I was teaching an acquaintance some welding basics and he had previously purchased a Chicago Electric 170A wire feed. He admitted it was an impulse buy and had been sitting NIB for months. He said he paid $200, and indeed, it's still $200:
https://www.harborfreight.com/170-amp-dc-240v-migflux-cored-welder-57865.html
The TL;DR is that I was pleasantly surprised -- but it's important to note I had expectations so low I was not sure it would work at all.
The biggest problem with wire feed is that it has moving parts, and your feed motor must be well governed or results will suffer (and rage ensues). After that, the lead and gun must be well designed and low friction because you're pushing ~10' of very thin wire through it.
I only put down a few short beads with flux core, but it works. Results were consistent within my small sample and feed rate seemed good.
The bad:
-the machine is technically gas capable but no regulator is provided (nor would I trust one included at this price point)
-while 10' is considered the minimum lead length on most hobby machines (like the ubiquitous Miller M10 gun), this lead is short -- maybe 6'
-the lead is soft and feels cheap and susceptible to damage
-the gun has very little angle, requiring beginners especially to put their elbow in the air to get a good shot at most work.
-the power cord comes out of the front of the machine, which is awkward and dumb
-I question the durability of the spindle adapters that locate a 10# spool of wire
-four power settings labeled Min, Max, 1 and 2 is pretty limited.
Still, if you need to rarely burn metal together and it doesn't need to be pretty, this machine might be a good deal. I wouldn't plan on welding anything too thin like sheetmetal or too thick with this, although flux core burns hot and digs deep.
While I'm sure stores stock tips and nozzles, I don't know about the availability of expendables like the liner or parts like a new lead. Then again, I kinda doubt the liner is replaceable?
https://www.harborfreight.com/170-amp-dc-240v-migflux-cored-welder-57865.html
The TL;DR is that I was pleasantly surprised -- but it's important to note I had expectations so low I was not sure it would work at all.
The biggest problem with wire feed is that it has moving parts, and your feed motor must be well governed or results will suffer (and rage ensues). After that, the lead and gun must be well designed and low friction because you're pushing ~10' of very thin wire through it.
I only put down a few short beads with flux core, but it works. Results were consistent within my small sample and feed rate seemed good.
The bad:
-the machine is technically gas capable but no regulator is provided (nor would I trust one included at this price point)
-while 10' is considered the minimum lead length on most hobby machines (like the ubiquitous Miller M10 gun), this lead is short -- maybe 6'
-the lead is soft and feels cheap and susceptible to damage
-the gun has very little angle, requiring beginners especially to put their elbow in the air to get a good shot at most work.
-the power cord comes out of the front of the machine, which is awkward and dumb
-I question the durability of the spindle adapters that locate a 10# spool of wire
-four power settings labeled Min, Max, 1 and 2 is pretty limited.
Still, if you need to rarely burn metal together and it doesn't need to be pretty, this machine might be a good deal. I wouldn't plan on welding anything too thin like sheetmetal or too thick with this, although flux core burns hot and digs deep.
While I'm sure stores stock tips and nozzles, I don't know about the availability of expendables like the liner or parts like a new lead. Then again, I kinda doubt the liner is replaceable?
