This New Harbor Freight Welder Is Not Happy. Vulcan MigMax 215
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มี.ค. 2023
- First off, this is a good machine. The settings are easy to dial in. The flexibility with different wire sizes is good... but... we found a flaw.
This is a flaw I've seen on a few other welders in this price range, and that is the simple fact that they don't like to be pushed to the max. I'm going to play around with this Harbor Freight welder a bunch more in the coming weeks, and I will see how it performs in my day to day tasks.
Thanks for watching!
If you are a Vulcan owner, let me know in the comments that what your experience has been so far 👍.
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Nate, you have it on "auto" mode. If you look at that little knob in the middle labelled "wire diameter", you have it at ".035". You need to turn it to "Manual" mode in order to manually select wire speed and material thickness. You'll notice that there are two colors on the material thickness knob. The orange color is auto mode and the white color is manual mode. Putting it into "manual" mode activates both knobs. I ran into this same problem and thought the machine was broken. But once I realized my mistake, it explained it's awkward behavior.
So in other words. Read the instructions!
@@SimonElenor Instructions??? What are those?
@@saltymethods2637 Some kinda paper things with pictures and some scribbling on them! Most people use them as toilet paper!
I sent this video to a friend of mine who owns this machine and he noticed the same thing! He said “oh he has it set wrong, the middle knob should be on manual”
I replayed the close up a few times. It clicks 3 times when he turns the dial, which would've put it in manual mode.
Hey Nate: try a Lincoln gun (if you have one) on the Vulcan. The stock gun is only 180A on a 215A machine and struggles with higher outputs. It’s standard tweco connectors, so should be able to use any gun. After upgrading mine, thicker metal was easier. Still not Miller, but better.
I have also heard to run better wire. As the HF is not that great. No personal experience here. I use a MIller 211. Love it.
I have heard this before, too. Be really invested to see it tried out.
I wonder if my Miller or my Abicor Benzel torch will fit in the Vulcan... more testing is needed 😁.
Love binzel whips!
@@DirtLifestyle I thought it would, but it’s a Lincoln style plug. Miiiiight be able to work, but the Millers have an odd taper at the end.
I have been welding all my projects with a HF level of quality of a welder for years
I found what really helped my machine with consistency was upgrading the ground wire to a bigger better wire and clamp
I have an Eastwood mig 180, and so far I’ve been happy with it, although I haven’t tried to push it past or to it’s “limit…” gonna have to go pick up some thicker steel to see how it likes it
I'd like to see a YesWelder. For a cheapo, they have a lot of great features and seem pretty good. I also want to know more about the Hobart Handler.
These Comparison and Testing Videos are Fantastic! I lile the fact that you Use machines like this on a regular basis. The fabrication and builds that you do are diverse enough to get a good idea how machines and tools are working for you, Which in Turn, Helps us on our own projects! Excellent!
Never had that issue with my Vulcan welder, plus I immediately upgraded the ground clamp. For the type of welding I do
Agree. I had a Miller and absolutely loved it.
We needed to buy a new welder at work and my boss wanted to cheap out on a multiprocess machine. Thankfully I was able to talk him into the exact miller machine you have! What a wonderful machine!
I value your reviews because they are a No Holds Barred opinion after extensive use. Thanx for the Content
Perfect timing. Just had a small repair done at an old buddy's shop. He sucked me in. I think I could use a tech class, but I've got my open invite back. Oh, you do such nice work!
Can't go wrong with a Hobart handler for a great long lasting machine. Excellent to learn on also.
Spool gun for the handler is awesome too. I love my 190.
I love my 210 MVP as well, dual voltage with a spool gun for a great price, super easy to learn on. I taught my wife to weld on it in under a couple hours.
I have a Vulcan OmniPro 220. Haven’t done much over 1/4, but I’ve found it to work well on 1/8, 16gauge, and auto body sheet metal work, which is the majority of what I do. I think it’s definitely a good value for a hobbyist and the easy to find consumables are nice.
Same welder… love it…
Thank so much, for all the videos and sharing your knowledge and experiences.
Really want to learn to weld!! Just went through brain surgery a year ago so hopefully this summer I'll be 100%. Love watching your videos!
YesWelder is where it's at. For a budget welder, I've been super happy with it
Any of the inexpensive welders really. I got a Hitbox MT2000 II for $138. I run it with Harbor freight .030 Mig wire and C25 gas. Replaced a decade old Neiko tools Mig 135 that needs some repair from sitting. The Hitbox is great. Not a miller or a Hobart but it's great for what it is
Great video Nate as always. I have a little old Lincoln I have for $150 and haven't practiced in two years. Once I finish unpacking this new home I'm getting right to it
Awesome video! I’ve been looking at this Vulcan and wanting to buy it. It’ll be my first mig welder. Seems like it’s a decent option for a first timer. Thanks Nate!
You have no idea how much time you saved the community by testing with your professional skills. Can you imagine a rookie trying to work his/her way up to 3/8 and experiencing the problems you did? You were able to instantly dismiss it as "the machines simply isn't happy" whereas a NOOB would spend days trying to figure out what they are doing wrong.
Thanks for taking the time to show up the sweet spots, as well as the weaknesses!
I had the same problems when I was using some little crappy box store welder and trying to learn. No matter what I did for voltage or wire speed, I couldn't make a decent bead, or was blowing holes through sheet metal. I was asking my millwright friend for advice, he said half the battle is the machine, you can have all the experience in the world but will have poor welds with a bad machine. I bought a Miller and was stunned by how much easier it was to use and get decent results.
A noob would actually read the instructions
@@24BLUEELMO well aren't you just a ray of sunshine.
He has it set to auto. Which is why it isn’t welding well at max power
I bought one of these back in Nov. of 22'. So far, I have only used it to begin boxing my frame (3/16") and so far it seems good. I do run Lincoln wire in it. However, I will soon be building a steering box mount out of 3/8" so we'll see how it does.
Thank you for the video. Great information.
Love to see something on flux core wire. I've heard so many varied opinions, yet very little actual evidence. Thanks Nate
I have that exact same welder.. I don't weld often, and it has worked well for the few times I needed 1.
Thank you for the information 😎👍
I have a business with all expensive blue machines and a hobby shop for my Jeep and car hobby. I have 2 Vulcan machines in my hobby shop. One of them welds fantastic all the way up to full power. The second one does what yours did. The majority of the stuff I am welding is 1/4” and it handles it great. I called support and they ran me through some tests. All passed. There is a definite difference between the two machines though. 🤷🏻♂️
VERY valuable feed back! This is what I wanted to see. Someone with some real world experience on this machine 👍.
Thank you!
Loved the video. I purchased a Lincoln 140 from Home Depot during the pandemic. I taught myself to weld during my time off work. I already regret not buying a bigger welder. I was looking at Harbor Fright welders. I am on a budget and I need to get my wife on board with buying a new welder already. I was hoping you would be 100 percent pleased with the Harbor Fright welder.
I will still be considering the HF welder. I don’t weld as much as you do. Thank you!!
I bought a weldpro 200 amp multiprocess welder off Amazon and to me it works great. This is my first welder and I haven't welded thick material. It would be cool to see something like an Amazon welder tested
Just an FYI from someone that's been welding for over 40 years pipe and boiler certified
If your steel is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit you should preheat
If you're welding heavy steel with a small welder you should preheat it maybe bevel the welds
There's a difference between not being doable and not being recommended
Brilliant advice Chuck 👏 👌 👍. Preheating 🤔.
Thanks.
Very valuable perspective 👍.
I love the "There's a difference between not being doable and not being recommended." This is where home/hobby people live. They can't afford, justify, or possibly even electrically support a large expensive machine or bit of equipment. Alternative methods of fabrication have to be used to make it work. It doesn't make it wrong, just not the "ideal". Heck I've run oxy/acet because it's what I had and would get the job done. Got a buddy who has built some IMPRESSIVE things with a 11x28 lathe. Would it normally have been done on a 14x40, yes, but he didn't have one.
I have the exact same setup for the harber fright welder. I was pretty happy for what I got in the package and how it did I did have to find tune it a little to get it to run, how I like but not bad for what it is it's a good start pack for some one
Excellent 20 min. Video!
Garage is looking good. Looking forward to your upcoming shenanigans.
Good review!! Looking foward to the next one!
Thanks man!
Still on my first deko 160A cheap stick welder. Welds better than I do but then again I’ve welded 3/8- .95 pretty successfully. The holes I do burn through on thinner stuff makes me learn how to fix them… looking forward to mig someday in a larger garage or tig when I need it.
Great video Nate. It was very informative and helpful as I'm looking at getting my first MIG.
I like the idea of sticking with the box store style welder theme. Personally I think a Hobart like you'd find at a local Tractor Supply would be nice to see tested. Here in the northeast, Harbor Freights are just starting to turn up but tractor supply is almost as common as a Walmart. Thanks
I got the titanium series and love it. Unlimited 200 mig tig and stick 110 and 220 plugs. Welded my whole axle truss this weekend no issues
Would love to see a Hobart show up. I've got a Hobart Handler 140 that I use with 3/16" steel almost exclusively and always have issues getting the settings dialed in.
Nate is just a good guy. Pretty honest review.
Thank you for your honest
I feel like it’s a great comparison and someone mentioned the torch and they are 100% correct if you replace the torch it makes a huge difference in my opinion. But at the same time your paying less than 1k for the welder and in my opinion that’s a great welder for the price. It hangs with the best until you push it to the max and that’s ok in my book.
I’ve used my Vulcan 115 since harbor freight came out with it. It’s been great so far. I only weld 16guage with flux core though..so I’m not really pushing it. I’ll definitely buy another when I get my second service truck going.
Thanks Nate! Im looking to upgrade and considering the Vulcan 215, just dont need an expensive Miller or Lincoln to do what I do, thanks for the time and review. Will be watching.
Nate, I have the same welder, and no issues I can remember on my end. Mine was purchased around 2020-21. The only time turning it up all the way was to burn in recovery attachments to a MOVE bumper I put on the Wife's Cummins.
I love the videos, please keep them coming!!
I mainly do Flux core 035 Lincoln wire with my old Lincoln 140hd I've been wanting a larger one with dual voltage capabilities as sometimes I only have access to 120v. My Lincoln 140 has done 90% of what I needed it to do used an old stick welder to do larger stuff and had to let the old 140 cool down. Thanks for the review I always trust you to be straight forward and honest.
You should test the Hobart handler 210 MVP. I am really impressed with mine for a relatively into level welder with dual voltage capabilities and spool gun ability. Plus it takes miller/Hobart consumables which are readily available locally.
Just plugged the same welder above!
Hobart is just a rebadged Miller without the longer warranty.
Eastwood or yes welder. I’m getting my shop wired for a welder to relearn and teach my boys. I think there is not enough people now a days passing these skills on to the younger generations cheers!
Good to know about the welder.
Hey Nate. You should put YesWelder in your rotation for testing. Super curious on these.
Mike Festiva has done tests on a number of the Harbor Freight welders up and down their line.
I really want to see you test the "Yes" welder. I keep seeing people say they are good, but I have never tried one and am considering it.
I currently have the exact same Miller that you have. And I also LOVE that welder.
I would also really like to see the you test the Vulcan Plasma cutter. I am considering buying this as I need one for my current TJ build, but I don't have the budget to buy a Miller this time around like I did with the welder.
It would be REALLY awesome if someone as thorough and trustworthy as yourself could test the YesWelder brand. I’m just a diy hobbyist, but that usually means a much wider range of uses and functions for my equipment. I kickstarted their 5-in-1 welder, and I have been extremely impressed compared to a Lincoln or Vulcan. They now have a 7-in-1 model, and being able to mig, tig, and cut from one machine is very nice. I know it’s a long shot, but I can only hope you see this Nate. Thanks again for all the amazing work and guidance you continually feed us!
I can say as YesWelder owner, and someone who took up welding about 2 years ago, that I would not recommend them. I purchased the 250 pro thinking I was getting a do it all welder. However it does not have consumables for .023 wire and customer service told me they don't offer any and I should look elsewhere. What was my noob fault was that the TIG function turned out to be lift TIG, not a conventional pedal style TIG, and I didn't know the difference yet.
The biggest upset with YesWelder is there warranty is false. Their customer service told me the product must be returned in an unopened box.
All that being said, it MIG welds 1/8" really well. But a used, name brand machine could have done it for much less, and the welding supply stores would carry consumables. Hope this is helpful insight.
Check out the Everlast Storm for a MiG Stock and Plasma capable machine.
Thank you so much for a REAL Review! I think it good for auto body work.. But not for fab stuff.
I’m jealous of your boy for getting welding experience at such a young age. I was 2 the first time I fired a nail gun, but I wish somebody had taught me welding
i bought an everlast lightning 225 multiprocess a couple years ago, i have been very happy with it. especially because i dont have to have 3 separate welders in my small garage
I'm a newbie in welding, not even close to a year of experience, and I use Lincoln 90 for simple projects. I did use it with a 1/4 thick metal, and it did well. I think you can hand me down that Vulcan😅. More power to you, Sir Nate.
This is great thank you for the time , curious about HF titanium series
All I’ve ever used is a stick welder that I bought years ago I’m looking to buy a wire welder I’m going to see what the others welders you test out before I make any decisions. Keep up on the good content.
when i started welding at home i went with lincon first one was a 120v hobby mig, then i got 230v "tombstone" stick. i haven't had any issues with eather. but i do like miller.
I love my $260 Century 90 Amp FC90 Flux-Core Wire Feed Welder 120V with Shade 10 Welding Helmet. It is made by Lincoln Electric & sold at Home Depot. It will do 1/4 steel, that is all I need.
I am running a Hobart. I am newer to welding but this was my negotiation between miller and harbor freight. Also I believe it's made by miller
Great video man, always remember joint preparation you can always bevel edges on thicker plate and use that machine.
I would love to see you test a Primeweld machine. I have their 225 amp tig and it’s been a great machine for the price. 3 year warranty standard, and probably the best customer service in the industry
I have the Vulcan 215 and I never have a problem not that I weld to much but so far is been good to me
I haven’t welded in years and looking for a “hobby” size to get back in. I’ll be following the series and getting back up to speed knowledge wise.
I sold my big Lincoln and I sold welders for a living nothing beats a prime weld for a home shop there customer service is unbelievable,quality,packaging etc
I have there 180 MiG and 225 tig I also was a certified welder
Thanks for the review. Wish I could afford the Miller but I’ll probably buy the Vulcan. Keep up the good work!
I agree about Miller welders. I had a 120 volt MIG welder that I bought for welding body panels. It did a good job on sheet metal with .023" wire. 1/8" steel was the limit of its capability. In 2006 I purchased a Millermatic 251 because I started fabricating with heavier gauge steel. I was shocked at how much better the Miller welded sheet metal........not to mention its ability to weld 1/2" plate in a single pass. It makes me look like I know what I'm doing.
I'm a Miller or Lincoln guy, but I picked up a Forney "Easy Weld" at Farm and Fleet, to do the sheet metal in my Jeep when my little Lincoln/Mac Tool welder (from 1987 high school auto shop) finally died. I was expecting it to be a pain, but it's doing really well.
I'm so tempted to tell you to try the YesWelder. I'm a novice who needs to learn how to weld for a small portion of my job (4x4 shop) but can't practice at work so I've been looking at the YesWelder after a recommendation from my prior boss.
Primeweld mig180 is a killer machine for the price, I sold my everlast multiprocess for the Primeweld 225 tig and the 180 mig to keep in the shop and I keep the 160 mig in my service truck with Flux core to run off the generator
I would love to see a video for someone just getting started out and trying to be a weekend fabricator. I have basic tools but don’t know where to start to further my fabrication skills. Especially for someone ballin on a budget.
5 years ago,I got Eastwood 135 Mig welder, it was one of the cheapest welder I could find at the time, ,I haven’t any problems with it so far,I’ve never turned it up all the way, I use it outside i never hook a bottle to it. I’ve been using flux core on it
Nate, I have a yeswelder mig 135 its a flux core with stick and tig. But so far it has done great for me. 110v small and fits in my shed with no problem.
Great review
I use a migmax 215 every day in a commercial enviroment just to give a good idea ive run about 80lbs of wire through it so far and fingers crossed no issues in an offroad shop last winter a pipe busted directly above it over christmas weekend and it was left for atleast 24 hours before we came back to work monday morning flooding down on it and it had icicles coming out of it everywhere i put it in front of the salamander heater dried it out and its almost been another year now
I've had my Migmax 215 for like 4 years now. First welder, not professionally trained. Has taken me from bubblegum 120v flux core welds up to halfway decent welds with 240v and 75/25.
Using the door settings is crucial. I tried their auto settings originally and found them wayyyy too cold. Door is best starting point, then tweak from there.
I also went from .030" up to .035" wire when I switched from 120v to 240v and those two changes also made a huge difference.
Overall for buying it at the ~$700 range it has been great and allowed me to take on a lot of 1/8-3/8" 4x4 fabrication projects.
I would like to see a test on an Eastwood machine and the YESWELDER in this size range.. I have a YESWELDER 55amp plasma cutter and their 205DS mig/multi process machine and both have been amazing so far.. the settings on the YESWELDER are a little goofy to get used to but once you get past that, it lays some good welds!
I am happy you have started this evaluation of cheaper welding machines. I have used Lincoln and Miller machines in my career extensively. I need a welding machine at home for a trailer project and to replace the rockers and cab corners on my pickup truck. I have been considering the Harbor Freight route, but I was not sure as to the durability of the machines or the quality. At this time, the maximum thickness that I would be welding would be 1/4 inch. So this machine would be a good option for me.
As a hobby guy, I love my Hobart Handler 210 MVP. Worth a look
Yeswelder, primeweld, and Eastwood!
I’d like to see you test a Titanium welder from Harbor Freight.
Im a big fan of miller migs and I also like the viper migs they are amazing
I'd like to see you test those Fourney welder machines.
On the TIG side, I have had great results with AHP. Everlast, and Primeweld seem to get a lot of love too, but you sure make a great point about having consumables available 7 days a week, especially for us weekend warriors.
Ahp 201xp. 👍👍
I felt the higher cost of the HF, compared to some other well-reviewed budget brands, negated the convenience of going to HF on a weekend. Some may also be able to get free same day or next day delivery of consumables on Amazon, depending on where they live. I think gas is the consumable that probably leaves hobbyists in a lurch on the weekend most often.
I get my consumables from the local welding shop for my Primeweld. Zero issue's and love all 3 of them.
Upgrade the ground wire and you will find a difference even on a Miller. Good thing to talk about or know is the duty cycle. I have used a lot of welders but the one I have found the best for home is the Everlast mig/tig with AC DC.
I would suggest PrimeWeld. I absolutely love them. I have the 225 tig, 180 Mig and the 60 amp plasma. I will be getting their new bigger machines. I have been welding for over 30 years and used all the brands. Absolutely will never use anything but Primeweld from here on.
I bought a Miller 211 years ago after patiently waiting (about 10 months) for one to pop up on craigslist and have no regrets. I paid about half the price of a new one, plus the guy threw in a cart, helmet, welding gloves and sleeves, Milwaukee angle grinder, consumables, and two vise grips.
Haha sounds like you bought it 211 yrs. ago.
My everlast imig 200e hasn't missed a beat yet in. Runs awsome
I bought a vulcan 215 in 2017. It's always done the same thing. I upgraded the ground cable and added 15ft yeswelder gun and still wasn't the greatest. Die hard miller guy. My current rig is the 255 millermatic that does pulse aluminum and 1/2.
I would love this welder. Would be perfect for my brother & I.
I kept planning on buying it but never got the chance.
Love my older Hobart. Model has been superseded by now, but parts are still available from Miller. So, it's slowly transforming into a Miller machine, win win. Used it a lot when it was owned by a friend before I bought it. Lots of "non professional" hrs on it. Buddy replaced it with the bigger current model a few years back.
Test out that largest Eastwood Mig. Really curious about this one myself
Nice comparison. Yes what’s in the middle of the Vulcan and the miller. I don’t want the cheapest but not ready for the top tier yet
My personal go to welders are now Everlast. Granted we have 4 different Miller's. My multiprocess everlast does everything I need and it only cost 2500 bucks. I can mig, AC/DC tig and stick weld with it.
If you throw it on manual mode it does a whole lot better at 3/8 and every other thickness. I’ve had the same welder for 3 years and I use it for everything from exhaust to my crawler/car trailer.
All blue in my shop I love my Miller machines
Love my Lincoln 180HD! Bought it from a buddy and I've ran it hard for 5+ years no issues from hobbyist to fabricating bumpers and more as a small business. Never cleaned it either haha.. googled it a few years back and found out it's a home Depot model. Would be cool to see you test it against your Miller 🤘
I’d like to see a ESAB Rebel multiprocess welder tested and explained. Thank you and keep up the great work!
I was looking at replacing my Hobart 110v machine with a 220v rig. I just can't seem to find one at a reasonable price these days. Now that I'm building my Rodeo a bit more aggressively, a 220v machine will be necessary for quality welds. Great video.
Check out the everlast 252. I recently bought one after years of working in a shop with very high end miller's. It welds every bit as good. 4 drive rolls, synergic, pulse. Simple controls. So far I really like it.