Harbor freight vs eastwood mig

Stay away from hazard fraught I mean harbor freight. Do yourself a favor, buy your last tool first.

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Some of their stuff is fine, I still have a grinder I bought from them 15 years ago, use it daily. Do not think I would invest in one of their welders or compressors though.
 
It's my understanding HF has upped their game in recent years in terms of quality, they already made inroads on "market share". For a lot of hobbyists it doesn't make much sense to spend bucks on specialized tools that won't be used often.
 
they just came out with a new line of welders that are supposed to be very good but I will stick to my miller 135 hasn't failed me yet although I would like a mig/tig setup
 
Look to Miller, or Hobart. Spend a few bucks more, and have trouble free welding for the rest of your life. Breakdowns on weekends are never good. Ask about future sales, both companies have unbeatable sales about once a year.
 
I used Miller Mig welders in the body shops for years. I've had a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 170 mig welder for 4 years. NO ISSUES, no real difference in weld quality from the Miller. If their newest line of HF welders have been improved at all they should be extremely good welders. I gave $169.00 for mine, have 4 years use building cars, no repairs whatever. I've welded 20 gauge up to 3/8'' plate. It's pretty handy.
 
With some of the cheaper welders you have to watch out because they don't have a high current relay to shut off the welding current when you let go of the trigger. Letting go of the trigger just turns off the wire feed not the welding current also. This makes it a lot harder to fill holes when welding. Try to get a good brand name welder and you can't go wrong.
 
I always get one that I can go to the local welding supply or on line and buy parts for. Wire feed stuff wears and rubber stuff deteriorates over time. Switches & solenoids also can give trouble over time. If you find one that does all that you want it to and you think the price is high, then just keep looking on line till you find a price you can afford for the same item. Many times you can get a Cadillac for just little more than a Chevy. If you like to buy the cheapest stuff available, then be prepared to throw it away and buy another when it breaks and can't get the little part that gave out. If it doesn't work well for what you want it to do, it will set there and collect dust.
 
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