YESWELDER ARC Welder 205Amp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086SNKTTK...BTLXn4rVUmL8hg
I have a HF wire feed welder that I have had about 4 or 5 years; I had it for a year or so before I started using it - because I got so busy with other “house fixing” projects that did not need welding. Then I started using HF’s low end spool-wire feed welder. I was not used to wire feed. I started with powerful stick/arc welders back in the late ‘50s fixing farm implement breaks. My dad said I was a much better welder than he was or most other welders he knew at commercial shops. I did win my one and only welding contest in a MS regional FFA welding meeting. I was self taught before we had internet! It just came natural to me.
I didn’t do much welding from the late 60’s until the mid to late ‘90s when I bought a cheap small portable 100V welder in Japan and fixed things for neighbors, missionaries and for a missionary kid school over there. That was a very weak welder at its best, but I managed to get things done.
Then I bought the HF wire feed welder in about 2015 or 2016 after I came back home. Very similar to this one: https://www.harborfreight.com/flux-1...der-63582.html
I was NOT used to “wire feed” particularly the tiny tiny wire compared to "stick" rods. It Takes forever to build up a good strong weld with wire feed. After using the wire feed last week trying to weld some clips onto a bar magnet so that I could attach the bar magnet to the sides of my tool tote boxes, I managed to make one magnet work “ok,” but not great.
After using that for that project, I knew I needed something better, but I did not want to put out the cost of professional welders beginning at $500+, I did some research and decided on the YESWELDER, a brand I had never heard of, but I did find some information that the headquarters (maybe the USA headquarters) was in Boulder, Colorado. I looked at three different brands but this one kept coming back to mind and it had some very good reviews.
I ordered it through Amazon and I also contacted the company with a couple of questions. I got a quick response, which helped my opinion of the company.
I got the welder last week, but did not get to use it until yesterday. The welder is MUCH smaller than I expected it to be, about half the size of the HF wire feed welder. I wondered if it would be powerful enough and should I stick to 1/16 in rods, which I did not have. I only hand 3/32 6011, 6013 and 7014 rods which I had picked up in a couple of different places over the weekend because no one had the 1/16 inch rods. The reviewers kept saying that small welder had the power to do 3/32 and even 1/8 rods on a 60/40 duty cycle. BTW, the cables were not the size of commercial welder cables but bigger and more heavy duty than the ones I have seen on the small HF welders. I was impressed with the cables and the welder itself for fit and finish as compared to HF stuff.
I have a Craftsman LT1000 lawn tractor that has a weld crack on the front axle assembly which allows the right front wheel to wallow in place. If I take it easy, I can cut the 1/2 acre OK, but I really needed to get the axle housing fixed with all the trees I have to maneuver around.
I hooked the welder up to 220V and used 3/32 and set the settings to 150. Immediate burn though the 3/32 housing. I turned it down to 125; another burn through the 3/32 housing of the axle brace. Then down to 85, - it did fair but too low; back up to 95 and it was like laying spackle on a wall with a good spackle knife.
After using it, I was convinced that it would be able to handle 1/8 inch rods easily. I was impressed with this little welder and it is small enough to be easily portable. I don’t know what kind of power it has with 120V though. In most situations of portability, I doubt that I could have close access to 220.
NOW A QUESTION OR 2: I read one review on one welder that said something to the effect: “I gave up welding with rods; Wire feed is the only way to go!”
What is so good about "wire feed"? Does it lay down as much metal and as go as deep as rods do? Is it as fast? Are they as strong?
I understand the fact that wire feed is continuous and rods are: weld/stop add rod, weld, stop, add rod. I never had a problem with that, but my experience with wire feed on the HF is that it is slower and does not put down as wide a bead or as deep and doesn't cover gaps like rods do. - Unless maybe if there are industrial sizes that have bigger wire and fast feeds.
What am I missing with the advantages of spool wire feed?
Opinions are welcome.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086SNKTTK...BTLXn4rVUmL8hg
I have a HF wire feed welder that I have had about 4 or 5 years; I had it for a year or so before I started using it - because I got so busy with other “house fixing” projects that did not need welding. Then I started using HF’s low end spool-wire feed welder. I was not used to wire feed. I started with powerful stick/arc welders back in the late ‘50s fixing farm implement breaks. My dad said I was a much better welder than he was or most other welders he knew at commercial shops. I did win my one and only welding contest in a MS regional FFA welding meeting. I was self taught before we had internet! It just came natural to me.
I didn’t do much welding from the late 60’s until the mid to late ‘90s when I bought a cheap small portable 100V welder in Japan and fixed things for neighbors, missionaries and for a missionary kid school over there. That was a very weak welder at its best, but I managed to get things done.
Then I bought the HF wire feed welder in about 2015 or 2016 after I came back home. Very similar to this one: https://www.harborfreight.com/flux-1...der-63582.html
I was NOT used to “wire feed” particularly the tiny tiny wire compared to "stick" rods. It Takes forever to build up a good strong weld with wire feed. After using the wire feed last week trying to weld some clips onto a bar magnet so that I could attach the bar magnet to the sides of my tool tote boxes, I managed to make one magnet work “ok,” but not great.
After using that for that project, I knew I needed something better, but I did not want to put out the cost of professional welders beginning at $500+, I did some research and decided on the YESWELDER, a brand I had never heard of, but I did find some information that the headquarters (maybe the USA headquarters) was in Boulder, Colorado. I looked at three different brands but this one kept coming back to mind and it had some very good reviews.
I ordered it through Amazon and I also contacted the company with a couple of questions. I got a quick response, which helped my opinion of the company.
I got the welder last week, but did not get to use it until yesterday. The welder is MUCH smaller than I expected it to be, about half the size of the HF wire feed welder. I wondered if it would be powerful enough and should I stick to 1/16 in rods, which I did not have. I only hand 3/32 6011, 6013 and 7014 rods which I had picked up in a couple of different places over the weekend because no one had the 1/16 inch rods. The reviewers kept saying that small welder had the power to do 3/32 and even 1/8 rods on a 60/40 duty cycle. BTW, the cables were not the size of commercial welder cables but bigger and more heavy duty than the ones I have seen on the small HF welders. I was impressed with the cables and the welder itself for fit and finish as compared to HF stuff.
I have a Craftsman LT1000 lawn tractor that has a weld crack on the front axle assembly which allows the right front wheel to wallow in place. If I take it easy, I can cut the 1/2 acre OK, but I really needed to get the axle housing fixed with all the trees I have to maneuver around.
I hooked the welder up to 220V and used 3/32 and set the settings to 150. Immediate burn though the 3/32 housing. I turned it down to 125; another burn through the 3/32 housing of the axle brace. Then down to 85, - it did fair but too low; back up to 95 and it was like laying spackle on a wall with a good spackle knife.
After using it, I was convinced that it would be able to handle 1/8 inch rods easily. I was impressed with this little welder and it is small enough to be easily portable. I don’t know what kind of power it has with 120V though. In most situations of portability, I doubt that I could have close access to 220.
NOW A QUESTION OR 2: I read one review on one welder that said something to the effect: “I gave up welding with rods; Wire feed is the only way to go!”
What is so good about "wire feed"? Does it lay down as much metal and as go as deep as rods do? Is it as fast? Are they as strong?
I understand the fact that wire feed is continuous and rods are: weld/stop add rod, weld, stop, add rod. I never had a problem with that, but my experience with wire feed on the HF is that it is slower and does not put down as wide a bead or as deep and doesn't cover gaps like rods do. - Unless maybe if there are industrial sizes that have bigger wire and fast feeds.
What am I missing with the advantages of spool wire feed?
Opinions are welcome.
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