It was great seeing you paying a guy a visit! I'm dying to see the rest of that C10 series, and hope it was as fun for you guys to film as it is to watch.
Not only are all my welders H.F. but they are all Chicago Electric, stick, MIG, and tig. They are all great machines. The only thing is if you are making structural welds you might want to make multiple passes. So I would say is you will have to work slower is the main downfall. But they all will weld any type of steel in their range and will do it well.
I got the VULCAN 140 when it 1st came out. Very pleased with it ! And I have NEVER plugged for it. Who gets pink tool boxes, without painting them, other than military females, who turn wrenches ? And the ones I know, would paint them ! If the price was right . PEACE
@@fml5910 Rosie the Welder. Remember, most of the warships constructed during WWII were constructed by women. And those ships fought with one hell of an attitude, had the Japanese convinced in the battle off Samar that they were destroyers fighting like they thought they were battleships, punching out of their weight class hard enough to sink (damaged and later sank) one destroyer, three heavy cruisers, damage three heavy cruisers and sending Yamato, Nagato, Kongō, and Haruna running for the hills.
I've been a self employed welder for 10 years. I have almost that exact same Lincoln 180. Guy said the one in the video is the Home Depot version, mine is a slightly higher quality machine from a welding supply store, mostly the only difference is in mine is the drive wheel assembly is a little better. With that said, before I got my Lincoln 255 MIG which I use most frequently now, for about 8 years all I had was my 180 MIG and my Grandpa's 225 tombstone stick welder he bought brand new in back in 1964. My 180 has been built proof and has never failed me and I used it almost everyday and made a lot of money with it. I never even plugged in my stick welder unless I was doing something 1/4" or thicker our some outdoor work because I dont run fluxcore, only solid wire. If I had to do something 3/16" thick and still wanted to use my 180 MIG, I would just make multiple passes and no problem. The only knock I can see on the Lincoln 180 which you didn't mention in the video is the voltage selector. You can't dial it in to a specific voltage, it only has an A,B,C,D&E selector. Tbh though that really isn't a big deal. MIG is such an easy process that if youve spent time on your machine you can easily overcome that by varying your wirespeed and travel speed. Post flow on the Harbor Frieght machine... yeah I guess that is okay but its not really that big of a deal. Its not TIG and MIG machines have been fine without that for many years. Also those inverter machines have so much more that can go wrong with them over transformer machine. With all those extra electronics in them there are way more parts that can go wrong and are more expensive to have worked on... factor in also that transformer machines rarely ever fail. Kind of a "less moving parts" type of argument. Also, the 180 is heavier? So, its gonna be on a cart for 99% of its life. Zero surprise the life long Miller guy choose the Miller. I'm a lifelong 3rd generation Lincoln guy so I get it. But with Miller their prices are ridiculously higher than Lincoln, kinda just buying the name and blue paint for a machine capable of doing the exact same thing. Zero surprise the guy that got given a free MIG, TIG, plasma torch, cart and consumables talked up the Harbor Freight equipment. Even if he didn't "have to", I'm sure he is happy to get the free equipment and the video content. Admitting my bias, aside of that considering I've personally ran one of the machines within your test for hundreds of hours already. The Lincoln Pro MIG 180 in my opinion would be the best for someone looking to get into a machine that is above an entry level wire welder. I would bet my machine will outlast anybody watching this video, not to sure about those other with all those extra electronics on them.
From the gate I must say that Harbor Freight gets points for reaching out in an attempt to better their product for their customers. On top of that there's no expectations from them for a good or positive review. It really says a lot about the company itself. Well done HF.
My issue is parts and service and longevity. My go-to for every day farm welding is a Lincoln mig 155 I bought new in 1994. Never needed any service or parts. I have a miller 250 mig from 1998 that also has worked flawlessly. And still using my fathers miller stick machine he bought when I was born in 1966. I wouldn’t bet that the harbor freight could match those machines in reliability and longevity. Scott. Vass, NC
I bought the "Vulcan Welding Cabinet" I like it; the only thing missing was a "hanger" for my TIG Pedal, I made one and attached it to the back I wanted the cabinet, BC it can fit two bottles for my MIG/TIG/SMAW machine
I really appreciate you doing these reviews of Harbor Freight products. Reading online reviews and the manuals only gives me so much information and having someone demonstrate the differences is immensely helpful. I work at Harbor Freight and you can be sure I've pointed more than a few folks towards your channel, including my bosses.
Harbor freights ceo is pretty bad ass, he tries to make affordable tools for people, they don't purposely try and make junk they have to be a patent behind I'm pretty sure.
@@piercehawke8021 I agree snap-on and matco have been extremely overpriced and lagging for several years, the milwaukee line destroys any of them companies electric tools.
As a Professional certified welder for 40 years I've used dozens of different pro welding machines. I bought a Migmax 215 as a retirement home machine (only paid $500 for an unused returned machine). I was surprised to find it welded as good or better than any machine I've ever run. I've only run flux core wire on it (more than 30 pounds now) and it is smooth and runs perfectly in ALL positions. Label says it will run .045 wire using flux core wire but I haven't tried it yet. From my experience I'm sure it would run it (on 240 volts) as it will weld 1/2" thick steel using .035 wire on 120 volts input. I would consider this a prosumer machine for sure and you can add a spool gun for aluminum. By the way you CAN tig weld aluminum on DC current it's just rare you see it done. I've done it myself.
If I was doing a lot of short circuit arc welding I would pick the Migmax. With your 40 years and my 32 years I'm guessing you go on sound quite a bit.
Any "Certified" welder should know that there are no Prequalified Procedure Requirement documents or Welding Specifications that will call for a DC GTAW weld on Aluminum. It simply ruins the Aluminum's metallurgic properties and will include parts of the tungsten electrode in it.
@@joemad4110actually that is incorrect if you were to look up there are actually several certified procedures for it but only for true heli-arc with a helium/argon mix(original mixture for tig welding pre ac/dc.
@@adamswelding5052 Just because you can doesn't mean you should. I repair aluminum trailers all the time and you can use GTAW with DC current with Aluminum Brazing Rods to "weld" Aluminum together. In some applications, where Aluminum brazing with a GTAW torch is much easier than with a fuel torch because of the convenience and cost of a fuel setup versus a DC GTAW machine.
If you're on DC, how do you break up the oxides on aluminum if you're tig welding. Even if you use a spool gun on DC it's a different process and Not as reliable as AC tig.
Eh, TH-cam requires disclosure of any sponsored content so don’t assume Harbor Freight willingly divulges that information - and nothing has improved with the end of their monthly coupon deals so…. yeah. Also, they told me that my coupon won’t work on a plasma cutter because “welders” is listed in the exclusions… since when is a plasma cutter a “welder”? Double and triple checked the fine print before I went to 3 different stores this weekend. Left empty handed due to the cat-and-mouse marketing tactics by Harbor Freight Tools. 🤷🏼
I have to say the Vulcan sounded much cleaner. When I went through welding class and certs for my JIW. The instructor pointed out the value in arc sound. The major thing you missed was showing and comparing the weld and bead. Added bonus you should of cut the piece and compared penetration. That’s really what matters in welding.
Its funny you say that. For both the Lincoln and the Miller I was thinking they didn't sound right. Then with the vulcan I was like now that sounds good.
I agree and I wonder why they didn’t take it that far with the actual review of how well each performed. Proof is always in the pudding and we got no pudding.
I have alot of respect for Harbor Freight they have been helping me put food on the table for my family for years by offering good tools for rock bottom prices and the customer service has never let me down. I live in a dying city where every other business is shutting down. Harbor Freight will probably be the only business left in town eventually.
It is descriptive of the failure after failure of Government policy that our currency is inflated, our domestic industry gutted, no trade protection to drive domestic competition and we have to make ends meet with wholesale price Chinese made tools.
@@CalTN damn commies. You get what you want/vote for. Soon you'll be able to quit your job n stay home, no money though. Enjoy your bowl of lint soup with shoe leather bread.
Most everything is made in China by American companies. The only way to bring back production here is to make it cheaper to do it here. So put big tariffs on China made goods and give tax breaks to companies who make things in the usa
Personally I have the Omnipro 220 Vulcan and it welds amazing. So far I've used flux and mig on it but it does stick and tig as well. I also have the 45 amp plasma and can say that it works great. I've only really used it on some 3/16" square tube but it cut like butter and moved along quickly.
I’ve been using my Omnipro 220 for regular mig welding on patch panels at my classic car shop. Took a bit to learn the settings after using the normal two knob Lincoln welders that don’t display the actual voltage band wire speed, but it works great!
Here i am, watching and listening someone in a foreign language talking about Welders. And their different features. I have neither welded nor a shop to actually do it. But here I am. Jared is just so good, you can talk to me about anything, and I will just sit there, watching you. Like a good boi wiggling his tail! So, please pet Pyra, and have a great day. Thank you, for everything you do.
I've had the Vulcan 215 mig rig since they came out, 5-6 yrs or so ago. I purchased it originally to fabricate my ornamental handrailing and have ran about 100 lb of trouble free wire thru it over the years and it works as good today as the day it was purchased.
I bought a habor freight titanium 200 sat in the box for 2years finally got it out because I gave my esab to my son in-law it quit delivering gas for mig bought a extended warranty. Took it in they warranty gave me a new one bought a new warranty for the new one. Happy with them.
I have the Titanium 200 from Harbor Freight. I've never tried to TIG with it, but I've had no complaints about it with stick or MIG. It's a massive upgrade from the 2 cheap welders that it replaced.
Awesome video. During the Vietnam War, I owned a welding school that trained A&E mechanics for the Air Force under contract. Technology sure has come a long way since then.
I have the TITANIUM Unlimited 200 Professional Multiprocess Welder and it's done everything I've asked of it. MIG, TIG (no pedal), or arc, it does it all and doesn't skip a beat. No issues in over a year.
@@fml5910 I've Also acquired the unlimited 200 titanium. I've loved it throughout this time we've had together, and I've pushed it as hard as I could. Other than the guns it came with, and thenot having dcen capabilities I've no complaining. Just love the machine. I Also bought the titanium plasma. Love it love it love it,!
Shoooooooot, that’s awesome that you got to test all of these. I have the Titanium Unlimited 200 multi process machine and it is a very great welder, I’ve had it for a couple of years and have completed some really intricate projects that I use in my home and most recently a Move bumper kit for my buddies Chevy Silverado 2500 diesel. The welder never has any issues at all and any issues with welds has always been operator error. I also have the stick welder 225 inverter and it’s a small but mighty beast! I can’t say enough about the quality of these systems.
I picked a Hobart 140 for my project cause my buddy who used to be a professional welder recommended it and I didn't want to put in a 220 outlet. Its made by the same company as Miller but they are much cheaper. I replaced floors, body mounts, kick panels, rocker panels, toe boards, and did numerous patches on the rear floors and a few on body panels and it worked like a champ. The 110v systems work great if you are mostly welding sheet metal and don't need a high duty cycle.
I bought the Hobart 140 also which was recommended by a friend of mine who works at a chassis shop as a welder /fabricator and he told me that unless you're running beads a foot long or welding metal over 1/4" that this welder was more than adequate
I too have a Hobart 140 and it's been a great machine. I've done some exhaust repair, a few small sheet metal repairs, several frames for cages (pet rats as well as pet snakes), even repaired a few steel chair legs that my pipeline welder buddy said couldn't be fixed. Got to repair some corral gates tomorrow for my mom. I use a Miller 220v mig welder at work all day building and repairing parts for industrial use but I still love my little Hobart 140 for the smaller "around the house" jobs I have
My Hobart 120 is 32 years old. I’ve gone through hundreds of pounds of wire over the years. I use my oxy-acetylene unit to pre-heat and can get passable depth on 1/4” when I need it. Now it’s finally going out. I shudder at the cheap HF stuff, but also at the crazy Miller price. I’m stuck.
Harbor freight has saved me many times working my cars. It was there for me when I need a tool I didn't have. I don't care it it broke. As long it helped complete my mission, they are cheaply priced and saves a bundle.
Harbor Freight has come a long way in the last ten years. I recently purchased several Bauer 20 volt battery tools (1/2" drill, drill driver, reciprocating saw, 4-1/2" angle grinder, 6-1/2" circular saw and line trimmer/edger) and have been pleasantly surprised. A DeWalt or Milwaukee equivalent would cost more than I have to spend.
I'm 43 yrs.old.Growning up using Harbor freight as a quick fix tool company or a one and done,never purchasing anything thing you would need to rely on or a tool you would use on a regular basis so your honestly is greatly appreciated. I always say you don't have to like the option but you have to respect it!! Thx,again...
One big thing to keep in mind with inverter based welders/plasma is the duty cycle. You want it high enough that you don't have to keep stopping to let it cool down. Sometimes that means going to a bigger machine to get a higher duty cycle for the work you plan to do. I didn't hear that discussed, if I missed it then just ignore me lol
@@Inertia888 It's just how long can you run the machine before you have to stop and let it cool down. Pretty easy to work around on most small projects if you change your assembly order so you're not having to do all the welding in one stretch.
I made this similar comment above. These machines DO NOT have the same duty cycle ratings as the big blue and Red or even green machines. That's okay for a hobbyist, but not a professional.
correct. thats why professional welders that use smaller machines gravitate towards miller. lincoln make seriously pro quality larger welders just like miller, but their smaller home depot welders have crappy duty cycles. you can weld for like 10 minutes and then it stops
I've been enjoying these tool tech series type videos especially since a lot of the viewers are hobby types. As a former professional mechanic and being familiar with the costs and longevity you want and need from your tools, I'm grateful to see harbor freight expanding their selection of tools and actually offering some better quality and still managing to keep a lower price point. Thanks again and as always stay safe
I have been using a Morlisse Transformer Welder for the last 20 years, it was used at a local technical school and I bought it at an auction, it is over 40 years old and still works, the only drawback is that it is so big and heavy, it is movable but not something you want to drag around daily. I have been looking at the Harbor Freight Tig welders, so looking forward for your review.
I appreciated the point near the end about being impressed once you got the feel- or read the instructions. So many times on lower end items, people dont consult the instructions and then have issues- usually braking the cheapend parts these things often have. I had a guy blow a gasket because the heater he bought from me wouldnt heat up- had he looked at the instructions, he would have realized it was a fan- not a heater.
I have the Titanium 125 Flux welder. I use it for some personal and some work. It does everything I need it to do. I spend less than 300 for the welder, gloves, clamp, and helmet.
I can weld up to 1/4" steel with no issue. I'm usually welding exhausts or hitch receivers. Nothing really precise. Stainless steel and aluminum are obviously out of the question but that's not an issue in my specific needs.
I have been using the Vulcan multipro 220 for about 3 years. Mostly on small to medium size projects. Only used the stick and wire so far I have been very happy. However if you are a pro. You need to consider the Duty Cycle. On one project I was building a 50"w 2"h x 20" d basen for a ribbon waterfall for a friend's pond. I was using the welder hard all day to completely seal the seams. The next day when I started again there was a loud bang and that was it. Dead. Good thing I bought the extended warranty and Harbour Freight replaced it no questions. They were very nice. Now I'm alot more careful not to over tax it and that works out good. More beer breaks.
yes for people welding a large part of the day, you have to go with miller if its a smaller machine. they are the only ones with a duty cycle that wont force you to stop all the time. both lincoln and miller are great for the larger machines though
As an electrical engineer, I can say the explanation of inverter/transformer type was spot on. For a hobbyist I would always recommend an inverter: better control, lower cost and smaller size/weight.
As am electrical engineer who is also a welder, the description was NOT spot on.. It was conceptually close enough, but specific details on how they do things and the voltages and currents are way off.. MIG welders do not generate 50V and 1000 Amps.. More like 18-30 volts at up to about 200 Amps and MIG inverter frequencies do NOT get up to a megahertz; maybe 150-200 KHz for top of the line inverter welders, but most of the hobbyist grade inverters are probably in the 20-50 kHz range. A cheap inverter welder is way better than a cheap transformer welder, but a good transformer welder can do quite well, so it is still worthwhile looking at used Lincoln/Miller or other well established name brand transformer welders as they are cheap and basically all but indestructible and last nearly forever.. Inverter welders you want to have good repair and parts support as they blow MOSFETs and IGBTs regularly and the more complex the computerized circuitry, the more prone to failure they are.. I have an older Harbor Freight AC/DC TIG and its HF board is going flaky and you can't buy replacement boards anymore and there is no service data.. I've reverse engineered it enough to be able to replace components when they die, but there is obviously a design flaw that makes it susceptible to failure (which is probably one reason they no longer sell this model)...
It's a bit strange to me that they didn't use the linear power supply vs switching power supply names, but it's okay, they aren't electrical engineers.
@@Flying0Dismount You are right, the numbers were wrong, but the concepts were explained correctly. Personally, I had a failure on my transformer machine where it lead to melting all the switches. That particular failure was an expensive one to fix. So transformer machines can also break and be unviable to repair.
@@Flying0Dismount so with stick welding 6010 AWS tests i found it was easier to pass with a transformer machine than a inverter type why is that? aka why is one better at one thing TIG/stick than the other one? and yes i like both styles but for different projects/welding and different results/reasons
Been looking and contemplating the Vulcan Welding Cabinet for a few months now. Idk why I don't just buy it, every review I've seen for it is great. Super in depth discussion on these welders!
For the pre and post flow of gas, my old (old old) Sealey Migmate 120 Turbo was set up so if you half-pulled the trigger you got just the gas, and a full-pull started the arc and wire feed. This meant you could do your own pre and post flow.
The crap ass Hobart, just a beat machine, MiG welder at work is set up like this. Well I set it up like that cause I was sick of grinding out the starts and stops. Love that feature.
I love Miller, you could absolutely say that I am a Miller guy but! I HATE the 211. I’ve worked at a shop that had two of those so I would weld with one until it hit the duty cycle cap, switch to the other, rinse and repeat. I run a 255 now and love it for the most part. I also have a Lincoln in the shop but I just don’t care for it. It doesn’t seem as smooth and it’s definitely not as user friendly as Miller.
I did quite a bit of research between blue orange and red machines last year and ended up with the Vulcan 220 from Harbor Freight. Being slightly above a 'novice' I've found it to be a great machine.. It's done well just plugged into 110 in the garage with patch panels on car projects, to 220 supply and stick welding an implement for our Skid Steer. The price point and other reviews/comparisons were my deal-maker to give this a shot. Pocketing the expense for my growing channel, I had to ensure I didn't break the bank at home, and this was right on the mark.
Wrench Every Day.. I have been welding since I was about 9 or 10 and used to be a certified welder in the 90's. I have been trying out things from Harbor Freight just to see if I like their stuff.. I have their Chicago Electric 170 welder and well, I like it but I need a better one. I could use everything in the video especially the TIG welder and the Plasma cutter. Thanks for sharing it.
I don't know much about mig welders even though I own one but I did notice the difference in the sound of the arc on the hf machine. Sounded much tighter and consistant over the other welders. I would have liked to see a close up view of the welding processes and finished processes bedides a cut away view of the welds. It looked to me that the guy doing the welds was very impressed by the hf welder as he seemed surprised of it's capability and somewhat stunned as per my observance.
Really appreciate the video. The fact that harbor freight reached out, the unbiased look at the machines. I have no qualms now trying the Vulcan at home.
If Harbor Freight can have the same customer service and serviceability over time, as well as keep the quality up, they will can go toe to toe with the higher end welders companies like Miller and Lincoln
They are getting their in product quality, like you said, how do they do years out, and when equipment needs repair. Out of the box, they perform amazing
The problem is, if you add all of that, it costs harbor freight money, which then passes on to the customer and suddenly a harbor freight welder costs as much as a Miller and that kinda defeats the point of Harbor Freight.
For the little bit of welding I do, I still have an old Lincoln stick welder passed down from my step dad, and my real dad was also a Lincoln fan as well, and the one who first taught me to do basic welding, but if my machine ever dies, I'll for sure be looking at a Harbor Freight.
I have the MigMAx Vulcan 215 after owning a Hobart 215 for almost 10 years. I sold the Hobart after trying the Vulcan 215. The Vulcan was much smoother and much quieter. The mig gun for the Vulcan is available unlike the Hobart 215 which now you can only buy used if available. I do weld aluminum some of the time and the Vulcan 215 does a great job with the Vulcan gun. I highly recommend the Vulcan Mig Max 215.
There was a Miller welder for sale locally for $250 with a blown main board. The machine cost $2,500 new. Called around for a new board and Miller wouldn’t sell one, had to go to a service center. Used board if you can find one was $1,500. I could get a couple welders from Harbor freight for the price of a replacement board for a Miller.
I had a similar experience with a quite used Dynasty 200 I picked up at auction cheap. It did work for 2 years until a board died. Ended up selling it for parts at quite a profit and purchased a new Dynasty 210, 7 years in ans hasn't skipped a beat.
I came to this conclusion too. That once out of warranty, Red and Blue cost more to repair than just buying another China welder. I'm a fan of disposable welders now.
@@fml5910 I agree that's what they're doing but in my mind they're doing what GM and Ford did when Japan first started sending cars over. They didn't take them seriously and then all of a sudden their market share shrinks. I suspect the Chinese are going to take a bite out of blue and red too. I don't believe that's $5000 more in value in a Dynasty over a $1000 China machine. Better yes, not $5000 better. The point of buying American is being able to get parts and service. If service costs more than a new 1/2 way decent welder, why bother with service? I'll buy two cheap ones and keep one as a hot spare.
Solid, affordable, long lasting, home shop equipment that keep on giving, and keeps you in the running. That's what you get! China/Taiwan,....yep. They sure are. So is my iPhone, laptop, tv, microwave, fridge, electronics in my american truck, electronics in my Mustang, treadmill, toaster, bathroom scale, radio, blender, etc. So if anybody wants to say that they won't spend money at Harbor Freight for a tool, because it's made in China, you might want to wake up and research a tiny little bit. Go look at your big, American made pickup truck. It's a global market, and you will find parts from all over the place!
I've been welding most of my life. I own 3 Lincoln and 4 Miller machines. Miller has a customer service department that's absolutely incredible. All the years I've spent welding they have always had my back. Nice thing about Harbor freight welder's is you don't have to care about taking care of it. Leave it outside in the rain, falls out the back of your truck, no worries.
Well that sounds absolutely ignorant. Nobody who depends on their tools either to earn money and make a living or to simply as a jack of all trades person is going to abuse their tools as you described.
@@Nobody-xg2un yes I have and if they abused my equipment I fired them. Of course the equipment was still abused but they were gone like a fart in a hurricane.
A few things to note, because overall you did a great job. All of the Hobart welders, except for the Multi-Handler 200 are transformer based and made here in the US in Wisconsin. Over 20 years ago, ITW purchased Hobart and Miller. I believe every Miller machine is made in the US and in the same facility as Hobart. Unless you want to spend north of $2000, you are correct just about every multi-process welder is just Mig, Tig, stick and DC tig. However, ESAB does offer several multi-process welders with AC/DC TIG but you are well over $3000 for them. Also, the Hobart 210 MVP, or Multi-voltage plug is a Transformer based mig welder that does 120v and 240v.
OK, If you want to get crazy, I'm In Australia, so factor that in, We tested and tried to BE sold a Lincoln Electric 300 Amp Modular design setup, multi process , Mig Stick and AC DC Tig system, and by the time you put all the modules and wire feeder and special Adaptors to get Water cooling on the Tig, was now nearly 5 foot high and was Going to cost our company $25,000 Dollars Australian, without the Tig Module it was still $19,000. I (being the Senior Welder) tested it and tried to get my head around the Settings Screen, and I didn't like the Interface at all, and I couldn't get good Constant Welds out of the Machine, Especially Alluminium. So we Ended up looking at another Machine that was 400 Amp water cooled Mig welder, German Made, Called "Lorch" (I hadn't heard of them) serviced by a Welding Company here that we deal a lot with, and It does Phenominal Welds in Steel or Alluminium and the Interface is simple and straight forward, has multi wave and Pulse functions, and we ended up Buying them For about $7,500 each (we bought 3), and we couldn't be happier, we told the Lincoln Guy he could take His machine back with him, my Opinion, Not user Friendly and too Dear for what you get.
@@scottcarr3264 Yes, all that is true but it is RED and Say Lincoln on it.... And so does a used red Mark V. Plus you can have sex in the back seat instead of just getting screwed.
That protig 205 is AC/DC also for less than $1k, mine works great for me and it also auto recognizes 120/240 without having to change a setting on the machine.
Vulcan welder I have been using since Harbor Freight started stocking them. I got a great deal because they were new. I have never regretted buying it. I have used it a lot. love it for the price.
Did not really follow all of the welding tech, but it was clear enough to be a big help for a rookie ! Thanks for the demo and evaluation. Loved the addition of the cost factor really being dealt with for consideration on purchase choices. Most of us are far from pros and do not need to be caught up in the distinction of owning a famous brand.
Buying a high priced tool that is more name and function is like buying a super performance car to drive to work. You will never use it to all its ability and you cannot get out of it without a lot of help.
We have the first generation miler 211 and we got it in 2011, the fact that I could use it on both 120 and 220 has been helpful. It was like $1300 back then and when you break down how may broken bolts we have gotten out and trailer projects we have done. I also like the support if you need something. We have literally run 100s of spools through it. Now on a budget the Chicago 180 is great for a cheap 220 only mig.
that is literally pointless to observe... the machines are hobby grade, period. The prices are Everlast machine ranges, lots of better brands to pick over this bs paid advertisement vid
Yeah I noticed the Vulcan sounded the best of the bunch as well. The Lincoln sounded like.. a transformer. To be expected. The miller sounded like excessive stickout. The Vulcan sounded nice and hot.
I have the migmax 215 for over 3 years now. Only issue I ever had was the ground clamp, it lasted about 2 years. I have put many hours on my machine and it works like the day I got it. I have built many things with that machine. 2 sawmills, logging winch, as well as repaired and rebuilt several deck over trailers, dump trailers and many repairs to my stump grinder. As well as countless other repairs. I read where the internals to the Vulcan are the same as the blue and red machines. For me and my budget the Vulcan has been hands down a awesome machine.
I'm gonna say it. With my 32 years as a welder and 16 of those as a CWI, That Vulcan, based on the sound, was right in the zone for short circuit arc welding. The Miller and the Lincoln both needed just a touch more wire speed.
I paid 500 for green harbor freight mig and 300 for a big bottle of gas.i have made thousands of dollars with it at my shop and it welds smooth as butter.
We have used the th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
I've had a migmax 215 for almost five years now, no issues at all. I had a small 110 Lincoln I started with and bought the Vulcan when I needed more power
I took welding lessons for seven years and had several certifications in stick, MIG, and TIG. Was welding aluminum pop cans together, but not much market for pop can repair. Still don't own a welder because no room in the garage with all my other toys. Thanks for the informative video. If I ever clean out my garage I'll keep your advise in mind.
@@robertfandel9442 Welding school on Saturdays as I was working a regular 40 hour a week job also. And I was still learning new things after seven years. Welding is a life style, always more to learn.
I had some old $150 flux core mig welder I got off walmart like 5 or so years ago. Joined HF's insider track membership so I was keeping an eye on deals, saw their flux core welder was on sale for like $70 off and decided it was time for an upgrade to my old one. The new machine is probably half the weight, half the size and 90% quieter. These inverter machines are insanely compact and quiet compared to old transformers while keeping the power. So far I like it a lot. Seems well made, hopefully holds up as long as my old one.
Hey guy, I really like the video I would say it's probably the one single most informative video I've seen about welding machines. When I seen you referring to the instructions as you were putting them together in high speed I thought to myself smart man. That was gold star number one. Delivery of your factual, accumulated info., Is easily understood. I have ADHD and I never looked away. Third, I am all about empirical knowledge. All the technicals matter to me. I like to know the science behind everything. It seems to make any task I set out to do that much easier to accomplish So that's three out of three gold stars. Thumbs up I subscribed and liked and probably going to be a regular. You're a person I could not only work with but for it wouldn't matter it would be an endless learning adventure. GREAT JOB!
Im running a hobart 190 mig for 4 yrs now and i just got the 27i plasma. Ive done some serious work for what i will do. I primary do 1/8 up to 5/16. I have had to redo my pintle trl mount which is 2 x 2 solid bar to 1/2 mount plate with 1/2 gusset for extra strength and i pull a 13k trl on the mount and ive been very happy
I've been pleasantly surprised with my AHP alpha tig for a "budget" welder. My MIG is a super cheap Campbell Hausfeld I bought from Walmart 15 years ago 😂 Set up on gas and upgraded grounding it does everything I need it to do for non professional purposes
Lmao. I have that exact same walmart welder. Still a flux core setup but the damn thing just won't die. I went with Primeweld for my tig and plasma cutter, and they are amazing so far.
I had a Lincoln welder go out on me while on a job out of town so i went to a place locally and bought a cheap $500 klutch just to finish up the job.. i fell in love with with inverter welders. Amazing how well that little 25lb welder did. Welded like butter.
The harbor freight stuff just kills the name brands when you factor cost… I’ve been more than happy abusing mine… their toolboxes are more than just ok too…. They have definitely been stepping up their game over the last few years…
🍻 Also, haven't looked further into the channel content here, yet, but would like to see comparisons on larger, upright tank 120V as well as ~220-240V air compressor comparisons - by class metrics, per video, if need be.
@@That_Handle I’m not sure about their bigger air compressors, I’ve got the 40gal 120v compressor from them as a backup and haven’t had any issues with it, it’s pretty fast and quite, been running a year now so… pretty good deal so far…
@@robertw1871 , I had been checking out a larger 200 plus volt unit from tractor supply company but apparently as of late it has run into not only supply issues but quality issues and so on stepping back from that leaning and am looking to narrow down some efforts towards reappraisal of what's currently available
I'm a homeowner, DIYer and looking to get a multi-process welder. I have been looking at the Titanium Omnipro 200...and was at a local hardware store this morning and saw there's a Lincoln multi-process welder for about $100 more....well now what LOL. From my understanding the multi-process Vulcan and Titanium machines you can do both MIG with flux core wire, or MIG with shielding gas, but you have to buy the cylinders/gas....so, with that, I would need 2 cylinders, 1 with Argon, the other with CO2/Argon mixed? I only use a welder a handful of times a year, and although my old $100 Harbor Freight MIG welder has done well, I would like to upgrade a bit to a multi-process machine and learn TIG and Stick welding as well, and not having all the space, a multi-purpose machine makes more sense for my seldom use needs. Looking at the Titanium machine it seems that would be a good fit to my seldom use needs...the Vulcan is more expensive, has the same features, and in the end its going to come to which one is actually in stock.
Happy with every upload from this channel to see a humble person that has so much knowledge showing new stuff and teaching us a lot of things with such a good way to explain everything and to make it entertaining as well, greetings from Colombia
15:45 Yes you or Correct. We had the experience of inverter electronic broads shorting out. All these machines suck up dust like a vacuum cleaner. Leaving thick metal dust in the electronic broads and shorting them out. Once a week you mush disassemble your welder and vacuum your welder of All metal dust. Some parts, after vacuuming, can be Blown with Low pressure air OUTSIDE. Because if you Blow out that last 10% inside your shop, your other welders suck up all that metal dust.
Been using a HF flux core (aka the Splatterbox) for a long long time. For my intermittent light duty use, maybe a couple small things a year, its fine. It was like $80 bucks on sale. Of course, 30m of welding means an hour or two of clean up...
Same here. One thing that I found helpful for me is to use good quality wire with it. I had instantly better results and less splatter once I quit using the cheap HF Flux core wire.
@@05milmachine90 Never thought about it, heh, I am still using wire from when I bought it in the first place. But yeah, whenever I do run out, think you are right.
I’ve been using my Hobart handler 140 that I bought from harbor freight damn near 10 years ago it’s been flawless. Built multiple roll cages, bumpers, rock sliders, etc. been a great welder!
Having proviso for two bottles is something nice to see - it's not un-common to need a couple (or 3) different mixes. I initially thought the MIG's only having a 10lb reel might be a disadvantage, but as most will be hobby/light work it gives the spool wire less time to oxidise.
Not sure if you covered this but Miller does make the Multimatic AC DC tig and wire machine all in one. It will absolutely do all welding processes and tig weld Aluminum. Unless you need to do some thick Aluminum it will work. You still can purchase the spool gun to do Mig Aluminum also. The one draw back is cost. i bought one because I use Miller at work almost exclusively at work and have been using them for almost 40 years. Very little warranty work for any of the machines I have used. i thought about buying the import stuff for home garage stuff and just decided to buy Miller. The other reason is it's built in my home state and if I have to deal with repairs It is local to me. Just my opinion and of course you can purchase what you want.
i have that same miller welder at work and i love it, its amazing for doing thin metal for body panel replacement and i love how easy you can switch from mild steal to aluminum or even stainless. its so user friendly to use
If you are a hobbyist or even a shop that doesn weld much, I'd go with the Harbor Freight or some other Chinese welder. If you are a professional welder then I'd go with either a Miller or Lincoln as they tend to hold up better to all day everyday use, but having the Chinese welder as a backup for when your other one goes down isn't a back cost efficient option even for the pros
I literally started at a dealership using harbor freight, and now I'm a power plant mechanic and homesteader and fix all my heavy equipment with harbor freight tools. Lmfao. Milwaukee and dewalt power tools though. The harbor freight jack hammer is pretty good though.
Your Guest Randy gave a good recommendation regarding Harbor Freight. I have problems with the company regarding the spare parts. There is no replacement parts for any Harbor Freight tools and machines.
I've bought 2 of the Titanium MIGs from Harbor Freight, one low power for my son to learn one and a more powerful one to help a welder friend of mine start to setup his own shop instead of just using the ones provided by his employer. There have been no complaints about either of them so far after about a year.
I've had a Chicago Electric Tools wire feed welder from Harbor Freight for years and for small occasional welding jobs, I love it. I recently welded an exhaust system, and after I learned the feed speed for the minumum setting, I was able to create a nice continous pool. One thing that I like is that I can use it with any 20 amp 110 circuit. I was able to use it to pin extra posts to a steel I beam in a construction job. The posts were plumbed up and just needed to stay in place until they were extended to bear weight. I'm sure the welds are good enough to hold them in place. They'd need to get hit pretty hard to move them, and I was able to do the welding without a 220 circuit. Plus, I've welded really light gauge steel with it, so I think it's great for an inexpensive welder.
I really appreciate the breakdown of terms and tech. I've done a little bit of welding but have been completely lost and intimidated by the industry-speak before, and it's prevented me from buying a welder in the past.
I purchased the $100 120v Flux welder from harbor freight. I have done many a ugly weld with it, I needed a 120V that could run off my inverter in my truck. I got a lincoln 185HD and I love it. Biggest difference to me is that the Lincoln does pretty welds. Looking at that Vulcan tig tho
The el cheapo HF welders are missing a few parts that would smooth the arc out if they were present. That's how they make them so cheap. There's videos here of folks retrofitting the parts into HF welders. Do a search for HF welder upgrade or something and you should find them.
Thanks for the info!! I am new to welding and want to buy a great welder that will do up to 3/8th inch metal for structural and other uses. I took welding classes, for MIG, Stick, Flux Core, and TIG., and I want a machine that will do all three as well as an additional plasma cutter. I currently have a good budget for this and want your advice for a home hobbyist setup that is slightly commercial use too, if needed. The school has Miller machines to learn on & I am a Harbor Freight fan for most tools. I ask for most of us new graduate beginner welders.
ShaRon You just described the Everlast Powerpro 256si 20 Amp to 250 Amp water cooled Tig, stick weld 20Amp to 200 Amp, Plasma 20 to 60 Amp. Check them out on line. designed and spec by electric engineers and built in Asia. Only available from the Everlast company here in the states. The instruction manual is one of the best I have ever picked up. This model weights in at just under 100 lbs. One thing that is not included is a water cooling pump that can be purchased separately. It is worth a look.
The best part of Budget HF welders/plasma cutters is when their budget circuit boards inevitably die there is zero parts support. So you get to learn how to become a circuit board technician at home on your own dime.
7yrs running and no board failures, lives in dust and grime also but i do keep them blown out weekly. I bought a HF machine while i waited 4months on a board for my Miller but when i got the $540 board i installed it to verify it was working correctly then wrapped it in a bag for storage, been using the Vulcan ever since....they both have their pros and cons but if this Vulcan lives another month it will have lasted longer than my Miller without failure so thats a win imo for a cheap back up machine.
I bought the vulcan 215 it lasted exactly one 2lb roll of .35 Flux core wire . Unfortunately it took me a little over a year to weld that much. Just outside the warranty time. I switched to the holbart 190 love that machine.
Here over in Europe, we have multi-process welders that do AC tig for welding aluminum, but I'm not sure that they are available in the USA since we use different specifications for mains power. I'm currently using the Parweld XTM 211Di. It welds everything you throw at it very well. Great welder for learning all processes, but also for just having everything in one machine. Ideal for a compact shop or on the road. I know ESAB makes the rebel 205 ci AC/DC which apparently can do the same, but I have no experience with that machine. But a great video. This style of video really helps if you want to start working on cars and other stuff yourself and need to know what tools to get. It shows where you can cheap out and where it is better to save a bit more money and buy better quality tools.
I've abused my $90 Harbor Freight flux core welder for probably 10 years now and it still works perfect. I have replaced literally nothing except wire. I've cobbled together far too many rusty horrendous exhaust with it.
Those super cheap Harbor Freight welders actually lack some parts to reach their price point. People have made videos showing how to add what's missing. It's all pretty doable. Basically what you're missing is a bridge rectifier a smoothing cap and an inductor. The unit obviously works without all of that but it works arguably better with it. You get a smoother more sustained arc. So if you want to upgrade your machine you have a path to do it.
I have a Vulcan Omnipro 220. I love this machine. I was on a budget but wanted the convenience of other welding types. This machine is a great traveling welder machine. 120v/220v, full mig or flux, arc welder and steel tig. This machine is not made to tig aluminum. You can get the spool gun for mig. All that being said considering this is an inverter machine it needs some protection. Whether using it on in house voltages or especially a generator it is best to run it on a line conditioner to help regulate the drops and surges. Inverters and the settings on the machine are primarily electronic so they are susceptible to line noise. The Vulcan welder has been around for over 40 years. The Canary company in India is the producer of this machine. They are built in different parts of Asia. I read an article that stated the commercial grade Vulcan machines had even been used in Japanese shipyards. So Vulcan welders are not new to the market or industry. I love Harbor Freight. I have so many tools from there that I use everyday in my business, not just hobbies. I even have a Chicago Electric plasma cutter that I have used several times every week for 7 years now.
At around 24:30 Randy said that the welder had more power, and it was burning the wire up more quickly, so he slowed the wire speed down. Isn't that backwards? Shouldn't you speed the wire up, to keep up with the higher voltage?
I got 1in pcv pipe for the rod holder on mine. I love that cart though! I've got a Esab mig, Thermal dynamics plasma and a HTP inverter tig on it with 2 125 cu-ft bottles. I've had it a year and it's held up awesome
It would be nice to add a "Filtration Device" on the Inverter Machines (like an Open Celled Foam Filter, because they are Washable) to minimise contaminates within the Equipment... Or at least have the option.
I've done some basic fab & geared up with a Lincoln 180C back before the Vulcan existed; I could tell immediately from the sound of that "sizzle" it was putting down a serious bead! Hate to acknowledge it especially since the Orange reminds me of Hobart but for the price that thing has a value proposition that's impossible to ignore!
I weld everyday and own the miller in my race car fab shop and it's phenomenal. I do a ton of repair work as well and for a 211 machine it's bad ass. Spend the money and get the best machine to last you a long time.
Been using a small 220v HF wire machine. For the money, $140, it has welded everything I've wanted, at home. Yes, duty cycle isn't 100%, but for home mechanic, has been awesome for 3 years.
Would like to see Harbor Freight come out with an AC/DC multi-process to compete with Miller’s Multimatic 220 or Esab’s Rebel, especially if it had plasma too.
One thing I either missed or you didn’t talk about, that’s very important is duty cycles. Idk what harbor freight is up to now but they use to be around 40% VS Miller which is over double that. Meaning if you are a homeowner or even a mechanic where you might weld for a few minutes at a time and the unit has time to cool down you will be fine. If you are a welding shop where you are welding for extended periods of time the HF might shut down. Again I couldn’t find the Duty cycle on the current model but that’s pretty important. I did love the sound of the Vulcan it seems to have a great frequency to it
A good welder definitely does make a difference, but the one from harbor freight is a good buy especially price point. Thanks for the comparison video.
I weld for a living. At work we have old school miller's running off 440 volts. We use .045 and 95/5 gas. At home for personal stuff I've got a Campbell hausefeld 180 running off 220 volts, .035 and smaller wire using 76/25. Ive also bought a Vulcan protig 200. It does stick as well as tig. I love the Vulcan, so I know how I feel. I was a little disappointed I didn't see the Vulcan tig used, but I already know they work great. I'm always looking for another welder, after watching this I may get that Vulcan mig for around the house stuff.
Check out the welders in this video right here!►bit.ly/WEDHFWelding
It was great seeing you paying a guy a visit! I'm dying to see the rest of that C10 series, and hope it was as fun for you guys to film as it is to watch.
As Derek would pronounce it,
"Hobo freight" 👨🔧
on the tig, can you use other torches? or are you limited to the vulcan brand?
Not only are all my welders H.F. but they are all Chicago Electric, stick, MIG, and tig. They are all great machines. The only thing is if you are making structural welds you might want to make multiple passes. So I would say is you will have to work slower is the main downfall. But they all will weld any type of steel in their range and will do it well.
I got the VULCAN 140 when it 1st came out. Very pleased with it ! And I have NEVER plugged for it. Who gets pink tool boxes, without painting them, other than military females, who turn wrenches ? And the ones I know, would paint them ! If the price was right . PEACE
My wife is a welder in our local ship yard and we bought her the vulcan for her when she started the Apprenticeship few years later we still love it
Is she also an aspiring dancer?
@@jamesisaphotographer you win the comments today! You’re a maniac!
@@bobimpala96 Wow! I've never won the comments before. What a feeling!
west coast ship yard?
@@fml5910 Rosie the Welder. Remember, most of the warships constructed during WWII were constructed by women. And those ships fought with one hell of an attitude, had the Japanese convinced in the battle off Samar that they were destroyers fighting like they thought they were battleships, punching out of their weight class hard enough to sink (damaged and later sank) one destroyer, three heavy cruisers, damage three heavy cruisers and sending Yamato, Nagato, Kongō, and Haruna running for the hills.
I've been a self employed welder for 10 years. I have almost that exact same Lincoln 180. Guy said the one in the video is the Home Depot version, mine is a slightly higher quality machine from a welding supply store, mostly the only difference is in mine is the drive wheel assembly is a little better.
With that said, before I got my Lincoln 255 MIG which I use most frequently now, for about 8 years all I had was my 180 MIG and my Grandpa's 225 tombstone stick welder he bought brand new in back in 1964.
My 180 has been built proof and has never failed me and I used it almost everyday and made a lot of money with it. I never even plugged in my stick welder unless I was doing something 1/4" or thicker our some outdoor work because I dont run fluxcore, only solid wire. If I had to do something 3/16" thick and still wanted to use my 180 MIG, I would just make multiple passes and no problem.
The only knock I can see on the Lincoln 180 which you didn't mention in the video is the voltage selector. You can't dial it in to a specific voltage, it only has an A,B,C,D&E selector. Tbh though that really isn't a big deal. MIG is such an easy process that if youve spent time on your machine you can easily overcome that by varying your wirespeed and travel speed.
Post flow on the Harbor Frieght machine... yeah I guess that is okay but its not really that big of a deal. Its not TIG and MIG machines have been fine without that for many years.
Also those inverter machines have so much more that can go wrong with them over transformer machine. With all those extra electronics in them there are way more parts that can go wrong and are more expensive to have worked on... factor in also that transformer machines rarely ever fail. Kind of a "less moving parts" type of argument. Also, the 180 is heavier? So, its gonna be on a cart for 99% of its life.
Zero surprise the life long Miller guy choose the Miller. I'm a lifelong 3rd generation Lincoln guy so I get it. But with Miller their prices are ridiculously higher than Lincoln, kinda just buying the name and blue paint for a machine capable of doing the exact same thing.
Zero surprise the guy that got given a free MIG, TIG, plasma torch, cart and consumables talked up the Harbor Freight equipment. Even if he didn't "have to", I'm sure he is happy to get the free equipment and the video content.
Admitting my bias, aside of that considering I've personally ran one of the machines within your test for hundreds of hours already. The Lincoln Pro MIG 180 in my opinion would be the best for someone looking to get into a machine that is above an entry level wire welder. I would bet my machine will outlast anybody watching this video, not to sure about those other with all those extra electronics on them.
Thank you, your comment based on lived experience taught me a lot!
From the gate I must say that Harbor Freight gets points for reaching out in an attempt to better their product for their customers. On top of that there's no expectations from them for a good or positive review. It really says a lot about the company itself. Well done HF.
And........ doubled their prices.
@robertclymer6948 not sure what ya mean there, the welder is still $899 right now
My issue is parts and service and longevity. My go-to for every day farm welding is a Lincoln mig 155 I bought new in 1994. Never needed any service or parts. I have a miller 250 mig from 1998 that also has worked flawlessly. And still using my fathers miller stick machine he bought when I was born in 1966. I wouldn’t bet that the harbor freight could match those machines in reliability and longevity. Scott. Vass, NC
I bought the "Vulcan Welding Cabinet" I like it; the only thing missing was a "hanger" for my TIG Pedal, I made one and attached it to the back
I wanted the cabinet, BC it can fit two bottles for my MIG/TIG/SMAW machine
I really appreciate you doing these reviews of Harbor Freight products. Reading online reviews and the manuals only gives me so much information and having someone demonstrate the differences is immensely helpful. I work at Harbor Freight and you can be sure I've pointed more than a few folks towards your channel, including my bosses.
Have your bosses made any comment since you mentioned this channel?
Harbor freights ceo is pretty bad ass, he tries to make affordable tools for people, they don't purposely try and make junk they have to be a patent behind I'm pretty sure.
@@odeball22 That I believe; Harbor Freight's fast closing in on Snap-On et al, especially with their Icon line.
@@piercehawke8021 I agree snap-on and matco have been extremely overpriced and lagging for several years, the milwaukee line destroys any of them companies electric tools.
This didn't seem as much a review as a promotion. Give a guy one for a year or 3 and then let's see the review.
As a Professional certified welder for 40 years I've used dozens of different pro welding machines. I bought a Migmax 215 as a retirement home machine (only paid $500 for an unused returned machine). I was surprised to find it welded as good or better than any machine I've ever run. I've only run flux core wire on it (more than 30 pounds now) and it is smooth and runs perfectly in ALL positions. Label says it will run .045 wire using flux core wire but I haven't tried it yet. From my experience I'm sure it would run it (on 240 volts) as it will weld 1/2" thick steel using .035 wire on 120 volts input. I would consider this a prosumer machine for sure and you can add a spool gun for aluminum. By the way you CAN tig weld aluminum on DC current it's just rare you see it done. I've done it myself.
If I was doing a lot of short circuit arc welding I would pick the Migmax. With your 40 years and my 32 years I'm guessing you go on sound quite a bit.
Any "Certified" welder should know that there are no Prequalified Procedure Requirement documents or Welding Specifications that will call for a DC GTAW weld on Aluminum. It simply ruins the Aluminum's metallurgic properties and will include parts of the tungsten electrode in it.
@@joemad4110actually that is incorrect if you were to look up there are actually several certified procedures for it but only for true heli-arc with a helium/argon mix(original mixture for tig welding pre ac/dc.
@@adamswelding5052 Just because you can doesn't mean you should. I repair aluminum trailers all the time and you can use GTAW with DC current with Aluminum Brazing Rods to "weld" Aluminum together. In some applications, where Aluminum brazing with a GTAW torch is much easier than with a fuel torch because of the convenience and cost of a fuel setup versus a DC GTAW machine.
If you're on DC, how do you break up the oxides on aluminum if you're tig welding.
Even if you use a spool gun on DC it's a different process and
Not as reliable as AC tig.
gotta love Harbour freight for trying to improve and being transparent when it comes to sponsering products
Their ceo is kind of a G.
*Gotta' love **_Schrute Farms_** for sending their welding expert Moz to help out!*
Eh, TH-cam requires disclosure of any sponsored content so don’t assume Harbor Freight willingly divulges that information - and nothing has improved with the end of their monthly coupon deals so…. yeah. Also, they told me that my coupon won’t work on a plasma cutter because “welders” is listed in the exclusions… since when is a plasma cutter a “welder”? Double and triple checked the fine print before I went to 3 different stores this weekend. Left empty handed due to the cat-and-mouse marketing tactics by Harbor Freight Tools. 🤷🏼
I have to say the Vulcan sounded much cleaner. When I went through welding class and certs for my JIW. The instructor pointed out the value in arc sound. The major thing you missed was showing and comparing the weld and bead. Added bonus you should of cut the piece and compared penetration. That’s really what matters in welding.
That is really cool to know thank you for sharing!
Its funny you say that. For both the Lincoln and the Miller I was thinking they didn't sound right. Then with the vulcan I was like now that sounds good.
I agree and I wonder why they didn’t take it that far with the actual review of how well each performed. Proof is always in the pudding and we got no pudding.
A cut in the parent metals with etching to contrast the penetration in the part
Bingo sir wonderful reply
I have alot of respect for Harbor Freight they have been helping me put food on the table for my family for years by offering good tools for rock bottom prices and the customer service has never let me down. I live in a dying city where every other business is shutting down. Harbor Freight will probably be the only business left in town eventually.
Ha in north ID, closed
the Sears store, Harbor moved in !
It is descriptive of the failure after failure of Government policy that our currency is inflated, our domestic industry gutted, no trade protection to drive domestic competition and we have to make ends meet with wholesale price Chinese made tools.
And buying Chinese made tools will only accelerate that dying off of your city. Along with continuing the forced labor slavery in china
@@CalTN damn commies. You get what you want/vote for. Soon you'll be able to quit your job n stay home, no money though. Enjoy your bowl of lint soup with shoe leather bread.
Most everything is made in China by American companies. The only way to bring back production here is to make it cheaper to do it here. So put big tariffs on China made goods and give tax breaks to companies who make things in the usa
Personally I have the Omnipro 220 Vulcan and it welds amazing. So far I've used flux and mig on it but it does stick and tig as well. I also have the 45 amp plasma and can say that it works great. I've only really used it on some 3/16" square tube but it cut like butter and moved along quickly.
I’ve been using my Omnipro 220 for regular mig welding on patch panels at my classic car shop. Took a bit to learn the settings after using the normal two knob Lincoln welders that don’t display the actual voltage band wire speed, but it works great!
Can you tig weld aluminum?
Not with Vulcan. DC only. @@608trucker4
Here i am, watching and listening someone in a foreign language talking about Welders. And their different features. I have neither welded nor a shop to actually do it. But here I am. Jared is just so good, you can talk to me about anything, and I will just sit there, watching you. Like a good boi wiggling his tail!
So, please pet Pyra, and have a great day. Thank you, for everything you do.
Learn the Language
so you can understand it!
You dont need a shop, you can do it outside if you gave outside space
@@jkracinginc.4021 pretty sure he knows english already, lol
I've had the Vulcan 215 mig rig since they came out, 5-6 yrs or so ago.
I purchased it originally to fabricate my ornamental handrailing and have ran about 100 lb of trouble free wire thru it over the years and it works as good today as the day it was purchased.
The small green Flux 125 has been a fun little welder for outdoor, not fancy welding. It's light, does what I've asked it to, and it's portable
I bought a habor freight titanium 200 sat in the box for 2years finally got it out because I gave my esab to my son in-law it quit delivering gas for mig bought a extended warranty. Took it in they warranty gave me a new one bought a new warranty for the new one. Happy with them.
I have the Titanium 200 from Harbor Freight. I've never tried to TIG with it, but I've had no complaints about it with stick or MIG. It's a massive upgrade from the 2 cheap welders that it replaced.
That's a great machine,KEEP UP WITH MAINTAINING IT & it's KILLER...👍
Which cheaper welders did it replace? Just curious.
MO loop 0@@TheSonsOfSimon
Awesome video. During the Vietnam War, I owned a welding school that trained A&E mechanics for the Air Force under contract. Technology sure has come a long way since then.
Yes, I was a welder in the army during that era. Using a 300 amp PTO driven welder on a 1958 Dodge Power wagon 3/4 ton. Did a lot of welding with it
I have the TITANIUM Unlimited 200 Professional Multiprocess Welder and it's done everything I've asked of it. MIG, TIG (no pedal), or arc, it does it all and doesn't skip a beat. No issues in over a year.
@@fml5910 I don't use it daily. I'm a home hobbyist but it has served me well
@@fml5910 I've Also acquired the unlimited 200 titanium. I've loved it throughout this time we've had together, and I've pushed it as hard as I could. Other than the guns it came with, and thenot having dcen capabilities I've no complaining. Just love the machine. I Also bought the titanium plasma. Love it love it love it,!
@@fml5910 I've actually seen many pros selling the unlimited 200 for less than 600 many times. Just have to keep an eye open.
Shoooooooot, that’s awesome that you got to test all of these. I have the Titanium Unlimited 200 multi process machine and it is a very great welder, I’ve had it for a couple of years and have completed some really intricate projects that I use in my home and most recently a Move bumper kit for my buddies Chevy Silverado 2500 diesel. The welder never has any issues at all and any issues with welds has always been operator error. I also have the stick welder 225 inverter and it’s a small but mighty beast! I can’t say enough about the quality of these systems.
I picked a Hobart 140 for my project cause my buddy who used to be a professional welder recommended it and I didn't want to put in a 220 outlet. Its made by the same company as Miller but they are much cheaper. I replaced floors, body mounts, kick panels, rocker panels, toe boards, and did numerous patches on the rear floors and a few on body panels and it worked like a champ. The 110v systems work great if you are mostly welding sheet metal and don't need a high duty cycle.
I bought the Hobart 140 also which was recommended by a friend of mine who works at a chassis shop as a welder /fabricator and he told me that unless you're running beads a foot long or welding metal over 1/4" that this welder was more than adequate
I too have a Hobart 140 and it's been a great machine. I've done some exhaust repair, a few small sheet metal repairs, several frames for cages (pet rats as well as pet snakes), even repaired a few steel chair legs that my pipeline welder buddy said couldn't be fixed. Got to repair some corral gates tomorrow for my mom. I use a Miller 220v mig welder at work all day building and repairing parts for industrial use but I still love my little Hobart 140 for the smaller "around the house" jobs I have
My Hobart 120 is 32 years old. I’ve gone through hundreds of pounds of wire over the years. I use my oxy-acetylene unit to pre-heat and can get passable depth on 1/4” when I need it. Now it’s finally going out. I shudder at the cheap HF stuff, but also at the crazy Miller price. I’m stuck.
I bought a Hobart ironman 240 and what a beast it is!
Harbor freight has saved me many times working my cars. It was there for me when I need a tool I didn't have. I don't care it it broke. As long it helped complete my mission, they are cheaply priced and saves a bundle.
Harbor Freight has come a long way in the last ten years. I recently purchased several Bauer 20 volt battery tools (1/2" drill, drill driver, reciprocating saw, 4-1/2" angle grinder, 6-1/2" circular saw and line trimmer/edger) and have been pleasantly surprised. A DeWalt or Milwaukee equivalent would cost more than I have to spend.
Even their electric chain saws helped me trim large branches and keep firewood in the wood cradle.
I'm 43 yrs.old.Growning up using Harbor freight as a quick fix tool company or a one and done,never purchasing anything thing you would need to rely on or a tool you would use on a regular basis so your honestly is greatly appreciated. I always say you don't have to like the option but you have to respect it!! Thx,again...
Miller Multimatic 220 AC/DC Multiprocess Welder it’s pricey been a great machine for me. Tig A/C dc, mig A/C dc and stick
One big thing to keep in mind with inverter based welders/plasma is the duty cycle. You want it high enough that you don't have to keep stopping to let it cool down. Sometimes that means going to a bigger machine to get a higher duty cycle for the work you plan to do. I didn't hear that discussed, if I missed it then just ignore me lol
I am new to welding. Does duty cycle have a negative effect on the work itself, or is it mostly just a time constraint?
@@Inertia888 It's just how long can you run the machine before you have to stop and let it cool down. Pretty easy to work around on most small projects if you change your assembly order so you're not having to do all the welding in one stretch.
I made this similar comment above. These machines DO NOT have the same duty cycle ratings as the big blue and Red or even green machines. That's okay for a hobbyist, but not a professional.
correct. thats why professional welders that use smaller machines gravitate towards miller. lincoln make seriously pro quality larger welders just like miller, but their smaller home depot welders have crappy duty cycles. you can weld for like 10 minutes and then it stops
I've been enjoying these tool tech series type videos especially since a lot of the viewers are hobby types. As a former professional mechanic and being familiar with the costs and longevity you want and need from your tools, I'm grateful to see harbor freight expanding their selection of tools and actually offering some better quality and still managing to keep a lower price point. Thanks again and as always stay safe
I have been using a Morlisse Transformer Welder for the last 20 years, it was used at a local technical school and I bought it at an auction, it is over 40 years old and still works, the only drawback is that it is so big and heavy, it is movable but not something you want to drag around daily. I have been looking at the Harbor Freight Tig welders, so looking forward for your review.
I have never touched a welder nor will I ever have to but I just sat through this whole video. Definitely learned a ton!!!
I appreciated the point near the end about being impressed once you got the feel- or read the instructions. So many times on lower end items, people dont consult the instructions and then have issues- usually braking the cheapend parts these things often have. I had a guy blow a gasket because the heater he bought from me wouldnt heat up- had he looked at the instructions, he would have realized it was a fan- not a heater.
I have the Titanium 125 Flux welder. I use it for some personal and some work. It does everything I need it to do. I spend less than 300 for the welder, gloves, clamp, and helmet.
I can weld up to 1/4" steel with no issue. I'm usually welding exhausts or hitch receivers. Nothing really precise. Stainless steel and aluminum are obviously out of the question but that's not an issue in my specific needs.
I have been using the Vulcan multipro 220 for about 3 years. Mostly on small to medium size projects. Only used the stick and wire so far I have been very happy. However if you are a pro. You need to consider the Duty Cycle. On one project I was building a 50"w 2"h x 20" d basen for a ribbon waterfall for a friend's pond. I was using the welder hard all day to completely seal the seams. The next day when I started again there was a loud bang and that was it. Dead. Good thing I bought the extended warranty and Harbour Freight replaced it no questions. They were very nice. Now I'm alot more careful not to over tax it and that works out good. More beer breaks.
yes for people welding a large part of the day, you have to go with miller if its a smaller machine. they are the only ones with a duty cycle that wont force you to stop all the time. both lincoln and miller are great for the larger machines though
As an electrical engineer, I can say the explanation of inverter/transformer type was spot on. For a hobbyist I would always recommend an inverter: better control, lower cost and smaller size/weight.
As am electrical engineer who is also a welder, the description was NOT spot on.. It was conceptually close enough, but specific details on how they do things and the voltages and currents are way off.. MIG welders do not generate 50V and 1000 Amps.. More like 18-30 volts at up to about 200 Amps and MIG inverter frequencies do NOT get up to a megahertz; maybe 150-200 KHz for top of the line inverter welders, but most of the hobbyist grade inverters are probably in the 20-50 kHz range.
A cheap inverter welder is way better than a cheap transformer welder, but a good transformer welder can do quite well, so it is still worthwhile looking at used Lincoln/Miller or other well established name brand transformer welders as they are cheap and basically all but indestructible and last nearly forever.. Inverter welders you want to have good repair and parts support as they blow MOSFETs and IGBTs regularly and the more complex the computerized circuitry, the more prone to failure they are.. I have an older Harbor Freight AC/DC TIG and its HF board is going flaky and you can't buy replacement boards anymore and there is no service data.. I've reverse engineered it enough to be able to replace components when they die, but there is obviously a design flaw that makes it susceptible to failure (which is probably one reason they no longer sell this model)...
It's a bit strange to me that they didn't use the linear power supply vs switching power supply names, but it's okay, they aren't electrical engineers.
@@Flying0Dismount You are right, the numbers were wrong, but the concepts were explained correctly. Personally, I had a failure on my transformer machine where it lead to melting all the switches. That particular failure was an expensive one to fix. So transformer machines can also break and be unviable to repair.
30 years from now a transformer machine will still be working. An Inverter? It's anyone's guess.
@@Flying0Dismount so with stick welding 6010 AWS tests i found it was easier to pass with a transformer machine than a inverter type why is that? aka why is one better at one thing TIG/stick than the other one? and yes i like both styles but for different projects/welding and different results/reasons
Been looking and contemplating the Vulcan Welding Cabinet for a few months now. Idk why I don't just buy it, every review I've seen for it is great. Super in depth discussion on these welders!
For the pre and post flow of gas, my old (old old) Sealey Migmate 120 Turbo was set up so if you half-pulled the trigger you got just the gas, and a full-pull started the arc and wire feed. This meant you could do your own pre and post flow.
The crap ass Hobart, just a beat machine, MiG welder at work is set up like this. Well I set it up like that cause I was sick of grinding out the starts and stops. Love that feature.
I love Miller, you could absolutely say that I am a Miller guy but! I HATE the 211. I’ve worked at a shop that had two of those so I would weld with one until it hit the duty cycle cap, switch to the other, rinse and repeat. I run a 255 now and love it for the most part. I also have a Lincoln in the shop but I just don’t care for it. It doesn’t seem as smooth and it’s definitely not as user friendly as Miller.
I did quite a bit of research between blue orange and red machines last year and ended up with the Vulcan 220 from Harbor Freight. Being slightly above a 'novice' I've found it to be a great machine.. It's done well just plugged into 110 in the garage with patch panels on car projects, to 220 supply and stick welding an implement for our Skid Steer. The price point and other reviews/comparisons were my deal-maker to give this a shot. Pocketing the expense for my growing channel, I had to ensure I didn't break the bank at home, and this was right on the mark.
Wrench Every Day.. I have been welding since I was about 9 or 10 and used to be a certified welder in the 90's. I have been trying out things from Harbor Freight just to see if I like their stuff.. I have their Chicago Electric 170 welder and well, I like it but I need a better one. I could use everything in the video especially the TIG welder and the Plasma cutter. Thanks for sharing it.
I don't know much about mig welders even though I own one but I did notice the difference in the sound of the arc on the hf machine. Sounded much tighter and consistant over the other welders. I would have liked to see a close up view of the welding processes and finished processes bedides a cut away view of the welds. It looked to me that the guy doing the welds was very impressed by the hf welder as he seemed surprised of it's capability and somewhat stunned as per my observance.
Really appreciate the video. The fact that harbor freight reached out, the unbiased look at the machines. I have no qualms now trying the Vulcan at home.
If Harbor Freight can have the same customer service and serviceability over time, as well as keep the quality up, they will can go toe to toe with the higher end welders companies like Miller and Lincoln
They are getting their in product quality, like you said, how do they do years out, and when equipment needs repair. Out of the box, they perform amazing
The problem is, if you add all of that, it costs harbor freight money, which then passes on to the customer and suddenly a harbor freight welder costs as much as a Miller and that kinda defeats the point of Harbor Freight.
For the little bit of welding I do, I still have an old Lincoln stick welder passed down from my step dad, and my real dad was also a Lincoln fan as well, and the one who first taught me to do basic welding, but if my machine ever dies, I'll for sure be looking at a Harbor Freight.
Check out Chris's channel: BIsForBuild, he is a Harbor Freight fan also
@@plageran B is defiantly not for BOAT
I have the MigMAx Vulcan 215 after owning a Hobart 215 for almost 10 years. I sold the Hobart after trying the Vulcan 215. The Vulcan was much smoother and much quieter. The mig gun for the Vulcan is available unlike the Hobart 215 which now you can only buy used if available. I do weld aluminum some of the time and the Vulcan 215 does a great job with the Vulcan gun. I highly recommend the Vulcan Mig Max 215.
There was a Miller welder for sale locally for $250 with a blown main board. The machine cost $2,500 new. Called around for a new board and Miller wouldn’t sell one, had to go to a service center. Used board if you can find one was $1,500.
I could get a couple welders from Harbor freight for the price of a replacement board for a Miller.
I had a similar experience with a quite used Dynasty 200 I picked up at auction cheap. It did work for 2 years until a board died. Ended up selling it for parts at quite a profit and purchased a new Dynasty 210, 7 years in ans hasn't skipped a beat.
I came to this conclusion too. That once out of warranty, Red and Blue cost more to repair than just buying another China welder. I'm a fan of disposable welders now.
What model is it?
@@fml5910 I agree that's what they're doing but in my mind they're doing what GM and Ford did when Japan first started sending cars over. They didn't take them seriously and then all of a sudden their market share shrinks.
I suspect the Chinese are going to take a bite out of blue and red too. I don't believe that's $5000 more in value in a Dynasty over a $1000 China machine. Better yes, not $5000 better.
The point of buying American is being able to get parts and service. If service costs more than a new 1/2 way decent welder, why bother with service? I'll buy two cheap ones and keep one as a hot spare.
Solid, affordable, long lasting, home shop equipment that keep on giving, and keeps you in the running. That's what you get! China/Taiwan,....yep. They sure are. So is my iPhone, laptop, tv, microwave, fridge, electronics in my american truck, electronics in my Mustang, treadmill, toaster, bathroom scale, radio, blender, etc.
So if anybody wants to say that they won't spend money at Harbor Freight for a tool, because it's made in China, you might want to wake up and research a tiny little bit. Go look at your big, American made pickup truck. It's a global market, and you will find parts from all over the place!
I've been welding most of my life.
I own 3 Lincoln and 4 Miller machines.
Miller has a customer service department that's absolutely incredible. All the years I've spent welding they have always had my back.
Nice thing about Harbor freight welder's is you don't have to care about taking care of it.
Leave it outside in the rain, falls out the back of your truck, no worries.
Well that sounds absolutely ignorant. Nobody who depends on their tools either to earn money and make a living or to simply as a jack of all trades person is going to abuse their tools as you described.
@@nomaam-br549 Ever had employees?
@@Nobody-xg2un yes I have and if they abused my equipment I fired them. Of course the equipment was still abused but they were gone like a fart in a hurricane.
@@nomaam-br549 There ya go.
A few things to note, because overall you did a great job. All of the Hobart welders, except for the Multi-Handler 200 are transformer based and made here in the US in Wisconsin. Over 20 years ago, ITW purchased Hobart and Miller. I believe every Miller machine is made in the US and in the same facility as Hobart.
Unless you want to spend north of $2000, you are correct just about every multi-process welder is just Mig, Tig, stick and DC tig. However, ESAB does offer several multi-process welders with AC/DC TIG but you are well over $3000 for them. Also, the Hobart 210 MVP, or Multi-voltage plug is a Transformer based mig welder that does 120v and 240v.
You are correct sir. Hats off
Esab is right down the street from me. I'd love to work there but crap pay.
OK, If you want to get crazy, I'm In Australia, so factor that in, We tested and tried to BE sold a Lincoln Electric 300 Amp Modular design setup, multi process , Mig Stick and AC DC Tig system, and by the time you put all the modules and wire feeder and special Adaptors to get Water cooling on the Tig, was now nearly 5 foot high and was Going to cost our company $25,000 Dollars Australian, without the Tig Module it was still $19,000. I (being the Senior Welder) tested it and tried to get my head around the Settings Screen, and I didn't like the Interface at all, and I couldn't get good Constant Welds out of the Machine, Especially Alluminium. So we Ended up looking at another Machine that was 400 Amp water cooled Mig welder, German Made, Called "Lorch" (I hadn't heard of them) serviced by a Welding Company here that we deal a lot with, and It does Phenominal Welds in Steel or Alluminium and the Interface is simple and straight forward, has multi wave and Pulse functions, and we ended up Buying them For about $7,500 each (we bought 3), and we couldn't be happier, we told the Lincoln Guy he could take His machine back with him, my Opinion, Not user Friendly and too Dear for what you get.
@@scottcarr3264
Yes, all that is true but it is RED and Say Lincoln on it.... And so does a used red Mark V. Plus you can have sex in the back seat instead of just getting screwed.
That protig 205 is AC/DC also for less than $1k, mine works great for me and it also auto recognizes 120/240 without having to change a setting on the machine.
Vulcan welder I have been using since Harbor Freight started stocking them. I got a great deal because they were new. I have never regretted buying it. I have used it a lot. love it for the price.
Did not really follow all of the welding tech, but it was clear enough to be a big help for a rookie ! Thanks for the demo and evaluation. Loved the addition of the cost factor really being dealt with for consideration on purchase choices. Most of us are far from pros and do not need to be caught up in the distinction of owning a famous brand.
Buying a high priced tool that is more name and function is like buying a super performance car to drive to work. You will never use it to all its ability and you cannot get out of it without a lot of help.
My wife was murdered by a deranged Lincoln 180
We have the first generation miler 211 and we got it in 2011, the fact that I could use it on both 120 and 220 has been helpful. It was like $1300 back then and when you break down how may broken bolts we have gotten out and trailer projects we have done. I also like the support if you need something. We have literally run 100s of spools through it. Now on a budget the Chicago 180 is great for a cheap 220 only mig.
The Vulcan machine sounded the smoothest and most consistent while welding. I was surprised by how good it sounded welding
that is literally pointless to observe... the machines are hobby grade, period. The prices are Everlast machine ranges, lots of better brands to pick over this bs paid advertisement vid
@@tragikk03lol they weren't paid. They were sent machines to test.
Yeah I noticed the Vulcan sounded the best of the bunch as well. The Lincoln sounded like.. a transformer. To be expected. The miller sounded like excessive stickout. The Vulcan sounded nice and hot.
@@tragikk03Im curious, what are the better brands?
thats not really the welding machine's doing. that difference in sound is just in settings
I have the migmax 215 for over 3 years now. Only issue I ever had was the ground clamp, it lasted about 2 years. I have put many hours on my machine and it works like the day I got it. I have built many things with that machine. 2 sawmills, logging winch, as well as repaired and rebuilt several deck over trailers, dump trailers and many repairs to my stump grinder. As well as countless other repairs. I read where the internals to the Vulcan are the same as the blue and red machines. For me and my budget the Vulcan has been hands down a awesome machine.
I'm gonna say it. With my 32 years as a welder and 16 of those as a CWI, That Vulcan, based on the sound, was right in the zone for short circuit arc welding. The Miller and the Lincoln both needed just a touch more wire speed.
I was gonna say the same thing .... that vulcan sounded like it was dialed in perfectly!! The other two needed a bit of adjustment....
I paid 500 for green harbor freight mig and 300 for a big bottle of gas.i have made thousands of dollars with it at my shop and it welds smooth as butter.
We have used the th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
I've had a migmax 215 for almost five years now, no issues at all. I had a small 110 Lincoln I started with and bought the Vulcan when I needed more power
I took welding lessons for seven years and had several certifications in stick, MIG, and TIG. Was welding aluminum pop cans together, but not much market for pop can repair. Still don't own a welder because no room in the garage with all my other toys. Thanks for the informative video. If I ever clean out my garage I'll keep your advise in mind.
Never heard of welding lessons for 7 years. Probably should have tried a new trade after a year or so.
@@robertfandel9442 Welding school on Saturdays as I was working a regular 40 hour a week job also. And I was still learning new things after seven years. Welding is a life style, always more to learn.
I had some old $150 flux core mig welder I got off walmart like 5 or so years ago. Joined HF's insider track membership so I was keeping an eye on deals, saw their flux core welder was on sale for like $70 off and decided it was time for an upgrade to my old one. The new machine is probably half the weight, half the size and 90% quieter. These inverter machines are insanely compact and quiet compared to old transformers while keeping the power. So far I like it a lot. Seems well made, hopefully holds up as long as my old one.
Hey guy, I really like the video I would say it's probably the one single most informative video I've seen about welding machines. When I seen you referring to the instructions as you were putting them together in high speed I thought to myself smart man. That was gold star number one.
Delivery of your factual, accumulated info., Is easily understood. I have ADHD and I never looked away.
Third, I am all about empirical knowledge. All the technicals matter to me. I like to know the science behind everything. It seems to make any task I set out to do that much easier to accomplish
So that's three out of three gold stars. Thumbs up I subscribed and liked and probably going to be a regular. You're a person I could not only work with but for it wouldn't matter it would be an endless learning adventure. GREAT JOB!
Im running a hobart 190 mig for 4 yrs now and i just got the 27i plasma. Ive done some serious work for what i will do. I primary do 1/8 up to 5/16. I have had to redo my pintle trl mount which is 2 x 2 solid bar to 1/2 mount plate with 1/2 gusset for extra strength and i pull a 13k trl on the mount and ive been very happy
I've been pleasantly surprised with my AHP alpha tig for a "budget" welder. My MIG is a super cheap Campbell Hausfeld I bought from Walmart 15 years ago 😂 Set up on gas and upgraded grounding it does everything I need it to do for non professional purposes
Lmao. I have that exact same walmart welder. Still a flux core setup but the damn thing just won't die. I went with Primeweld for my tig and plasma cutter, and they are amazing so far.
Yeah I had an AHP too and it did everything I wanted for about $800.
+1 for AHP. My Alphatig has been rocking since 2016 with zero issues.
I had a Lincoln welder go out on me while on a job out of town so i went to a place locally and bought a cheap $500 klutch just to finish up the job.. i fell in love with with inverter welders. Amazing how well that little 25lb welder did. Welded like butter.
The harbor freight stuff just kills the name brands when you factor cost… I’ve been more than happy abusing mine… their toolboxes are more than just ok too…. They have definitely been stepping up their game over the last few years…
Totally agree, they have been stepping up prices though. Still a great value
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Also, haven't looked further into the channel content here, yet, but would like to see comparisons on larger, upright tank 120V as well as ~220-240V air compressor comparisons - by class metrics, per video, if need be.
@@That_Handle I’m not sure about their bigger air compressors, I’ve got the 40gal 120v compressor from them as a backup and haven’t had any issues with it, it’s pretty fast and quite, been running a year now so… pretty good deal so far…
@@robertw1871 ,
I had been checking out a larger 200 plus volt unit from tractor supply company but apparently as of late it has run into not only supply issues but quality issues and so on stepping back from that leaning and am looking to narrow down some efforts towards reappraisal of what's currently available
I'm a homeowner, DIYer and looking to get a multi-process welder. I have been looking at the Titanium Omnipro 200...and was at a local hardware store this morning and saw there's a Lincoln multi-process welder for about $100 more....well now what LOL.
From my understanding the multi-process Vulcan and Titanium machines you can do both MIG with flux core wire, or MIG with shielding gas, but you have to buy the cylinders/gas....so, with that, I would need 2 cylinders, 1 with Argon, the other with CO2/Argon mixed?
I only use a welder a handful of times a year, and although my old $100 Harbor Freight MIG welder has done well, I would like to upgrade a bit to a multi-process machine and learn TIG and Stick welding as well, and not having all the space, a multi-purpose machine makes more sense for my seldom use needs.
Looking at the Titanium machine it seems that would be a good fit to my seldom use needs...the Vulcan is more expensive, has the same features, and in the end its going to come to which one is actually in stock.
Happy with every upload from this channel to see a humble person that has so much knowledge showing new stuff and teaching us a lot of things with such a good way to explain everything and to make it entertaining as well, greetings from Colombia
Howdy! I'm from Barranquilla...and you?
15:45 Yes you or Correct.
We had the experience of inverter electronic broads shorting out. All these machines suck up dust like a vacuum cleaner. Leaving thick metal dust in the electronic broads and shorting them out.
Once a week you mush disassemble your welder and vacuum your welder of All metal dust. Some parts, after vacuuming, can be Blown with Low pressure air OUTSIDE. Because if you Blow out that last 10% inside your shop, your other welders suck up all that metal dust.
Been using a HF flux core (aka the Splatterbox) for a long long time. For my intermittent light duty use, maybe a couple small things a year, its fine. It was like $80 bucks on sale. Of course, 30m of welding means an hour or two of clean up...
Same here. One thing that I found helpful for me is to use good quality wire with it. I had instantly better results and less splatter once I quit using the cheap HF Flux core wire.
@@05milmachine90 Never thought about it, heh, I am still using wire from when I bought it in the first place. But yeah, whenever I do run out, think you are right.
”Sounds like bacon: Ok!
Smells like bacon: You're on fire!"
AvE
I’ve been using my Hobart handler 140 that I bought from harbor freight damn near 10 years ago it’s been flawless. Built multiple roll cages, bumpers, rock sliders, etc. been a great welder!
Having proviso for two bottles is something nice to see - it's not un-common to need a couple (or 3) different mixes.
I initially thought the MIG's only having a 10lb reel might be a disadvantage, but as most will be hobby/light work it gives the spool wire less time to oxidise.
Not sure if you covered this but Miller does make the Multimatic AC DC tig and wire machine all in one. It will absolutely do all welding processes and tig weld Aluminum. Unless you need to do some thick Aluminum it will work. You still can purchase the spool gun to do Mig Aluminum also. The one draw back is cost. i bought one because I use Miller at work almost exclusively at work and have been using them for almost 40 years. Very little warranty work for any of the machines I have used. i thought about buying the import stuff for home garage stuff and just decided to buy Miller. The other reason is it's built in my home state and if I have to deal with repairs It is local to me. Just my opinion and of course you can purchase what you want.
i have that same miller welder at work and i love it, its amazing for doing thin metal for body panel replacement and i love how easy you can switch from mild steal to aluminum or even stainless. its so user friendly to use
You cant weld steel to aluminum with that type of welder. It is possible with Explosion welding.
@@joemad4110 smh. No where did he say he was welding the two together
I've had one of their "Chicago Electric" $300 MIG welders for about 7 years now. Have used it a lot and have never had a problem.
It might be interesting to look at the PrimeWeld multiprocess machines. They have a plasma, tig, and stick inverter for about $500 which works well.
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Outstanding. I’m in the process of purchasing a welder and this really helped. Tks for sharing.
If you are a hobbyist or even a shop that doesn weld much, I'd go with the Harbor Freight or some other Chinese welder. If you are a professional welder then I'd go with either a Miller or Lincoln as they tend to hold up better to all day everyday use, but having the Chinese welder as a backup for when your other one goes down isn't a back cost efficient option even for the pros
I literally started at a dealership using harbor freight, and now I'm a power plant mechanic and homesteader and fix all my heavy equipment with harbor freight tools. Lmfao. Milwaukee and dewalt power tools though. The harbor freight jack hammer is pretty good though.
The Vulcan is essentially a Lincoln Welder in prison orange. The Titanium is also a very great diy welder.
Your Guest Randy gave a good recommendation regarding Harbor Freight. I have problems with the company regarding the spare parts. There is no replacement parts for any Harbor Freight tools and machines.
I've bought 2 of the Titanium MIGs from Harbor Freight, one low power for my son to learn one and a more powerful one to help a welder friend of mine start to setup his own shop instead of just using the ones provided by his employer. There have been no complaints about either of them so far after about a year.
I've had a Chicago Electric Tools wire feed welder from Harbor Freight for years and for small occasional welding jobs, I love it. I recently welded an exhaust system, and after I learned the feed speed for the minumum setting, I was able to create a nice continous pool. One thing that I like is that I can use it with any 20 amp 110 circuit. I was able to use it to pin extra posts to a steel I beam in a construction job. The posts were plumbed up and just needed to stay in place until they were extended to bear weight. I'm sure the welds are good enough to hold them in place. They'd need to get hit pretty hard to move them, and I was able to do the welding without a 220 circuit. Plus, I've welded really light gauge steel with it, so I think it's great for an inexpensive welder.
I really appreciate the breakdown of terms and tech. I've done a little bit of welding but have been completely lost and intimidated by the industry-speak before, and it's prevented me from buying a welder in the past.
I purchased the $100 120v Flux welder from harbor freight. I have done many a ugly weld with it, I needed a 120V that could run off my inverter in my truck. I got a lincoln 185HD and I love it. Biggest difference to me is that the Lincoln does pretty welds. Looking at that Vulcan tig tho
The el cheapo HF welders are missing a few parts that would smooth the arc out if they were present. That's how they make them so cheap. There's videos here of folks retrofitting the parts into HF welders. Do a search for HF welder upgrade or something and you should find them.
Thanks for the info!! I am new to welding and want to buy a great welder that will do up to 3/8th inch metal for structural and other uses. I took welding classes, for MIG, Stick, Flux Core, and TIG., and I want a machine that will do all three as well as an additional plasma cutter.
I currently have a good budget for this and want your advice for a home hobbyist setup that is slightly commercial use too, if needed. The school has Miller machines to learn on & I am a Harbor Freight fan for most tools. I ask for most of us new graduate beginner welders.
ShaRon You just described the Everlast Powerpro 256si 20 Amp to 250 Amp water cooled Tig, stick weld 20Amp to 200 Amp, Plasma 20 to 60 Amp. Check them out on line. designed and spec by electric engineers and built in Asia. Only available from the Everlast company here in the states. The instruction manual is one of the best I have ever picked up. This model weights in at just under 100 lbs. One thing that is not included is a water cooling pump that can be purchased separately. It is worth a look.
Read the reviews on the HF units. There's a lot of shop guys using them daily in shops for many years...saving tons of money.
I bought the HF $80.00 special 90amp Flux core a good 12+yrs ago. still runs like a champ.
The best part of Budget HF welders/plasma cutters is when their budget circuit boards inevitably die there is zero parts support. So you get to learn how to become a circuit board technician at home on your own dime.
Or you can give Miller more than the total cost of a new HF machine for one of their boards lol 😂 take your pick….
I worked for a place that just returned them. Buy the warranty.
7yrs running and no board failures, lives in dust and grime also but i do keep them blown out weekly. I bought a HF machine while i waited 4months on a board for my Miller but when i got the $540 board i installed it to verify it was working correctly then wrapped it in a bag for storage, been using the Vulcan ever since....they both have their pros and cons but if this Vulcan lives another month it will have lasted longer than my Miller without failure so thats a win imo for a cheap back up machine.
I have had my eye on the Millermatic 211 for about 2 years now and im glad you posted this video.
I bought the vulcan 215 it lasted exactly one 2lb roll of .35 Flux core wire . Unfortunately it took me a little over a year to weld that much. Just outside the warranty time. I switched to the holbart 190 love that machine.
Gee, I've had a Millermatic 35 for 40 years. I can't remember ever had any problems, and it'll weld anything from sheet metal to really thick plate.
Here over in Europe, we have multi-process welders that do AC tig for welding aluminum, but I'm not sure that they are available in the USA since we use different specifications for mains power. I'm currently using the Parweld XTM 211Di. It welds everything you throw at it very well. Great welder for learning all processes, but also for just having everything in one machine. Ideal for a compact shop or on the road. I know ESAB makes the rebel 205 ci AC/DC which apparently can do the same, but I have no experience with that machine.
But a great video. This style of video really helps if you want to start working on cars and other stuff yourself and need to know what tools to get. It shows where you can cheap out and where it is better to save a bit more money and buy better quality tools.
This is great, I'm looking to buy my first welder. Thank you!
If you don’t need all the bells and whistles the titanium is a good lineup, but I’d go from there or up.
I minitubbed my nova as well as installed a torque arm system with the omnipro220..if I ever need aluminum welding I'll get the spool gun to do so.
Corona in hand for Cinco de Mayo and enjoying a new wrench every day video. Gotta love it.
I've abused my $90 Harbor Freight flux core welder for probably 10 years now and it still works perfect. I have replaced literally nothing except wire. I've cobbled together far too many rusty horrendous exhaust with it.
lmao spot on, love that thing
Those super cheap Harbor Freight welders actually lack some parts to reach their price point. People have made videos showing how to add what's missing. It's all pretty doable. Basically what you're missing is a bridge rectifier a smoothing cap and an inductor. The unit obviously works without all of that but it works arguably better with it. You get a smoother more sustained arc. So if you want to upgrade your machine you have a path to do it.
@@1pcfred Oh yeah I've seen all the mods and everything. For the $90 I paid it works quite well, hahaha. I have another better welder now.
@@802Garage there you go then. Sometimes dirty AC is the way to fly.
I have a Vulcan Omnipro 220. I love this machine. I was on a budget but wanted the convenience of other welding types. This machine is a great traveling welder machine. 120v/220v, full mig or flux, arc welder and steel tig. This machine is not made to tig aluminum. You can get the spool gun for mig. All that being said considering this is an inverter machine it needs some protection. Whether using it on in house voltages or especially a generator it is best to run it on a line conditioner to help regulate the drops and surges. Inverters and the settings on the machine are primarily electronic so they are susceptible to line noise. The Vulcan welder has been around for over 40 years. The Canary company in India is the producer of this machine. They are built in different parts of Asia. I read an article that stated the commercial grade Vulcan machines had even been used in Japanese shipyards. So Vulcan welders are not new to the market or industry. I love Harbor Freight. I have so many tools from there that I use everyday in my business, not just hobbies. I even have a Chicago Electric plasma cutter that I have used several times every week for 7 years now.
At around 24:30 Randy said that the welder had more power, and it was burning the wire up more quickly, so he slowed the wire speed down. Isn't that backwards? Shouldn't you speed the wire up, to keep up with the higher voltage?
Yes. Turn power down or speed up.
Unless it's more a problem of too big puddles. Then you'd turn down wire speed.
I got 1in pcv pipe for the rod holder on mine. I love that cart though! I've got a Esab mig, Thermal dynamics plasma and a HTP inverter tig on it with 2 125 cu-ft bottles. I've had it a year and it's held up awesome
It would be nice to add a "Filtration Device" on the Inverter Machines (like an Open Celled Foam Filter, because they are Washable) to minimise contaminates within the Equipment...
Or at least have the option.
where do they get added to
I've done some basic fab & geared up with a Lincoln 180C back before the Vulcan existed; I could tell immediately from the sound of that "sizzle" it was putting down a serious bead! Hate to acknowledge it especially since the Orange reminds me of Hobart but for the price that thing has a value proposition that's impossible to ignore!
I weld everyday and own the miller in my race car fab shop and it's phenomenal. I do a ton of repair work as well and for a 211 machine it's bad ass. Spend the money and get the best machine to last you a long time.
Been using a small 220v HF wire machine. For the money, $140, it has welded everything I've wanted, at home. Yes, duty cycle isn't 100%, but for home mechanic, has been awesome for 3 years.
Would like to see Harbor Freight come out with an AC/DC multi-process to compete with Miller’s Multimatic 220 or Esab’s Rebel, especially if it had plasma too.
that will happen. lol
One thing I either missed or you didn’t talk about, that’s very important is duty cycles. Idk what harbor freight is up to now but they use to be around 40% VS Miller which is over double that. Meaning if you are a homeowner or even a mechanic where you might weld for a few minutes at a time and the unit has time to cool down you will be fine. If you are a welding shop where you are welding for extended periods of time the HF might shut down. Again I couldn’t find the Duty cycle on the current model but that’s pretty important. I did love the sound of the Vulcan it seems to have a great frequency to it
A good welder definitely does make a difference, but the one from harbor freight is a good buy especially price point. Thanks for the comparison video.
I weld for a living. At work we have old school miller's running off 440 volts. We use .045 and 95/5 gas. At home for personal stuff I've got a Campbell hausefeld 180 running off 220 volts, .035 and smaller wire using 76/25. Ive also bought a Vulcan protig 200. It does stick as well as tig. I love the Vulcan, so I know how I feel. I was a little disappointed I didn't see the Vulcan tig used, but I already know they work great. I'm always looking for another welder, after watching this I may get that Vulcan mig for around the house stuff.
I would love to see a comparison to YES Welders. They seem to advertise everywhere.
i agree but not a sponsor so you probably won't see it here. got to be about the freeeeeee stuff from manufactures
yeswelders are rebranded mass producted china machines.