Info on small welding machine [Super Deal Black Commercial MIG 130 AC ]

[SmithDoor]

Any one ever used the Super Deal Black Commercial MIG 130 AC Flux Core Wire Automatic Feed Welder Welding Machine

Dave

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XXVFH2Y/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Tanshanomi]

Flux core gives more penetration per amp but crappy, jinky-looking welds. I wouldn't buy anything that couldn't at least be upgraded to gas shielding.

 

[Tanshanomi]

Just went and looked at the specs - 10% DUTY CYCLE @ 120 amps. Whoa.

 

[DJP]

I have one that is similar. It's OK for thin materials that a stick welder cannot handle. Mine has a gas system connection with regulator but Argon mix for home/hobby use is too expensive so I use flux cored wire.

With practise you can make it work but it really needs shielding gas to make nice welds.

Instead of flowing a weld puddle towards you as with stick welding, flow away from you with wire welding. You should get better results.

 

[Wizard69]

Any one ever used the Super Deal Black Commercial MIG 130 AC Flux Core Wire Automatic Feed Welder Welding Machine



Dave

Nope! The question you need to ask yourself is what do you expect to do with it.

Years ago I purchased a Lincoln SP 175 Plus. This is a small 220 VAC machine and of late use it mostly for flux core welding. I went this route because it was just about all my electrical service can handle. If it wasn't for that I might have went bigger.

Part of what drove me to Lincoln was comments about MIG and flux core welders on the various welding forums. At the time the opinion was that the vast majority of the wire welders from China are in fact junk. This was collaborated with opinions from people I know locally.

This was some time ago so I can't remember the forum, but one of the professionals had tried out a number of welders from Harbor Freight and found the wire welders to be particularly useless. He did have a pretty good opinion for one of the stick welders though. A lot has changed since but few buy import wire welders and end up satisfied. For inverter based TIG and stick welders it is a different story.

So I'm going to suggest finding a different path. Also power is a real issue with welders, 120 VAC welders are extremely limited no matter who makes them. You really have to have very focused usage in mind to go with a 120 VAC wire welder. Personally I wouldn't buy one but then again I do work with heavier steel from time to time.

 

[SmithDoor]

I working with 18 ga. to 1/8 steel only need to weld a few times a year today I am using a torch for welding

The price is great only $94.00 with shipping
I also looking at size I have had mig welder over 250 amp just to big for size of shop I have today

Thank you for your help

Dave

Nope! The question you need to ask yourself is what do you expect to do with it.

Years ago I purchased a Lincoln SP 175 Plus. This is a small 220 VAC machine and of late use it mostly for flux core welding. I went this route because it was just about all my electrical service can handle. If it wasn't for that I might have went bigger.

Part of what drove me to Lincoln was comments about MIG and flux core welders on the various welding forums. At the time the opinion was that the vast majority of the wire welders from China are in fact junk. This was collaborated with opinions from people I know locally.

This was some time ago so I can't remember the forum, but one of the professionals had tried out a number of welders from Harbor Freight and found the wire welders to be particularly useless. He did have a pretty good opinion for one of the stick welders though. A lot has changed since but few buy import wire welders and end up satisfied. For inverter based TIG and stick welders it is a different story.

So I'm going to suggest finding a different path. Also power is a real issue with welders, 120 VAC welders are extremely limited no matter who makes them. You really have to have very focused usage in mind to go with a 120 VAC wire welder. Personally I wouldn't buy one but then again I do work with heavier steel from time to time.

 

[jayville]

I,ve had a Lincoln 175 sp for 15 years ...great little welder.its good enough for me at home ...and I am a boilermaker..you can always turn a larger welder down to suit light work...but you can't turn a smaller up to suit work that is a bit heavier...clem

 

[vederstein]

I had one that looked just like it. As people have mentioned earlier, it will work with thin materials and the welds aren't pretty. But you can get two materials to stick to each other.

My biggest issue was getting replacement parts. It's next to impossible. This thing is a throw away.

As always with any significant tool purchase, buy the best you can afford.

I eventually gave mine to my brother in law and purchased a much higher quality (much more expensive too) welder and the difference was immense in the capability and quality of the welds.

...Ved.

 

[DJP]

The quality and ease of use of welding machines dropped when copper coils were changed to aluminium for cost reduction.

The bigger issue is that without constant practice any welder will produce poor results. There is a touch that has to be learned and maintained. If you are using the same 1/8 plate for most of your work and welds are horizontal you should be able to get the job down with any welder, in my opinion. 6013/7014 are called idiot rods for a reason and its the same for wire.

Wire welders are intended to be used with shielding gas and this is where I tired alternatives to keep costs down. A couple of SCUBA tanks could have been certified and used for Argon mix as I was hoping to use my wire welder for stainless steel. The gas suppliers have all of the power and they refused to help hobby guy.

My skill is with stick welding but when the current won't go low enough and the material is sheet metal my small and cheap 240VAC wire welder gets the job done.

Perhaps if you were to buy only one welder the decision may be different but why not have a collection of them? One for portability to a job site, one in the welding shop for big jobs and a wire welder for sheet metal plus a torch for
brazing.

All of my welders run on 240VAC with different input current requirements. A simple solution for portability is the run two extension cords into a house and find circuits on opposites sides of the line (L1 and L2). Combine these in a 240VAC receptacle for the welder and add a neon lamp from a stove. It works just fine.

I agree that you should buy the best tool that you can afford but it's hard to justify such a tool when it sits unused most of its life. I know the dilemma.

On the other hand if you are building up a collection for your kids and grandkids, go for the best. It's still their inheritance just in tools instead of cash.

 

[Wizard69]

I working with 18 ga. to 1/8 steel only need to weld a few times a year today I am using a torch for welding



The price is great only $94.00 with shipping

I also looking at size I have had mig welder over 250 amp just to big for size of shop I have today



Thank you for your help



Dave

I'd still go looking for something that isn't an import, the general opinion is that the wire welders simply don't work as well as the US made brands. There are several very portable US brands of wire welders available.

As for too big that can be a problem with welders as they quickly become candidates for forklifts. However the minute you need to do heavier material in the future you are screwed with the 120 VAC models. You also lose if you want to use it for an extended period of time. If you know absolutely positively for sure sheet metal is the only stuff you will be welding you might be OK. The thing is once you have a welder all sorts of unplanned things pop up.

In any event I can't say much about that specific model other than I wouldn't go that route due to the negative reputation Chinese wire welders have.

 

[ShopShoe]

I was in your spot several years ago. I ended up going with Lincoln and I have never been sorry. I can run with gas shielding or flux-cored and use flux-cored most of the time for general use. I could also add an aluminum wire capability if I wanted.

I have 220 volts in my shop, so I bought a 220-volt machine. I am also not sorry about this.

I generaly use the wire for sheet metal and making things from 1/8 and thinner-wall tubing and angle. I also have oxyacetylene and a Lincoln AC stick welder which I like for heavier pieces, so I rarely try to use the wire for welding things like 1/4-inch and heavier.

I have known several people who have been disappointed with the small 115V import wire welders, but no one I know recommends them. I have some imports in my shop and the budget has to be considered, but I would say this is one area where you have to go for a well-known brand and quality and service. I would also hope you can find a good dealer who can REALLY help you.

--ShopShoe

 

[Wizard69]

I have known several people who have been disappointed with the small 115V import wire welders, but no one I know recommends them. I have some imports in my shop and the budget has to be considered, but I would say this is one area where you have to go for a well-known brand and quality and service. I would also hope you can find a good dealer who can REALLY help you.



--ShopShoe

This is the thing that is most damning of Chinese wire welders from my perspective, people that have bought the Chinese wire welders don't recommend them or end up blaming the process for the poor results they get. Now maybe one of the manufactures has improved his machines enough and now has local parts and support in the USA, if this has happened I don't know about it.

On the other hand some of the inverter based TIG and stick welders from China have a good reputation. These welders are sometimes considered disposable due to the issue of getting parts but they do work.

The 120 vs 220 discussion is another matter sometimes a 120 VAC machine is the right choice but people really need to understand how limited such machines are. If it isn't a problem for the buyer then they can go for it.

As noted I went the 220 VAC route myself and haven't regretted it at all. It allows me to do things I never planed on doing back when I purchased the unit. This is very much a key consideration, once you have a welder you can do all sorts of things with it. A good welder will last the owner decades, maybe even out last the owner, and thus should be looked at as a long term investment.

It is sort of like buying a mill, they come in all sorts of sizes and quality, but you need to consider them to be a long term investment.

 

[SmithDoor]

Thank you every one
Dave
:thumbup: