Harbor Freight Welder: Chicago Electric 125 Review, Setup, and Test
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- Опубликовано: 27 май 2023
- Setup, Test, and Review of the Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 125 Welder.
I've added in a couple tips and Tricks to making your Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) or gasless MIG welds looking AWESOME!
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Take off the MIG nozzle: • #1 Tip and Trick to Im...
Get the benefit of wire welding without the hassle of gas. The Flux 125 Welder is a versatile flux core arc welder (FCAW) specifically designed to use self-shielding flux-cored welding wire. This eliminates the need for gas and regulators that normal MIG welders require. Set-up is easy for gasless flux-cored welding. With variable speed wire control and thermal overload protection, this flux wire welder provides dependable performance in a compact, lightweight package. The Flux 125 welder can weld mild steel from 18 gauge up to 3/16in. thick which makes it ideal for jobs around the yard, shop or house.
-The perfect welder for outdoor use and on dirty metals
- Output up to 125 amps
- Best in class duty cycle: 90A AC @17V, 20%
-Shielding gas NOT required - no need to buy gas bottles or regulators
-Trigger activated gun prevents accidental arc flash
-Compact, portable and lightweight - weighs just 38 lbs!
-Continuous wire feed speed control for optimal welding performance
-Built in overload protection to prevent overheating 
Хобби
Grandpa gave me one, don’t know if it was from harbor freight but it’s been sitting for like 3 years and thought I’d give it a try
And how did it go bro?
Dude thats crazy I got one of these welders from my grandpa and it sat for like 5 years though
Similar boat here. Borrowed my dad's that he bought like 10 years ago to fix a four wheeler. Can't get decent with it but haven't tried much yet. Wonder if the flux core wire goes bad after time.
Oh good your still alive yeah? Cause I couldn't find any other videos so I assume everyone who bought my welder is also desd
@@MaxRay16make sure the surface is super clean and no residual oil is left behind nefore welding. Metal can hold oil inside so sometimes it’s good to heat up the surface with a torch first.
Great info on a beginner welder. This looks exactly like my Craftsman FCAW welder bought for the same price 20 yrs ago. However it didn't have a speed controller but was manipulated by the heat switch settings. It sucked. After a lot of searching found a rough schematic for the board, removed the single resistor, soldering in a potentiometer. Mounted it through the side of the case and scratched markings around the pot. It still works perfect.
Bought mine today for around 87 bucks, will be trying it out soon on a boat trailer project. Always stick welded before, so really looking forward to trying it out.
Best welding channel I feel more comfortable now doing it myself
Thanks so much man...we wired an outlet in the garage yesterday...had bought the welder the day b4...today my son and I started welding...it's great for him and I...thanks so much and keep the videos coming!
Make sure you pick up a Dayton 24 inch light industrial fan to keep that garage ventilated and get your boy an Optrel PAPR helmet.
Never allow him to weld with the door closed. The fumes are toxic and will cause nerve damage and lung cancer in only a few short years. The length of time in a college program is enough for him to be crippled. He could also become temporarily poisoned causing his liver to shut down and need to be hospitalised like I was at welding school.
Open garage door, big fan, respirator and vacuum everything often to remove metal oxides dust.
You could also get him a 3M respirator with 7093C cartridges instead. Most welding helmets have an adjustment that allows you to move the shield further from your face to make room for a respirator.
I bought that welder..
As an old stick guy, I think that little wire feed is awesome.
I'm building a race mower and it's rocking it.
Right on!
the thing that is missing is the ability to change polarity.
that would really cut down the spatter.
i opened it up and didn't see a way to change it.@@-DIYPRO-
Looks great. Going to pick up one of these when it goes on sale to fix a broken weld on my exhaust.
It is still on sale right now, and I may just buy it this weekend! I got some small work I need to weld, and this will be perfect for the job!
I didn't see this one but the Titanium is still on sale.
It's on sale now too
Just got s black Friday deal for $87.99 Thanks for the video
I have been watching this video and just for the heck of it, I want to try out this welder.
Right on!
I’ve been looking at some of their cheaper welders to start doing doing small art projects and this looks perfect for getting back into welding.
This is the cheapest HF has, great to start out with.
Son buenas las Chicago electri de 90amp
Spend a little more on their titanium brand
I’m 14 and just bought this to learn how to weld i might start a channel showing off my projects… depends how i do with this welder.
My first welds were horrible, I mean really bad so don't get discouraged and keep at it!
Great bathroom remodel a few years ago though! Would love to see some more day to day project stuff like that.
I'll throw in a project video every once n a while but YT has thrown me down a welding niche!
Appreciate the info, gonna start on my front bumper soon!
Black Friday sale extended to Dec 03, 2023 in my area. Not sure if it applies to all states, but you can check. This HF welder sale is still going for $87.99 during extended Black Friday sale !!!
@ProjectFarm that you?? Great video! Thank you so much.
my stepdad went and got one of these for me for "early mother's day present" glad to see it will weld what I was trying to weld... my brother was talking about these and I myself have never used a welder without tanks haha this is going to be interesting! After painfully explaining how these things kinda seem to me like glorified soldering irons to my old school self, my stepdad went and got one, but he is hopeful it does more than weld small stuff which it seems you showed here. Maybe this little machine will make me regret calling it a "glorified soldering iron" haha
For the big happy, replace wire guide made of plastic tubing with a 4 MM Teflon lined derailleur cable housing and wire will never stick through guide and whip again. Got them on ebay for 5 bucks or so. I also put a small c clamp on wire feed roller and no more wire slip. just a few ounces of pressure. 0.28 wire best burn.
I’ve been loving watching your videos even if I’ve already watched all of your other ones. One thing you could do to help newbies is talk about the welding mask. I bought an auto darkening one and from harbor freight and feel like a fool now after not realizing I should have been using the protective lenses. You should unbox/ setup one sometime soon and make a great video on settings/ setup and compare cheap vs expensive vs multi lens vs wrap around lens vs real field worker quality hoods. I would love to see it.
Now I have to go buy another mask because the spatter ruined mine:/
I'll have to add that to the video to do list. Thanks!
Hi great video. what setting should I use on car exhaust pipe ? trying to repair a exhaust leak.
I have "mig 130" flux core machine. Quite similar, cheap 100€ machine. First I was skeptical but it's a wonderfull machine for beginner! Affordable and simple. Great for my metal art projects ❤
Also because my projects are fairly small and occasianal, It doesn't need to have great duty cycle for welding all day long. Just to hit 2 pieces of metal now and then 🤷♂️
Right on!
Had a clarke 130 110volt thing . Did some dam good work from tin to pig... well light pig iron but could weld about anything with it. In reason does it all a little light in duty cycles but it's a cheap home jobber.
Same here, just small 2 minutes jobs here and there
Great video! Looking forward to others. Thank you for the tips (no pun intended).
Right on, thanks!
Even though I have an old Forney 180 amp Stick Welder of which I bought used over 30 years ago. I was wanting to upgrade and possibly go with a wire feed welder.
I liked the Titanium 125 but however, it would only accept a small 2 lb. spool of wire.
The Chicago 125 accepted both a 2 lb. spool of wire but also accepted a 10 lb. spool of wire.
Neither one of them came with a spool of wire.
The Chicago Electric 125 was on sale for $99.00, and The Titanium 125 Was on sale for $159.00. So I finally decided to purchase both as they were both on sale.
At the same time I bought the cheap $49.00 welding cart which was on sale for $34.00 at the time.
I have seen video's of people having both welders upon the same cart. They usually had either the Titanium 125 on the top shelf, and the Chicago Electric 125 on the bottom shelf or Vise Versa.
However, because both of these welders are set up so that the top cover has to swing upward to open in order to change out the empty wire spool for a new one, or to view the decals for the manufacturers suggested settings. Therefore, I didn't want either one of the welders being upon the bottom shelf.
To me it would be an inconvenience too have to..........
(1) try and remove the one on the bottom shelf in order to read the recommended settings - or -
(2) To change out an empty wire spool. - or -
(3) Or to have to squat down in order to dial in (set up), the settings of the welder which was located on the bottom shelf.
So therefore I modified the top of the cart to make it wider by adding another shelf right directly above the top shelf so that both welders could sit side-by-side on the now wider top shelf.
Unfortunately that created a heavier load upon the top of the cart whereas it caused the cart to have the tendency to lean over to one side due to the flimsy materials the cart was made with.
The material of the lower shelf assembly is too thin. All 4 sides are bent upward from a single piece of material, and the corners are not welded therefore they would bend outward one way or the other from the added weight upon the top shelf.
So I beefed the situation up by adding another vertical 1 inch steel tube frame assembly between the upper and lower shelf. That did the trick.
The only other thing I see wrong with this cheap welding cart is that the front 2 swivel castors are set a wee bit too close together which has a tendency of making the cart unstable especially upon uneven floors or outdoor terrain.
I haven’t done it yet, but I think that this problem can be solved and cured by adding a flat bar or another outrigger frame to each side and then mounting those front swivel casters outboard of the original bottom shelf assembly just like the rear wheels are of which would give the cart a wider stance and less apt to tip over.
I also added a pull handle to the front which makes the cart easier to move around.
Overall Review.
(1) Both of the two welders perform just fine for small projects around the home.
(2) The cart isn’t bad, but could definitely be made less flimsy and more stable.
(3) I would recommend paying a higher price for one of the more expensive welding carts unless you are a DIY'er which has spare materials laying around and doesn't mind doing modifications.
Just picked one up for 50 bucks. I’m used to arc welding But it was cheap So Im gonna try it out
Awesome deal!
I recently purchased this unit. The fan comes on and it feeds just fine but I'm getting 0 spark.Ive checked my ground and power source and still nothing.the fuses are also good .Any help would be greatly appreciated.Also this machine didn't work out the box and I waited too long to open it so it's passed it's warranty....thank you
Thank you very direct and informative also brief.
You are welcome!
Hey what kind of welder do i need for both aluminum and steel?
I’ve had some good flux core welders but I could not get this thing to weld right. Wish it had an adjustment for the amps and not just wire feed
Great tutorial thanks a lot 🎉
You have done a fantastic job 😄😄
Right on, thanks!
Will this weld all types of material.?
Thing is an absolute monster! It welded my buddys hitch on his 4500 Chevy, to pull JT20 directional drills. 🤙
Can you use either on auto repair?
Thanks for this video
Thanks for your helpful video.
Anytime!
What about the welding gas??
Thinking about getting this to weld the frame for an overland trailer. The trailer is built but I need to build the box frame for my gear. Think the welds will hold up?
If the material is 3/16" or less, in thickness, then yes it will work.
Hello. This use gas?
Hi everyone, one thing in his video Not explaining is you can buy and use 10 lb. Spool gasless flux-core welding wire Vulcan .030 But installing bigger spool will fit mmm, have to take out black plastic tube for wire to feed threw and get another plastic tube off spray bottle cut it and install it were black one was at shorter size So spool can turn. But Do not throw away black plastic tube you need it for 2 lbs wire spool. I had do this cause It's Not in instructions or nobody else tell you this.
Great info, thanks!
hello Mech Master, i have a question about which one to purchase, i just wanna mainly use it for here and there body work, out of the HF Flux 125 and the Titanium 125 which would you recommend? i seen videos where some say the HF flux 125 would do, but what is your thought, just normal body work as in cab corners and wheel well work
If doing a lot of body work I would go with the Titanium 140 or another mig welder, it's more expensive to get set up but a lot easier. If just a couple small jobs I'd go with the Titanium 125.
just bought one today. $100 mark seemed good to me. never welded before but figure gotta try to figure it out. wish me luck
Good luck man!
This welder is on sale now for $87.99 at HF for Black Friday 2023!!
I got one lol 😂😅
@@leonelgarcia2418 It is a good deal for sure! Hope you enjoy it!
Just pick up one for $50
@T_Maze_Photography Ok. That was a good price! Harbor Freight has a parking lot sale going on in my area until Mar 10, 2024. New welder is $87.99 in my area now though, but still on sale.
Would you be willing to make more instructional videos on how to use gasless mig welders with that welder for us guys trying to learn without a dollar to spare?
I've got a nice lincoln at home but i picked up one of these for my truck for $78. So cheap I don't really care if it gets stolen, packs away nicely, I csn run it off of a regular outlet whenever I need to bust it out, and to be honest it does everything I need it too. If I need serious welds on something then who cares if I'm running this little thing, I'm gonna heavy bevel and stack weld anyways, it's just gonna take a bit longer with smaller wire
I have the 100 , first if you have to use a 25 ft cord , buy a size 10 wire extension cord, second replace that cheap ground clamp , i use a c clamp , that will give you a perfect contact . use the YESWELD welding wire . The welding wire that came with it was junk , lousy weld , now work great .
it works but there are welders for the same price that can do flux only like a Yeswelder or ones that have mig tig and stick for 50 bucks more or less on Amazon with better wirespeed, current and voltage control. but harbor freight warranties are painless.
I'm not sure that auto daken mask can protect from 125 amps. Mine is rated up to 9
I found the problem with the failure to feed issue. There is a weak point on the printed circuit board. One of the printed lines from the 4 pin connector second from the right will break I soldered a short piece of wire bypassing the break on the back side of the board.
Wow, good diagnostic!
@@-DIYPRO- If you can't fix it you don't really own it.
@@-DIYPRO- The part is a bridge rectifier 2w10.
Just bought one and never weld anything in my life. Should I move the flux about .25" side to side or move it circular motion? How long should I stay in one spot?
Yes you can try moving side to side. There are many puddle "manipulation" patterns. Anyway will work. You stay in the same spot right up until you burn through the metal......So how do you know? That is the fun dance you get to play by practicing.
My welds arent penatrating and looks like the wire is spattering everywhere instead of creating a weld. Any idea what im doing wrong? I have the same welder and I am trying to weld two exhaust pipes together
I have the same issue. Could anyone give advice?
Change your wire speed
Make sure it's Flux core wire.
He sounds like project farm it’s scary
Nice video. How is this welder on like cast iron? I'm thinking of buying one of these to do a little work on my tractor.
Haven't ever tried cast iron with this one but you'll want to make sure you pre and post heat it well.
Ok thank you. It's going to be connecting a bracket for steering to the area where the bolts have stripped out.
Hello, I am a complete newbie to welding. Is this welder strictly a 110 volt?
Yep 110 Volt only.
Does anyone have advice? I have this welder, trying to learn with steel. I cannot get the weld to penetrate the steel. The flux is just balling up and sticking to the surface.
What thickness of metal are you welding? Turn it onto Max and turn up the wire speed. Also watch the stick out, you want the end of the contact tip to be about 1/2" away from the metal while welding.
@@-DIYPRO- thank you! I am using 1/16 inch thick square plain steel tube. Have been touching the wire to the metal with the gun about 1 inch away from the steel.
@@-DIYPRO- also, I have been trying wire speed anywhere from 2-8, it still sputters all over the place. I am worried that conceptually I do not understand the fundamentals at play here.
Should I pay 150 for my flex pipe of my car exhaust to be cut off and weld a new one . Or try to learn how to weld and do it myself
It's always good to learn to do something yourself. It won't save you the first time but will from here after!
Stupid question in 3..2..1..
I have this welder and have set up per your instruction but it won’t weld. I’ve tried different pieces of metal, made sure ground is secure…nothing. Could it be that this thing is a lemon?
When you say nothing does that mean when you pull the trigger it doesn't create a spark or wire doesn't even come out of the machine. If wire comes out and you are just getting a weak spark or poor weld then try to get a better ground and weld technique. If nothing nothing happens then you most likely have a lemon.
So I figured it out. It was the ground. The further away I placed it from where I was attempting to weld the less likely it was to work. And yes the practice piece was all metal and clean prepped for welding. Thank you!!
mine will not make a puddle…. any tips?
What thickness of metal are you welding? Turn it onto Max and turn up the wire speed. Also watch the stick out, you want the end of the contact tip to be about 1/2" away from the metal while welding.
So how do I get mine to weld like this. It keeps sputtering.
Some say the wire that comes in the box with the C.E. welder splatters alot, but if you use a good brand of fluxcore wire , it may weld a lot better. Better brands of wire like Lincoln and some say Blue Demon wire is good also in .030 wire size.
check your polarity. Flux core uses electrode negative. your ground should go to the +terminal and the negative should go to the gun.
It's not a very good welder. Not sure why he says it's good.
I just bought mine for $89 !!!
Here is my problem…my unit turns on and the wire comes out fine. I just don’t get any spark or arc. I can even pull the trigger and as the wire is coming out, touch the wire to the grounding clamp and still no arc. No broken wire inside the welder and the PC board looks to be sound. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Check your ground clamp good to make sure it is tight, and if so put your ground clamp closer to the area of metal that you want to weld on. You can wirebrush the area you want to ground also, for better grounding. If ground clamp is too far away from weld area, you tend to lose your welder's ability to spark/weld.
@@Slim1423 thanks for responding, however I can put the wire directly on the ground clamp and get spark. The clamp is very securely attached to the ground wire as well.
What i meant to say was I can touch the ground clamp with the welding wire and still not get a spark. So it’s not a question of being too far away from the ground clamp or having a dirty piece of iron. I wish it was that simple.
@jeff11030 Ok. I don't have this welder, but HF sells a copper clamp with a long spring that might work better for your welder, to give it a better spark. Might work for you.
@@jeff11030 Maybe check wire feed tensioner to see if wire is making good contact with wire feed roller. Close contact between wire and wire feed roller might make your welder spark.
On mine it’ll feed them stop I’ll take out the wire multiple times and put new wire in and same thing it’ll happen then for some reason I let it feed until it stop and cut the wire and put more wire in to see if it might come out nope nothin anyone know what might be wrong ? Everything else on it is fine , I went to harbor freight to return it my receipt didn’t even say on it that it was purchased nor on my account and they saw me buy it the day or two before
Did you get another welder free of charge?
This should be good for floor pans in my truck?
As long as the material is 3/16" or less.....and steel, you'll be good.
They're on sale right now for $89 with the coupon @HF, I've always wanted to get one and learn how to weld.
Yep, that was an awesome deal!
Does it come with the wire?
Nope, not anymore. You'll want to pick some up while there.
Can you reverse the polarity on it
No, the leads are hard wired into the machine. I guess you can if you tear into it.
It can be converted from AC voltage to DC voltage. There are youtube vids that show this method. Some say it welds better with less spatter this way.
So I am looking into this welder. I have never welded before. When you said close your eyes, and start welding, was that a joke, or do you really have to close your eyes?
If you are not wearing a welding helmet then yes but in the video I was just kidding since I have an auto darkening welding helmet that darkens when it sees the arc. If getting a welder I'd highly suggest getting an auto darkening helmet as well. Harbor has them and they aren't too expensive.
I just grab one today on sale for $89 bucks.
I thought you were project farm when the video started 😂
The only problem is, I want to buy one, but I can't find the power ,110 - 120 ..?
110-120 is the "nominal" voltage range for regular house power, here in the US. Some people call it 110, 115, or 120. It's because it will vary depending on the city and how close you live to the sub station. This welder uses regular house power. and not the higher 220 or 240 typically used for dryers and ovens.
@@-DIYPRO- wonderful information thank you 😎
My welder is feeding but not welding what do yall thing is the problem
A possible bad welder grounding clamp, or ground clamp not making good contact with the metal you are welding on. Try cleaning contact area of ground clamp with wire brush, to get welding to start arching. You can also replace ground clamp with a new ground clamp with tighter grip, to get welder arch to start. Harborfreight i think sells welder grounding clamps. Some welders also may have a reset button to make welder work correctly, but not sure this welder has a reset button. Hope this helps.
You can also try to put your ground clamp closer to the area where you need to weld. If the surface you are welding on is rusty, you need to have a good area near weld area to connect welder ground clamp. So, try brushing area for grounding clamp with a wire brush to expose shiny metal, to make good contact area for ground clamp. Hopefully, your welder will start arching after that.
You sound like the guy from project farm like just like him
Listening to myself I can't hear it but I guess since others have said it, i must sound similar!
Is that a 110 or a 220 plug?
It's 110 Volt
Ive been using mine for 5 years. Used it in many project makes strong welds. Tried welding my Pathfinders shock mount it 3/16 metal but the HF welder didnt work The mount brackets broke again. Tried it 3 times
The material has to be prepped and have good conditions for a full penetration weld on 3/16"
I had no idea I could get a welder for $100 bucks. It seems a 15 amp breaker is enough to do 16 gauge aluminized steel exhaust tubing 🤔
how come you sound like project farm?
now its on sale for $87.99
Yeah I was gonna say I thought the cup tips was for gas flow then remembered, there’s no gas flow on those machines lmao
Your voices sounds similar to project farm
Just picked mines up for $89
They bumped the prices back up on it to $139.99 I was gonna go buy one today. Might still @harborfrieght lower the price real quick I need a welder
Picked one up last week it was $99 with membership card
On sale this next week for $99 (Aug parking lot sale)
well tennessee sucks cause I have a members card too and I bought one for $139@@-DIYPRO- @john5247
Spend a little more for their titanium brand a lot less headaches
man , it is like a hot glue gun on crack hehe I need to go get one !!!! ty . I want to make metal tree and I need to weld them this will be perfect
Spend the extra for the Titanium 125.
True True!
He failed to mention that you can only weld for a few minutes until it over heats and will not function again for use!
Depends on if you have it maxed out. If so then yes, I think it only has a 20% duty cycle.
Is that why it's only giving me non shielded tacts now
Is that true, because I'm going to buy one, I need to know
@@marcusvernell2324 yes and no. If you are welding on max settings continously for a couple minutes then yes it will shut down until it cools off. Keep in mind most people aren't doing projects that are needing max thickness settings. What are you wanting to use it for?
This welder saved my ass many times but when and if it burns out Ill get a titanium.
Right on, thanks!
Did the welds hold up long time with the HF 125 ?
its currently 89$ til nov 12 just got one
i filled a 1/4 inch gap with it today, What a machine on exhaust pipe i got at auto zone testing it out and seeing what i could do, things pretty dope
$87.99 now thru Mon Nov 27, 2023!! Black Friday sale at HF....
it's 89.99 now!
Are you trying to sound like project farm?
Or is he trying to sound like me! Just kidding I know he hasn't seen any of my videos!
Buy the titanium model instead!
$87.99 the past few weeks on sale :)
Sounds a lot like the project farm guy
Project farm is awesome so I'll take it!
@@-DIYPRO- You’re doing the lords work just like him. Thanks man!
Save your money and get a titanium brand instead, way more control since you can actually dial in voltage, I've had this Chicago electronic one for years this minimum setting is basically useless it barely penetrates even with the proper settings and material. This machine will give you too many headaches as a beginner so spend the little extra and get the better machine.
It's $87.99 for Black Friday
Does anyone else think this guy sounds exactly like project farm
Maybe a good 200 tough hours out of it
Turn your amps down. Looks like you are welding too hot
It looks wormy and tall bead . And loud and using too much wire .
I got it for 100
Great deal!
You should not be telling others to take that gas cone off and using without it you should be telling us to immediately replace with the correct innershield cone and not to use without it because you you will damage the part that allows you to change the contact tips easily I've been using welders for over 20 years and you should also be telling newbies that the contact tip should be rather snug otherwise you will fuse weld the contact tip into the holder making it where you have to replace parts that are likely not available because it's not a high end welder that uses interchangeable parts with other machines
That's the biggest piece of junk, the hole in the tip where the wire makes contact with the voltage is too large so the arc isn't consistent making it nearly impossible to continue a consistent weld. I understand why owners are converting their welders to DC and changing the tip end to correct size opening to match the .030 wire diameter.
I got one for $44 🗿
Great deal!!!
Just bought mine in florida for 110 😂 lame