Harbor Freight #98870 120A Arc Welder - WOOB
07-21-12, 09:26 PM
#1
Harbor Freight #98870 120A Arc Welder - WOOB
Item# 98870
Pros: Cheap, works on 110v or 220v, easy to learn on, portable
Cons: No 110v plug included, limited to 70A on 110v, won't do aluminum (use Mig or Tig for that), discontinued
Ease of Use: 9/10 (-1 for sticking, thanks to my n00bness)
Quality: 9/10 (-1 for 110V current limit)
Value 9/10 (-1 for not including a 110v plug)
Overall: 9/10
For being only $90, it's a cheap way to learn how to weld things together. I bought one a couple years ago and it's been a great investment. Runs on 110v or 220v, strikes an arc easily and does a good overall job. First project I did was building a battery box out of 1/8" thick angle and flat iron using 1/16" E6013 electrodes (HF Item# 96812). Because I was running it in 110v mode, I was limited to 70A and it couldn't fully penetrate the material. A pass on the other side remedied this suitably.
The only items I can mark off for is that the current limit for 110V is a bit low for real-world fabrication. Also, another minor gripe is that the power cord isn't pre-wired because of its dual nature. It's not hard to wire one, just a slight annoyance. $3 for a plug at the store too isn't bad, but they could have included one in the box just to tie up that loose end. Sometime in the future, I'll rewire mine to have both 110v and 220v plugs on it for greater flexibility.
Because it is an AC welder, sticking electrodes will happen occasionally, especially for a newbie such as myself. Just practice on scrap first and it'll be just like riding a bicycle in no time. There are plenty of instructional videos on youtube as well.
It includes a face shield, but one really should purchase HF's welding goggles (Item# 35711) as well. Learning to weld is hard enough without having to hold up protective eyewear as well. Add a chipping hammer, welding gloves and a box of electrodes and you're all set. Some welding magnets would be a wise purchase too. Fortunately, they carry all of the above at very reasonable prices too.
Having never welded before, I'm very pleased with the product and the results it delivers. It has been discontinued in favor of a 70A 110v only version that has quite a few lackluster reviews. Hopefully HF will offer these dual-mode welders again.
Pros: Cheap, works on 110v or 220v, easy to learn on, portable
Cons: No 110v plug included, limited to 70A on 110v, won't do aluminum (use Mig or Tig for that), discontinued
Ease of Use: 9/10 (-1 for sticking, thanks to my n00bness)
Quality: 9/10 (-1 for 110V current limit)
Value 9/10 (-1 for not including a 110v plug)
Overall: 9/10
For being only $90, it's a cheap way to learn how to weld things together. I bought one a couple years ago and it's been a great investment. Runs on 110v or 220v, strikes an arc easily and does a good overall job. First project I did was building a battery box out of 1/8" thick angle and flat iron using 1/16" E6013 electrodes (HF Item# 96812). Because I was running it in 110v mode, I was limited to 70A and it couldn't fully penetrate the material. A pass on the other side remedied this suitably.
The only items I can mark off for is that the current limit for 110V is a bit low for real-world fabrication. Also, another minor gripe is that the power cord isn't pre-wired because of its dual nature. It's not hard to wire one, just a slight annoyance. $3 for a plug at the store too isn't bad, but they could have included one in the box just to tie up that loose end. Sometime in the future, I'll rewire mine to have both 110v and 220v plugs on it for greater flexibility.
Because it is an AC welder, sticking electrodes will happen occasionally, especially for a newbie such as myself. Just practice on scrap first and it'll be just like riding a bicycle in no time. There are plenty of instructional videos on youtube as well.
It includes a face shield, but one really should purchase HF's welding goggles (Item# 35711) as well. Learning to weld is hard enough without having to hold up protective eyewear as well. Add a chipping hammer, welding gloves and a box of electrodes and you're all set. Some welding magnets would be a wise purchase too. Fortunately, they carry all of the above at very reasonable prices too.
Having never welded before, I'm very pleased with the product and the results it delivers. It has been discontinued in favor of a 70A 110v only version that has quite a few lackluster reviews. Hopefully HF will offer these dual-mode welders again.
09-09-12, 07:25 AM
#3
There are pictures of the battery box I welded together with this in my build thread, specifically posts #312 and #313. The design is similar to Aaron Cake's, but made for a Group 48 Deka Intimidator.
Link here: https://www.rx7club.com/build-thread...888195/page13/
Link here: https://www.rx7club.com/build-thread...888195/page13/
10-24-12, 10:53 PM
#4
I am most likely the worst welder ever. I bought one of these simply because the exhaust on my box truck had a leak and the place I brought it to wanted $200 to weld it back together. I bought this and did it myself. It held for about 6 months, leaked again. Welded it back together again and ended up selling it 6 months later. It was still holding well. Don't know enough to rate the thing, but it's fun to mess around with.
10-28-12, 02:58 PM
#5
one complaint i have about this particular welder is that the "on" switch is also the voltage selector, if you select the wrong voltage you can possibly damage the welder.
the "on" switch should have been separate from the voltage selection. and could be why it was discontinued.
i picked it up to do some spot welding and it worked well even though i wound up not using it for the particular project i bought it for. it does spot welding quite well as a side note, since you can control the heat via the amperage to much lower than some that are limited to design(the other spot welders were way too powerful for the small work i was doing).
the "on" switch should have been separate from the voltage selection. and could be why it was discontinued.
i picked it up to do some spot welding and it worked well even though i wound up not using it for the particular project i bought it for. it does spot welding quite well as a side note, since you can control the heat via the amperage to much lower than some that are limited to design(the other spot welders were way too powerful for the small work i was doing).
Last edited by RotaryEvolution; 10-28-12 at 03:01 PM.
