Titanium vs Chicago Electric Flux Core Welders (Harbor Freight) 

Sorry, this video isn't more polished. Big change for doing welding videos. I'll have it all down for the next one. Speaking of which, what sort of welding stuff would you like to see?

Welding with Crocs on is fun until you catch a bb, then you'll never do that again.

I’ve been drooling over one of those Titanium Flux core welders! I’m not a pro and I don’t give a flying flip what the “pros” think about my welds. As long as it’s strong, that all that matters to me. I’ll use my grinder and paint to make it purdy! 👍🏼

I was a welder for 38 years. Did most work for Caltrans here in Calif. All we used was flux core 5 times faster than stick welding. If your welder puts out DC then the weld will look better and not to much splatter.

For the guy fixing his mower, the Chicago electric is a good choice, but dont use the wire that comes with it, get a quality wire, also, clean the surface before welding, a good wire brush does wonders, and Red is right, that son of a biscuit is heavy

Someone returned a one of the Chicago electric 125 amps back to the store. Got it for 37 bucks and it even had the nicer wire in it.

The titanium unit kicks the crap out of the 90 amp welder. Honestly I’ve been really impressed with the titanium’s quality and adjustability for the price. It gives the lincoln equivalent a run for its money in my opinion

You have a few things backward, with stick the flux on the outside not inside. Also MIG is DC not AC (unless you are welding aluminum) *** That part about MIG welding on AC is wrong, I left it in so the correction replies make sense****, the Titanium is DC where the old 90 is AC (or at least was). AC spatters more than DC as a rule. DC penetrates better than AC, as a rule. Stick is more commonly AC. Other than aluminum TIG is DC. Somewhat small corrections for this type of video. I agree with your opinions on Flux Core and the Titanium. It works a LOT better than it should at that price point. The slag on stick is often pretty heavy but the slag I get with the Titanium you can brush off with a steel brush. A big plus for fluxcore over TIG for the home gamer is that flux core cares a lot less about clean. It's not as "I don't care" as stick but it will do decently on pretty dirty and junky steel. TIG hates dirt but also really doesn't like junky steel. If you are working with scrap and freebie junk steel you will have a lot of issues with TIG, and very few with fluxcore.

Who’s got a short attention... haha look, a talking bear 🤣 You’re a real badass, welding in shorts and crocs!

Have I thought about doing welding... sure Have I thought about welding all the Walmart carts together... possibly Have I done it .... To be continued. Great video.

Actually speaking from the perspective of a experienced Nuclear Submarine Welder who MIGS everyday, there's a major difference between a good mig welder and a average MIG welder. When you have all types of MT, VT, and X Ray inspections that follow, and you're working in very tighten enclosed spaces with tough angles and joints that need to be welded horizontally vertically and overhead without starts and stops, it takes quite the skilled welder to achieve quality weld.

Been a welder for 14 years, flux core works fine, I use .030 to 3/32 on a monthly basis, it's smokey and it has clean up but it welds fine (even meets code) if the settings are correct. Dollar for dollar though I see used century welders for sale cheap all the time and you just can't kill those damn things. The key with 110/120 welders is prep, get all that mill scale off, maybe even bevel your welds if you can (if you can run one pass you can run 3).

I’ve been welding since 1973, so it’s been a while. What I’ve found over that time is that flux core can give excellent welds. Actually, a lot of structural welding is done with flux core. Yes, flux core, not stick. But, I’ve also found that it’s harder for beginners to weld with MiG than with flux core. MiG is fairly easy, but you still have to learn how to use it. With stick, if you’re doing structural welds, you do have to grind your metal clean before welding. In fact, you always have to clean the material before welding if someone is going to sit on it, lean on it, or be under it. If it’s decorative, it may not matter. My main welder is an ESAB emp 205, and excellent machine. But I occasionally need to weld in one of my shops where I can’t get the ESAB to easily, much less the bottles, and where stick is too dangerous (indoors). So I bought this little welder. Surprisingly, it’s pretty good, within it’s limitations. I don’t find the work clamp (mistakenly usually called a ground clamp) to be an issue for this machine. There isn’t enough amperage for the clamp, with the max at 125A, and with that being used for short periods of time. The machine will shut off from overheating before the clamp becomes hot. Just put the clamp on the work itself if possible, and make sure you use the entire clamp, not just the tip, which many people do. I’ve made some really good welds with the built-in clamp. A better clamp won’t hurt, but this is a low power machine. One important thing. Don’t ever weld on a concrete floor! There’s a chance the concrete will explode. And remember that the tip on this thing is live when the trigger is pressed. If you touch the work with the tip, it can weld to the work. I like the interior button to advance the wire when loading the torch. I don’t like that there are no indications on the wire pressure. There’s no way to notice a number when removing the old spool and putting a new one in, so you have to fiddle. By the way, some companies call flux core gasless MiG. Sorry, there’s no such thing. MiG is MiG, and flux core is flux core. Anyway, I can recommend this for the price. Just don’t think that chicken track globs on metal is a good weld. I see that on channels too much. Go to the pro welding sites, it’s worth it.

I noticed you mentioned that the Chicago Electric was DC, it's actually AC, according to the Harbor Freight website. The Titanium welder is DC though. You also said that DC is not good - from all the other flux core info I've read/seen, it actually makes cleaner looking welds easier due to the steady flow of direct current. Also I like that the Titanium has several adjustments for voltage (and therefore current), whereas it looks to me like the Chicago Electric 125 only has min and max settings.

Go back and watch my "4 projects for under $25" video, all those welds on the wrench lamps were made with the Chicago 125 with the stock wire. It just spatters more BUT i had plenty of seamless welds. Did some preheating on the thicker metal in some spots. I've also done 1/4" plate with a deep bevel to help the penetration

i have the cheaper chicago electric flux core welder and it works good for the price...welded my exhaust no problem..

Hey Tool Bear! I have been real happy with the little Titanium flux 125, it’s a great smooth little welder. Of course I also like the Titanium 200 and the Omnipro 220 but those welder are out of some people’s price range. I have done quite a few review videos on these machines and the last two welders I mentioned weld just as good as the Millermatic 200 multi process welder but for half the price. Thanks for posting.

Thank you for this video. I have been doing a lot of repair work since I retired and can't believe how much I enjoy it. There have been a few occasions where welding skills would have come in handy but I figured at 67 years old it wasn't worth trying to learn. After watching your video, and seeing how cheap welders can be, I may give it a try after all. Now I just need to find something that needs welding. Hope bear mating season is just around the corner.

Good video. The only thing is its vicversa. The Chicago is a.c. and the much better titanium is DC. DC welds mush hotter which is much better.

Anyone can make a beed but... will it hold under pressure or will it leak?

Oh my God I'm just listening and cringing.... "Almost all welding is done AC these days" yeah only if you are doing aluminum.... Mig and flux core are both DC processes one with electrode positive and the other electrode negative.... Secondly you cannot use the 20% off coupon on that clamp.... It specifically States "except welding"

You went to fast and you didn’t move your gun back and forth you did a spring weld

Like you said about the wire making the difference, I have seen it first hand. I have never ran anything but Lincoln wire in my 125 or 180 since the first time I tried "Something more affordable"... Many bad words were uttered that day. Friend of mine came over with a Craftsman "?" that ran on 220. He had gotten some .030 Hobart flux core wire. Spit, splatter, splutter, ugly beads, jerky wire feed, adjusted and fooled with it for a while with no improvement. He ran my Lincoln and thought "Oh, it's just the welder". I got mad and stuck partial role of Lincoln .030 flux core on it. Ran a beautiful bead with not a pop to be heard in the sizzle (kinda like when the Titanium was going).

No Bear, no. Not just anyone can weld. I’m proof of that. I had to send my wife to welding school just so I could get some projects done.

How thick can you weld with the Chicago electric 90 or 125? Could you do, say, a cargo roof rack on a campervan?

So I bought the Chicago Flux 125 last year on black Friday and it did the job I needed it for. Is the Titanium worth the extra money? Should I sell the Chicago and buy the Titanium?

I got the titanium 170 not long after they came out and it works very well. I'm not a full time welder but have been welding for over 20 years, I just wanted a machine for the house so I didn't have to hall my projects to work. It has done a fantastic job with everything from 16 gauge to 1/4".

I JUST bought the Titanium 125 yesterday... the FIRST thing I'm going to weld is a nut to a pair of vise-grips, so I can bolt my ground cable to THAT! I shouldn't have any problems securing a ground!

If you take a piece of copper wire put it between the 2 pieces of metal. Tak each corners, pull the copper wire out & fill in the gap. True 100% penetration

I used to have the Chicago electric when it was listed as a 90amp. It was okay. I returned it and a few years later I bought the titanium. It's crazy how much better the titanium is. As a weekend hobbyist (maybe a bit more than that sometimes) the titanium is plenty. I use 110 and it works great. FCAW is great for outdoors as well. A lot of folks are saying start with stick.. I disagree. I think the titanium 125 is very versatile and an awesome "take anywhere" welder. Just my .02 and probably doesn't mean anything. Just ranting.

I was just looking at this in the mailer o got today, been thinking of grabbing a welder, can't wait to watch it!

I have a small flux core welder. It’s great for tack welding and if it’s clean material it works well. For the novice or beginner these are not bad. If you are doing auto sheet metal these are not bad. I have a box stick welder for anything real serious. The small wire feed is great on 3/16 material. A good beveled edge on the material and a few passes you can get 1/4 up to 3/8 material welded.

I worked at a blacksmith shop for about 3 years and we installed soooooo many gates and fences with and welded them ALL with a Lincoln 140 with flux wire. Mostly 1/4 metal. Worked great! Cant use gas if it's too windy!

the chicago electric is "AC ONLY" I believe, VS a DC welder. not an even comparison if you ask me, the DC is much better for welding.

Hey Bear. Going to upgrade to Titanium from HF black wire welder. Your video really show the difference in the burn. Thanks.

You can get a stick welder for that price and learn how to weld. Afterwards if you feel like tig welding you can use a dry scratch start tig setup on your stick welder(dc only). When using that flux core take your time and let the puddle form and try to keep a constant speed. The most important step for any welding process is to clean the material the best you can and take of the mill scale/rust. It takes 2min to clean a piece and 10min to cut out porosity or bad weld. The welding industry does not hate flux we use alot of dual sheild flux core where gas and flux are both used at the same time.picked up a omni pro so far 10/10

see all those industrial building made with concrete panels, all the rebar footings and cast in steel all welded with flux core DC, 1/2" all the way up to 1" steel

I bought the Chicago 90 amp welder about 3 yrs ago to build a engine hoist, it was ok, it did do the job. I am not a welder either, but I'm a lot better at it now. I kinda messed the first one up and bought another one. I welded to long and the over heat light came on several time when I was welding. Oil well that go with the territory. But I did upgrade to the Titanium 200 unlimited and what a welder, a bit expensive but I did get the 15% off coupon on anything in the store and got the 2 yr warranty to boot with the savings. This thing has not over heated once and I can do some welding and not have to stop to let it cool down. I use the flux core on this, being that I have a lot of wire left from the other welder. I'm building a frame with in a frame HF canopy 10x20 and going to put a hard roof on it! I guess I'm one of those HF nuts! lol. I have a channel here to and have videos on the stuff I build. You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. I have a garage full of HF tools. Have a good one! I've only been following you for a short time but I like your video's !

damn, we got a welding vtuber now

When using fluxcore, try reversing polarity (positive ground). You'll get less splatter & better penetration...

One thing you overlooked in this review, the cheaper welder can take a 10lb roll of wire, the more expensive titanium cannot. 10 lb rolls are waaay cheaper per lb than 2 lb rolls. You end up paying a lot more for your consumable wire with the more expensive welder. 2 lb rolls are about $20 each you can get a 10 lb roll for low $30s

I'd love to see these cheap boxes used for sheet metal. There are tons of easy sources for scrap sheet metal to throw together quick tool trays and other projects that don't need professional quality welds. I don't know what the newer Chicago Electric boxes are like, but my older one had a horribly short and undersized power cord, I think 6' of 16ga wire. I put about 12' of 10ga on mine right out of the box. The extra length is handy and I'd imagine a fair bit less voltage drop with the thicker wire.

1 added a Full wave bridge rectifier and a capacitor to my 90amp and it makes nice beads now. Then the 180 went on clearance...

First time I ever seen a bear Weld lol good video

I would agree with most, except the end part. The titanium is the one thats dc through the inverter with better welds and the chicago is the ac.

For about $6.00 you can buy a decent chipping hammer from Harbor Freight.

The titanium seems to run smoother but could be for other reasons as well.

Old school brazing welding is fun as well with oxy acetylene

I'll like anything you do welding cuz I'm learning.😁. I like what another guy said about cutting torch, they kinda work together right? Hey Jeff, you can make your own custom bed rails. LOL have you tried anything round? Thanks for sharing your thoughts and videos, Rodney P.S. I hope Jesse is feeling better today.

Great video. Lots of good information. I want to get into welding for furniture building. I think that Titanium would do the trick nicely. Thanks for the content!

Also get the coupon and get the 29 buck welding cart, makes life easier

Awesome vid dude, thanks for the pointers 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

Were do I get the croc welding shoes? Lol Nice video I've never been able to figure out the mig or flux core but am pretty good with stick. I love the little Chicago electric inverter welder it super portable and plays down a pretty good weld.

If anyone is truly interested in learning how to weld, start with stick. Learning how to control the arc and the puddle with stick welding will set you up for success when learning other processes. I'm currently attending a welding school and within the next 4 weeks I'll be testing for my AWS D1.1 SMAW Welding Certification. The class I'm enrolled in is specifically for stick however my instructor is amazing and has been letting me try mig along the way. Mig essentially boils down to how well you set the machine up once you already understand the basics of welding. But back on topic, a flux core welder to have at home is never a bad thing! I was looking at the titanium flux core at my local harbor freight and I couldn't believe how tiny it was. If I didn't already have a Miller I would absolutely consider buying one!

Good video Red and you're right every tool has its place

Fluxcore is used 90% of the time on ships at shipyards. I would know using it the last 27 years on ships. At shipyards its required.

How about a titanium 125 flux vs the harbor freight 120 volt stick welder in terms of weld strength, penetration, etc? Flux core vs stick, let’s get it on!

I HAVE BOTH,,THE HEAVY ONE JUST GAVE OUT,SO I GOT TITANIUM,ANG I CANT STOP BURNING THEW THE STEEL.I BEEN REPAIRING MY RUST CAR... DYK WH I BLOWING HOLES IN EVERYTHING IM TRYING TO WELD?((18 GAGE)

"...furless ape like this..." hahaha... C'mon Bear give your human the credit he deserves... if it wasn't for him you would still be foraging dumpsters for food!!!!! Hahaha

Thanks for diving right into the welding without explaining ANY of the basic setup...boo!!

And like me a real man welds in shorts, crocks, and no damn socks!

I have a cert in fluxcore it is duel shield but whatever, most shops now a ways use fluxcore even on pipe it's very fast and it can be beautiful.

Your flux core welding technique is terrible. Angle is way off. 15 degree from vertical is what you want.

Suggestion. Look at Forney for welding supplies & consumables. They are now made in the US, except for circuit boards, which are made in China. New factory in Ft. Collins, CO.

I started out stick welding mastering that made learning mig and tig real easy that being said flux core has its place a lot of places do dual shield that is flux core and shield gas at the same time.

I am new to this welding. Have a Harbor Freight Chicago Flux 125, but have been reluctant to use it. Your video has given me confidence that I can overcome my beginner diy hesitation. Thanks, I intend to follow you and learn more. Be Blessed.

I had to do some welding in Alaska a few years back out in the middle of nowhere. Used a small 110 flux core machine hooked to a small honda generator...and put out some quality welds. If you can really weld, you can make these little machines work pretty well. They provide a great way for anybody to learn to weld. If you can weld with one of these after putting some time in learning, when you do get a good machine, you'll appreciate it that much more.

Folks do not weld in the garage or near an automobile if you can help it,,,, The risk of fire is just too great.

That titanium actually good. But with the roll of lincoln 211 flux core wire. 0.30 thickness. Because of it being 110v. I run this little machine off my 5000watt power inverter. Does good. Only con is the duty cycle. But good for quick fixes and get out of trouble situation.

I have the old 90amp and the 125 amp Chicago electric but they both got ruined last week in the flooding we had in Houston. When I get back on my feet again I guess it will be time to upgrade. Both of them I did upgrade the grounding clamps immediately and it did make a significant difference

UV alert. Sunburn is coming. Cover up that skin, you dope. That arc is throwing off tons of UV and IR. You said the Chicago Electric is dc (20:35). What did you mean by that? I thought all the welders were dc.

I find flux Cor welding in harder to weld then regular mig (with gas), Bec you can't just go over again you first got to knock off The flux. Stick When I started stick was hard for me in the learning process to learn how to strike an arc! Tig (I've never tried) Always seems when people (on RU-vid)use TIG welding it's on aluminum

I've had no issue with my CE 125. It's a great practice machine, I AM NOT a welder. If you're learning I've always been a fan of learn on the cheapest junk possible in order to practice in case you don't stick with it or if you just need to use it every now and then. If you can weld with the cheapest flux core chances are if you use a MIG you'll lay good beads instead of just wasting shielding gas.

Some misinformation in this video. First off, the Chicago Electric welder was called a DC welder and the Titanium welder was called an AC welder multiple times in this video which is incorrect and backwards. The Chicago Electric is an AC transformer welder, and the Titanium is the DC welder. Second, the Chicago Electric welder is a REAL welder and penetrates ok on thinner metal if you know how to weld properly. Calling it a glue gun for metal is pretty silly and not an accurate comparison. It welds up to 1/8" thick metal with ok penetration just fine, and with thicker 3/16" you just have to spend more time in the area with a wider bead so things get hotter and better penetration. The Chicago Electric is what it is, a cheap welder for thinner gauge metal and if you use it within its limitations it gets the job done. The Titanium is going to be a better, nicer welder obviously, but you can weld strong welds with the Chicago on 1/8" tubing. I've built 4x4 suspension with the Chicago and would have no problem building structural racecar rollcages with it either. You can always run a second weld pass, and add gussets if needed. A good fabricator knows how to overbuild things if needed. I've also built custom chromoly bicycle frames with thinwall tubing with the Chicago. Yes you tend to blow holes and lots of gap filling but who cares if that's all you have to work with. More weld and gussets=more strong. The whole thing about perfect fitting joints and blowing holes through tubing ruining the weld joint is just ego about having pretty welds.

Oh my friggin God!!! Is he really welding in shorts with crocs and no socks?? You're right! He don't know squat about welding!!!!

Get a Good Flux Core wire Like Blue Demon E71T-11 .030 and You want have all that splatter like the Vulcan wire has .

I replaced the gas shield tip on my Chicago FC welder with a Lincoln tapered tip similar to the one on the Titanium, for about 4 bucks, much easier to weld with.

I really liked the Century fc90 (what the titanium copied) but needed to weld 24 gauge car door skins, I got a Klutch welder from northern tool after shopping around at a killer price, flux/gas, I will never intentionally go back to flux, but it has its place 18 gauge to 1/4 with no gas is nice 👍🏻

Ok professional welders do use flux core, it’s mostly an inner shield flux core wire that’s used in an outdoor setting , akin to stick welding on a don’t have to insert a new electrode.. outer shield is flux core that requires co2 gas..the Vulcan helmet is an awesome helmet , I’ve used both hf helmets and the Vulcan is a top of the line helmet.. also the Vulcan gloves are nice , but I don’t recommend them for industrial purposes except the tig gloves.. you kill me with your machine terms..it’s not a hose,it’s called a liner or conduit liner, the feeder is called an idler arm ..it’s hard to tell but it looks like your gun is a little to far away, which explain the excess spatter.. the penetration sucks because it’s a light duty welder.. strength depends on a variables such as wire grade, voltage setting and such..sorry in 25 years of welding I’ve never heard of an ac mig welder.. ac welding is mainly used in stick or tig welding..it’s ac input, but has a dc rectified, into dcep or dcen .. mig is metal inert gas, tig is tungsten inert gas.. gas welding is still used, and used a lot in brazing..welding is a general term,but welding refers to any bonding process that physically or chemically bonds 2 materials together.. And a final note always use protective gear, but even with gear you can be seriously injured.. I’ve caught my leather on fire, had sparks burn thru ear plugs , and have had sparks find their way into my boots and got 3rd degree char marks on my feet..

Actually, real welders are real welders welding in a welding world. Hobbyist that weld things together where safety isn't that big of an issue are not welders. They stick metal together. While I agree that the hobbyist can garage weld things that aren't that important, if you run across an arrogant professional welder don't act like your at their level. Your not. By far. I'm a mechanic and I use these things on mufflers and such. I have enough sense to NOT weld a roll cage in a race car. Don't get it twisted people, these are hobbyist welders.

The real difference is output, Chicago is A/C which half's the penetration, and double the splatter. I have the Chicago get the Titanium!

“Don’t recommend hex driver, I already went threw a pair of these” Yeah but your using then😂🤦‍♂️

Also I have found teaching people to stick weld first makes it easier for them to transition into other processes. Stick machines will show all the problems that students are making and, when they go to another process, they take to it like a duck to water.

I bought the Titanium and gave the Chicago to a young friend. I put the better clamp on of course to the Titanium. The single best thing you can do is buy good wire. I use the Lincoln and splatter is WAY down and seems to penetrate about 10% better. (maybe the better clamp too?) Just doing body panels and repairs on thicker stuff. The extra money and control of the Titanium is worth it!

Welding in shorts and crocs? Lightweight. I weld in nothing but a pair of bikini briefs.

Hey Bear, what’s Tank Top Heater? I got a 10.00 off coupon in the HF catalog I got today

The difference between a welder and a good welder is the quality of their grinder.

OMG - at 11:24; you don't beat on a weld like that to remove slag. If it appears that it's holding tight use an angle grinder and wire wheel or cup. Better yet, move more slowly and aim the wire at the leading edge of the puddle, letting the puddle melt into the sides of the work and consistently build up weld. That method and heat will make the flux rise to the top and will be easy to remove and will give you a respectable weld bead.

don't forget about dual shield flux core, used in industry for code work where stick is not needed.

This video just cleared up some things for me. Screw what the good ol boys think I just want one piece of metal to stick to another!

Good video, the animated bear is a big distraction. Please consider losing that whole schtick.

That brush / hammer should go immediately to the trash. 😁

At the shop all I use is flux. Yeah a lot of people shoot in down put at the end of the day it's perfectly fine for most applications. Like you said grinder and paint are your friends. Great video as always

I use a pair of vice grips as my grounding clamp.

I got the Titanium 170 and used it to put my 03 Ranger frame back together. I used flux core and the only regret I have is I wish I would’ve gotten a multi-pass wire. The Vulcan wire is single pass. So far it’s holding up. I learned about multi-pass after I made the repair. So far been very pleased with it. These DC welders weld smooth as butter and are super portable. It should last me years the way I use it.

The HF Titanium 125, the little green machine, is is DCEN Gun negative?

Very good videos but I was wondering about a 220 extension cord because I don't have any outlets in my garage need to run wiring for it or get an extension cord of 50 ft

Dam they’re 150$ now and I’m waiting on the sale for 120$ 😅

Please do not weld like this guy does. I have welded with both and the weld comes out nice and clean and even . Then I use the spray and then a grinder to clean weld. Been welding 45 years.

Very cool = I can only afford harbor freight= I’ve had the original chcagoelectric for ever and works great for me