Great welder for the price,
July 20, 2009
By mateo1 from Philadelphia, PA
"I was looking for a welder that wasn't too expensive to fix a broken tiller, lawn mower and other things I didn't want to take to a welding shop. In the past I have used larger "buzz boxes", but I did not have access to 220 volts in my garage. I have used this welder several times and I am very pleased with the performance. Since I do not weld a lot or have large welding projects, this welder fits my needs and my budget."
What is your level of technical expertise? Home Handyman
good value,
March 17, 2009
"I used this to weld caps onto steel pipes/columns to add supplemental support to residential dwellings. Worked very well for this application. It struggles with the thicker rods and I did overheat it several times but understand that I am a novice at welding and this could have been a fault on my end. The fact that it does not require 220v and its size makes it very portable and very easy to use. I believe if you don't try to use it to weld anything heavy duty, you will be very happy with this!"
What is your level of technical expertise? Professional
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Northern Industrial Arc 70 115 Volt Welder, Model#,
March 16, 2009
"Excellent tool for a beginning Welder!
I would have liked more detailed instructions on how to weld.
The rods that come with the tool are excellent to practice on, but are also very thin and can be hard to weld to objects.
Additional rods can be purchased separately!
This item does not come with gloves or a mask.
I wouldnt recommend this item for large jobs or very experienced welders.
Great for small jobs around the house!!"
What is your level of technical expertise? Beginner
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Northern Industrial Arc 70 115 Volt Welder,
January 13, 2009
"I am perfectly pleased with this light weight portable 115 V welder. I should have bought it a long time ago to supplement my 225 amp AC welder for welding light gauge material. I bought this Northern Industrial unit because the length of the cables were listed in the specifications and appeared longer than most of its competitors. The input cable was a little longer than the stated length of 2 M (80" rather than 78.7"). The ground cable was slightly longer than the stated length of 6.5 feet (6.67 feet), and the electrode cable was a little short (9.75 feet rather than 10.0 feet). Cables are very flexible. All 3 cables have feed through grommets that grip the cables very firmly: no chance of pulling one out during normal use. Electrode handle is light and easy to squeeze. The weight was exactly as stated: 25.0 pounds and it is easy to handle. The welder does not have a "power on" light or a fan. An "ON" light would be nice since the unit is totally quiet without a fan.
Because I weld outside, and the temperature was 43 deg F, I did not get a chance to check the Overheating Indicator. I welded as fast as I could jig up the test pieces but the ambient temperature was just too low. After about 2 hours of testing, using square steel tubing with 0.053, 0.063 and 0.074 wall thickness, I did get a reading of 113 degrees F on the transformer using an infrared thermometer: a pretty large temperature delta (70 degrees) above ambient . I did trip a 20 A circuit breaker once when I got a rod stuck and could not free it before the breaker tripped. I think in hot weather, serious, pro-longed welding will need a cheap, pancake fan on the back, blowing air across the transformer and towards the overheating sensor mounted on the back of the front panel. A 4.6" square fan will fit perfectly over the rear louvers.
I am a retired mechanical engineer, amateur machinist, Old Formula Ford racer, and have been welding for about 40 years. I stopped using 1/8" rods about 15 years ago. This stick welder, using 3/32" rods at 70 amps, will weld most things the average home owner will need to weld. Thin wall tubing, even 0.053" wall thickness, is easy to weld using 1/16" rods.
I highly recommend this useful welder."
What is your level of technical expertise? Professional
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Great low voltage stick welder,
June 5, 2008
By Beegs from Dushore, PA
"Great little welder for light welding jobs, smooth arc start and easy to learn with. Definitely worth the money"
What is your level of technical expertise? Professional
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
