Harbor Freight Flux Core Wire vs. Lincoln Flux Core Wire: Part 2 of 2
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- In this episode we are cutting and etching some samples we welded with Lincoln MP211 and Harbor Freight 71T-GS flux core wire. In the first episode we told you that based on visuals that they both performed the same and to "take your pick". In this episode, after doing a cut and etch and reviewing the results, WE HAVE A WINNER!
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Admitting you make mistakes even after years of experience really helps beginners to not be so nervous on making mistakes while they learn.
You never lied. Even with 27 years experience I have actually failed at least 3 welding tests. If you are too confident you will rush and you will f---up lol. Take your time.
And yet, to still be trying to weld without a ground clamp after 40 years seems a little stubborn. 😉
for sure!
Mr your are an amazing instructor. I enjoy every video you make . Keep it up .
Great instructions. Just love the way that you transfer information in an honest way. I have learned so very much from you on welding. I am trying to get as much about flux core welding as possible.
I have been doing stick welding as a DIYer for years now but at 79 years of age, I am always learning.
Who says that you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
Your videos are so informative. Thank you very much. Continue to do what you do best!!
I really enjoy Bob. Bringing up mistakes that he makes really helps the rest of not feel so bad when we do the same thing, and reminds us what to look for. Keep up the great work.
I could do a whole video (series) on my screw ups!!
"For 40 Years I've been trying to weld without this ground clamp, and it's never worked yet." ROFL!
its a rookie mistake, I'm a federally contracted welder and I sometimes forget to clamp still to this day.
I need a ground clamp?
it took me a few seconds to get that joke. it's a good one
😂🤣🤷♂️
@@tfr6
So, you are saying you are still a rookie?
My favorite has always been leaving the ground clamp sitting on the table unclamped. Welding from two places at once is such a shocking thing to see in your peripheral..
I really appreciate the test. I just bought an 11 lb Spool of Vulcan .030 MIG wire for $28. I haven't used it yet but I stopped by my local welding supply store to compare prices and found a 10 lb Spool of their brand for $65, more than twice the price. I think your test is awesome but some mention should be made of the price difference and the relative small differences in the weld quality you so eloquently pointed out.
That's your first mistake, buying stuff from a supply shop . Only thing to buy from a shop is gas everything else you can buy online wires... regulators...welders...cutting tools... consumables all much cheaper than at a welding shop. Lowes and home depot are usually priced better than a welding shop for Lincoln wire .
I bought a mig gun in a pinch once at a Denver supply shop for my small handler 210 with the 3/8 bayonet I had a new flexible neck gun ordered with a 15ft lead to reolace the old gun but I needed to keep welding on my days off to keep my project on time ...lol... They hit me at $267...for the cheapest hobart gun with an 3/8 bayonet and damn shot 8ft lead that same mig gun is $100 on eBay stores it didn't even have the plug with it I had to cut the old trigger plug off the old gun . So buying anything more than gas at a weld supply shop is like throwing money out the window.
MP211 is a multi pass wire. E71T-GS is a single pass wire designed for welding coated steel and plated/galvanized steel. 211 is expected to perform better on clean steel but not so much on the coated steel (as per what specifications say). A test on galvanized or painted substrate would be a welcome addition to this video for a fair comparison.
I tried TIG without a ground clamp a couple of times. The tip shot sparks like a Van de Graaff generator, and I got a nice tingle everywhere I was even remotely grounded. I don't recommend it, and it didn't weld for squat.
Just pick up welding as a hobby. I’ve been a master frammer and a contractor building and remolding homes for awhile but I want to say your a great teacher and really learn a lot from your videos. Thank you! And keep up the great work you explain it perfectly where people like me can understand. 👍
I have the HF Titanium Easy Flux 125, I recently switched from the pack in wire, to Lincoln 0.035 wire, and it is like a completely different machine. So much cleaner welds, easier to get dialed in and overall better experience. I am glad to see that you guys had a similar result.
Try the .03 wire, it's even better in that welder. It seems like it struggles a bit with .035
@@GeneralChangFromDanang Mine has never struggled with the 0.035; if anything it struggles less
Perception of vendor & products might be most of the issue, plus past experience, what is being welded, commercial or home use, etc., most likely will make the choice of wire. If I were welding a candle holder I would use HF wire, but and item that required structural soundness the Lincoln wire. I don't expect to get Snap On quality out of a HF item, but for infrequent use the HF might be fine. Example; I would not buy a wheel puller, vise, or electric power tool from HF, but have had some air tools that work fine.
I like your presentation of the video - good job.
The pre-heated second side weld looked so much better on both wires.
Yeah, makes me want to pre-heat important welds with a propane torch.
i barley use flux core any more, but when i was using the harbor freight flux core in the past it was always porous. when i switched to primarily non flux the Lincoln wire welded so much better i thought i magically became a master welder behind the trigger compared to the HF wire.
glad to know it wasnt just me
Dont be a quitter if any one can make welding work without a ground clamp it's you , we have faith in you, you can do it !
What I find significant is that, given the extreme brand loyalty for machines of various colors, there is a consensus that Lincoln wire is about the best.
Reminds me of my High School Shop teacher. Mr. Doyle if you ever got caught leaving the chuck key in they lathe he would throw it at you. LoL
I have never welded yet. I just bought a used stick welder, 100 amp old one - just something to start out with. I have learned a lot from this video! I think quality welding materials are just as important as having a quality made welder. Thanks for what you do!
Terrific instructor ! Unbiased and clearly Honest , THANKS 😊
I've had an LE 125HD for years but never really had a need or the extra money to build anything with it until recently. I'm currently building a sawmill and I've been watching tons of your videos and have learned a great deal. My welding is getting better and better because of it and I've gotten to where I really enjoy it. Thank you for taking the time to make all these videos and educating us home hobbyist types.
Thanks Bob, great video. I've never used the HF wire but have tried Weldcote wire in my Lincoln Powermig 210 MP. The Weldcote is about half the price of the Lincoln wire but I just couldn't get it to run as well as the Lincoln wire. It may be my lack of ability but I will pay the few bucks more for the Lincoln wire gladly.
I think a more important factor between these 2 brands is the storage and time on shelf in the store or warehouse. HF stores are all air conditioned and have lower humidity than ambient. Home Depot and Lowe's both have open doors many days of the year and as a result, the humidity is very high. Add to that, they bring in tons of wet lumber daily on one side and have a garden department (with hourly waterings) on the other side. Everyone nows that humidity is bad for flux core wires. Your average HF store probably sells more wire in a week than Home Depot and Lowe's do in 6 months, so the wire at HF is newer and kept in conditioned space compared to HD.
Harbor freight is cheaper that’s why everyone goes there
I’ve been welding for 20+ years. Always forget the clamp 🤦🏻♂️ never even checked for what polarity different rods have needed just burn and turn. I have t used gasless wire either. Learning everyday. Cheers Bob.
hey Bob, beginner/novice/hobbyist here. I have the Titanium flux core welder from Harbor freight. It retails at $179, use the same wire that you had mentioned. Well, I have used it with the harbor freight wire and welded new steel to the frame of my car. No porosity, great penetration, and had blow throughs in spots, but after it cooled down I hit it again to fill in my errors. Well, it's been through the worse driving conditions in the US, every road everywhere in NYS. My patch over a hole the size of a grape fruit is still holding strong. Though a note to mention, the welder claims to set for 1/8th in steel to e.5 on the voltage and 10 ipm wire speed, I come to find that to be impossible as that's too fast of a sped, I set it to about 6-7 ipm wire speed and it works perfect. I tried Hobart in it for a few art projects I have been working on, ugly welds, lots of spatter and porosity. I think Hobart wire just is trash. Lincoln I haven't tried yet as I haven't found any 2.5 lbs rolls locally to purchase it. So I am back to my harbor freight wire. The welder came with the grooved roller that nicks the wire as it passes through. I only notice a feed jam issue if I somehow tangled up the hire loom from the machine to the gun. a typical green horn error I believe, especially when welding without ever having any kind of instruction. I believe you were using a MIG welder, just a curious note, was the roller grooved or smooth? if smooth like migs normally use, maybe that was the feed issues. I tried smooth once in my welder, that made it have the feed issues you had in the first part of the 2 part comparison video. As I stated before, I haven't been trained by anyone. I learn as I do it. I purposely, or accidently screw up just to learn. Smooth rollers was a screw up. Other than that possibility, I don't see any feed issues with the harbor freight, even after it bird nested on me. I just figured I'll bring that up as a question if the rollers were the proper one or not. I'm sure it was the proper roller given your experience in the craft. However I am just wondering if maybe it was one minor issue that you could've failed to notice in time or mention? Other than that, I love your videos as I have only recently come to youtube to get more welding project ideas
If your a budget conscious hobbyist who ONLY has HF wire laying around and you need to stick something together I think it could do the trick but if your in any kind of critical repair... go for the Lincoln stuff... I put together a usable saw cart holding a 130 lb saw using the HF wire but that is a relatively low load application too.
Hf wire isn't terrible. It's all I've used but I haven't welded in a while and just started looking at videos. I've welded on quite a few things including a notch in my subframe for header clearance. It's a decent wire but I'm sure there are better
@@leeharvey9006 In my case, the Lincon Electric worked better, but this was under "less than ideal conditions." But yeah, it works but in my opinion, it is worth spending a few $$$ extra if you can get something that gives fewer headaches.
Bob, you are an excellent teacher. The tell it like it is kind. Thank you! I've learned a lot from your videos.
great side by side of the Lincoln & harbor freight gasless fluxcore wire....I totally agree after looking at the more consistent puddle (Lincoln) and HF lil more spatter and (porosity). the choice is pretty clear Lincoln is the way to go
Yeah, the results are hard to argue. Can't go wrong with Lincoln wire.
Sorry ground clamp
can I weld without gas only with electric
Brandy Lyn Booe yes you can that is what the fluxcore wire does it eliminates need for shielding gas. Good luck!
Been welding 30+ years and I agree with your choice. Lincoln would be my choice also.
Thank you for confirming my thoughts and testing concluded very similar results 2yrs ago- I do tinker and am not a professional welder but love to stick some metal together about 26 yrs worth and since my work is for nothing structural or lives at stake- i will buy Harbor freight and if I have a need for structural strength I'll use the lincoln.
For 1/3 the price $25 spool, I’ll keep using my Chinese wire. Until I start structural or x ray welding I’ll splurge for the Lincoln at $65 a spool.
Hasn’t failed me on any of my garage or customer projects yet. But then again I’m not doing high risk work. Just house welds and easy quick side jobs.
For a hobby or DIY welder like me, I agree! If it's clean and it holds, that's all that's going to matter for me! I leave the pretty stuff to the pros!
@@DJPhased
I feel the same way.
Consider the jobs you are supporting. Until harbor freight become accountable i will avoid them. I would hate to save money at the expense of the worker in the factory making the wire
You must live In China and pick up local because a 10lb spool of Chicago Electric .030 fluxcore is only about $10 less than a 10lb spool of nr-211 mp 0.30 . Chicago Electric at $70 10lb spool vs $80 10lb spool of Mr 211 mp. . There isn't a huge price gap between the wires. It's kinda like some of the recent power tools hobofreight sells they are only $15-20 less than the name branded tools so you're not really saving anything buying China-electric.
@@yerwrng where do you live I know where I am a 10 lb spool of harbor freight wire is 44.99 Lincoln sells at 179.99 i buy the lincoln for my work machine because it gets x-rayed and I don't want any issues for my home projects ill buy the cheapest i can get
Bob Moffatt, the Hickock45 of Welding! Great content and I love your dry humor. Glad I'm not the only one that tries to weld without a ground. lol
My first time welding I spend 15 minutes trying to figure out why I couldn't get the weld started. Didn't have the ground on lol
Thanks for the objectivity and test - am a novice here, looking get a first flux core welder. As any old timer knows, beginners need to start with the best they can afford, as they don't have the experience to see/know when something isn't like it should be based on the typical beginner's impulse to buy cheap until they learn. Thanks, learned a lot about technique from watching, and choice of wire to start with from your youtube test. Appreciate.
I've used the Lincoln flux core wire and Hobart flux core wire and Hobart is far superior to the Lincoln wire. Smoother running and cleans up really easy.
Glad to hear. I just bought a hobart handler 100 flux core machine and went with the .030 Hobart flux core wire. Cant wait until my Creator series hobart hood comes in im ready to weld.
I'll try the pre-heating trick w a propane torch, and should definitely get the no splatter!
MP211 is an e70t-11 (mp = multi pass) FC wire, and the HF wire is like most common FC wire, e70t-gs. e70t-11 is a standard that manufacturers conform to, and the e70t-gs appears to be not a strict specification, which isn't rated for multi pass.
The lincoln FC wire (FCAW-S) is NR-211-MP (not MP211)
You blinked more on side one and I saw hour hand move ten times vs eight times on HF.
A instructor who prob knows something about gluing metal together gave his opinion. If someone knows more then why watch his videos make ur own.
Thank you sir for sharing your time and experience. I can make metal stick together but that does not make me a welder, so watching someone who knows the black magic of welding is great.
Thank you Bob for keeping it real and calling yourself out when it happens.
I have tried this and the Lincoln wire won every time... I have a cheap HF flux core machine and even on it the Lincoln wire makes a lot of difference...
About making mistakes and forgetting things, that's why it was "prayers, pills, wallet, keys, phone, lunch..." before leaving the house. Also at a road intersection, counting 1,2,3 while looking each way, to make sure I wasn't just taking a perfunctory glance for traffic. Green light, stop sign, right of way, it doesn't matter...esp now with texting traffic. Student drivers should be taught that habit. 1,2,3..Left.....1,2,3, Right.. PS this is a great site and I subscribed.
Thank you for sharing your years of experience with us. You are a great teacher.
Watching your videos has definitely given me the direction to keep going forward and learn more about what is out there in the welding world. It's interesting and extremely cool to see how you treat your welds with care and consistency.
No ground clamp?? LOL, I try that all the time,as well!!!
Me too! Let me know when you have it work for you.
bubba nader You can see the ground clamp is hooked up to the table on the side.
+kj197734 yes, I found it and put it there.
Now, in 2021, there ought to be a blue-tooth wireless ground!
I used the harbor freight wire for a full 2lb spool and it was okay. I switched to a blue demon 71T-GS and was very pleased. Easier to weld with. Better looking welds and more consistent with my flux coverage. Admittedly I am a amateur when it comes to welding, but the blue demon 71T-GS wire helped me make more consistent outcomes in my welds.
Just purchased a HF Titanium 125 flux core machine for outdoor welding on lighter materials. Went to Tractor Supply and found their store brand Jobsmart wire for $9.99 a 2lb spool. Seems like pretty good stuff and definitely a bargain.
You should make them buy you a fume extractor, man. Your videos are honest and useful.
I’m not a professional welder and have welded light gauge things around my farm for many years and the Lincoln wire is the best I’ve used in my HF 125 amp welder. I only use the .030 Lincoln wire. I run things on a tight budget or I would have a Lincoln or Miller welder.
I am partial to Lincoln but it was said for infrequent use go HF, if it's for infrequent use you don't use that much so how do you enter cost as a factor? Just saying. Fantastic video again Bob as always yore never a disappointment.👍👍
lincoln is better looking ...but for home use...non structural patches etc..both are adequate
Lincoln is available at nearly every box retailer for a reasonable price.
Fleetwood 7018's are the best running consistent electrodes I've ran and they're priced competitively and easily available.
The slight savings is rarely ever worth the trouble.
I tend to run gas with my cheap FC wire because of the risk of porosity. Up here Princess Auto is our Harbor freight and the difference in price is 5 fold so on large projects the cheap wire gets the nod, even with the gas it's about a $12 a pound saving. Great comparison Thanks.
Thanks Bob, I thought it interesting the weld shape on the second side especially on the vertical.
Thank you bob. Only mig welder i have is a lil 110 Lincoln 100 weld pk. No gas options.
"For 40 years I've been trying to weld without a ground clamp and it never works out" HAHA! I tell you what if I wasn't old and used up id go to your school to learn more about welding lol
Thanks for the video. About 4 months ago, I got a Hobart 140. Decided to go with their wire, both solid and flux. Not much more in cost than HF. I picked the Hobart 'cuz I can run it with my 5.5k generator. I've been learning a lot watching you. Thanks again.
just got h140 starting to weld. im gainging
@@anthonymarino4260 Good for you. I've saved much more money fixing my own stuff that what I've paid for my system. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.
I use a HF welder with Lincoln wire. Best of both worlds
Very late to the party and a dollar short...
But, consider next test as a "double blind"...
Have an assistant set up the wire so you cannot identify the product until after welding...
That way you remove any doubt you are treating one with a little bias...
My penny's worth...
Nice looking cat
Up vote
Youre probably owed change. Back from that Penny. Holy crap, this is not end of the world priority, he's just truing to show a simple comparison.
Im no pro nor will I ever be. I think its the hobby guy thats watches your video's. I will never weld anything where someone could get hurt if it broke. I enjoy your video's and it has helped me learn so much. Please keep them coming. I have a cheap flux and a cheap stick. The greatest feeling is to think of something and then go make it. It may look bad or not work the first time. Try again and maybe again. Then pay dirt it works and looks pretty good. Nowhere to your caliber or other pro's but I still made it myself. Thanks again for teaching a desk guy.
Lincoln must have been sweating that out....
Doubtful. Lincoln filler metal has probably been tested more than any other brand on the planet.
🤣🤣
@@simclardy1 true story. Where I work we have clients that ask us to lincoln wire only for super austenitic using 625 inconel as a filler. If we use any other brand they will reject the part regardless of what xray, PT or visual inspection says.
@@jaredhammonds8255 we just recently started using esab wire at my shop, and it seems to run smoother, and wet out a bit better than Lincoln wire
@@1012Mrjesse I loved the esab wire. It might have (it was) been fresher wire, but ran so smooth
Never even occurred to me to anticipate weld control with grind pattern - flux core requires completely clean surfaces zero rust but it’s in field applications and penetration (esp. 211) is unparalleled up to1/4 inch 60 series rod 70 series rod is a fav of mine
I agree. The Lincoln looks a little deeper and uniform
Thanks Bob, Another great video, Here in Australia, our discount hardware store is called Bunnings. I get the idea, cheap chinese merchandise and some "Name" brands. The Chinese stuff is sometimes ok, but not always. At work I do a lot of Mig welding with solid wire and I find the Lincoln a better product overall than the cheaper stuff our boss sometimes buys.
Thanks for doing it again. It did seem to show a bit more penetration with the Miller wire but as you mentioned at the end they all are not perfect all the way through the spools. Prep is more likely the better insurance with both wires knowing the amps and feed rate to use.
I wrote, memorized, and recited a 10 point check-list for my anesthesia machine every morning. # 1 is the thing you're most likely to forget. For me that was suction, so that was #1. So make the mundane, lowly, boring ground clamp # 1, because we're all preoccupied with fancy wire feed and voltage and gas flow and helmet fit and settings.
I use nothing but lincoln consumables in my Everlast welders and haven't ever had any issues.
I agree with you the Lincoln did a better job than the HB.But as an instructor told me once make sure you have a beveled edge to get a good burn through on your first beed, and keep it 1/8 inch.
Thanks for the second video to my question in the first video and thanks for your efforts also. The second pass looked a lot better than the first pass for the harbor freight wire. Lincoln is the wire to go with. Maybe for the backyard guy, they could get by with the harbor freight wire but for commerical applications Lincoln wire should be the choice.
From your test here between Harbor freight and Lincoln wire I have to say that Harbor freight has greatly improved the quality of their wire. I am far from a professional welder. My Father in law taught me how to weld with an old school buzz box or for the newer generations, an arc welder that he had consistently used for at least 20 years of metal fabrication at construction sites. Arc welding isn't any where near as finicky as wire feed welding since you can arc weld with a rusty coat hanger and come out with a nice strong weld. My wire welder is a 110, Lincoln Weld Pack that's sold at Home Depot, Lowes or any good Hardware store for roughly $600. With my wife working for Harbor freight tools when my 1st Lincoln welder died I tried every wire welder that Harbor freight sold at that time and they are all horrible. Kinda like driving a High end sports car and then getting behind the wheel of a Pinto and expecting the same quality. Just won't happen. I quickly bought another Lincoln Welder. I tried saving money by using Harbor freight's wire through my Lincoln welder and the same thing. I had to run my welder at a higher temp with faster wire speed which just caused a crap load of splatter with very lil penetration. There are just some things you can't cut corners on or try to save a buck at and wire for welding is one of those things. If you want professional results than spend the extra money and buy the better equipment. I won't even use Harbor freight wire to get me by. It's not worth the headache or extra work
I mean if you aren't doing anything that needs to be super strong they are both good. one way that I have seen to get a deeper weld is to pre heat the surface with a torch this will allow for more penetration.
Good video, I've used Lincoln and Miller wire welders and they are the standard because theyv'e been around a long time but it looks like harbor freight makes a decent little hobby or small project welder
I think a comparasion of Hobart wire vs. Lincoln wire would be real good one.
Just bought a 125 mig welder from HF. The included mig wire that came with the machine ran and looked better than the extra spool of Vulcan I bought for my project the Vulcan pulsed and the stock wire didn't. I am going to get the Lincoln wire for my go to filler wire.
you mentioned figuring out the wire feed issue from the part one video. what fixed the problem?
the Harbor Freight one spits out more spackle like when you're welding then the Lincoln one does that's what I've noticed that's why I don't use the Harbor Freight one
Bob, as usual.. great video!!
Like you, I've been manipulating molten metals for 40 years... Always learning new things..
Absolutely love your videos!
I'm picky about my wire.. I don't like ones that don't do well..and I HATE some of the less expensive, high silica stuff that splatters!!!
He needs to use the wireless TESLA clamp. Just don't get in the arc path coming from the 8 foot Tesla coil column ;)
Bob makes Mondays much better :)
You should do blue demon flux core wire. It welds about the same or maybe a bit better than Lincoln and its about half the price
The hf sounds like its running hotter. Ahh you caught it " more active". 2:29 my thoughts exactly. I tried both and couldnt stand the hf wire but im picky, too much smoke n spatter.
Great welding! Lincoln lasts a'lot longer,my buddy's H.F only lasted through 2 small spools of wire.My Lincolns from the 80's.
Burned both wires ,Harbor freight had problems with porosity,Lincoln wire,ran very nice.Totally agree with your professional dialogue on the flux cores used.
Look how he flipped his visor down 😂thats how you know he’s experienced 💪🏽
with this great video, I guess it kind of justify for the average DIY at small projects to save with harbor freight wires , is not much difference overall... if doing welding for daily or professional jobs , then you want the best for the jobs ... thanks this video helps on the pocket!
I have to agree with you the Lincoln wire looks like it penetrated just a little bit better
You are more than fair, kind Sir!
great videos and comparison between the two. I've run as many different brands of flux core wire as I could get my hands on in the past couple years and I am OK for a hobbyist. aside from my first roll ever, I've never had a 2lb spool unroll other than the Lincoln. had it happen 3 times, 3 separate spools, damnedest thing! the little bit I could get to run through did seem like nice consistent feed.
I bought a century FC 90 which is made by Lincoln 120-volt will weld up to a quarter of an inch they say I mainly weld 1/8 iron it works very well
Hello Bob, Always interesting to compare real world situations. The price factor needs to be considered also. If HF is half the price of lincoln and I am doing non structural that would make quite a difference. I also seemed to hear less pulsing from the HF wire. Is that good or bad? Personally lately for home wire I am using Blue Fox, I believe, anyway I get it off Amazon and pay less than half what the local welding shop wants for their non major brand. Especially in the 5043 Aluminum wire the price difference is huge. They don't even carry the flux core stainless wire so although it is pricey I get Blue Fox brand also in that. that would be an interesting topic for you to do. I don't use it much as most of my stainless I do with stick but I am going to try some in my next project. We will see how it does. My other question would be where is the wire manufactured? Is all of it out of only a very few plants or do they each actually spec and or produce their own version? Good video once again. You have an easy to watch presentation style. Take care. Doug
you should do harbor freight 6013 vs lincoln 6013. 1/8"
Great video. Very well done, and well thought out. Both wires did not run a great first pass, both ran a better second pass, but even with the cold fist pass, that Lincoln wire did a better one. But I dont see either one being a bad wire, but you can see that one is a better oen.
Why has the "Elephant in the room" not been addressed? The HF wire is E71T-GS, meaning single pass only wire. E71T-11 is multi-pass wire. The Lincoln NR211-MP wire is multi pass wire as well.
So we can play the "What lays downs a better bead" game all day, but if you are using the wrong wire and have to make another pass over it, wrong wire in the first place is not going to end well.
were i live they sell the Lincoln wire at the home depot...The is a home depot every couple of miles as a posed to harbor freight every 30 miles...by the time you add your time and fuel it`s cheaper to just use the Lincoln wire...And better...thanks for the in depth video showing the results...
We love you on CZcams you made so much difference for anyone going into Welding.
I've noticed that Lincoln Electric wire tends to produce cleaner looking welds. And surprisingly enough, actually costs less that Harbor Freight's Vulcan wire.
Not grounding my work has never worked for me either, but don't worry, i'm sure i'll keep trying!!!!
As inexpensive as welding wire, is you might as well go with the Lincoln wire. I have repaired welders for a little while and always have had trouble when the customers come in with Harbor Freight wire in their welder. A lot of it is feeding problems. The Harbor Freight wire sometimes is not wound correctly on the spool.
My son and I borrowed a HFT 120 flux from my brother and after about 1/2 hour with it, we talked and decided it was best to let mom go to Home Depot and pick up the Lincoln 140 Pack on her HD Credit Card. I went in the store with her and they matched an online price and gave it to us for $520. It was $539 in the store. It was $559 in Lowes, she also has a Lowes Card. We also wanted it because we could upgrade it to aluminum and the HFT Welder are pretty much throw away when they break as I do not think you can get parts for them. Your Weld.Com store is down, or at least it was when I went to it.
How about doing a video comparing duel shield wire in Lincoln and ESAB?? I have run both extensively over the years but have never done penetration tests and I'm very curious to see what your results and preference would be!?
It’s sad I haven’t missed a episode of Bad Chad for two years now and when I tried to enter the competition the message I got was, you cannot enter because of your location 🤨
I have the same problem as you Bob, I can never make good welds without the ground clamp hooked on to what I'm welding.
I run nozzles too. Beats trashing a tip and diffuser.