hey all i am looking at getting a gasless mig from harbor freight, part number 44567-4vga from chicago electric.

anybody have any info if this would be a good starter rig to learn mig on, or should i drop some more money?

also, what are the pros and cons of gasless, and what is it good for, like will i be able to fix the lower shock mount on the truck with it.


thanks,


jamie

 

personally, I woiuldn't consider that welder from experience I have had with HF's off brand name welders, as well as other tools of theirs. They have some good stuff, but you have to look for it. You will bebetter served to go with a more reputable brand with the gas kit so you can upgrade without buying another welder, as you could run flux on it, and then buy the bottle later.

 

I had one of them for a while and it was an OK welder, but!! I would agree with the post above, you get what you pay for. I now have a name brand welder. It is much easier to find nozzles for, has a better duty cycle and has the gas option. If given the option hold out for a hobart, lincon or miller, they are worth the money.

 

Well if budget is low, harbor freight does have refurbed hobart 135s with gas kit, ended up getting one from them, and i Like it. it was on sale too ended up costing me 329. But normal price is about 389. also think about all the other things that you will need when you buy welder, helmet, gloves, tip etc when you budget.

 

I have that welder, and it works well for small or lightweight stuff. I use nozzles from lincoln that I buy at a the Farm & Fleet, I also get wire there. The one time I had to order a replacement part HF had it to me in three days. Just make sure to keep your owner's manual, the CS people at their parts house are not good at looking numbers up.

 

cool, thanks for the information guys, still on the fence, but i am thinking i will try to find one that has the gas option on it, so i can upgrade later as my skill improves.


again, thanks, and if anyone else has some info let me know.


jamie

 

I'm with violjohn78, I bought the Hobart135 from HF and run the flux core wire through it. I prefer the gasless wire just due to being new to welding and ease of use. I did get the tanks and gauges as I went along, they do leave a cleaner bead, but learning to weld might take a lb or two of wire, so go gasless until you develop the knack.