Wasted $450 on a flux core welder that couldn't handle 1/4 inch plate

I bought a cheap flux core machine from a surplus place over in Gary, Indiana thinking it was a steal. Tried welding a 1/4 inch bracket for a job and it just sputtered and popped for 2 hours straight before I gave up. Ended up having to rent a real machine from the local shop for $80 just to get the weld done right. Anybody else get burned by a bargain welder that just couldnt do the work?

2 comments

2 Comments

nelson.gavin29d ago

What kind of prep work did you do on that plate before you started burning? I've seen guys cheap out on cleaning the metal or skip the bevel and then blame the machine for poor penetration. Did you run that flux core wire on the settings it called for or did you try to crank it up thinking more power would fix it?

angela19129d agoMost Upvoted

Man that's rough, I feel for you. Sounds like you did your due diligence and the machine just let you down.