Looks like a good deal no?

https://go.harborfreight.com/coupons.../182428-57798/

Never owned a welder before.

 

I've never bought one of these. I don't have any experience with it at all. A 125 should be ok for a small jobs. Chicago Electric was one of their cheap brands at one time. But, in my opinion, at one time, Harbor Freight was a cheap brand period, but they have come a long way & now have some really good products. I don't know how well their Chicago Electric brand has evolved. But In my opinion, for $99, it would be worth picking up to learn & piddle with.

Personally, I have a Lincoln 125 that I bought in 2001 and its been useful for many small projects. I've been happy with it. I think I give about $150 for it back then. They are much higher than that now...lol

Sorry I cant be of more help specifically with the Chicago Electric brand welder.

 

Dixie2012 thanks. I appreciate your feedback

 

Looks pretty good for light duty use.
It requires hollow core flux type wire at $22 per roll instead of a separate gas bottle
Will weld most steel..... not aluminum.

 

What do you need to weld aluminum? I know close to nothing about welding

 

A TIG welder is what is normally used to weld aluminum.I think some MIGs will weld aluminum provided they have the right wire. Like Dixie I don't know much about welding past my arc welder and torch.

 

A lot has changed since I was in welding school in the late 70's and I haven't kept up with it but Heli-ark was the process for aluminum back then. Needed a specific Heli-Ark machine & it had an electronic tip held in one hand & a rod held in the other hand. Kind of like brazing or soldering process.

I honestly don't know what is out there today to weld aluminum. I take Marks word for it when he says Tig will do it.
(Tig & Mig are basically the same thing/process. Similar style machine & a spool of wire. Just different types of wire.)

 

marksr so then just get the "right wire" for whatever welder you have?

 

So no aluminum wire for MIG welder?

 

the small flux core welders are ok for steel but they do not produce a very clean weld but similar to a stick welder that also uses welding rods coated in flux, mig welders that use shielding gas do not use flux and produce a cleaner weld but even they may not be ideal for aluminum but some are if they are ac/dc and have a spool gun to reliably feed aluminum wire but your looking at a lot more expensive welder for the most part if you want to do aluminum very well.
tig also uses shielding gas and just uses a tungsten striker to create an arc and you hold the welding rod in the other hand like heli ark which is just tig welding they are known for the cleanest welds but ac/dc still comes into play when your welding aluminum or non ferrous metals much like the mig welder you may have to spend more for a more capable aluminum welder.

 

alan73 what do you mean by AC/DC? Vs what?

 

You'd need a welder that uses a tank of shielding gas.
I use a TIG welder but I guess a MIG welder also work.

They are considerably more money.
Plus you need get a tank of gas.... like argon.
Don't forget you need a welding mask too.

 

get one that has argon OPTION

i suggest Miller (expensive) or Lincoln. They are both good names. Lincoln can be found for similar prices to chinese or sears brands if you shop.

ie: do you want spotty welds and to blow holes in thin sheet metal and wire feeders always getting stuck? i don't think so.