# Wire feed welder review kinda thing......LOL



## mdlbldrmatt135 (Dec 6, 2006)

I know, I know. not exactly woodworking..... but Damn Handy!!!

With it getting harder and harder to sneak small projects into work to have the welders fix 'em... I decided to bite the bullet and get a small 110v welder.

After looking around and comparing all the features, (and having my budget gutted by a new water heater & new PEX plumbing)

I decided to go with one from Northern Tool.
Northern Industrial MIG Welder — 115 Volt, 22-135 Amp, Model# MIG 135 | Wirefeed Welders | Northern Tool + Equipment

Out of the box I couldn't get the wirefeed to work. SoI called the Cust. service line. they had me open it up and start tracing lines... one of the slip on spade connections to the emergency breaker had slipped off.

after that she worked fine. I put in some flux core wire while waiting on the bottles to get here (didn't want to lease) and started playing around with some 1/16" thick steel. after playing with the settings (it's been over a decade since I last played w/ a welder) I started laying down soem pretty decent beads.

When the bottles got here and exchanged I swapped out the flux core to some 5356 wire for Aluminum and hooked up the bottle of Argon.

I proceded to learn the MUST USE SS brushes to clean aluminum... Espscially the stuff with unknown paint or CARC on it. 

After playing with the settings yet again I was able to get the repairs made to the bustes aluminum castings I set out to fix. I'm also in the process of using some of the dollys left over fromt he compressors to make a cart for it.

I haven't tried it on anything realllly heavy yet But am planning on it. So far it's worth every penny!!


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

mdlbldrmatt135 said:


> I haven't tried it on anything realllly heavy yet But am planning on it.


You may get frustrated with the short duty cycle at higher amps . Weld a little and then the machine has to "rest", but if you are in no hurry I guess it gives you a chance to rest too.


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## garryswf (Aug 17, 2009)

Md135,
I sure envy you, i used to have a Linclon AC/DC welder, that was before the divorce :furious:. To this day i don't know if she ever learned to weld :laughing::laughing:.


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## mdlbldrmatt135 (Dec 6, 2006)

Daren said:


> You may get frustrated with the short duty cycle at higher amps . Weld a little and then the machine has to "rest", but if you are in no hurry I guess it gives you a chance to rest too.


For the amount of welding I actually do it should be ok... that was one of the things I really took into consideration..... it's more an occasional use thing and couldn't justify spending almost triple the price for the same duty cycle with a "name brand". I've only called once but they do seem to stand behind them.


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