The other week i drove all the way to HF, put one in the cart, went to the cashier and ended up not buying it and putting it back.

now that i read this, i am glad i didn't buy it

 

I will say this. The wire that came with the welder was total crap. I switched the wire and my welds cleaned up quite a bit. They still look like crap, but better crap nonetheless.

 

that welder works really good for its price, but buy some Lincoln 0.035 wire

 

Picked up the welder a little over 6 months ago. Was so excited to get started with it and welding for the first time, I didn't want to jump in the deep end and realize it wasn't for me. But...I'm glad I did...great beginner welder to start with...learning how to lay a bead, being able to read the puddle and learning how to build stuff...that's what this welder is good for. Like it's been said before, ditch the wire that comes with it and go to HomeDepot or Lowes and pick up a small spool of the Lincoln .035 Flux Cored wire...your welds will clean up a lot easier. My experience since has been with a Lincoln 150, 175/85 and a full course of Oxy-Acetylene fusion welding...

However, I really recommend taking a class on Oxy-Acetylene welding. You'll learn how to read and control the puddle much easier and see the different transitions of the base metal through the different heat temperatures. I am however not certified...but I do have some experience with welding and that's my opinion....

-Ted