Take a look at what a hf 90 amper will do

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A while back I posted on this site that the HF 90 amp welder is a good deal for $100. I said I made a grinder stand out of 3 inch square tube welded to a 1 inch plate for the base. A lot of people wouldn't believe me so they wanted to see pictures. I had to leave town to take care of my mother as she was dieing from cancer so couldn't post any pictures. She died on 7-7 so I am just now getting back home to my normal routine. Last night I welded a T joint and the base is 1/2 inch plate and the upright is 1/4 plate and I didn't taper the edge of the upright. After it cooled I bent the upright over to a 90 degree angle to see if the weld would hold. I guess a picture is worth a thousand words. I don't know if the pics show the wet in on the base but it is 1/2 inch on either side of the upright. With a few modifications and a good technique these welders will do quite well. I do realize they are for home use and not for building bridges or shop use. They are what they are a cheap starter welder for the guy or girl that welds 6 to 12 times a year. But don't underestimate these little welders they are a good deal and when they break toss it in the trash and buy a new one. I have had mine since 2008 but I have four expensive welders that get most of the welding so my HF 90 amper hasn't had a lot of use. I can't say anything on how long it would last under hard use. Attached Images
Reply:Now cut it in half and show us the penetration.
Reply:Your bending it the wrong way, your supposed to bend the weld over onto itself.Ryan_______________________OF COURSE I DON'T LOOK BUSY... I DID IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME
Reply:He may have welded both sides..... top pass looks pretty cold to me in any event.  Having said that I've seen plenty of ugly welds that held just fine even when bent across the weld into a 180
Reply:Originally Posted by kaferhausHe may have welded both sides..... top pass looks pretty cold to me in any event.  Having said that I've seen plenty of ugly welds that held just fine even when bent across the weld into a 180
Reply:Sorry about your Mother.In my opinion (based on ignorance) it looks like a usable light duty welder.  Common sense would keep any one from trying to do "code welding" with your light duty welder.  Some of us occasionally forget to remember that within their limitations, equipment from Harbor Freight will serve for its intended purpose; not for what what we wish it could do.I offer three choices: Good, Fast, & Cheap. You may pick two.Hobart AC/DC StikMate LXHarbor Freight AD HoodHarbor Freight Industrial Chop SawDeVilbis 20 Gallon, 5 HP Compressor
Reply:Nadogail,Well said. I was trying to say these welders are not for professional use. They do fill the need for a person that needs to make two or three light duty welds in a year. In skilled hands they can do a little better than what most people give them credit for.
Reply:Guys...this isn't code welding or cert coupons. Why does he need to cut the weld in half or bend? It was used for a grinder stand and I'd guess that it is more than an adequate machine for these types of projects. As long as it is not used to weld on projects that could possibly cause harm to self or others (i.e trailers, etc) why be so negitive and beat the guys work to pieces? I think that he is aware of it's capabilities.StephenMillermatic 251Miller Syncrowave 200Miller 30A SpoolgunHypertherm Powermax 30Etc., etc., etc.............Cancer Sucks!
Reply:Bending helps you learn how well YOU can weld even with a limited system. It's consistent feedback you can do yourself and the ideal way to monitor personal progress because bend tests don't lie.
Reply:Originally Posted by goinssr I think that he is aware of it's capabilities.
Reply:What he said ^^^^^^+1
Reply:With a 90 amp machine welding stick, I would limit myself to 1/8 and down welding with a 3/32.  The duty cycle will get you if you have too much welding to do near 1/8.  that said, I doubt those little machines reach a full 90 consitently.  so you milage may vary from machine to machine.
Reply:Also looks like he heated it to bend it.....
Reply:for only a few dollars more you can buy proven good quality equipment, why pay $100 to HF for a $20 dollar welder. HF tools are for loaning and grab bags, Good men have good tools. I wouldn't use a phillips screwdriver to turn straight slotted screws, why would I use 90 amps on 1/2 inch. Your demo would have been better apreciated on a 1/8 piece of sheet metal. A good used Lincoln AC is better than any HF. To many people have fallen into the chinese made trap of buy it and throw it away get a new one. Costs the same in the end. Try a HF electrical meter some time if you dare stick it in and outlet LOL."Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum"Lincoln Idealarc 250 AC/DCMillermatic 251   Syncrowave 300   30A spoolgunLincoln MP210Hypertherm 45(2) LN 25(2) Lincoln Weldanpower 225 CV(4) SA200   1 short hood    SA250    SAM 400
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI seriously doubt he does. If he did, there's no way he'd show something like this. People who think little machines are suitable for welding heavy steel have no idea what they are talking about. Yes these machines stick metal together, but thats not a "weld".
Reply:Originally Posted by kaferhausAlso looks like he heated it to bend it.....
Reply:[QUOTE=goinssr;538256]remember that a good looking weld is not always a good weld and a good weld is not always a good looking weld. I agree that 110V machines aren't much more than glue guns but I think that the point that the OP is trying to make is that they may be capable of just a liitle more than they are given credit for. I agree that 1/8" should be the max thickness for this machine but as stated above ....  I think that the point that the OP is trying to make is that they may be capable of just a liitle more than they are given credit for. You and I have different definitions of a good weld then my friend. A good sound weld should also be asthetically pleasing. I've seen piles of bird $hit that hold but are not what I would consider a 'good weld.'
Reply:You and I have different definitions of a good weld then my friend. A good sound weld should also be asthetically pleasing. I've seen piles of bird $hit that hold but are not what I would consider a 'good weld.'
Reply:[quote=BCTimberwolf;538259] Originally Posted by goinssrremember that a good looking weld is not always a good weld and a good weld is not always a good looking weld. I agree that 110V machines aren't much more than glue guns but I think that the point that the OP is trying to make is that they may be capable of just a liitle more than they are given credit for. I agree that 1/8" should be the max thickness for this machine but as stated above ....  I think that the point that the OP is trying to make is that they may be capable of just a liitle more than they are given credit for. You and I have different definitions of a good weld then my friend. A good sound weld should also be asthetically pleasing. I've seen piles of bird $hit that hold but are not what I would consider a 'good weld.'
Reply:Kids, lets be nice to each other. I didn't mean to open this can of worms. I was asked to show some pictures so I did. For those of you that think I heated the metal to bend it I did not do that. I did use a wire wheel on my angle grinder to brush the flux off and that's all. My point was to show these little welders fill a need for people that can't or don't want to spend lots of money to make a few light welds a year. I don't use this welder for welding but I like to have it around so the neighbor kids can come over and try to weld. And for my welds looking so ugly I have never seen a good looking flux cored weld. I use gas when mig welding and they look much better and I have never had a weld fail. I would not consider my self a pro so I would never criticize anyone.Thanks to all that responded.
Reply:damn you just had to go there.... Some of the smoothest most beautiful welds you will see are flux core.  the hobart fabshield 23 leaves a bead with smooth fine ripples almost like 7018. Hit it real quick with a wire wheel and it's smooth and shiny as can be
Reply:BC, you could be right as I have never used fabsheild 23 before. My LWS doesn't have that wire but to be honest I don't weld with flux cored wire very often. The welds I made in the pics was with the chinese wire that came with the welder and from what I have read that's not very good wire for flux cored welding.
Reply:I see no reason you couldn't build a bridge with this welder, it would just take a while burning smaller rod.Welding/Fab Pics: www.UtahWeld.com
Reply:I'm just bustin your balls...but quality fc wires run real nice and will deposit a stron and asthetically pleasing bead when used correctly. Go look at a new CAT machine...they use fluxcore for it's production and penetration capabilities
Reply:Originally Posted by BCTimberwolfdamn you just had to go there.... Some of the smoothest most beautiful welds you will see are flux core.  the hobart fabshield 23 leaves a bead with smooth fine ripples almost like 7018. Hit it real quick with a wire wheel and it's smooth and shiny as can beWell said California. I have been asked to do more test welds on 3/16 and do some bend tests. If it cools down I'll try to get some pics up of my weld tests. This is just for fun and if I get time I will get some Hobart wire so I don't have to use the chinese wire that came with the welder. That stuff smokes really bad.