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Overall Rating:

3 / 5

Good machine but,

October 21, 2009

By Frankhi

from Corvallis, OR

"Maybe I'm being a little harsh but I have used the machine in all three modes and this is what I found.

1) This is NOT a mig machine that will weld up to 1/4". Ok it will weld up to 1/4" but only with the relatively expensive flux cored wire. But this is not Mig. Mig uses cheap solid wire and sheilding gas. Inside the machine it will tell you the machine's max capacity in this mode is 1/8th inch..which seems accurate from the tests I have done.

2) The stick function is almost worthless. I tried it on a piece of 1/4" and there is nowhere near enough penetration to get a good weld. So reading the specs more carefully I see it is limited to 1/8th inch in this mode. And right there in the specs I see it is limited to 70amps..You need nearer 140A for 1/4". Personally I would'nt buy this machine again, save $100 and just get the lower priced mig/flux cored machine without the stick function.

3) Mig welds (with sheilding gas) on thin plate are very nice. The 1/16th lap joint samples were beautiful.

4) The flux cored wire seems to work well on 1/4 plate samples.

If your looking for a lightweight machine I think its a winner. i would have given it 4 stars but the stick function limited to 70amps didn't float my boat. Seems to be well made. If your looking to do a lot of fabrication of steel above 1/8th inch then you'll be stuck with using flux cored wire and the cost of this will have you wishing you had a heavier machine that could mig weld at this thickness, but then you'll be into 230 volt machines."

What is your level of technical expertise? Home Handyman

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Overall Rating:

4 / 5

Good Value,

October 19, 2009

By Sibeh

from Conn

"Assembled the machine and started welding. Good value for the $$$, especially at the sale price. Not the best I've used but will get the job done. Also have a small mig (90) purchased from another company. If I would have bought this machine first I would have saved a few bucks not purchasing the other."

What is your level of technical expertise? Home Handyman

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Overall Rating:

5 / 5

Versatile Machine,

March 16, 2009

By Westy58

from Maine

"This machine was easy to set up as supplied although the user manual was lacking some detail. Very good power for a 115 volt machine, no problem with 1/4" material. The ability to switch between stick and wire feed is a real strong point."

What is your level of technical expertise? Home Handyman

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Overall Rating:

5 / 5

Just what I needed,

November 18, 2008

By Workmor2

from Cincinnati, OH

"I have used other 115V mig/stick welders and difficulty with the rods sticking and/or burning the tips up. This product is great and easy to use. Light weight and compact for movability. Would definitly recommend this to friend. Thank you Northern Tool for making it painless from selecting, purchasing, shipping, and receiving with everything ready to go."

What is your level of technical expertise? Professional

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Overall Rating:

5 / 5

New hobbyist,

November 17, 2008

By coondude

from Recent retiree Albuquerque, NM

"I am new to welding and found this unit an excellent entry-level tool. The instruction manual, while not a course in welding, is clear and concise and I had the unit working in both modes (MIG and stick) in short order. I was a little confused about the polarity setup for MIG but Northern's tech support staff was quick to help out. I'd call it a superb value for the money."

What is your level of technical expertise? Beginner

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Overall Rating:

4 / 5

One fine Mig!,

September 6, 2008

By TB8102

from Arizona

"I purchased this mig a month ago and have burned 20 + Lbs of flux cored wire and can honestly say for a 110v Mig welder it is by far the best I have ever used, it will feed the wire at any speed or heat range without any problems.
The adjustable heat range dial gives you full control unlike others that have 3 or 4 settings I have not used the stick welder yet but will let everyone know when I do.
It's light wieght is a major plus!, for it's price I think it's a steal and would highly recommend this Mig/Stick welder for the Beginner thur the Pro's, I gave this product 4 stars because I would have liked to see the ability to run it off of 220v also."

What is your level of technical expertise? Professional

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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