Anybody with Eastwood MIG-135 welder experience?

I've already got the H-F $100. FCAW box, but I really want to use the bottle and eliminate all the mess associated with flux-core. I know the best machines are Hobart, Miller and Lincoln. Anybody have the Eastwood MIG-135? Where is it made?

I have a feeling it's a dressed up made in China pig, but I'm hoping it's a quality unit. What say ye?

Junk.

Be patient, keep using the harbor Fright "hot metal caulking gun" and use searchtempest.com every day, once in the morning, once at night, to search Miller, Lincoln and Hobart welders in whatever driving range you're willing to go.

If it's in any way possible - get a 220V machine. If you don't have a socket in your garage it's not hard to do, and a 220 machine is so much more useful.

Example - I suffered a Daytona Mig 140 for years of searching, then completely accidentally score d a nice Millermatic 185 MIG and a like-new Speedaire 5hp/2-stage/4 cylinder/60 gallon compresser for $800 for both. Ran a 220 circuit to the garage, never looked back.

Thread jack !!!! any thoughts on these auction items ?

welding school auction thread jack link time sensitive

Depends on what you want to do. If you've got lots of time, space and power, big commercial stuff sells for less than home shop sized stuff. I see fantastic lathes and mills which originally cost upwards of $35k in 1970s money sold at scrap rate of well under $1/pound as they're neither wanted by industry nor home-shop friendly.

Those welders could be a bargain if you're able to support their infrastructure requirements. They could also be incredibly expensive to make work, and not be as useful in the end as finding a good used Ho-Mill-Coln 200 amp MIG or TIG box for $500.

Real good chance those are 3 phase units. Not real home owner friendly.

In reply to motomoron:

Well, I've got the 220 outlet currently in use for my compressor, but I don't really need the compressor running whilst I'm welding. So 220 isn't a problem.

My question is, for the light gauge metal found in auto body work, do I really need the 220-volt rig? I really can't imagine ever needing to weld something as heavy as 1/4". Mostly I'll be doing plug welds in sheet metal, and an occasional buttweld.

Why pick a 220-volt unit over a 110-volt unit if I really don't need the power? Greater durability? Better welder even at low power settings? What? Learn me!

Save you money and buy a nice welder.

don't throw money away on eastwood junk.

My opinion ranked fav to least favorite..

Miller

Lincoln

Hobart...

The noteable exception being the pre miller Hobarts... I just scored a cheap old Beta Mig 200... and I LOVE it..

1988redt2 said: Why pick a 220-volt unit over a 110-volt unit if I really don't need the power? Greater durability? Better welder even at low power settings? What? Learn me!

First... You need the extra power.. You just don't know it yet. and will find yourself maxing out the unit all the time... then running into arc fade because the machine can't keep up... ect ect ect...

There are two situations in which I think a guy should buy a 110v rig...

First.. You already have a bigger machine.. and you have .035 0r .030 wire in that machine.. and don't want to switch back and forth all the time to .023 wire to do small stuff..

Or you actually 'need' the convenience.. for whatever reason...

That being said.. My father uses a 110V Lincoln daily in a autobody shop. It is a good old smooth as silk machine.. and works just fine...

Just don't buy China junk welders... You get what you pay for... This includes the POS Snap On branded junk. I have a whole shop full of china junk tools.. and really like some of them... Cheap Welders are not likeable...

You will tell your friends just how 'alright' your junk welder does... Then you will use a nice welder one day... and you will understand how silly you were being...

I would recommend saving your pennies and buying a Miller 211 if I were you... (has both 110v and 220v options)

But if you must... find a Miller/Lincoln 110v machine...

All this coming from a guy who has used nice welders his whole life.. and thought I could get buy using a nearly free Clarke welder... Even being nearly free.. It just wasn't worth it...

Oh.. and another thing...

Throw that POS HF auto darkening helmet in the trash and spend the money on a nice one.. You only have one set of eyes...

You won't regret spending the money...

trust me.. This I also know from experience.

There was a thread a while back here about this welder, and the reviews were overall very positive. The Eastwood machine is what Per uses for all of the project cars. I can't find it now, but remember it clearly.

In every welder thread you have a few people saying that nothing less than a 220v Lincoln/miller is worth owning, but reality is that those aren't practical for most people for a variety of reasons.

Generally speaking, a 220/ 200amp welder will be easier to adjust and use at lower power settings than the 110/ 135amp units.

Yea, I've had pretty good luck with my Eastwood---it welds thick and thin very well and has been very reliable so far. I don't have 220 in my garage, nor do a lot of home builders---this is a perfectly solid welder for guys and gals like us.

In reply to Sonic:

And I used to be one of those guys who thought I could get by with less..

At least talk the guy into a quailty 110v if nothing else... Oh sure.. he could do 'alright' with whatever...

And Per might do just fine with his eastwood...

But I can almost guarantee he would trade it for a Lincoln/Miller without thinking twice..

My 110v Clarke did "just fine" and was "very reliable' also...

And it is for sale cheap if some poor bastard THINKS he wants it.

The cheap welder is worth nothing after you use it... The lincoln/Miller will hold the value better Making the cost of ownership less... That eastwood.. YOu open the box and you have a 200dollar machine.. You use the miller for 10 years.. You still have a 400dollar machine..

So which one is really cheaper.