Bought The Wife a Wire Flux 125 Welder

[jonp]

The deck on the old Cub Cadet needed some welding done and after spending $300 a few years ago getting it done and looking at the cost of new decks we rolled over to Harbor Freight and I bought her (being the welding half of the family, she worked in a plant for years welding stuff) a Wire Flux 125 Welder https://www.harborfreight.com/flux-1...der-63582.html on sale for $90 at Harbor Freight.

So, how does it do? We stopped at Home Depot to buy a new ladder and I got a couple of pieces of 3/16 flat bar to practice on and homeward we went. After the easy set up she gave it a shot. The results were entirely satisfactory. Even on high the welder did not trip the 20amp breaker and the beads came out good. How long it will last is iffy but many reviewers online are getting 4-5yrs or more of use than we will give it so if we get a couple of years out of it welding mower decks, mufflers etc it will be worth the money.

It will weld up to 3/16 steel and take .035 wire max so it's light duty for sure but it's easy to handle and a generator can run it so for a general purpose home owner rig for use around the house I think it's a good deal.

[Petrol & Powder]

When you said that you bought the wife a welder I thought you were going to be in some trouble but then I read the rest of the post.

If I purchased a welder for my girlfriend the only thing that would prevent her from welding my truck doors shut, with me in the truck ! ..... would be her lack of welding skill.

[Hawks Feather]

And I assumed that you bought yourself the welder and gave it to her so that you would have one that you could use. Sort of like a handgun that I bought for my wife that she doesn't know about.

[jonp]

And I assumed that you bought yourself the welder and gave it to her so that you would have one that you could use. Sort of like a handgun that I bought for my wife that she doesn't know about.

Lol, no. I've done that before, though. The welder is for her to fiddle with and if I'm lucky she will show me how to weld stuff. It's not the stick she is used to but for little stuff around the house it fit's the bill. In fact, we just finished dinner and while I'm screwing around she is out in the driveway welding, um..., stuff. Just messing with it I hope, haha

[Edward]

Lol, no. I've done that before, though. The welder is for her to fiddle with and if I'm lucky she will show me how to weld stuff. It's not the stick she is used to but for little stuff around the house it fit's the bill. In fact, we just finished dinner and while I'm screwing around she is out in the driveway welding, um..., stuff. Just messing with it I hope, haha

NOW that"s funny

[jsizemore]

A thoughtful gift any wife would want just in time for Mother's Day.

[15meter]

A thoughtful gift any wife would want just in time for Mother's Day.

Right up there with the Sawzall I bought for my wife, she uses it to trim bigger branches the lopping shears won't get. I just have to put the blade in for her.

[WebMonkey]

have a similar spec'd model.
15yrs old and going strong.

[xs11jack]

NO, P&P you have it backward. If you buy her a welder, then she gets to buy you a diamond ring! That is how it works and after nearly 50 years of bliss I know it works.
Ole Jack

[MUSTANG]

Although yours was a serious post; it reminds me of my Dad and Mom having a rough week back in the early 1960's. Money was real tight back then; and when Dad "Bought Mom a used Browning A-5 Sweet 16" the week before Quals Season opened, Mom was really perturbed. Mom really liked Quail; but did not ever go hunting with us. As I said, it was a rough week - but Quail season came and all was forgiven.

[Kenstone]

I have the HF 80 amp flux core welder and have done a lot of welding with it.
I just converted it to DC negative torch by following a vid on youtube, with $30 worth of parts I bought off ebay.
Now it has better penetration and way less spatter.

[William Yanda]

When you said that you bought the wife a welder I thought you were going to be in some trouble but then I read the rest of the post.

If I purchased a welder for my girlfriend the only thing that would prevent her from welding my truck doors shut, with me in the truck ! ..... would be her lack of welding skill.

Please, don't give them ideas!

[Lloyd Smale]

just take it easy on it. Do big jobs at a slower pace. Run it hard with its short duty cycle and it might not hold up. But for welding little jobs like your mower deck it should be just fine. I had a 125 amp Lincoln 110vt welder. I did have problems when using it in the barn at the end of long runs of wire. If I plugged it in closer to the breaker box it was fine. That said my neighbor has the 175 amp 220 version and its much easier to weld with. I actually bought it for him for all the work he did for me. It works so much nicer that I gave his son who lives down state my 110 volt unit and just wheel the neighbors over when I need to weld. He bought a plasma cutter and a tig welder last year too. Sure is nice to have a good neighbor!

[RogerDat]

Women who welds, sounds like a keeper. Sort of like when you buy your wife a chainsaw and she takes it back to trade up to the bigger model.

I used to weld in a plant and one Christmas wife managed to get a full sized welder under the tree on Christmas eve. Weighed darn near as much as she did. I was one surprised and happy "kid" on Christmas morning.