma function. I haven't tried the tig yet but given i cant run the stick function any higher than 65 amps without blowing through 1/8 angle iron the tig function has got to be devastating. Good luck.
Is it just me or does Titanium break too fast. I mean I just exchange the machine for a new one each time with the two year warranty It may be the environment since my work shop's ground is full of years of grinding and welding. Is it my fault?
interesting that you are dragging the tip. I've never tried one of these flux core welders, but I learned to MIG in vocational school, and you always point the tip in the direction of travel. only in stick welding is the electrode drug across the work, maybe flux core works best the same way? good review- I really want to pick up one of these little machines
You are correct. But the exception is when theres slag then you drag. Thats an old saying passed on to me years ago. With mig you can drag or push easily but with fluxcore it has a tendency to behave like stick welding so you want to be good and hot if pushing fluxcore in order to simultaneously burn away the slag as you push. Its all in the puddle.
If you go with harborfreight Flux definitely get a Lincoln ground clamp for $7 , Lincoln Flux wire, anti spatter grease and Lincoln Flux tips. These will upgrade your welds for little money.
I got the FC90, evidently it's got a multiple personality disorder. The box it came in lists a range of 18 ga to 1/4" on one side, 18 ga to 5/16" on the other...chart on the welder lists 18 ga to 1/8". Confusing.
Man! All the HF in the Kansas City - Topeka area are sold out of the Titanium. I have a $179 coupon that expires soon. Bummer. Thanks for vid comparison.
Sold out here for me too. Implan on just ordering it and having it shipped to the house. Coupon works but you pay shipping. Shipping probably still cheaper then keep running to harbor freight only to find them sold out.
It's probably from their tent sale when they had it at $149. I did a pre-sale on it last month for $179, and just picked it up today. They were kind enough to give me a $10 credit for waiting a few weeks.
Is it recommended to get the extended warranty from Harbor Freight. I think it is about $35 for two years. It would just be for infrequent home use, maybe every couple months. Thanks for any replies.
I say no. My Philosophy is if you get a lemon you will know about it within the 90 days and you can take it back then. They should last a long time with the infrequent use by a home owner.
As of 2022 The harbor freight by me no longer Carrie’s the titanium. Just a crappy welder with a couple of switches. No real adjustments. Chicago brand welder.
Wish you keept the same camera angle for each pass when changing between welders . The different angle Makes it hard to judge arc and spatter . For me anyway
You mentioned using .030 wire in the FC90 while the chart only shows settings for .035, did you change the tip to .030 wire you were using? Might have affected the weld if it still had the .035 tip in.
I think there was also something amiss with the fc90 testing. I just think so but with no welding experience I can't put my finger on it. Like you said the tip, wrong wire, settings, and not sure which welder benefitted from the other welders pre warm up of the metal. Also did he use the same circuit in his house and same extension cord. Seemed like the fc90 was cutting out alot during the weld.
@@frankcrawford416 Yes, I have the .030 tip installed and use .030 wire. It came with both tips, but I don’t remember which was preinstalled. I am primarily interested in welding thin metal and am not a pro, or have had any training. Impressed with what the FC90 will do, never had the issues experienced by the reviewer and am still learning on the machine. Previous experience was with AC stick and acetylene torch welding - my own stuff.
Door skins vary and average is 24 gauge, you do not want to tackle a large repair with flux core, you will struggle, it will do small tack welds thats about it. You can weld thinner with a few band aid tecniques , this welder performs great in the specified range of 18 gauge up.
It handled the truck bed no problem. And my floor pans. Idk how to post photos on here or I’d show them. What made it even better is i got it for $130 on a parking lot sale!
Hate to say it but I could not get titanium from Harbor Freight for 3 month. Never in stock end up picking up the century on 6/17/2020 for $220. 20$ more then $199 titanium
@@luciankristov6436 The titanium wont weld 1/4" this review is using the wrong contact tip/wire to give the century its leg up. Theyre both 90amps at 30% duty read the fine print and dont fall for the Harbor Freight Marketing.
Hi there. I never weld before, I am looking forward to do my own fencing panels. The metal I want to work on is 16g. my question is can use the Titanium on regular 110v house outlets?
I bought the Century fc90 a week ago, based in part on one of your videos. I love it, its a good unit. Great performance so far. Century is actually Lincoln, so if I ever need repairs, I can take it to any Lincoln dealer. I spent $20 extra and got a pack of extra tips and a pack of extra nozzles. Good videos thanks
I'm only going to keep one and I keep going back and forth on which one will stay. I want to keep the century just because it's a Lincoln, probably could pass it on to my kids.
Mech Master There’s also the fact that the Titanium is an obvious knock off. At least Lincoln Electric is an American company. Though, both welders are likely made in the same factory in China lol
The idea behind the titanium ground clamp is that you can fit it around a bolt on your work piece and it'll surround it instead of sliding off.. but yeah they are made in the same place.
The one thing I noticed with my FC-90 is that it tends to run real hot.. can't use the recommended settings hardly ever and I've welded some fairly thick material.
That's a tuff one. To help me decide which one to keep when I was ready to sell I put them both up for sale on the classified ads at the same time and the Century sold pretty quickly so the resale value on that one seems pretty good! But I have no regrets still having to Titanium.
@@hIGH_aND_mIGHTY once a year they email out a 25% coupon that's good for a couple days with absolutely NO restrictions. I don't remember if you have to be a club member to get the coupon.
That century sucks compared to the Titanium and ive got the Vulcan 220 and the titanium 200 unlimited. Ive never had a problem with them. Been running them for a few years in my shop. HFs brand name tools like titanium, Vulcan bauer , Hercules and earthquake are decent tools that do last. RU-vid has nothing but proof of that. Technology and manufacturing today is significantly cheaper than it was a decade ago . Wasnt hard for HF to source a manufacturer from Taiwan like DeWalt, snap on, Milwaukee tools do. Everything is made in China lol
Got a Titanium on sale this past weekend for $149.99 ($150), plus a 20% off coupon, for a total of $120. Be sure to join their 'club'. The coupon in their 'Black Friday - Part 2' email listed the Titanium 125 as $149.99, but the store flyer's coupon listed the price $10 higher. Saved $10 extra via the email coupon. Looking forward to playing around with it making some blacksmith hardy-hole tools later this month!
@@-DIYPRO- thank you man , going to buy one in the next few weeks. i was gonna buy their stick welder , but this looks much more promising for my needs
You run a 30 amp breaker on undersized wire, which you are, you're gonna burn your house down. The fact it was tripping a 20 amp should have told you something.
The wire size in most households 110 will only support 15 amp breaker. Some are 20 but few and far between. Putting a 30 amp breaker on an outlet/ wire rated at 15 you will meltdown and burn things you do not want to!
Based on the sound and the amount of spatter, I'd bet the H.F. is DC while the Century is AC. Also look at the heat affected zone on the 1\4", the Century looks like it is using AC there too. I'm a fan of Red welders but of these 2 the Titanium is better.
@@-DIYPRO- I bought a HF titanium today for some spot welding on a roof replacement on a 2007 mustang gt that got caught in a tornado and had a dumpster dropped on the roof. I've never welded. I believe I can do the job with this welder. It's really a small job but I'm excited to give it a go! Waiting on a couple of tools that I had to order and now the weather has become a hurdle too. Rain in the forcast for the next week!
You can use 0.03. I can't remember if it has a 0.03 roller but the tips are cheap enough to change out and you can get away without changing the roller if not.
Yes the manual says it will run .030 or .035 you would just need a .03 contact tip. Its a better welder than the Titanium this review was grea but the century contact tip hurt it enough to lose the 1/4" battle. It real world I can weld 1/4" with the century which they now claim on their site.
I have a question. I would really appreciate your advice & trust your opinion! I’ll try not to rattle on, but it’s kind of the way I write on these things, so, I’m sorry in advance. Me, my dad, and brothers have our own equipment for paving. I wanted to buy a portable stick welder to mess around our yard and fix things that need welding. I do not know how to weld, but I will learn, I’ve tried my buddy’s stick, and was passable. (Note I wouldn’t attempt anything dangerous, like welding a hitch on the dump truck, I won’t hold you to anything, just your opinion! Lol. Maybe welding new L iron spines on the trailer ramp, before putting new wood. That being said; I want to get a stick welder that’s really durable, not junk. Within reason, money is no object. From what I can see on some vids, they say Fronius 180, but that has mig, tig, and stick built in! And the price on the internet is all over the place, $1200, $1800, $3500 (doesn’t make sense). Your opinion = most durable portable stick welder. The machine you would recommend, would you also recommend upgrading the electric wire or gun, or whatever (I don’t know the lingo)? Whatever I get, I don’t want it to become obsolete, I will learn on the best, then keep it for a long time! Please put together the ultimate setup, then when I have the money (get my cheap ass brother to kick in a little), I will take the list of items on paper to the welder supply and say “I’ll take this!” (If Fronius 180 is head and shoulders above all others, then I’ll bite the bullet (I think $1200 is the actual price). Another note, if what you recommend has a built in mig and/tig, but it’s the best, then it is what it is, I’ll get that. Every site claim a different machine, some suggest the machine where the company is their sponsor. That’s why I come to you. Sorry for making it so long. Take your time, whenever you get the chance, let me know what to get. Piece me together a nice setup. Thanks!
Well for right now if you want an affordable portable welder I'd pick up one of these. If you are stuck on a stick welder I'm going to let other chime in because stick welding is not my strong subject in school! I wouldn't be one to put together an ultimate list based on the fact that i'm a cheap welder guy, i've use Hobarts and Lincolins but nothing top of the line.
Mech Master Lets say for mig. What do you think of the portable fronius? They have a 180, & they also have a 225 (I think it is 225). They’re portable, seem durable, and it does mig, tig, and stick. I’m leaning towards getting one of those. Figure I’ll probably start to use the mig eventually.
i would get a LINCOLN or HOBART brand ,,either in 140 ,thats a 120 volt or if you have a240 volt output in your shop then a 180 .....they are transformer machines and less electronics to worry about ,,,a 140 about $500 and a 180 about $650 to $700, I have a lincoln 140 and i want a 180.....get a 180 if you have 240 volt connection ,if not a 140 will do.
if you are learning then a wire feed is easier than stick or tig...amazon has a good price on hobart 180....hobart is actually made in same plant as miller.
I bought the titanium 125 the other day. I am not a welder but previously had the chicago electric harbor freight 90 amp. The 90 amp welder only had a min and max setting. It would burn through exhaust pipe or mild steel which was useless to me. I tried the titanium on the a setting to B settings (lowest setting) and it did not burn through the mild steel exhaust pipe! I use lincoln electric .35 flux core wire from home depot or lowes with a .35 tip. I also changed the clamp to the heavy duty hb ground clamp. I am very happy with it compared to the 90 amp welder hb had and the titanium is so small and light!
my titanium 125 popped a capacitor after 3 small jobs,. It was great but when I went to return it the store couldn't find my information and refused to warranty its. Long story short I stripped it of the power, ground, whip, switch and feed system in the parking lot then returned it to the manager with extreme prejudice by throwing it as hard I could into their floor in front of the register. In all fairness the 125 took the hit very well. I then went out and bought the century. I can't tell the difference between the 2. They both work very well .The fc90 comes with a 6 month warranty instead of the 3 months the 125 has.
To me it looks like the 125 is a spin-off of the century. Given your evaluation I must say the 125 might indeed be a 90 amp welder as well. I noticed in reviews the titanium welds good for a few months or so and starts to get unstable and then clunk out. I'm going with the century as well. I never read anything negative about its performance or longevity. Thanks for the warning.
@robertblackshear8963 Yes, the the Century was designed by Lincoln and was unique. The Chinese immediately copied the type and marketed their own via HF to compete w/it. Sad folks can buy American, when even today it is industry leading 😢
