Harbor freight Mig wire...stay away!

[Steve]

I like to shop at Harbor Freight and they do have some excellent tools. Not everything is worth it though.

Case in point: Mig wire.

I was in the process of modifying a Harbor Freight 20 ton hydraulic press to 32 ton air over hydraulic operation. To allow for the extra 12 tons, I did have to add some reinforcement to the top and bottom of the press along with using a 1 inch thick plate with the supplied cast iron blocks for the table.

In the process of reinforcing the press, I noticed that the Harbor freight mig wire was crap! I mean it would not give the results I am used to getting with either Lincoln or Miller / Hobart wire.

I ended up grinding all the Harbor Freight wire welds off and starting over. Once I put the Hobart wire on, everything was beautiful.

I did do a few tests with the HF wire and found that the arc was not nearly as smooth as the other manufacturers wire. For some reason, the HF wire's arc was erratic and the welds were porous. It seems that the batch of wire I got had some kind of contamination in or on it. It felt oily and dirty. The areas I was welding were paint free and clean. So I got some metal and tried and tried to get a good stable arc and a good weld. It was just not going to happen.

BTW, I use a Hobart Handler 210 Mig welder using 75 /25 gas.

I will say that Harbor Freight do have some excellent tools and other products. I got a great deal on the 20 ton hydraulic press which is an excellent product. But there are some things that should be avoided and mig wire, at least for me, is one of them.

[Scotty1]

I like to shop at Harbor Freight and they do have some excellent tools. Not everything is worth it though.

Case in point: Mig wire.

I was in the process of modifying a Harbor Freight 20 ton hydraulic press to 32 ton air over hydraulic operation. To allow for the extra 12 tons, I did have to add some reinforcement to the top and bottom of the press along with using a 1 inch thick plate with the supplied cast iron blocks for the table.

In the process of reinforcing the press, I noticed that the Harbor freight mig wire was crap! I mean it would not give the results I am used to getting with either Lincoln or Miller / Hobart wire.

I ended up grinding all the Harbor Freight wire welds off and starting over. Once I put the Hobart wire on, everything was beautiful.

I did do a few tests with the HF wire and found that the arc was not nearly as smooth as the other manufacturers wire. For some reason, the HF wire's arc was erratic and the welds were porous. It seems that the batch of wire I got had some kind of contamination in or on it. It felt oily and dirty. The areas I was welding were paint free and clean. So I got some metal and tried and tried to get a good stable arc and a good weld. It was just not going to happen.

BTW, I use a Hobart Handler 210 Mig welder using 75 /25 gas.

I will say that Harbor Freight do have some excellent tools and other products. I got a great deal on the 20 ton hydraulic press which is an excellent product. But there are some things that should be avoided and mig wire, at least for me, is one of them.

Been There / Done That,
Get a Large type compressed cotton roll /like an over size tampon/ 3/4"-1" dia split it halve waythru and put it on your wire before the feed rolls

Works as wire wiper

[ShaneJackson]

Tampon for your wire..... lol

You get what you pay for at HF. Some stuff is good but most is crap. (no I am not trying to be snobby, I have a lot of HF tools myself...)

[Trip59]

I cherry pick. Some things I'll buy and use, some I'll buy and modify, some things I won't even look at the price. Their MIG wire and flux core have been discussed on the forum before, if I recall, one or two folks said it was ok, everyone else called it absolute crap. I just turned down an offer of several spools of it. Rather pay $20 a pop for Hobart or Lincoln.

[zoama]

I've had trouble with hobart flux core. The diameter wasn't consistent and it had some sort of black grease on it. Plugged the contact tip often, 2 x2lb rolls and one 10lb roll .035... but that was 7 years ago and I haven't tried it since.

[SeanMurphy265]

I've had trouble with hobart flux core. The diameter wasn't consistent and it had some sort of black grease on it. Plugged the contact tip often, 2 x2lb rolls and one 10lb roll .035... but that was 7 years ago and I haven't tried it since.

More than likely the HF wire's diameter is not consistent and causing some problems.

I've never purchased HF mig wire, but I have checked the prices, and it's not any cheaper than the off brand sold at your lws.

[DVA]

I would not purchase HF wire because HS charges more than my local welding store for better wire. Not everything is a good deal at HF and at that quality is typically sacrificed.

[youngnstudly]

I like to shop at Harbor Freight and they do have some excellent tools. Not everything is worth it though.

I don't know that I would ever use the term "Excellent" when talking about Harbor Freight, but "less junky" might be somewhat accurate. I notice that a lot of their tools and items are of similar quality to the "Made in China" items that Lowe's and Home Depot sell (for more money). I use 2 of the "wire wipers" on my dad's Miller after having trouble with the weld quality on one particular roll of name brand wire from the LWS. It too had some sort of light coating on the wire which was giving me "fits."

I have to say that I am happy with the aluminum floor jack and jack stands that I have from HF. None of the casters from them have given me issues either, so I suppose you're right about them having some decent products. I still hate them and what they stand for, but it's not like there are that many places selling tools and supplies which say "Made in America" on them anyways. More of the "good China" versus "bad China" debate.

I like your press modification! That should really come in handy and seems like a nice upgrade over the non-modified version. I've been thinking of how handy a (smaller) press would be. It always seems like I need to press something apart, or together.

[Steve]

I like your press modification! That should really come in handy and seems like a nice upgrade over the non-modified version. I've been thinking of how handy a (smaller) press would be. It always seems like I need to press something apart, or together.

Thanks. The air hydraulic jack really changed the personality of the press from being a pain in the butt to use to looking forward to the next project so I can use it! I've been squashing things for the past few hours just to see what it can do. It will flatten a penny pretty good and will break apart a bowling ball. Alkaline batteries squash to almost dime thickness. I even made some orange juice with it this morning. I took a stainless steel bowl and put a plate on the pressure pin and it squashed the daylights out of a few oranges. It was good! Going to build a can and oil filter squasher. That will make my run to the metal recycle folks easier.

I bought this to bend some metal for an enclosed motorcycle I am going to build. Got a Swag Offroad press brake coming soon. I too also have things that needed to be either pressed together or apart and it never fails because usually I need it done when the local auto parts store is closed.

I had an older press and it sure got its use. But the air hydraulic jack makes using this one a whole lot of fun.

[Steve]

So I went to Harbor Freight this afternoon and was looking for some die grinder stones and a few other things.

I ended up talking to the manager about my problems with Harbor Freight mig wire and he asked me how old the wire was. I told him I got it probably about 5 years ago and it was sitting in my tool cabinet and I forgot about it till I started this Hydraulic press project.

He told me that I should buy the HF wire now as it is better than it was in the past. He said that if I was not happy, I could return it. So I took him up on his offer.

I had some projects that required mig welding so I gave it a try. Guess what.......perfect....great arc and great beads. I could not be happier.

So I take back my "Harbor Freight mig wire stay away" comments. The new wire is just so much nicer and I am really happy with it.

[youngnstudly]

I'm surprised you went back! I live by the code that my grandfather used to tell me:

"Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me."

Of course being hardheaded and stubborn doesn't lend much in the way of second chances. Their MIG wire may be awesome, but I still don't plan to spend $2 less on HF MIG wire over name brand wire anytime soon! Glad you had a good second experience with them though, and I applaud the fact that you were open minded enough to give them another chance.

After using the cheap HF grinding discs and stones at work (a mistake the company only made once!), you have to go see your dentist and get all of your fillings replaced! Those discs and stones tend to be really bouncy and you'll rattle them out in no time at all!