Bought a welder.

thegipper

thegipper

New member
I work at a metal fab shop so I have access to Welding equipment, lasers, water jet, press brakes etc etc but I wanted a small 110v welder for doing repairs and stuff in my garage.

I was originally going to buy the Titanium Flux 125amp welder from Harbor Freight but it's sold out and they have no clue when they will be getting more.

So after doing some more research, I went to my local Home Depot and bought this. It's the Century 90amp Flux core inverter welder. My buddy, who is a AWS certified welder came over and he was really impressed how well it worked for being a small welder.

I brought home some scrap from work and started to practice with it. Full disclosure, I've never welded in my life (I'm the quality and safety coordinator at work).

For never Welding before, I'm happy with the results. Obviously I still need to practice more. I was even able to finally get my front differential drain plug off. The plug was trashed (rounded) so I bought a 10mm Allen socket and welded it in place and was easily able to get the drain plug off. The fluid has never been changed (224k miles) so it was definitely due.

I also have a small hole in the frame (golf ball sized) that I need to patch.

The scrap pieces I practiced on were 1/8" to 3/16". It will definitely do up to 1/4" in a single pass. I also had some thinner stuff (14ga) but didn't get any pictures of it.

If you want a cheap ($190) welder for repairs and small projects, it's pretty awesome.

It uses Lincoln tips and I was using Lincoln .035" flux wire (1lb spools but it can use 2lb spools also).
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Nice. I picked up the titanium 125 a few months back. These little inverter welders are pretty impressive for what they can do for the price. Requires a little clean up since its flux but for the price and size its a good deal.
 
Not to knock the profession in any way but I found it very easy to learn, not that I have mastered the trade but good enough to do anything on my car and have built a couple motorcycle and jet ski trailers. I have made a bunch of brackets for rack, storage shelves, etc. and am about to start a mount for my air locker compressor. I will probably do a set of bumpers eventually. Always fun to learn a new skill. Thanks for sharing !
 
thats the welder im looking at too...glad to see a good review on it from another 4runner person. Its had a lot of good reviews on other forums as well

you said it will do up to 1/4 inch...does that include 1/4 inch

your welds are nice and clean

up here everything is a bit more money, that same welder at my local home depot is 239
 
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but my lowes has it for 199

so you guys that are looking, check your prices at lowes also. Here in alaska prices are high....at home depot that welder is 239. Maybe your lowes is cheaper too.

so look around
 
I had one of the HF 90amp flux welders for a while.

Decent little welder; though I wouldn’t trust anything over 1/8” with it.

After being pissed numerous times because .030 and .035 are just too big; and the ‘Power’ is just too much for stuff smaller than 16ga; I went with an Eastwood MIG135.

It’s awesome.

110v MIG/flux welder, ability to run .023 solid wire; which is perfect for body work.

Will weld up to 1/4” with flux, though it’ll probably do it easily on the MIG side as well with proper preparation.

Messed around and made a couple small things; but the real test is going to be the bumpers I’m about to build.


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Looks good. Practice makes perfect with welding, or at least IMHO.

My brother has the Titanium 140, loves it. Better than the Hobart he had before it got taken so he claims.

Enjoy the Century.
 
Welds look very good.. As other stated I never weld above 1/8 plate with it.

Lots of folks tell me that flux core wire welds rusty metal better then gas does but I disagree with that as for me its way too much splatter and popping coming off the weld without gas. As those pops splatter is red hot metal flying at us.

My Craftsman welder is still holding together but eventually I am not going to mess around with the lower end welders. Lots of people have had great success with them and that's great. I going to a Lincoln MP 210 with the tig spool with it. As it will do everything imaginable that I can throw at it.

Also nothing wrong with getting the low end stuff to learn as that is what I did. Its just eventually you may out grow it and that is where I am at with welding frames together and strengthening them again..:-)
 
I have a Lincoln flux core welder that I’ve been using quite a bit, it might weld rusty metal a little better than mig but for me I like to really clean everything as much as possible first, I don’t get very good welds on dirty or rusty metal with mig or flux

I’d like to upgrade to a millermatic or that Lincoln that Brillo wants, but the flux core has done pretty well for me so far including doing frame repair
 
I love Welding, not a welder by trade (refrigeration mechanic/gas fitter), I have 2 welders, 1 is an old transformer machine made by Panasonic (bought out by Miller over 10 years ago) - The Gunslinger 261 DC only MIG/STICK, thing is a beast, needs a 2-pole 50 amp breaker @ 230 vac, uses Tweco components.The other is a newer Chinesium Inverter based Everlast 200DV - this is a AC/DC TIG/STICK 120/230 machine that will do aluminum which I haven't tried yet but been practicing TIG welding to do some stainless exhaust work.

At work for over 20 years I've been doing Oxy/Acetelyne brazing in the field with a gas torch mostly on copper to copper but sometimes steel/brass/stainless to copper.

Next up is a plasma cutter....
 
I've had a Lincoln 140 for about 6 years, and has treated me very well. It's welded a lot of things for me, but nothing over 3/16". I could have done more, but not in a single pass. Just recently upgraded to a Miller Multimatic 215 with the DC TIG option.

Century welders are a good welder for someone that doesn't plan on using it all the time. It's made by Lincoln, and can be serviced at any of the Lincoln service centers.

Mike
 
Drew76 said:
I love Welding, not a welder by trade (refrigeration mechanic/gas fitter), I have 2 welders, 1 is an old transformer machine made by Panasonic (bought out by Miller over 10 years ago) - The Gunslinger 261 DC only MIG/STICK, thing is a beast, needs a 2-pole 50 amp breaker @ 230 vac, uses Tweco components.The other is a newer Chinesium Inverter based Everlast 200DV - this is a AC/DC TIG/STICK 120/230 machine that will do aluminum which I haven't tried yet but been practicing TIG welding to do some stainless exhaust work.



At work for over 20 years I've been doing Oxy/Acetelyne brazing in the field with a gas torch mostly on copper to copper but sometimes steel/brass/stainless to copper.



Next up is a plasma cutter....
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I liking my plasma cutter...It works get even on 110v. I got my 6 gauge 30ft extension cord made so now I going to switch to 220v so I use less energy..;)

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brillo_76 said:
I liking my plasma cutter...It works get even on 110v. I got my 6 gauge 30ft extension cord made so now I going to switch to 220v so I use less energy..;)

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Details? I've been chomping a the bit to get a plasma cutter but dont even know where to start.
 
Doc2012 said:
I had one of the HF 90amp flux welders for a while.

Decent little welder; though I wouldn’t trust anything over 1/8” with it.
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That old HF 80 isnt an inverter welder like these ones, doesnt work nearly as well and the weight is like double!
 
Joelzy said:
Details? I've been chomping a the bit to get a plasma cutter but dont even know where to start.
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I using a China freight titanium 45 a115 220 plasma cutter. It works very well and its price point is slightly under 1k.

I run it for a while at a time possible even 15 to 20 min straight. I have zero issues with it and will slice 1/8 at 15 amp on 120v.


Will go up to 5/8 plate on 240 45 amp. I just never deal with any steel that think.

Does require dry compressed air to blow the molten steel away.


I even melted away a lower control arm nut and my bushing wasnt smoking. This was on the 120 16 amp setting. Then I sliced the bolt off. Hit it with a 4 inch angle grinder and pushed the bolt right out that was seized

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Doc2012 said:
Check out Eastwood.


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It wouldnt suprise me if Eastwood has China make them for them and put an eastwood cover on them. Maybe they don't I honestly dont know.

I do know the China freight Daytona yellow 3 ton Jack is made in the exact same mfg plant as the snap on jacks are. Snap on tried to sue china freight over it and lost because the mfg is in China.

Only certain things are that way. I stay clear of their Jack stands as china freight 3 and 6 tons are junk.

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I wouldn't trust a 110v welder for 1/4" or even 3/16". My lincoln 140 barely gets the job done with 1/8" using solid wire. I might get a little more penetration with flux core but haven't tried. Tig welding has taught me in order to tack pieces without using a ton of wire, you need well above the typical amperage to get good penetration and a small effective tack. The 110v barely has enough juice to tack thin sheet together. It might have enough juice to glue together 3/16 but not enough to get as deep of a weld as a 220v welder.
 
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