110v fluxcore vs 6010 P5

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Did some practice welds with my Lincoln 125 with lincoln flux core, and some with my Hobart Stickmate.  Did a couple fillets and a couple but welds.  No bevels, No gaps.  All 3/8 inch plate.  For the record, im a pipe welder by day, certified in tig an stick and soon to be testing for  mig and fluxcore  i was just messing around with my subpar home equipment todayFirst: A fillet with the lincoln wirefeederAlmost tied in at the toes.  Ran super slow and w/ very slight weave.Settings:Cut in half:Sides tied in, but no penetrationNow 6010 p5,  Set at around 100A DC E+  Stepped like you would in a open root weldCut in half:Pic makes it look better than it is.  It penetrated ab halfway throughHorizontal butt weld, no gap, 6010 on the bottom, Fluxcore on the topOther half of couponPicture tells it all.All in all, i think a lot of people dont give the 110v machines enough credit.  Many people say they arent even good for 1/8.  Im confident that i could make a 100% sound weld on 3/16 with this fluxcore machine. I think 1/8 is probably max thickness for one of the weldpack100s or the hf 90amp, and probably solid wire would decrease the max thickness too.  Obviously, its not suitable for welding equipment traillers or hitches or anything that is 1/4in or thicker that requires 100% strength, but he11 give the things a lttle credit.  I see no problem using it on thick steel if it is a peice that cannot really fail, or something that if it did fail it would presnt no danger.  My thing is use common sense people  Dont weld anything critical if you cant make perfect welds on whatever you need to weld.  And dont weld 1/4 inch or thicker with a 110volt mig if its something structural. (Trailer frames/hitches, Recovery/Tie down points, Lifting devices, etc are all no nos)220V AC/DC Stick MachineLincoln 125HDChop Saw, Grinders, Etc.Air CompressorTons of Hand ToolsFab Table, Half Bar Grate, Half Solid w/ Sears Vice
Reply:ok, so correct me if I'm wrong, but you think that the fluxcore 110v wire feed welds shown above are strong welds? the butt welds don't penitrate the base metal even a half as much as it is built up above it, and the fillets don't even get into root of the base metal at the joint, just on either side of the joint. Take a hammer to those fillet welds and see how strong they are. Now don't get me wrong, I understand that the 110v wire feeds have a time an a place and they aren't given the credit that they are due. but they need the proper prep for the useage. which I don't see in this case. I agree that you can weld 3/16 with a 110v wirefeed. in fact I've done it. but just a simple visual comparison of your welds shows that the flux core is inferior to the stick welds shown. with at least 3x the penetration on the butt weld and a filled root with the fillets.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Maybe i worded it wrong, but i agree 100% with you and that was the point of the test.  To show that the 110v machines are absolutely not strong enogh to weld 1/4 in or thicker if it is a load bearing setting, but they are plenty good enough for basic homeowner repairs and things like that assuming your skills are good enough.Im a proffesional welder all day in a pipe fab shop, but i still really like having the small wirefeeder at home too, because in capable hands its a quick easy welding machine for mower decks or whathaveyou.  All you do is plug it in any outlet, string an extension cord from wherever, and bingo your welding.Just use proper judgement when you use it because the pics dont lie.  Its not near as powerful as a bigger welder220V AC/DC Stick MachineLincoln 125HDChop Saw, Grinders, Etc.Air CompressorTons of Hand ToolsFab Table, Half Bar Grate, Half Solid w/ Sears Vice
Reply:Originally Posted by mlasal1Maybe i worded it wrong, but i agree 100% with you and that was the point of the test.  To show that the 110v machines are absolutely not strong enogh to weld 1/4 in or thicker if it is a load bearing setting, but they are plenty good enough for basic homeowner repairs and things like that assuming your skills are good enough.
Reply:Well said.  And I agree 100% too.  I just hate seeing guys get shot down an either never attempting projects or just doing them an not asking for advice cuz they dont wanna get flamed.  Im 20yrs old. I was in the same boat less than two years ago.  I was in high school, always wanted to weld an bought a welder an made bird **** for a while till i got the oportunity to start a great job where im getting on the job training and learning new things every day.  Now within the next 12months ill be certified in four procedures on any steel and alloy they make pipe out of.  I know you feel like your saving the world when you tell some new guy that hes not good enough to do that particular thing, but really hes gonna do it anyway soley because someone told him he couldnt.  An hes not gonna ask for advice cuz he doesnt want to get shot down220V AC/DC Stick MachineLincoln 125HDChop Saw, Grinders, Etc.Air CompressorTons of Hand ToolsFab Table, Half Bar Grate, Half Solid w/ Sears Vice
Reply:I have friends that have put many a cages (125 wall mild tubing) and suspension components in with 135 amp migs. None of them ever had a problem. These welders excel at welding 1/8 inch and under and do pretty good with 3/16.  There are about 500 mustangs rolling around my town that have had work done with a 110 volt mig and for the most part they seem to be holding up just fine.
Reply:I agree with all that's been said mostly I guess.I fooled around with the same thing on this deal I'm making.  Pics are somewhere in the thread http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=271611Only problem is that it might suggest that these machines will do more than they're meant to do.There's too many guys out there that WANT to believe that the little machines are better than they are.BTW, the only way to do a real penetration test is to use some sort of dye, or acid etching, I believe.  I would imagine x-ray might show penetration too, but I'm not sure.  I think the actual scientific tests are able to distinguish between filler metal and parent metal.  I think the saw test will show that there was fusion, but fusion isn't necessarily penetration."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I agree with farmersamm.Someguys (including myself, but never on anything important) push those little welders way too far. I got a buddy that just narrowed a rearend with one. Now the axle tubes are only like 3/16 but the new ends he welded on were forged and were 1/2 inch thick at the weld point.  Theres no way he got penetration! I even offered to let him use my lincoln or take it up to school and use the mm350 with dual sheild. He just wasn't having it! Just stuck em on and welded em, no preheat or nothin.Its only a 850 hp big block! Lol and all the housing ends do is hold the axles in and hold the brake calipers....no big deal right? Lmao! I just hope it holds together at the big end when he smashes the brakes at 140 mph..... Glad he has a pro built, tig welded cage!
Reply:What would prevent you from welding thicker material if you beveled and used multiple passes?Also, from the chart inside my MIG, you can do a bit thicker with flux core than solid wire. Don't know if that's universally true of MIG vs. FCAW or not.PapaLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:polish it up to 3 micron and dip it in 50% nitric acid for 8 seconds then look under a microscopeif you really want to see whats going on with the weld and base metalMiller Xmt 350Lincoln Ln-25Ahp 200xSmith Gas Mixer AR/HTig is my Kung FuThrowing down dimes and weaving aboutInstagram http://instagram.com/[email protected]
Reply:Originally Posted by papaharley03What would prevent you from welding thicker material if you beveled and used multiple passes?Also, from the chart inside my MIG, you can do a bit thicker with flux core than solid wire. Don't know if that's universally true of MIG vs. FCAW or not.Papa
Reply:If you want to see how much fusion or lack of you have, cut the welded plates into 1/2" wide pieces and side bend them with a jig and a press.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWAs far as thicker with FC vs mig, that is true with small machines, but once you step up into larger machines that difference sort of goes away.
Reply:I wasn't really thinking dual shield. I was more thinking standard FC vs solid wire in typical 200 to maybe 250 amp class cabinet migs that are usually the most the average guy here will ever use. I doubt most guys here would ever run a wire larger than say .035 in their machines except guys doing heavy work commercially. You start pumping almost any wire out at 300+ amps and penetration is going to be pretty decent..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI wasn't really thinking dual shield. I was more thinking standard FC vs solid wire in typical 200 to maybe 250 amp class cabinet migs that are usually the most the average guy here will ever use. I doubt most guys here would ever run a wire larger than say .035 in their machines except guys doing heavy work commercially. You start pumping almost any wire out at 300+ amps and penetration is going to be pretty decent.
Reply:I'm not sure I could trust one for welding any thing thicker than 14 ga. and even then I would look the welds over closely. I do all the welding for the local powder coater, his personal stuff as well as all the repairs on stuff that comes in. He brings projects to the shop weekly, that people have built and they literally fall apart when he is sand blasting and handling them. It's really sad to look at these things and think that people built them and really thought the welds were good.
Reply:Meh, anymore I am just a hobby welder. But I have a PowerMig 350MP.....lolMy TIG only goes up to 340amps too, so I am not really qualified to speak for pro welders.But if you notice my signature, I do have a small 110v HD weldpak. I use it a lot. I has it's uses, that's for sure.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain