hey..just wanted to say that this is a bad ass review. an honest breakdown of what this 170 will handle and its practical features. first time welder..welder buyer here. i didnt want to buy an underpowered welder for fixing the frame on my 4runner. this seems like itll work for my application.
I'm laughing now, thank-you for that. I just finished writing a electrical theory exam tonight. Don't even ask to do the math on Inductance and Inductive reactance. You made my night.
Oh absolutly... Glad ya got a laugh!Pixy wrangling is not a strong point...thos I might try distroying an silyscope to figure this inductance thing out tho.
I just bought it I had a coupon for $449 however I also spent $129 more and got the two year bumper-to-bumper warranty so to speak so it has a total warranty of two years 90 days which isn’t bad,,, it will replaced flat out if something goes wrong no questions asked,,,at any Harbor freight shop,,, they take pretty good care of us inside track club members,,, all this being said I haven’t even gotten mine out of the box yet it’s just too cold and damp outside,,,, I suppose I could start my salamander up out in the garage and heat it up but I think I’ll just wait until it’s up around 60° every day or so and then go out and check it all out and everything.
I got mine as a return .new in the box .why would someone return without using it . Works great .only bad thing I don't need another one . Couldn't pass the ridicules price.
thanks I give you a 10 not a 1 I don't think I could have done nearly as well. I find that most people that complain about videos do so because they are just really hard to please about any thing
Here in my area they’re going to have a parking lot sale at Harbor freight I believe on the 13th or so I got a flyer about it inside track club members can get in first before everyone else and they’re going to have the little titanium 125 inverter welder on sale for $159 I think that thing just only weighs about 15 pounds that would be worth it just to be able to grab it and go if someone wants something fixed somewhere
You know I sent my dad that 125 titanium for chrismass.. Its realy one heck of a deal and would be a great machine for somone learing or just starting out.
Well I’m on my second titanium 170 from Harbor freight the first one would not power up the second one the one I have now will not drive wire it bird nests really badly in the area of that insert you have to insert the stinger into the welder itself or it just won’t power up it kind of cuts in and out so I have to take that back and I’ll be on my third replacement????OK I need to do an update here,,,, after my tantrum I went out to the garage and found some 035 Hobart wire flux core that’s what I’m primarily going to run in this welder as I will use it outside I set up the roller for a 035 wire I changed the tip to 035 I put the Hobart 035 wire on now the thing works like a dream I would say it was the cheap harbor freight wire that it came with it so I tossed the harbor freight wire,,,,go with Lincoln or Hobart or maybe something along those lines works great
I have not had any issues with this one, however I stopped by the harberfraught the other day (dont go there to much anymore) and while there looked at the welders, I feel over all quality has tanked but yes just say no to chinees welding consumables, right now I go with blue demon (dislike the name) Hobart, Lincoln or Radnor if they are mad in usa. I have purchased all of them this year that where made in usa. I have been very happy running blue demon 6011 on pipe fence projects and probly ran close to 200 lbs in the last year, I run a lot of flux core in this titanium and prefer lincoln or blue demon over hobart and have been using a lot of Radnor and Hobart hard wire. If I can get it lincoln still seems to hold the best quality and beyond question 7018 Lincoln rod is the way to go. I picked up some hobart 7018in a pinch the other day but it just did not run quite as well on my lincoln 225 g7 every machine differes a bit but welding consumables will make or break your experience. flux core is no exception and I know I can pick up lincoln and have no issues.
What's the thickest material this thing can weld on 120 volt with decent penetration? I'm working on some 3/16 bumpers and only have 120. No problem you think? Thanks!
@@fml5910 it's perfect for my needs. I've used a stick welder for pretty much everything before this. I'd planned to purchase gas to use with this welder but the flux core has been more than adequate for my needs.
Great vid bro. Damn near pissed my pants watching you butcher "INDUCTANCE"! But that's OK cause none of us are here looking to increase our vocabulary. I've been hemming an hoeing over buying the 170 and I think you just sealed the deal! Thanks again, Chris Strazzeri
yeah, on the transformer machines I can get away with it at low welding power no luck with IGBT inverters Tempted to try a capacitor bank between the two to trick it on starting an arc.
Dude, lmao at the dad joke filled epilog! 🤣 Great video! Very informative!! I just got a coupon to pick one of these up for just under $500. Definitely in my price range. I'm a beginner (or will be once I get a welder) and want something that is going to carry me through the learning process. This video has helped me make my decision for sure. Thanks dude!
@@AtimatikArmy Parking Lot Sale, they are not always there but you can get lucky. I picked up the Titanium 140 for $50, had to order a part for it ($12) for it to work correctly but saved $320ish dollars on it. But the PLS does have "returned" items and they might have everything or be missing a thing or two.
Hi there! No this machine does not require gas persay, it can do both! this machine allows you to run gas or no gas all the welding in this video is with flux core wire. I may suggest if you want a lower price learning machine check out the titanium 125 that would be a great machine for learning and projects if you think you might grow into using gas (mig. metal inert gas) this machine is great to grow into and explore flux core, mig and spool gun aluminum. There are no dumb qestions, all questions are necessary for clear communication.
The Titanium Flux 125 ($219 - but goes on sale often, can pick up for $150ish with a coupon) is probably better to learn with unless you want to also use a shielding gas, the Mig 140 ($399) - both of these are 120v. Unless you are planning on using 240v, these two might be better options for the entry-level welder.
At some point I will do a follow up with c02+ hard wire and also aluminum, personally I am very happy with this machine welding hardwire, much better control and duty cycle for similarly priced transformer 120 machines, I am usually a sucker for transformer based machines and was meh about an inverter based Direct Current machine but am happy with it.. welding by ear is different then a transformer machine but welds lays down nice and with good control.
Its holding up great. The dins connector rubber shething has torn but otherwise its held up great and gets beat around quite a bit. The only reson I whould go with the 200 is for the slightly higher duty cycle and the ability to use a tig torch. However that being said I think that getting into that price range, if the intent is for shop use duty cycle Id move twards a used or new miller or lincoln unit. If the intent is an all around machine for bigger diy projects or small biz application with the ability to use dc tig the 200 is not teabag.
NEVER RUN THIS ON A GENERATOR UNLESS YOU WANT TO WARRANTEE IT.... I would highly recommend buying the 1 year warranty and plan on returning it once a year The torch is pretty cheaply made. THen when you return it buy another warranty for 1 year and do the same every year. When the torch fails just get another one. other than that they are a great machine.
I agree it may not be best to run this on a "dumb" generator with dirty power an it would be best to use a transformer based welder with any generator. However it seems this machine will let you know if it does not like the impute power and will not power up with the internal protection systems it has, and likely it would not shut down until once under load as it pulls down the generator and the hz drop, according to lincoln elecric (not that it applies) digital machines require hz held within 5%. on a qaulity inverter baceds generator the pure sine output should run a IGBT inverter based welder, however That may also depend on the qaulity of the ac sine wave and how badly it drops with draw down, it seems not all pure sine wave products are equable. If I have the time I might hook up the sily scope and test that on a few generators. I know my Lincoln engine drive runs at 5% or less frequency disruption at below 30amp load so I am not to worried running any of my rigs off it. most modern engine drives are rated for inverter based machine use
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 Maybe I have been lucky, or just not really pushing my units, but I have run mine off a generator (9000 watt cont @ 240v/30A) quit a bit with no issues. Now I am worried if I might kill my unit as I have had it for alomost a year and a half, so no more warranty.
@@hlrembe62 the more watts you have to play with the better, the pull down of a 9000 watt@240V gen will be less than a 5000 watt. your running the welding machine of which has a max rating of 3200watts per leg @240v on a machine with two legs of 4500watts max so I think your sitting pretty, somewhere I read at one time loads for generators are best kept at 1/3 under rated load. IE a 2000w load for a 3000w gen. at 120v single leg this sucker is rated right around 2900watts so Minimum 7700 watts size geny for single leg use (two legs at 3850watts/12v). the big problem is when trying to run a welder on 120v single leg on a standard generator as most are two legs of power and the gens advertised rated wattage is two legs together IE a 4500watt generator really can only supply 2250 watts max at single 120volt leg or two pole 240v at 4500w. Also this unit is rated at 50-60Hz which leads me to think there is an amount of frequency disturbance allowable as well as possible protection in the electronics for this machine, so I think your probably alright If I cook mine running it off my engine drive Ill be sure to let you know haha (also Ill go look at the board for circuit protection and get back to you).
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 Thanks and great technical info you passed along gives me some info to go off of and will definitely dig deeper into it as my unit is set up for portable use and as I get into Al welding I know I'll be pushing it a little harder. Thanks again
@@hlrembe62 you bet! in the interest of piece of mind, you may look into a high qaulity surge protector to run in between your welder and gen altho they may be super sensitive to the gen power. this is a higher end unit amzn.to/3gEWiak
to my knowledge there is no wire fed self shielding aluminum wire electrode so no. I have done 1/2 inch with this machine on 240 running a single pass weave given its a hot operation it ran a 6 minute weld. the manual states 3/8 single pass weld parent metal rating
Hey would this be good for automotive exhaust/sheet metal and possibly roll cages?? Does it have good penetration for semi thick materials like what would be used in a roll cage??
Hey there, Yes I think so. The dual voltage and the current voltage and wire feed having a fine amount of adjustment, makes for a great option in needing to do light sheet metal or higher duty cycle projects that you realy need to pump the heat to a weld. Since this video I have found the inductance setting can help quite a bit when welding thin tube This is an exceptionable "one step" over DIY Home garage use welding machine and I can not say much bad about this welder as of yet other than the crappy ground clamp.
@@lokihallow you bet.. Once I get some solid seat time into it and try to burn the welder up doing it Ill do a video on spool gun aluminum with this welder.
Anyone know how many amps this draws when using 220v? I have a 220v 20amp circuit and need to know if that will be enough to power it without tripping breaker
the manual states 26.8 A at 240volts ac power now you can run the unit at lower welding amperage say 70% max out put and not trip the breaker however the Safe thing to do is to have it hooked up to a 30 amp 220-240 breaker. I have in the past used two 120volt 15 amp breakers in a box one off each incoming leg of power from the grid in a pinch. definatly some hobo wiring but will get you thrue.
Yes, still running strong and it lives in a very bumpy truck... So nothings rattled loose on the board or the like.. Still not gotten to welding on aluminum with it.. Might turn up an adapter for my spool gun this week on the lath. Ill try to make a mention on that when I do.
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 I taught my self how to weld on it today actually. On some 1/4 steel for a trailer project looking forward to more thanks for the advice you are the reason I bought it.
Thats prety cool! Man the thing I gotta say on learning to weld.. Clean off the mill scale and or rust with say a flap wheal of the place you intend to weld.. And suport yourself in holding the torch... Two things that realy help beginning welders. I think thats Awsome teaching yourself to weld! Welding Blows open the amount of things you can build and make!
Hey I have the same machine and I’m having trouble with wire feed delay when I pull the trigger and when I let off it continues to let out gas for about half a second. Is that normal for this welder?
it is designed to continue shielding the weld from contamination for a second or so allowing the weld to cool. keep the nozzle on the weld until the gas flow stops.
like luke mentioned it is to keep your weld saturated in inert gas while it is still white hot to avoided oxidation of the molten weld material, post and pre gas flow is more found in the heliarc world or what we now call tungsten inert gas welding (tig) the electrode (tungsten) becomes white hot yet the material it is made of is structurally stable at those degrees... so long as it is in an inert atmosphere (non oxidising gass such as argon). having pre and post flow insures that this near white hot tungsten electrode does not corrode and vaporize via oxidizing. pre and post flow prolong the electrode as well as cool and allow the weld and electrode to cool down in an environment that is non oxidizing that would have lead to decay. having this feature on a mig welder is great for starts and stops and really shines when running the spool gun.
Honestly price... The 140 is going to be suitable to learn on and build/diy but the 170 will give more room for growth and duty cycle with a few extras.
I got the 140 because I don't have 240v yet. Maybe if I find the need for 240 I'll upgrade to a multiprocess machine but for just getting started I went with the 140 model.
I had the same dilemma yesterday. I only have 120 plug and not 240 in my shop. I was initially going to get a Titanium flux 125 but my mind started wandering when i got to HF. The 140 is on sale right now for 379.00 down from 419.00. I was going to get a 140 and THEN saw a coupon for 449.00 for the 170 instead of 519.00. So my thoughts. For 70.00 more you get option of 240v down the road. Spool gun and slightly better duty cycle. It was no brainer. I'd rather have those options at a later date for 70.00. If you Google search you can find both coupons online right now. I did pay 50.00 for 1 year replacement for anything wrong. Great video GNorth.
@@DXT61 Yeah, I missed those damn coupons by a week. They get you with the warranty though. I think you might be able to get a comparable machine that comes with a 1 yr warranty already for a similar price.
If you do buy one and come across a coupon within 90 days they will honor the difference. I also bought a welding helmet and 44” General tool box. Found coupon like 6 weeks later and received like 80.00 back. You may hear that they will honor price differences 30 days after but they have always gone out 90 days for me. I believe that’s because you can bring anything back within 90 days so one could just return and rebuy even if it’s after the 30 days so to avoid that they have always done it for me.
I do believe the contact tips are standard tweco 11 same as lincoln mig smaller amperage machines. I have not found the info on the mig gun replacement so next time I head to the welding shop Ill bring it back in and get some numbers!
so far not any issues outside of a rubber dins connector breaking, the spool gun is chinsy as frig. will likely adapt my Hobart spool gun to work with it
Bought a Miller 211 4 years ago, ran 4 (four) spools of wire through it. Motherboard crapped out and Miller refuses to help. Sooo shut up BOUT American made.
Over priced. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good at welding flux and solid wire with gas, it has 120v/240v capability and finally you can spend another $150 and get a spool gun for it. At $550, you can get a lot more. Inverter welders from China are everywhere. Check Amazon or better yet, go down to your local Northern Tool and ask the manager if he has a Klutch MP200iDVLCD in the back. If they have one, it’s $300..... what does it do? 120/240v, 180 amp, DC TIG, Stick, MiG(flux and gas) and....... a free spool gun...... it’s an amazing welder. I picked one up after taking back the Titanium 140 which was $450.... there are also the Yeswelders and an American company called Power Man that sells an MP welder at $550. Food for thought...
perhaps yes, to me its just one more thing for to go wrong in a logic system. Im sure there is an amount saved by not having to build in the logic and control system for this weather or not that's the driver to do such I do not know. that may not make since because it uses an amount of logic to relies the wrong input voltage is supplied.
GoNorthOffGrid real man shit love the (maybe ) shit happens the ol lady gets on me on the regular by the end of the day you’re just to tired it’ll be easier in the am haha 😂 🤔👌💪👍
Mine has never had any problems and I have had it for almost a year now. 100% worth it to me, seriously.
hey..just wanted to say that this is a bad ass review. an honest breakdown of what this 170 will handle and its practical features. first time welder..welder buyer here. i didnt want to buy an underpowered welder for fixing the frame on my 4runner. this seems like itll work for my application.
I'm laughing now, thank-you for that. I just finished writing a electrical theory exam tonight.
Don't even ask to do the math on Inductance and Inductive reactance. You made my night.
Oh absolutly... Glad ya got a laugh!Pixy wrangling is not a strong point...thos I might try distroying an silyscope to figure this inductance thing out tho.
So I guess that knob adjusts the Vars on the output?
I just bought it I had a coupon for $449 however I also spent $129 more and got the two year bumper-to-bumper warranty so to speak so it has a total warranty of two years 90 days which isn’t bad,,, it will replaced flat out if something goes wrong no questions asked,,,at any Harbor freight shop,,, they take pretty good care of us inside track club members,,, all this being said I haven’t even gotten mine out of the box yet it’s just too cold and damp outside,,,, I suppose I could start my salamander up out in the garage and heat it up but I think I’ll just wait until it’s up around 60° every day or so and then go out and check it all out and everything.
I got mine as a return .new in the box .why would someone return without using it . Works great .only bad thing I don't need another one . Couldn't pass the ridicules price.
thanks I give you a 10 not a 1 I don't think I could have done nearly as well. I find that most people that complain about videos do so because they are just really hard to please about any thing
You bet! Its a qauzi hobbie for me so Im not to worried about it! thank you for your kind comment
Here in my area they’re going to have a parking lot sale at Harbor freight I believe on the 13th or so I got a flyer about it inside track club members can get in first before everyone else and they’re going to have the little titanium 125 inverter welder on sale for $159 I think that thing just only weighs about 15 pounds that would be worth it just to be able to grab it and go if someone wants something fixed somewhere
You know I sent my dad that 125 titanium for chrismass.. Its realy one heck of a deal and would be a great machine for somone learing or just starting out.
Inverter technology is here now, no more heavy transformer technology.
for better or for worse
Well I’m on my second titanium 170 from Harbor freight the first one would not power up the second one the one I have now will not drive wire it bird nests really badly in the area of that insert you have to insert the stinger into the welder itself or it just won’t power up it kind of cuts in and out so I have to take that back and I’ll be on my third replacement????OK I need to do an update here,,,, after my tantrum I went out to the garage and found some 035 Hobart wire flux core that’s what I’m primarily going to run in this welder as I will use it outside I set up the roller for a 035 wire I changed the tip to 035 I put the Hobart 035 wire on now the thing works like a dream I would say it was the cheap harbor freight wire that it came with it so I tossed the harbor freight wire,,,,go with Lincoln or Hobart or maybe something along those lines works great
I have not had any issues with this one, however I stopped by the harberfraught the other day (dont go there to much anymore) and while there looked at the welders, I feel over all quality has tanked but yes just say no to chinees welding consumables, right now I go with blue demon (dislike the name) Hobart, Lincoln or Radnor if they are mad in usa. I have purchased all of them this year that where made in usa. I have been very happy running blue demon 6011 on pipe fence projects and probly ran close to 200 lbs in the last year, I run a lot of flux core in this titanium and prefer lincoln or blue demon over hobart and have been using a lot of Radnor and Hobart hard wire. If I can get it lincoln still seems to hold the best quality and beyond question 7018 Lincoln rod is the way to go. I picked up some hobart 7018in a pinch the other day but it just did not run quite as well on my lincoln 225 g7 every machine differes a bit but welding consumables will make or break your experience. flux core is no exception and I know I can pick up lincoln and have no issues.
Dude when taking off the sheild cup twist off to the right and pull, don't just pull it off
Miller gold seal cups. Can't tell you the part number off hand. Also I think the old Hobart 140 run the same nozzles.
Good to know! Ill look into that
Note dual shield and reg mig run on dcep
Good video bro! Thank you!
I just bought the same welder.
Same
Trugger hold is awesome when doing rollout welds or any automated track welding
"I talked a buddy into getting a welder... ..sort of..." Lol! 16:16
haha yeah was talking him into the 125 and he walked out of the store with this one!
I’m getting one after watching this video. Thank you. Very informative !
One thing "fingernail clippers"
I didn't want to say anything, but me too. I'd split or booger my nail in a second if I let it get that long.
guitar string pickers!
Booger picker wash your hands and clean your nails
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 at least clean them?
What's the thickest material this thing can weld on 120 volt with decent penetration?
I'm working on some 3/16 bumpers and only have 120. No problem you think?
Thanks!
Induncteiance! 😂
Loved the video! Going to pick one up this weekend for mower deck repairs. Thanks for sharing. 🦅
@@fml5910 it's perfect for my needs. I've used a stick welder for pretty much everything before this. I'd planned to purchase gas to use with this welder but the flux core has been more than adequate for my needs.
Great vid bro. Damn near pissed my pants watching you butcher "INDUCTANCE"! But that's OK cause none of us are here looking to increase our vocabulary. I've been hemming an hoeing over buying the 170 and I think you just sealed the deal!
Thanks again,
Chris Strazzeri
You bet thank you!!
i think that generator inverter is good for 12 amps, maybe a little more... but not for a 20amp welder
yeah, on the transformer machines I can get away with it at low welding power no luck with IGBT inverters Tempted to try a capacitor bank between the two to trick it on starting an arc.
Watch for loose small connections inside. I flipped out trying to figure out what was wrong with it
I like the welder just bought it to weld my muffler back on works fine
Nice info. My lincoln 175 finally shot craps so I'm in the market for one.
Its realy not teabag of a machine
Thorough review i was looking at the 140. I have a HF 7000W gen i wanted to run it on. Hope it works. Says it need 28 amp so i will try this 1. THX
i'm about to buy this to remove a broken bolt. The idea is to weld a nut onto the broken bolt to get it out. Is this machine powerful enough?
Am justo remove a thread spark plug from my truck block engine am using lincoln handler mig👍 it was hard but I did it
Dude, lmao at the dad joke filled epilog! 🤣 Great video! Very informative!! I just got a coupon to pick one of these up for just under $500. Definitely in my price range. I'm a beginner (or will be once I get a welder) and want something that is going to carry me through the learning process. This video has helped me make my decision for sure. Thanks dude!
I picked up ones of these welders practically brand new at the PLS for $187. Works pretty well for the money!
Wow, what's PLS? I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on one of these, looking for the best deal I can.. Thanks!
@@AtimatikArmy Parking Lot Sale, they are not always there but you can get lucky. I picked up the Titanium 140 for $50, had to order a part for it ($12) for it to work correctly but saved $320ish dollars on it. But the PLS does have "returned" items and they might have everything or be missing a thing or two.
I just bought this , so I could practice pronouncing "Inductance" LOL I would trade being able to pronounce words to weld as good as you. 😁😁👍
it is a bugger of a word, try to say it 5 times fast... haha...
Just wondering if you still like the Titanium 170 welder from HF. Loved your video. Please share your thoughts when you can. Thanks!
Will it run reliably off 120 20 Amp breaker?
Never mind just answered the ? Lol thanks!!
Damn good video haha. Thanks for taking the time to post this quality content. haha
You bet! I apriciate it! Takes a mess of time to edit these suckers but every meow and again I get a hair of patience to make one.
Nice video, you did a great job explaining everything.
Is gas required on this unit? Sorry if dumb question I am just learning to weld and this seems like a good learning machine.
Hi there! No this machine does not require gas persay, it can do both! this machine allows you to run gas or no gas all the welding in this video is with flux core wire. I may suggest if you want a lower price learning machine check out the titanium 125 that would be a great machine for learning and projects if you think you might grow into using gas (mig. metal inert gas) this machine is great to grow into and explore flux core, mig and spool gun aluminum.
There are no dumb qestions, all questions are necessary for clear communication.
The Titanium Flux 125 ($219 - but goes on sale often, can pick up for $150ish with a coupon) is probably better to learn with unless you want to also use a shielding gas, the Mig 140 ($399) - both of these are 120v. Unless you are planning on using 240v, these two might be better options for the entry-level welder.
Very good in-depth review. How does it do with 75/25 and solid wire? I wish you had done a little MIG instead of all flux core.
At some point I will do a follow up with c02+ hard wire and also aluminum, personally I am very happy with this machine welding hardwire, much better control and duty cycle for similarly priced transformer 120 machines, I am usually a sucker for transformer based machines and was meh about an inverter based Direct Current machine but am happy with it.. welding by ear is different then a transformer machine but welds lays down nice and with good control.
@GoNorthOffGrid would you happen to know what tweeco style would work with this machine.
Self shielded flux core dcen
To the point. Nice video. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Is the welder still going strong?
Replacement parts for this from who? Miller, Hobart, Lincoln...all standard parts like gun tips and such?
The gun can be replaced with a tweeko wip. And the contact tips have a tweeko replacement
How is the welder holding up? Would you still recommend this or jump to the 200? Thank you for making this video.
Its holding up great. The dins connector rubber shething has torn but otherwise its held up great and gets beat around quite a bit. The only reson I whould go with the 200 is for the slightly higher duty cycle and the ability to use a tig torch. However that being said I think that getting into that price range, if the intent is for shop use duty cycle Id move twards a used or new miller or lincoln unit. If the intent is an all around machine for bigger diy projects or small biz application with the ability to use dc tig the 200 is not teabag.
NEVER RUN THIS ON A GENERATOR UNLESS YOU WANT TO WARRANTEE IT.... I would highly recommend buying the 1 year warranty and plan on returning it once a year The torch is pretty cheaply made. THen when you return it buy another warranty for 1 year and do the same every year. When the torch fails just get another one. other than that they are a great machine.
I agree it may not be best to run this on a "dumb" generator with dirty power an it would be best to use a transformer based welder with any generator. However it seems this machine will let you know if it does not like the impute power and will not power up with the internal protection systems it has, and likely it would not shut down until once under load as it pulls down the generator and the hz drop, according to lincoln elecric (not that it applies) digital machines require hz held within 5%. on a qaulity inverter baceds generator the pure sine output should run a IGBT inverter based welder, however That may also depend on the qaulity of the ac sine wave and how badly it drops with draw down, it seems not all pure sine wave products are equable. If I have the time I might hook up the sily scope and test that on a few generators. I know my Lincoln engine drive runs at 5% or less frequency disruption at below 30amp load so I am not to worried running any of my rigs off it. most modern engine drives are rated for inverter based machine use
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 Maybe I have been lucky, or just not really pushing my units, but I have run mine off a generator (9000 watt cont @ 240v/30A) quit a bit with no issues. Now I am worried if I might kill my unit as I have had it for alomost a year and a half, so no more warranty.
@@hlrembe62 the more watts you have to play with the better, the pull down of a 9000 watt@240V gen will be less than a 5000 watt. your running the welding machine of which has a max rating of 3200watts per leg @240v on a machine with two legs of 4500watts max so I think your sitting pretty, somewhere I read at one time loads for generators are best kept at 1/3 under rated load. IE a 2000w load for a 3000w gen. at 120v single leg this sucker is rated right around 2900watts so Minimum 7700 watts size geny for single leg use (two legs at 3850watts/12v). the big problem is when trying to run a welder on 120v single leg on a standard generator as most are two legs of power and the gens advertised rated wattage is two legs together IE a 4500watt generator really can only supply 2250 watts max at single 120volt leg or two pole 240v at 4500w. Also this unit is rated at 50-60Hz which leads me to think there is an amount of frequency disturbance allowable as well as possible protection in the electronics for this machine, so I think your probably alright If I cook mine running it off my engine drive Ill be sure to let you know haha (also Ill go look at the board for circuit protection and get back to you).
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 Thanks and great technical info you passed along gives me some info to go off of and will definitely dig deeper into it as my unit is set up for portable use and as I get into Al welding I know I'll be pushing it a little harder. Thanks again
@@hlrembe62 you bet! in the interest of piece of mind, you may look into a high qaulity surge protector to run in between your welder and gen altho they may be super sensitive to the gen power. this is a higher end unit amzn.to/3gEWiak
Can I run this off of a generator that supplies 20 amps at 240v?
You need 27amps per the Manual for 240v
Mal, do you use this to fix Serenity?
Can you do Aluminum welds with just flux wire no gas on this set up? Greatest Thickness of material able to weld??
No
to my knowledge there is no wire fed self shielding aluminum wire electrode so no. I have done 1/2 inch with this machine on 240 running a single pass weave given its a hot operation it ran a 6 minute weld. the manual states 3/8 single pass weld parent metal rating
What is the metal thickness capacity of this welder
1/4" in a single pass.
Would you use this for automotive and car body repair?
Hey there! Yes I think this would give you great flexibility in sheet metal repair and general automotive welding
Hey would this be good for automotive exhaust/sheet metal and possibly roll cages?? Does it have good penetration for semi thick materials like what would be used in a roll cage??
Hey there, Yes I think so. The dual voltage and the current voltage and wire feed having a fine amount of adjustment, makes for a great option in needing to do light sheet metal or higher duty cycle projects that you realy need to pump the heat to a weld. Since this video I have found the inductance setting can help quite a bit when welding thin tube
This is an exceptionable "one step" over DIY Home garage use welding machine and I can not say much bad about this welder as of yet other than the crappy ground clamp.
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 hey thanx i appreciate the reply. Your video was very helpful
You bet. Anything youd like to see touched on or attended to? May be doing a folow up that will be including welding aluminium.
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 actually welding aluminum would be an awesome one!
@@lokihallow you bet.. Once I get some solid seat time into it and try to burn the welder up doing it Ill do a video on spool gun aluminum with this welder.
Nice video man! Enjoyed it!
Question, what tweco mig gun will work with it like you said?
I will post once I find out, I knew at the time but now have forgotten, Ill find out tho as I am looking for a longer whip
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 I would appreciate that, thank you
Awesome video man
Hey thanks!!
Anyone know how many amps this draws when using 220v? I have a 220v 20amp circuit and need to know if that will be enough to power it without tripping breaker
should be fine. It never even blows my 115 circuit so in 220 it will draw less amps.
the manual states 26.8 A at 240volts ac power now you can run the unit at lower welding amperage say 70% max out put and not trip the breaker however the Safe thing to do is to have it hooked up to a 30 amp 220-240 breaker. I have in the past used two 120volt 15 amp breakers in a box one off each incoming leg of power from the grid in a pinch. definatly some hobo wiring but will get you thrue.
Hey man do you still have this welder can you let me know how it is doing just bought one for some odd and end stuff
Yes, still running strong and it lives in a very bumpy truck... So nothings rattled loose on the board or the like..
Still not gotten to welding on aluminum with it.. Might turn up an adapter for my spool gun this week on the lath. Ill try to make a mention on that when I do.
@@gonorthoffgrid1786 I taught my self how to weld on it today actually. On some 1/4 steel for a trailer project looking forward to more thanks for the advice you are the reason I bought it.
Thats prety cool! Man the thing I gotta say on learning to weld.. Clean off the mill scale and or rust with say a flap wheal of the place you intend to weld.. And suport yourself in holding the torch... Two things that realy help beginning welders.
I think thats Awsome teaching yourself to weld! Welding Blows open the amount of things you can build and make!
What are a gun replacement for these ?
Cut that thumb nail lol
Haha Thats my getar picker!
Hey I have the same machine and I’m having trouble with wire feed delay when I pull the trigger and when I let off it continues to let out gas for about half a second. Is that normal for this welder?
I just realized you mentioned post flow...isn’t that a waste of gas?
it is designed to continue shielding the weld from contamination for a second or so allowing the weld to cool. keep the nozzle on the weld until the gas flow stops.
like luke mentioned it is to keep your weld saturated in inert gas while it is still white hot to avoided oxidation of the molten weld material, post and pre gas flow is more found in the heliarc world or what we now call tungsten inert gas welding (tig) the electrode (tungsten) becomes white hot yet the material it is made of is structurally stable at those degrees... so long as it is in an inert atmosphere (non oxidising gass such as argon). having pre and post flow insures that this near white hot tungsten electrode does not corrode and vaporize via oxidizing. pre and post flow prolong the electrode as well as cool and allow the weld and electrode to cool down in an environment that is non oxidizing that would have lead to decay. having this feature on a mig welder is great for starts and stops and really shines when running the spool gun.
Any opinion between this 170 and the Titanium 140, for a beginner welder?
Honestly price... The 140 is going to be suitable to learn on and build/diy but the 170 will give more room for growth and duty cycle with a few extras.
I got the 140 because I don't have 240v yet. Maybe if I find the need for 240 I'll upgrade to a multiprocess machine but for just getting started I went with the 140 model.
I had the same dilemma yesterday. I only have 120 plug and not 240 in my shop. I was initially going to get a Titanium flux 125 but my mind started wandering when i got to HF. The 140 is on sale right now for 379.00 down from 419.00. I was going to get a 140 and THEN saw a coupon for 449.00 for the 170 instead of 519.00. So my thoughts. For 70.00 more you get option of 240v down the road. Spool gun and slightly better duty cycle. It was no brainer. I'd rather have those options at a later date for 70.00. If you Google search you can find both coupons online right now. I did pay 50.00 for 1 year replacement for anything wrong. Great video GNorth.
@@DXT61 Yeah, I missed those damn coupons by a week. They get you with the warranty though. I think you might be able to get a comparable machine that comes with a 1 yr warranty already for a similar price.
If you do buy one and come across a coupon within 90 days they will honor the difference. I also bought a welding helmet and 44” General tool box. Found coupon like 6 weeks later and received like 80.00 back. You may hear that they will honor price differences 30 days after but they have always gone out 90 days for me. I believe that’s because you can bring anything back within 90 days so one could just return and rebuy even if it’s after the 30 days so to avoid that they have always done it for me.
At 10:30 is that coyotes or cop sirens. Nice welder? Im thinking about buying it. Yes or no.
Nice video, you explain going to a twego gun but never reference the gun number
I will se if I can get that info posted!!
I do believe the contact tips are standard tweco 11 same as lincoln mig smaller amperage machines. I have not found the info on the mig gun replacement so next time I head to the welding shop Ill bring it back in and get some numbers!
Thanks for the info sharing
So a year later, how is the reliability?
so far not any issues outside of a rubber dins connector breaking, the spool gun is chinsy as frig. will likely adapt my Hobart spool gun to work with it
Do you use that harbor freight 170 mobile with a generator???
yes, on a lincoln G7 250 engine drive welder no issues also used it running aluminum on a 2020 Miller Bobcat 250
Them buggers!
Any issues
well the only issue was one of the dins connectors rubber cover breaking in half.
short review..26 minutes laaatooor lol
Pretty cool 😎 video 👍
Cut that thumbnail
no way it gets all the comments!
i beat the hell out of a yes welder@ disney magic kingdom, and Epcot! i trashed alot of machines there!
Holy dictionary
Thank you! I try
Bought a Miller 211 4 years ago, ran 4 (four) spools of wire through it. Motherboard crapped out and Miller refuses to help. Sooo shut up BOUT American made.
I have been around a lot of failed millers, its always the board. Not saying other brands do not fail but just seen a lot of boards fail in millers.
We had been through at least three at the shop I worked at.
Can it be used without gas? thanks
Yup, solid and flux core no prob. Just make sure you switch polarity.
@@jayrodoh23what do you mean by polarity?
Wait hold on this can work without gas no way
Any MIG welder can run without gas, using flux core wire instead of solid wire
Over priced. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good at welding flux and solid wire with gas, it has 120v/240v capability and finally you can spend another $150 and get a spool gun for it. At $550, you can get a lot more. Inverter welders from China are everywhere. Check Amazon or better yet, go down to your local Northern Tool and ask the manager if he has a Klutch MP200iDVLCD in the back. If they have one, it’s $300..... what does it do? 120/240v, 180 amp, DC TIG, Stick, MiG(flux and gas) and....... a free spool gun...... it’s an amazing welder. I picked one up after taking back the Titanium 140 which was $450.... there are also the Yeswelders and an American company called Power Man that sells an MP welder at $550. Food for thought...
I can’t find a klutch welder you speak of
Klutch is $1200
That thing for $500 should do the voltage automatically, even the generic cheap ones do it.
perhaps yes, to me its just one more thing for to go wrong in a logic system. Im sure there is an amount saved by not having to build in the logic and control system for this weather or not that's the driver to do such I do not know. that may not make since because it uses an amount of logic to relies the wrong input voltage is supplied.
🇺🇸👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🙋♂️🙋♂️👍👍
Clean those finger nails!
aint got no time for that.... maybe at then end of the day tho.
💀😂
GoNorthOffGrid real man shit love the (maybe ) shit happens the ol lady gets on me on the regular by the end of the day you’re just to tired it’ll be easier in the am haha 😂 🤔👌💪👍
stop checking the guy out, this is for the manly man.
I found one for $150
What? Horse shit! I'm looking for 1 of theee
james guralski Yup haha. Someone had returned it literally brand new too
I happened to find one at a cash America pawn for 240.00 in like new condition. I'm sure my wife will let me know how much I needed it.
You talk too much....
don't listen so long! haha have a great day!