I am so surprised that you never mentioned stick welding, Tony. I'm still running a 60-year old Lincoln tombstone AC welder, the old copper-wound gem. 6011 rod for farm work, burns thru paint and rust; 7018 low-hydrogen rod for the serious work. I recently had to fabricate a quick-connect mount for a grapple-shear head that my boss purchased for his 22-year old Volvo excavator. The mount was NLA from Volvo, so I bought some 1.5" cold-rolled shaft and some 1-1/4" plate and made a new one. Many years ago I worked for the boss's father, and hand-built a firewood processor that would turn a 2-foot diameter hardwood tree into stove wood using a harvester head chain saw bar and a 5-way wedge driven by a 5" X 30" hydraulic cylinder, all run by a PTO-driven pump on our Deutz-Allis 60hp tractor. I also used 11018 rod on that one, but had a Miller Thunderbolt AC-DC welder at the time. Just bought one of those Titanium machines, and intend to practice with it this winter. Thanks for the great content!
Mechanics don't grow into sticks naturally. The natural way was Tony's. If you had to switch from flame, the MAG, Metal Active Gas, process already was widely established - and you cannot beat wire fed welders with stick welders on cars. Farm equipment is built from hefty metal plates, cars are built out of thin sheets, remind that!
I've seen plenty of instances where a flux core will perform better than a gas-shielded MIG setup. There are a few things you can do with a flux core that are not possible with GMAW. the first being able to control heat of the weld by increasing wire stick-out. This is very helpful if you are trying to fill pinholes in thin sheetmetal. Tony, I realize you are basing the content on your channel to cater to the common man with common tools in a common garage, but I bit the bullet and bought a Hobart Handler 210 from Tractor Supply a couple years ago when they were 25% off. The cool thing about this welder is I can switch polarity with it and run flux core wire for situations where it is best suited. Best of both worlds! Keep up the good work, man!
For those interested, total price with welder, regulator, gas bottle, spool of .023" diameter wire and a new auto-darkening welding hood was just under $1000, but that was 2 years ago. I'm sure with inflation, it's well over a grand these days.
Oxyacetylene is so overlooked which is a shame because its so damn good. Its becoming a lost art but you can weld with it, you can cut, you can braze, you can shrink metal with it, you can use to soften metal to bend it, it can free up rusted together fasteners, can use it to harden, temper, or anneal
Thats true. I got lucky cause I bought the tanks, cart, hoses, regulators, with 2 torch handles with regular and cutting tips at a swap meet for 50 bucks like 8 years ago now and the tanks still haven't needed a refill. Crazy good deal when the cost to refill the argon for the tig welders is almost double that entire set up now and that argon will probably make it 6 months at best
At our shop, the boss got different tips for the gas welder and switched to propane. It's cheaper than acetylene, readily available and doesn't blow soot into the air when you fire it up. Oh... I also recommend using propane compatible hoses for the welder. In the long run, it'll pay off.
I have plasma cutter bit i lostly use angle grinder with cut of wheel. Less cables, it is faster to get some small job done and the cut is cleaner as there is no slag. In my opinion plasma cutters are overrated. Note: that's just my opinion. Your results may vary
@JukkaVaan cutting speed just right and there is no slag....I know it's not easy to cut perfectly each time but most of the time it's clean enough to not need hit with even a roloc disc
I used to use a plasma cutter many years ago at work. Awesome tool, so I bought one about 5 years ago, with great plans and intentions. So far, I've unboxed it and put it on the heavy tools shelf 😒
I've always regretted not learning how to weld. We had a very limited introduction to welding in metal shop in high school, but that was it. Throughout my life, I can't count how many times I could have fixed something broken, or made something I needed, if I knew how to weld. Not to mention all the job possibilities there are for welders out there! Whenever I talk to teenagers about their job outlook or future plans, I suggest for them to learn welding. Even if they don't go into that profession, there will be times when they will use it in their own garage or basement - or a friend's!
The green one is leaps and bounds better than the other one. I went from man that looks like 💩 to decent. Seems to me the old one worked but with very limited settings it was always in between that I needed lmao
You actually helped me out a lot! I was told not to bother with flux core..something about crappy welds. This person does do really nice work, so he probably is talking about really nice looking, clean welds. I have just never got started welding,..and it has hindered me with so many projects. I would rather have a simple set up, so this is the way to go for me.
The better you learn to weld the nicer your Flux core welds will look. Just like any form of welding you need to practice to reduce the splatter. Plus there's a spray you can get that will reduced the ability of the splatter to stick to your work piece.
Great advice...I've had one for bout 10 years. Been through about 4 rolls of the .30 and 1 of the .35. The .30 works best for me. Also a can of the cheapest PAM type product, provides superior clean up. Love the videos and personalized perspective.
I love my little harbor freight welder. I think the biggest thing people overlook is how effective it is to weld a nut on broken or stripped hardware and use that to get stuff done
I learned flux core welding when I was doing my coyote swap in 2012 - necessity is the mother of invention - I used it for a ton of sheet metal repair but eventually found myself making a ton of custom brackets and now can't live without one.
My first mig machine was a small 110v Miller. I always have some flux core wire on hand but don't use it often, it's mainly for small mobile jobs. Sometimes you don't want to lug that co2/argon tank around.
@@craighansen7594I have a Lincoln Handy MiG. It started life as a flux core but came with a kit to flip it over to MiG. I picked up a small argon tank and have been using it ever since. The only part that sucks is the lack of a dual heat range (it only has 2 switches for heat and a dual for wire feed speed). Still, I'll never go back to flux core unless it's for bull work.
That cybertruck mostly held together. Actualy that itself saved others from being hurt. The windows of the building were not even.broken that truck literaly held the blast and shaped it upward .
My friend taught me how to weld with a mig about 20 years ago. I always wanted one for my own garage. Couldn't afford it. I bought that Chicago electric Flux welder about 10 years ago and I love it. Messy welds but strong. I've used it countless times. Everything from a motorcycle frame, rust repair patch panels and multiple exhaust systems all the way to a roll cage and harness bar. If I want it to look good I always remember what the professional welders say. "A grinder and some paint make a welder what he ain't" 😂
That's the best way, as humans we arise to the situation we're in so whatever situation you put them in they'll rise to it or say I want no part of this, I know a 18yr old never been put in any situation and mowed a 3 acre yard with the back tire flat on a zero turn the whole yard was stripped up, on the other hand another friend has a 18yr old same grade school and everything and that boy will out work 95% of experienced mechanics, he's doing timing chain and intake jobs on modern engines
I absolutely loved oxy acetylene welding and cutting back in the 70s 80s. You are right, it's a zen thing that will make you forget about the world around you. I did mostly sheet metal so it requires full concentration. Wild to see how much the equipment has advanced in the last few decades.
Funny you should mention puppy sitting and welding, Last summer my wife asked me to repair a folding dog crate. She thought I would use zip ties. I told her welding would be just as fast and just as strong as new. Three tacks with a flux core welder and it was done. Welding is like hot glue for steel.
Yessiree- a 41/2 inch angle grinder with a slitting disc, and a welder, you can do about anything. I use my oxy/acetylene now more for heating and bending than welding.
I have a Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 I bought back in 1996. Installed the MIG conversion kit, and never looked back. Still works great, and I've used the heck out of it. It pays to buy a name brand.
Ok Tony, I’m doing this. Welding is the one skill I’ve been wanting to add to my abilities and this video pushed me over the edge. I’m not looking to build a bridge but I do have some “light” welding I want to do to my Fairlane, beefing up where spot welds alone sit as too add a few gussets to the sway bar mounts as I’ve got a larger sway bar and I risk tearing it and the few welds retaining it. I was going to hire a guy but after watching thought, to heck with it, for the money I’d pay the guy I can buy the equipment, train myself and get it done. Great video and thanks for the incentive, as push, I needed. Best to you & yours!
@@tomberan1282 Tom, lots of guys can make a pretty weld, but a lot of them don't understand the physics involved. A community college course would be best, and you learn all types of welding. I'm sure there's tons of stuff online about technic, but knowing weld root and boundary areas and when to pre heat is where I'd start. 👍☮️
I used the Chicago electric One the one on the left for about 3 years. Went to a mig 180 Eastwood and on the flux core setting without gas holey smokes. So much better. Yes the cheap one you have works fine(ish) the Eastwood is night and day better. Now the Eastwood is $300 more but if ya got the money it is well worth it.
I'm a certified welder but I own my own mechanic shop nowadays. i have several expensive machines but 9/10 if its something small I grab my old beat up $100 flux core and it always gets the job done quick and easy. Ive welded non stainless exhaust like that for years without issues. poor things paid for its self over and over again who knows how many times. Hands down the best all around machine for a hobbyist or beginner.
I learned how to weld back in the early '80s with a Lincoln AC-225 arc welder, commonly called a scratchbox, which used welding rods held in a clamp. Different size rods for different jobs. Only adjustment was the amp setting. No gas. I don't have a 50 amp circuit to use one of those at home, and I don't have that much interest in welding anyway. I now have that same $150 Harbor Freight Titanium flux core 125 amp welder you have. I only weld small stuff with it. The last thing I welded was a fender washer to the center of an air cleaner lid, because the original hole was rusted. If I need any serious welding done, I get a shop to do it. I would never trust welding a frame, or engine mounts, etc. Dan at DD Speed Shop is about the best welder I have ever seen. I will never be that good. Being a couple years older than you, I definitely remember Jungle Jim, and especially Jungle Pam. Those were the days.
I bought that exact Titanium welder with a coupon. The thing sat for a year because I had no 20 amp outlets at the time lol. Just made my very first welds a few weeks ago. It's addicting.
I got my first welder, a Lincoln 120v MIG welder, over 20 years ago.. I have since acquired a stick welder and a "combo" stick/ TIG/ plasma unit.. BUT, my MIG that lives on a cart (with wheels) is always close at hand, easily put to use for minor tacking/ repairs, general use on lighter materials etc. I usually use flux core, but my machine has the ability to run gas and I do (with .025" solid wire) for sheet metal or anything I want to look pretty ;) MIG is also a great way to tack things together then go over with stick to make permanent welds ( trailer building etc)
Good video i totally agree. Have been using a fluxy for 20 plus years and built everything from race cars / trailers / rust repairs and exhaust systems you name it. Totally a must have for the home workshop
I wasn’t a good classroom student back in high school in the late seventies early eighties but when I took shop I delved into the welding section with fervor. There were only a couple of guys that were better than me, I really loved the skill and patience it took to gas weld….and not just on a flat surface, mixed thickness or the proverbial scary cast metal! Only got a taste of MIG welding in 1980 as our school didn’t have an instructor that knew much about it! Then after just dabbling at work occasionally I bought almost the same exact Chicago welder to turn an old, very old boat trailer into a lawnmower trailer. I struggled a bit but eventually I put together a nice tilt bed that will self lower then flatten out once the mower gets just past the center pin! Ohhh….that splatter drove me crazy, didn’t understand it was the flux core until I did some RUclipsing!
Same harbor freight welder saved money on almost every vehicle I’ve bought since the welder. Right now there’s 3 cars in my dads driveway with new flex pipes welded on.
I have come to love my "stop-gap" "at least I have a welder" flux core! I like it better than the miller MIG at work for anything but brand new fabrication. The flux does a good job of cleaning...
Learned to weld in shop class, late 70s early 80s. Back then, it was gas welding/brazing, soldering, and stick welding. Teacher might mention wire welding, but that was what factories and large production shops used. Around here the only jobs with wire welders paid minimum wage then, wood stove manufacturing mostly. If you wanted to make money welding, it was stick on some kind of union job like pipelines. Bought a mig, a little Lincoln about 20 years ago. Switched it to flux core a few years ago because I got sick of dealing with the gas. Someone would borrow it and leave the valve on, then when I needed to do a quick weld, no damned gas. The flux core is always ready to weld. Since I'm an old stock welder anyway, the slag doesn't bother me.
Cool video, I could almost ditto your gas to flux story. I bought a 125 flux-core back in 2017. I'm a home hobbyist and also work on my own motorcycle, so far, the flux-core has done all I need it to.
Welding class was part of my tech school degree for automotive. Made it through the whole welding portion with only a stick welder and oxygen acetylene torch. Gas welding is really relaxing just like you said
I'm glad you say that about TIG welding. I learned how to oxy weld in the late 70's early 80's and was quite good at it. I have just bought a TIG welder so if after ~40 years of not touching an oxy welder I'll be happy if my TIG welding is half as good as my oxy welding was. On another note the anti spatter spray of which you talk is cheap and readily available in your local supermarket. It's otherwise known as Canola oil spray. It is about 1/3 the cost of anti spatter spray and seems to work just as well.
I was fortunate, I took welding at a vocational institute, the instructor worked at a local shipyard, I love all the forms of welding, all are good to have ,for my needs I got a welder that can be used Flux core or gas
For about 30 years have had 2 of the old Century MIG welders that can use either gas sheilding or flux core, and the tank is sitting in the corner and the gas regulator is in a drawer under the workbench because they don't get used. When I had to weld something I used either the flux core wire or a stick welder but rarely oxy/acetylene because it cost so much around here
I've got the Titanium Flux Core 125 and love it! Flux core sucks for thin stuff, good luck on 22 gauge steel. Welders are a game changer for a mechanic-because sometimes, you can't unbolt rust-it has to be cut out and redone. A welder allows you to overcome rust.
Great vid! Funny story... 10 years or so ago I was looking for a used one. Old guy had one for sale $75. with the box and welding cheapo mask included. Like new. Said he was an experienced welder but didn't like it cuz it was crummy doing exhaust work underneath cars. I read the instructions and he missed it saying the wire spool it came with was no good for vertical welding. So I bought the normal spools and use it for everything no problems. 😊
That little titanium flux welder is a fine machine it works great but works even better with quality wire and a direct plug to a 30 amp for example dryer plug is where it really shines
I built an entire small front end loader on a 210 John Deere garden tractor with the HF titanium 125 fluxcore , your right it needs 30 amps and good ground clamp and don't over work it .
I had the Chicago Electric for yrs now and it works great on heavier metal. Welded my tailgate back on my truck with it,did the floor of a Studebaker with it but it always gave me trouble on thin sheet metal. So I bought an Eastwood mig90 that is flux or gas and it does way better on the thin stuff.
My daughter is taking up welding now and i was jist looking at small portable welders at harbor freight and northern tool. Welding is something i wanted to.learn back in the 90s as well but didnt have anyone to teach me. Might pick one up. The wifes car z28 has been needing a muffler for the last few years 😅. And with that running off 120v I think its time
I learned to weld with a flux core lincoln restoring my 72 chevy pick up. Built derby cars and rat rod frames using the same welder. Works great on rusty rough metal.
Most Newbies need to understand that you need to melt the metals so they bond. It's not like sewing metal with a bridge. You need to melt both lips so they bond together. After that, you can fill any holes you created from too much heat in beginning. 😊
In the 70s most of us that welded had to learn the oxy/acetylene method. It wasn't that using a mig was less desirable, mig machines were too expensive.
The flux core is handy for sure. Although if you look around online you can get 110/220 capable welders that do flux core, mig, lift tig and stick for no more than a good flux core only welder costs. I paid $150 for a yeswelder 160 amp that does all of that. I've used it with stick and mig so far, and it works fantastic.
I learned to weld at 13 and welded for a living until I was 28 or 29 (boss retired) you pull a FC like a stick, don't push it like mig and it'll do descent looking welds I'm starting to like my little HF Chicago electric flux core , it's welded the full exhaust on my hotrod and I've welded several metal tubes for John Deere equipment one was oil supply line for the turbo up to 84psi
My mig welder argon tank is full size and lasts years. I can put flux core wire into the same welder if I ever wanted to. Welder will run smoother on 240v vs 120v and costs the same to install dedicated outlet; different breaker and receptacle. I keep an old DC arc welder around for welding outside or heavy steel; DC is smoother than AC. Cheap Vevor plasma cutter does well on cutting sheet metal floor and quarter panels.
My 💔 93LX got hit by Ian Way out past S Bfegypt FL In the Jungle... I've got to put a new floor in it / And of course turn every screw on it again ( 4th time ) Ty for this one// you just fixed it for me... I'll sleep better tonight 😎 🤙
YES INDEED! Fifty years ago, on the farm, it was either stick welds done with an AC buzz box or bronze. Several years ago my cousin, a welder/pipe fitter by trade, helped me build a new shop and shamed me into buying a MIG welding machine.
Spot on, Tony. I’ve had my head in a bucket, staring at a puddle of molten metal for near as dammit, 50 years. Nothing wrong with flux core and in some cases, (especially with gal) it’s actually better. If you need good penetration, it’s a lot easier to run a vertical up with the flux core wire.
Another Great Video , Thx for it , the price of gasses is crazy high even the argon mix for mig , I have everything except tig , a heavy stick welder still comes in handy but not everyone has 220 in the home shop , my gas bottles for oxy are the next size up from yours an cost a few hundred to fill here so it's watching dollar bills fly by using them , the flux core with being able to carry it around is a real game changer , i worked on the line in metal for Chrysler mig welding for years and you can still get great welds with those cheap flux core welders if you give yourself a chance with them imho
Yeah the gas welding I really liked doing and produced some nice clean and strong welds. Then came stick and then bought a Hobart MIG. I prefer the gas shield but also run flux core wire.
I run my flux welder off of 2000w power inverters that are mounted in my Jeep and Pickup when I need to weld something away from the house. That's what's nice about it being 110v.
I wish I had that skill. I thought bout taking a course at a local community college, but that got away from me. It’s all too late for me now, and it kills me that I never got a race car together. I’ve helped so many other guys build there’s, but Auto Parts in AZ doesn’t pay well. When I finally got a job in electronics and was make money, my in-laws were needing help. The VA wouldn’t process their applications for the health care they were due. My father in law passed way, it before he did we had paid around $50k for his care. Next came my mother in law. We lost at least $130k! And I never did get a project going. But, I have to agree that learning to weld is one of the best things you can do for this hobby.
Tony your gonna love the titanium... lifelong career in collision repair started pre mig with torches but when high strength steel became the thing we had to have migs an I was partial to lincolns. After I retired I bought a Lincoln mini to hobby with, unfortunately it was stolen so i picked up a titanium... very impressed an it was often loaned out to buddies who were also very impressed . That one was lost when my buddies shop was burned down by his old lady so I bought another. The inverter tech makes em a pleasure to use as they are so light. I also hear of a similar unit called the EZ welder which I guess has a little more duty cycle..similer price.
I bought small inverter stick machine over 10 years ago and that thing has seen so much use It is unreal. You can take it pretty much anywhere and weld absolutely anything. I grew up on a farm so stick was the default, flux core for sheet metal and mig on Sundays.
Hey Tony, Tim here, I remember "Fluxy"........I remember when u had to retire her...........been a sub'r that long.......not that u care, but I'm a MIG guy.......its ok.....I dig it all!!
I have the titanium welder and have never welded before this summer. Let me just say it's a great purchase. The only thing that I don't like about it is it takes a lot of practice to use it on rusty(prepped) sheet metal but you get the hang of it. I've found it your new take a piece of scrap from what your working on and practice on that first before touching your project
This is what is holding me up on my 70 GTX. I have all the parts. I have prepped and primed the body. I just need the floor pan behind the driver welded in and the two piece trunk pan welded. I have the trunk pan and floor pan. I have also cot everything out. I even have a welder. And I have tried my hand. But have not been successful yet. I am waiting on a guy to come by and give me an estimate. The car needs to be rolled back to the shop. And I sure do want to know the cost. I might try my hand at this again. Thanks Uncle Tony for another very useful lesson in Auto University.
What part of the country are you in? I've installed 4 complete B-body floor pans from AMD. The hardest part about the whole job is the prep work. Cleaning the surfaces, drilling holes for plug welds, trimming, tucking, etc. The welding itself is gravy!
@ I am not a welder. I am mechanical and I can spray primer and paint. I live in North Carolina and have access to many fine body shops. I even have a 220 bolt welder. Just no training. I have been watching videos and will try my hand at it again. Prior attempt have been unsuccessful. So we shall see😂
@@mikeheggem9488 thank you. I will give it a try. I know that is a good way to become familiar with our tools of the trade. I guess I will knock off the dust and give it a try.
I've never regretted taking welding in highschool, I just helped my grandfather weld in his tractor burned about 20 pounds of 7018 I also like flux core
I'm a welder a good tack is a three count to take any weight until you figure it out the best welding is from all the prep you make the surface clean clean clean no rust or oil grease etc then figure out the set up of your machine and then your travel speed I love to teach this to people who think they know and those that are just getting started
Another cool thing about some of those small flux core welders is they can be powered off like a Honda eu2200i portable generator . I got a Hobart Handler 100 amp flux core welder and the Honda can power it as the welder is only 100 amps , I've been able to weld a lot of different stuff even though the welder is only 100 amps , If I wanted to weld some thicker stuff like car frames I could probably buy the Hobart Handler 140 and then power it from 2 Honda eu2200i run in parallel
Have never used flux core, been welding for 35 years. HAVE had to repair a flux core mess more than once. TIG welding, can do it all. My MIG setup is very rarely used, haven't needed to repair or build a trailer for an age. If you need to weld in a hurricane, I am sorry. You have such a great point about learning to weld, I have made a good living TIG welding. I love welding, building, and repairing. LOVE IT!!
Very good welder had mine for years. I just welded a bar in my car so I could use a 4 ton jack to push the door striker area and quarter out 2 inches. bacon frying
Amazon has flux core only welders for less than $100.00. I have a Yeswelder that is a combination welder for $225.00 and I like it. It does Flux Core, Mig, Touch Tig, and stick welding. 110 or 220 Volt capable machine.
Tony, you'll retire your Chicago Electric once you get the hang of the 125. The inverter makes the difference. I'm a certified welder and have been for 20+ years. I have a sweet Miller mig/tig 220V combo and I use the Titanium 125 way more often on my car projects. ESPECIALLY on thin steel/sheet metal! One of the few good tools from Harbor Freight. I recommend it bigtime.
Tony, I've been using a Lincoln flux core welder since the late 90's and it's still going strong even after 5 frame off or rotisserie ground up builds. Works very well for thicker metal but care needs to be taken when welding thinner sheet metal body parts. It can be done but requires a bit of practice. Same Lincoln welder I started with and it just won't die. I have a gas MIG welder but very rarely use it.
Flux core can make nice welds. Just need to clean off the flux afterwards, similar to stick weld. I've used primer in place of anti-spatter spray. I prime the parts all over and then remove the primer where the weld is going to be. Most of the spatter comes off pretty easily.
Flux core defiantly has its place. I used to use the cheap machines like that to. But the lack of heat setting choice other than high and low is what killed it for me. It was never doing exactly what i wanted it to do. I bought a used mig welder and i dig it. If i do find myself outside ill often bust out the old ac buzz box with some 6011.
I’ve got a firepower brand welder, (probably from 2005, ish), it was left to me by my dad and I used it simply cause it was all I had. Having now put numerous rolls of wire through it, doing anything from exhaust, farm equipment, and light frame welding, I gotta say, I’m impressed. Most of my welding is done outside in the dirt and elements, I drag it wherever I need it, plug it in and it just plain works. Even when I get a nice 220, I’ll always have that little welder for field repairs.
Thank you for this video man. As a young man in his 20's I wish I would've took welding in tech school. I could tear a car down to nothing, tear a motor apart and put it back together, never attempted to weld. I'm sure my day is coming lol
Flux core is good especially for filling gaps but my number one go to is stick welder and second would be oxy/acetylene, third flux core and last is MIG because of the inability to use it outside a controlled environment, e.g. ,the wind which blows the shielding gas away.
This is a great overview and good advise for everyday use for the average guy , I would just add although I completely agree flux core is not ideal for thin sheetmetal/Body work but yeah I want the ESAB ic205 !
My Uncle has an .045" wire 220V core wire machine that is a MIG as it uses sheilding gas as well. If you need fast, HOT/penetrating welds that thing is magic. It's AWESOME for building off-road bumers and such. It does produce A LOT of big, hot splatter that You have to grind off.
PAM cooking spray is a great substitute for anti splatter spray and I buy the Great Value kind at WallyWorld as it's super cheap. The Titanium 125 uses .030 or .035 wire and runs on 110V as opposed to your uncle's which runs on 220V w/.045 wire. Same result after a bit of practice and getting used to the right wire speed.
I am so surprised that you never mentioned stick welding, Tony. I'm still running a 60-year old Lincoln tombstone AC welder, the old copper-wound gem. 6011 rod for farm work, burns thru paint and rust; 7018 low-hydrogen rod for the serious work. I recently had to fabricate a quick-connect mount for a grapple-shear head that my boss purchased for his 22-year old Volvo excavator. The mount was NLA from Volvo, so I bought some 1.5" cold-rolled shaft and some 1-1/4" plate and made a new one. Many years ago I worked for the boss's father, and hand-built a firewood processor that would turn a 2-foot diameter hardwood tree into stove wood using a harvester head chain saw bar and a 5-way wedge driven by a 5" X 30" hydraulic cylinder, all run by a PTO-driven pump on our Deutz-Allis 60hp tractor. I also used 11018 rod on that one, but had a Miller Thunderbolt AC-DC welder at the time. Just bought one of those Titanium machines, and intend to practice with it this winter. Thanks for the great content!
I wondered too. Almost "Abby-Normal".
Mechanics don't grow into sticks naturally.
The natural way was Tony's.
If you had to switch from flame, the MAG, Metal Active Gas, process already was widely established - and you cannot beat wire fed welders with stick welders on cars.
Farm equipment is built from hefty metal plates, cars are built out of thin sheets, remind that!
I've seen plenty of instances where a flux core will perform better than a gas-shielded MIG setup. There are a few things you can do with a flux core that are not possible with GMAW. the first being able to control heat of the weld by increasing wire stick-out. This is very helpful if you are trying to fill pinholes in thin sheetmetal. Tony, I realize you are basing the content on your channel to cater to the common man with common tools in a common garage, but I bit the bullet and bought a Hobart Handler 210 from Tractor Supply a couple years ago when they were 25% off. The cool thing about this welder is I can switch polarity with it and run flux core wire for situations where it is best suited. Best of both worlds! Keep up the good work, man!
For those interested, total price with welder, regulator, gas bottle, spool of .023" diameter wire and a new auto-darkening welding hood was just under $1000, but that was 2 years ago. I'm sure with inflation, it's well over a grand these days.
Oxyacetylene is so overlooked which is a shame because its so damn good. Its becoming a lost art but you can weld with it, you can cut, you can braze, you can shrink metal with it, you can use to soften metal to bend it, it can free up rusted together fasteners, can use it to harden, temper, or anneal
It’s only downside is expensive for gas
Thats true. I got lucky cause I bought the tanks, cart, hoses, regulators, with 2 torch handles with regular and cutting tips at a swap meet for 50 bucks like 8 years ago now and the tanks still haven't needed a refill. Crazy good deal when the cost to refill the argon for the tig welders is almost double that entire set up now and that argon will probably make it 6 months at best
At our shop, the boss got different tips for the gas welder and switched to propane. It's cheaper than acetylene, readily available and doesn't blow soot into the air when you fire it up. Oh... I also recommend using propane compatible hoses for the welder. In the long run, it'll pay off.
Very true but too few people know how to do it.
I always wanted to hydrogen weld...read about it somewhere and it fascinates me
I agree a flux core welder is a great tool to have in the garage for sure. Next up is a plasma cutter. Total game changer. 👍
I agree the Plasma cutters are awesome but angle grinders and cutting wheels work excellent too if that's all you got
Absolutely agree plasma cutter is just fast no warping and no metal sliver slung in 360° trying to find it's way into your eyeballs
I have plasma cutter bit i lostly use angle grinder with cut of wheel. Less cables, it is faster to get some small job done and the cut is cleaner as there is no slag. In my opinion plasma cutters are overrated. Note: that's just my opinion. Your results may vary
@JukkaVaan cutting speed just right and there is no slag....I know it's not easy to cut perfectly each time but most of the time it's clean enough to not need hit with even a roloc disc
I used to use a plasma cutter many years ago at work. Awesome tool, so I bought one about 5 years ago, with great plans and intentions. So far, I've unboxed it and put it on the heavy tools shelf 😒
I've always regretted not learning how to weld. We had a very limited introduction to welding in metal shop in high school, but that was it. Throughout my life, I can't count how many times I could have fixed something broken, or made something I needed, if I knew how to weld. Not to mention all the job possibilities there are for welders out there! Whenever I talk to teenagers about their job outlook or future plans, I suggest for them to learn welding. Even if they don't go into that profession, there will be times when they will use it in their own garage or basement - or a friend's!
If you have been using that cheap flux core you are going to be impressed with that inverter based unit
DC vs AC, the old HF box is AC and it spatters like crazy. (there are mods for them to put in a rectifier and caps, but get the Green one)
The green one is leaps and bounds better than the other one. I went from man that looks like 💩 to decent. Seems to me the old one worked but with very limited settings it was always in between that I needed lmao
Gas is a quantum leap always feel bad for people that avoid it just because you have to fill a bottle every few months or years
You actually helped me out a lot! I was told not to bother with flux core..something about crappy welds. This person does do really nice work, so he probably is talking about really nice looking, clean welds. I have just never got started welding,..and it has hindered me with so many projects. I would rather have a simple set up, so this is the way to go for me.
Yes!
Also, see if you can find Bondo Billy. He loves flux core and he does body work all the time and does good work.
@@Monaco-BuilditFixitDriveitEverThanks for the info!
The better you learn to weld the nicer your Flux core welds will look. Just like any form of welding you need to practice to reduce the splatter. Plus there's a spray you can get that will reduced the ability of the splatter to stick to your work piece.
Nice welds are ground
I weld outside all the time doing security gates with a Lincoln 125 Flux core off a 5000 watt generator works great 😊
My grand father was acetylene welding aluminum in the 50's.
Yes it can be done.
It was being done before the 50's but finding someone who could do it was rare
@@todddenio3200 Lots of WWII aircraft incurred gas-welded aluminum in thier structure. It's an art, for sure.
@mostlyoldparts exactly. My dad was U.S.A.A.C. during WWII so I was very aware of gas welding aluminum
Great advice...I've had one for bout 10 years. Been through about 4 rolls of the .30 and 1 of the .35. The .30 works best for me. Also a can of the cheapest PAM type product, provides superior clean up. Love the videos and personalized perspective.
The UTG Glue Gun
Lol 😂
I love my little harbor freight welder. I think the biggest thing people overlook is how effective it is to weld a nut on broken or stripped hardware and use that to get stuff done
I learned flux core welding when I was doing my coyote swap in 2012 - necessity is the mother of invention - I used it for a ton of sheet metal repair but eventually found myself making a ton of custom brackets and now can't live without one.
My first mig machine was a small 110v Miller. I always have some flux core wire on hand but don't use it often, it's mainly for small mobile jobs. Sometimes you don't want to lug that co2/argon tank around.
@@craighansen7594I have a Lincoln Handy MiG. It started life as a flux core but came with a kit to flip it over to MiG. I picked up a small argon tank and have been using it ever since. The only part that sucks is the lack of a dual heat range (it only has 2 switches for heat and a dual for wire feed speed). Still, I'll never go back to flux core unless it's for bull work.
Good timing. I'm in the market. Picked up a Cybertruck out of Las Vegas cheap. Going to need some welding. Once the FBI gives me the okay.
Too Soon....?
No, the one I had about the Ford in New Orleans is too soon. Something about "how many people does it take.." kinda thing.
That cybertruck mostly held together. Actualy that itself saved others from being hurt. The windows of the building were not even.broken that truck literaly held the blast and shaped it upward .
It had fireworks that went off .
Yeah, good luck with that cyber garbage...
The titanium is a great little welder. I keep one in my race trailer. Small light and easy to use.
Skill is more important than money!
The small tank OXY/MAPP gas set up for brazing is also a good investment for frozen bolts and simple repairs . 70's body work was done with brazing
My friend taught me how to weld with a mig about 20 years ago. I always wanted one for my own garage. Couldn't afford it. I bought that Chicago electric Flux welder about 10 years ago and I love it. Messy welds but strong. I've used it countless times. Everything from a motorcycle frame, rust repair patch panels and multiple exhaust systems all the way to a roll cage and harness bar. If I want it to look good I always remember what the professional welders say. "A grinder and some paint make a welder what he ain't" 😂
I’ve taught my 5 and 7 year old how to weld some stuff already. The 5 year old was actually pretty decent too, gotta start them young. Lol
That's the best way, as humans we arise to the situation we're in so whatever situation you put them in they'll rise to it or say I want no part of this, I know a 18yr old never been put in any situation and mowed a 3 acre yard with the back tire flat on a zero turn the whole yard was stripped up, on the other hand another friend has a 18yr old same grade school and everything and that boy will out work 95% of experienced mechanics, he's doing timing chain and intake jobs on modern engines
The flux core was a game changer for me back in the day and when I showed my hot rod father in law he was sold!
I absolutely loved oxy acetylene welding and cutting back in the 70s 80s. You are right, it's a zen thing that will make you forget about the world around you. I did mostly sheet metal so it requires full concentration. Wild to see how much the equipment has advanced in the last few decades.
Funny you should mention puppy sitting and welding, Last summer my wife asked me to repair a folding dog crate. She thought I would use zip ties. I told her welding would be just as fast and just as strong as new. Three tacks with a flux core welder and it was done. Welding is like hot glue for steel.
Yessiree- a 41/2 inch angle grinder with a slitting disc, and a welder, you can do about anything. I use my oxy/acetylene now more for heating and bending than welding.
I have a Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 I bought back in 1996. Installed the MIG conversion kit, and never looked back. Still works great, and I've used the heck out of it. It pays to buy a name brand.
Thanks for the advice and encouragement, Uncle Tony!
Ok Tony, I’m doing this. Welding is the one skill I’ve been wanting to add to my abilities and this video pushed me over the edge. I’m not looking to build a bridge but I do have some “light” welding I want to do to my Fairlane, beefing up where spot welds alone sit as too add a few gussets to the sway bar mounts as I’ve got a larger sway bar and I risk tearing it and the few welds retaining it. I was going to hire a guy but after watching thought, to heck with it, for the money I’d pay the guy I can buy the equipment, train myself and get it done. Great video and thanks for the incentive, as push, I needed.
Best to you & yours!
@@tomberan1282 Tom, lots of guys can make a pretty weld, but a lot of them don't understand the physics involved. A community college course would be best, and you learn all types of welding.
I'm sure there's tons of stuff online about technic, but knowing weld root and boundary areas and when to pre heat is where I'd start. 👍☮️
I used the Chicago electric One the one on the left for about 3 years. Went to a mig 180 Eastwood and on the flux core setting without gas holey smokes. So much better. Yes the cheap one you have works fine(ish) the Eastwood is night and day better. Now the Eastwood is $300 more but if ya got the money it is well worth it.
I'm a certified welder but I own my own mechanic shop nowadays. i have several expensive machines but 9/10 if its something small I grab my old beat up $100 flux core and it always gets the job done quick and easy. Ive welded non stainless exhaust like that for years without issues. poor things paid for its self over and over again who knows how many times. Hands down the best all around machine for a hobbyist or beginner.
I learned how to weld back in the early '80s with a Lincoln AC-225 arc welder, commonly called a scratchbox, which used welding rods held in a clamp. Different size rods for different jobs. Only adjustment was the amp setting. No gas. I don't have a 50 amp circuit to use one of those at home, and I don't have that much interest in welding anyway. I now have that same $150 Harbor Freight Titanium flux core 125 amp welder you have. I only weld small stuff with it. The last thing I welded was a fender washer to the center of an air cleaner lid, because the original hole was rusted. If I need any serious welding done, I get a shop to do it. I would never trust welding a frame, or engine mounts, etc. Dan at DD Speed Shop is about the best welder I have ever seen. I will never be that good. Being a couple years older than you, I definitely remember Jungle Jim, and especially Jungle Pam. Those were the days.
I bought that exact Titanium welder with a coupon. The thing sat for a year because I had no 20 amp outlets at the time lol. Just made my very first welds a few weeks ago. It's addicting.
I got my first welder, a Lincoln 120v MIG welder, over 20 years ago.. I have since acquired a stick welder and a "combo" stick/ TIG/ plasma unit.. BUT, my MIG that lives on a cart (with wheels) is always close at hand, easily put to use for minor tacking/ repairs, general use on lighter materials etc. I usually use flux core, but my machine has the ability to run gas and I do (with .025" solid wire) for sheet metal or anything I want to look pretty ;) MIG is also a great way to tack things together then go over with stick to make permanent welds ( trailer building etc)
Good video i totally agree. Have been using a fluxy for 20 plus years and built everything from race cars / trailers / rust repairs and exhaust systems you name it. Totally a must have for the home workshop
I wasn’t a good classroom student back in high school in the late seventies early eighties but when I took shop I delved into the welding section with fervor. There were only a couple of guys that were better than me, I really loved the skill and patience it took to gas weld….and not just on a flat surface, mixed thickness or the proverbial scary cast metal! Only got a taste of MIG welding in 1980 as our school didn’t have an instructor that knew much about it! Then after just dabbling at work occasionally I bought almost the same exact Chicago welder to turn an old, very old boat trailer into a lawnmower trailer. I struggled a bit but eventually I put together a nice tilt bed that will self lower then flatten out once the mower gets just past the center pin! Ohhh….that splatter drove me crazy, didn’t understand it was the flux core until I did some RUclipsing!
That little titan easy flux 125 has gotten me out of alot of binds and made me some good $... paid for itself many times over
Same harbor freight welder saved money on almost every vehicle I’ve bought since the welder. Right now there’s 3 cars in my dads driveway with new flex pipes welded on.
Still liking your delivery Tone. Pertinence with a drizzle of comedic value.
I have come to love my "stop-gap" "at least I have a welder" flux core! I like it better than the miller MIG at work for anything but brand new fabrication. The flux does a good job of cleaning...
It's great that affordable mig welders came into the scene several years ago. It's really not hard to learn and, I agree, everybody should have one.
Learned to weld in shop class, late 70s early 80s. Back then, it was gas welding/brazing, soldering, and stick welding. Teacher might mention wire welding, but that was what factories and large production shops used. Around here the only jobs with wire welders paid minimum wage then, wood stove manufacturing mostly. If you wanted to make money welding, it was stick on some kind of union job like pipelines.
Bought a mig, a little Lincoln about 20 years ago. Switched it to flux core a few years ago because I got sick of dealing with the gas. Someone would borrow it and leave the valve on, then when I needed to do a quick weld, no damned gas. The flux core is always ready to weld. Since I'm an old stock welder anyway, the slag doesn't bother me.
Cool video, I could almost ditto your gas to flux story. I bought a 125 flux-core back in 2017. I'm a home hobbyist and also work on my own motorcycle, so far, the flux-core has done all I need it to.
Welding class was part of my tech school degree for automotive. Made it through the whole welding portion with only a stick welder and oxygen acetylene torch. Gas welding is really relaxing just like you said
My Miller 215 is a multi process welder. It will do mig tig stick and flux. 240 and 120 volt
Nice machine!
I'm glad you say that about TIG welding. I learned how to oxy weld in the late 70's early 80's and was quite good at it. I have just bought a TIG welder so if after ~40 years of not touching an oxy welder I'll be happy if my TIG welding is half as good as my oxy welding was.
On another note the anti spatter spray of which you talk is cheap and readily available in your local supermarket. It's otherwise known as Canola oil spray. It is about 1/3 the cost of anti spatter spray and seems to work just as well.
Excellent video, I needed to hear this from an experienced view. I'm only doing stick welding now but will get a flux core setup, thanks.
I was fortunate, I took welding at a vocational institute, the instructor worked at a local shipyard, I love all the forms of welding, all are good to have ,for my needs I got a welder that can be used Flux core or gas
Excellent sir! I have the flux 125 and you made me want to learn it now. I got more understanding from you in a short time than any other person.
For about 30 years have had 2 of the old Century MIG welders that can use either gas sheilding or flux core, and the tank is sitting in the corner and the gas regulator is in a drawer under the workbench because they don't get used. When I had to weld something I used either the flux core wire or a stick welder but rarely oxy/acetylene because it cost so much around here
I've got the Titanium Flux Core 125 and love it! Flux core sucks for thin stuff, good luck on 22 gauge steel. Welders are a game changer for a mechanic-because sometimes, you can't unbolt rust-it has to be cut out and redone. A welder allows you to overcome rust.
Great vid! Funny story...
10 years or so ago I was looking for a used one. Old guy had one for sale $75. with the box and welding cheapo mask included. Like new. Said he was an experienced welder but didn't like it cuz it was crummy doing exhaust work underneath cars.
I read the instructions and he missed it saying the wire spool it came with was no good for vertical welding. So I bought the normal spools and use it for everything no problems. 😊
That little titanium flux welder is a fine machine it works great but works even better with quality wire and a direct plug to a 30 amp for example dryer plug is where it really shines
I built an entire small front end loader on a 210 John Deere garden tractor with the HF titanium 125 fluxcore , your right it needs 30 amps and good ground clamp and don't over work it .
Very useful skill. That's how I made my living.
Would love to see you do a Jungle Jim retrospective!
I had the Chicago Electric for yrs now and it works great on heavier metal. Welded my tailgate back on my truck with it,did the floor of a Studebaker with it but it always gave me trouble on thin sheet metal. So I bought an Eastwood mig90 that is flux or gas and it does way better on the thin stuff.
My neighbor built a helicopter using an oxyacetylene torch. Very nice welds.
What could go wrong?
My daughter is taking up welding now and i was jist looking at small portable welders at harbor freight and northern tool. Welding is something i wanted to.learn back in the 90s as well but didnt have anyone to teach me. Might pick one up. The wifes car z28 has been needing a muffler for the last few years 😅. And with that running off 120v I think its time
If you need anti splatter spray for whatever reason The non stick cooking spray works great ! Like Pam or equivalent
I had the same experience with TIG I took to it very quickly thanks to gas welding.
I don’t do it often but it’s nice to have the skill set.
Learned with oxy and coat hangers , love the fluxy unit . Might get the titanium for job shop .
I learned to weld with a flux core lincoln restoring my 72 chevy pick up. Built derby cars and rat rod frames using the same welder. Works great on rusty rough metal.
Most Newbies need to understand that you need to melt the metals so they bond. It's not like sewing metal with a bridge. You need to melt both lips so they bond together. After that, you can fill any holes you created from too much heat in beginning. 😊
In the 70s most of us that welded had to learn the oxy/acetylene method. It wasn't that using a mig was less desirable, mig machines were too expensive.
The flux core is handy for sure. Although if you look around online you can get 110/220 capable welders that do flux core, mig, lift tig and stick for no more than a good flux core only welder costs. I paid $150 for a yeswelder 160 amp that does all of that. I've used it with stick and mig so far, and it works fantastic.
Dex is one of my favorite channels .
I learned to weld at 13 and welded for a living until I was 28 or 29 (boss retired) you pull a FC like a stick, don't push it like mig and it'll do descent looking welds I'm starting to like my little HF Chicago electric flux core , it's welded the full exhaust on my hotrod and I've welded several metal tubes for John Deere equipment one was oil supply line for the turbo up to 84psi
My mig welder argon tank is full size and lasts years. I can put flux core wire into the same welder if I ever wanted to. Welder will run smoother on 240v vs 120v and costs the same to install dedicated outlet; different breaker and receptacle.
I keep an old DC arc welder around for welding outside or heavy steel; DC is smoother than AC.
Cheap Vevor plasma cutter does well on cutting sheet metal floor and quarter panels.
I with you, Tony, I love flux core.
My 💔 93LX got hit by Ian
Way out past S Bfegypt FL
In the Jungle...
I've got to put a new floor in it /
And of course turn every screw on it again ( 4th time )
Ty for this one// you just fixed it for me...
I'll sleep better tonight
😎
🤙
The titanium welder is awesome! I'm not advertising for them just saying I've used countless different welders and it's an amazing bang for the buck!
YES INDEED! Fifty years ago, on the farm, it was either stick welds done with an AC buzz box or bronze. Several years ago my cousin, a welder/pipe fitter by trade, helped me build a new shop and shamed me into buying a MIG welding machine.
Spot on, Tony. I’ve had my head in a bucket, staring at a puddle of molten metal for near as dammit, 50 years. Nothing wrong with flux core and in some cases, (especially with gal) it’s actually better. If you need good penetration, it’s a lot easier to run a vertical up with the flux core wire.
Another Great Video , Thx for it , the price of gasses is crazy high even the argon mix for mig , I have everything except tig , a heavy stick welder still comes in handy but not everyone has 220 in the home shop , my gas bottles for oxy are the next size up from yours an cost a few hundred to fill here so it's watching dollar bills fly by using them , the flux core with being able to carry it around is a real game changer , i worked on the line in metal for Chrysler mig welding for years and you can still get great welds with those cheap flux core welders if you give yourself a chance with them imho
Yeah the gas welding I really liked doing and produced some nice clean and strong welds. Then came stick and then bought a Hobart MIG. I prefer the gas shield but also run flux core wire.
I run my flux welder off of 2000w power inverters that are mounted in my Jeep and Pickup when I need to weld something away from the house. That's what's nice about it being 110v.
I wish I had that skill. I thought bout taking a course at a local community college, but that got away from me. It’s all too late for me now, and it kills me that I never got a race car together. I’ve helped so many other guys build there’s, but Auto Parts in AZ doesn’t pay well. When I finally got a job in electronics and was make money, my in-laws were needing help. The VA wouldn’t process their applications for the health care they were due. My father in law passed way, it before he did we had paid around $50k for his care. Next came my mother in law. We lost at least $130k! And I never did get a project going. But, I have to agree that learning to weld is one of the best things you can do for this hobby.
Tony your gonna love the titanium... lifelong career in collision repair started pre mig with torches but when high strength steel became the thing we had to have migs an I was partial to lincolns. After I retired I bought a Lincoln mini to hobby with, unfortunately it was stolen so i picked up a titanium... very impressed an it was often loaned out to buddies who were also very impressed . That one was lost when my buddies shop was burned down by his old lady so I bought another. The inverter tech makes em a pleasure to use as they are so light. I also hear of a similar unit called the EZ welder which I guess has a little more duty cycle..similer price.
I bought small inverter stick machine over 10 years ago and that thing has seen so much use It is unreal. You can take it pretty much anywhere and weld absolutely anything. I grew up on a farm so stick was the default, flux core for sheet metal and mig on Sundays.
Never heard of Sundays being mig day. Lol
I agree! The inverter is the best part of the 125. It makes for much more power while reducing the overall weight of the welder itself.
Hey Tony,
Tim here, I remember "Fluxy"........I remember when u had to retire her...........been a sub'r that long.......not that u care, but I'm a MIG guy.......its ok.....I dig it all!!
I have an early 60s Century 110 stick machine and never needed anything else. Now I do.
I have the titanium welder and have never welded before this summer. Let me just say it's a great purchase. The only thing that I don't like about it is it takes a lot of practice to use it on rusty(prepped) sheet metal but you get the hang of it. I've found it your new take a piece of scrap from what your working on and practice on that first before touching your project
This is what is holding me up on my 70 GTX. I have all the parts. I have prepped and primed the body. I just need the floor pan behind the driver welded in and the two piece trunk pan welded. I have the trunk pan and floor pan. I have also cot everything out. I even have a welder. And I have tried my hand. But have not been successful yet. I am waiting on a guy to come by and give me an estimate. The car needs to be rolled back to the shop. And I sure do want to know the cost. I might try my hand at this again. Thanks Uncle Tony for another very useful lesson in Auto University.
What part of the country are you in? I've installed 4 complete B-body floor pans from AMD. The hardest part about the whole job is the prep work. Cleaning the surfaces, drilling holes for plug welds, trimming, tucking, etc. The welding itself is gravy!
@ I am not a welder. I am mechanical and I can spray primer and paint. I live in North Carolina and have access to many fine body shops. I even have a 220 bolt welder. Just no training. I have been watching videos and will try my hand at it again. Prior attempt have been unsuccessful. So we shall see😂
Start practicing on scrap metal
Of same thickness and stick with it till you get it.
@@mikeheggem9488 thank you. I will give it a try. I know that is a good way to become familiar with our tools of the trade. I guess I will knock off the dust and give it a try.
I've never regretted taking welding in highschool, I just helped my grandfather weld in his tractor burned about 20 pounds of 7018 I also like flux core
HF titanium flux core (115v) has been awesome. Night wrencher helped me a ton, also an auto darkening helmet.
I've had a flux core Lincoln welder for about 15 years. Yes, it's the way to go.
Hello Tony Happy new Year to you and your family Thanks!
Thank you, and Happy New Year to you as well!
I'm a welder a good tack is a three count to take any weight until you figure it out the best welding is from all the prep you make the surface clean clean clean no rust or oil grease etc then figure out the set up of your machine and then your travel speed I love to teach this to people who think they know and those that are just getting started
Just taking up welding now, prep, like many trades, seems to be huge in getting a proper weld
thanks Tony.. I needed some reassurance about flux core bodywork.... besides the demurrage on the cylinder was breaking the bank.
Another cool thing about some of those small flux core welders is they can be powered off like a Honda eu2200i portable generator .
I got a Hobart Handler 100 amp flux core welder and the Honda can power it as the welder is only 100 amps , I've been able to weld a lot of different stuff even though the welder is only 100 amps ,
If I wanted to weld some thicker stuff like car frames I could probably buy the Hobart Handler 140 and then power it from 2 Honda eu2200i run in parallel
Have never used flux core, been welding for 35 years. HAVE had to repair a flux core mess more than once.
TIG welding, can do it all. My MIG setup is very rarely used, haven't needed to repair or build a trailer for an age. If you need to weld in a hurricane, I am sorry.
You have such a great point about learning to weld, I have made a good living TIG welding. I love welding, building, and repairing. LOVE IT!!
Very good welder had mine for years. I just welded a bar in my car so I could use a 4 ton jack to push the door striker area and quarter out 2 inches. bacon frying
Amazon has flux core only welders for less than $100.00. I have a Yeswelder that is a combination welder for $225.00 and I like it. It does Flux Core, Mig, Touch Tig, and stick welding. 110 or 220 Volt capable machine.
Tony, you'll retire your Chicago Electric once you get the hang of the 125. The inverter makes the difference. I'm a certified welder and have been for 20+ years. I have a sweet Miller mig/tig 220V combo and I use the Titanium 125 way more often on my car projects. ESPECIALLY on thin steel/sheet metal! One of the few good tools from Harbor Freight. I recommend it bigtime.
Tony, I've been using a Lincoln flux core welder since the late 90's and it's still going strong even after 5 frame off or rotisserie ground up builds. Works very well for thicker metal but care needs to be taken when welding thinner sheet metal body parts. It can be done but requires a bit of practice. Same Lincoln welder I started with and it just won't die. I have a gas MIG welder but very rarely use it.
Flux core can make nice welds. Just need to clean off the flux afterwards, similar to stick weld. I've used primer in place of anti-spatter spray. I prime the parts all over and then remove the primer where the weld is going to be. Most of the spatter comes off pretty easily.
Flux core defiantly has its place. I used to use the cheap machines like that to. But the lack of heat setting choice other than high and low is what killed it for me. It was never doing exactly what i wanted it to do. I bought a used mig welder and i dig it. If i do find myself outside ill often bust out the old ac buzz box with some 6011.
I have been shopping around for a welder to work on my wife's Jeep(Project Tetanus). Gonna definitely be looking at these.
I’ve got a firepower brand welder, (probably from 2005, ish), it was left to me by my dad and I used it simply cause it was all I had. Having now put numerous rolls of wire through it, doing anything from exhaust, farm equipment, and light frame welding, I gotta say, I’m impressed. Most of my welding is done outside in the dirt and elements, I drag it wherever I need it, plug it in and it just plain works. Even when I get a nice 220, I’ll always have that little welder for field repairs.
Thank you for this video man. As a young man in his 20's I wish I would've took welding in tech school. I could tear a car down to nothing, tear a motor apart and put it back together, never attempted to weld. I'm sure my day is coming lol
Flux core is good especially for filling gaps but my number one go to is stick welder and second would be oxy/acetylene, third flux core and last is MIG because of the inability to use it outside a controlled environment, e.g. ,the wind which blows the shielding gas away.
This is a great overview and good advise for everyday use for the average guy , I would just add although I completely agree flux core is not ideal for thin sheetmetal/Body work but yeah I want the ESAB ic205 !
My Uncle has an .045" wire 220V core wire machine that is a MIG as it uses sheilding gas as well.
If you need fast, HOT/penetrating welds that thing is magic.
It's AWESOME for building off-road bumers and such.
It does produce A LOT of big, hot splatter that You have to grind off.
PAM cooking spray is a great substitute for anti splatter spray and I buy the Great Value kind at WallyWorld as it's super cheap. The Titanium 125 uses .030 or .035 wire and runs on 110V as opposed to your uncle's which runs on 220V w/.045 wire. Same result after a bit of practice and getting used to the right wire speed.