Posted by Greg LI [68.197.28.71] on Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 19:25:34 :
In Reply to: welder posted by Gil In Kentucky [75.117.144.215] on Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 17:49:12 :
I used to have a HarborFreight largest mig they have. I think it was 170 amps. It lasted probably 10 spools of wire, and finally the output would start to vary as I was welding. Basically, Chinese piece of sh$%^&, although it was capable of welding 1/2" steel (on a small scale). Then I bought Hobart IronMan 230. Boy, now I have it at about 70%, and it literally melts the same 1/2" plate. Day and night difference. It was pricey comparing to Harbor freight, but it is much less than comparable Lincoln or Miller. The beauty of the IronMan 230 is that the electronics are limited to the absolute minimum, so in the event of malfunction a handy Electrician should be capable of performing any repairs. Do some research and you'll see how good the machine is. There are professional welders, who spent their life welding structural steel, and they were positively surprised when started using IronMan 230.