need help choosing welder

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
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Tell me the pros and cons of these welders:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=4028

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=6271


Are they necessarily better than these?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=55060
(fact. reman.)

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=2665



I have an HF down the street and plan on looking at them tomorrow. Would appreciate any guidance y'all can offer. Basically, I will be using the welder to weld the ends of billets for damascus, or for cable ends.
 
If you are just going to do damascus or cable the first or last one would be fine .But if you have thoughts of using it for other things that's different. You would want the MIG welder for aluminum for example or fine steel work. Think ahead.
 
A stick welder is probably best for what you want to do. No need for messing with wire and rollers and all that, when you just want to tack a few peices together. Just a lot simpler set up with much less maintenance. Turn it on, stick a rod in the stinger and go to town. When your done, turn it off :D

So of the ones you've listed I would pick the first one (CH 225 MAX). It has enough capacity to do other work if you ever feel the need, and is very well suited to what you want to do. If you were planning on using it a lot I would recommend you look for a Lincoln AC 225 , which is a little more money, but for what you plan the CH will probably work fine. It sounds like a decent machine.
I wouldn't choose the ARC 140 for the simple fact that it lists useable electrodes from 1/16" to 5/64". Good luck finding them. Most common stores (TSC, lowes, home depot etc.) only carry from 3/32"-3/16", sometimes up to 1/4" but not very common. You have to find a pretty dedicated welding store to have a big enough selection to find those itty bitty ones. It also lacks capacity to do a much welding. It would probably work for what you plan on, but you might as well buy something with a little more ass in case you need to make something for the shop sometime since your spending that much anyway.
The chicago electric welder has less capacity than the campbell hausfeld, and I'm just really hesitant to buy anything that expensive from that line of tools. I've never looked at their welders, and don't know anything about them, but its not a brand thats known for quality. Don't know what kind of warranty it has either. Campbell hausfeld seems to make decent tools from my experience. My dad has a compressor and some air tools by them, and they've been pretty good for the money.
The MIG you listed looks like it would do what you want, but I really think it would be more hassle than its worth for what you plan on doing. The real advantage of a MIG is either getting the gas shield so you can cleanly weld thin stuff, or weld aluminum. Or if your using flux core, the adantage is running longer beads than you can with a stick welder. None of that really applies to what you want to do and the up keep on a MIG is 100% more work than a stick. You've got to keep the contact tips clean, replace them when they burn up. Keep the wire from kinking, or tangling in the feed rollers etc. Its just not worth the trouble for what you're wanting to do. At least in my opinion :)
 
If you want a stick machine get DC capabilities. With Mig machines I prefer a 175-180 amp machine. The 151 machine looked almost usable, but this machine along with others listed have very low duty cycles. You might not be able to weld one billet before tripping the duty cycle.
 
I would definetely look for something that has more duty cycle than these machines have and I agree with the suggestion about getting a machine that has DC capabilities.
 
I would go to your local welding supply store and talk to them sometimes the have used welders for sale to buy a good machine that will last not a HF
Sam Fogler
 
I agree-

A welder is a lot like a grinder. You can bite the bullet and get the one that will do what you want, AND be happy with it for years. Or save a little money and hate it for years.

-Nick-
 
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