Has anyone tried Eastwood 135 amp mig welders

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dovercrossing

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Has anyone purchased or used one of these welders! I'm thinking of purchasing one and I want some input. I bought A Harbor freight wire welder and its not much good for bodywork. It works good for thicker metal though, I sold it to my neighbor!
 
I would like to know also! Thanks on the info on the HF wire feed, I was thinking about theirs too. Rog
 
Why would you buy a welder from Eastwood? Eastwood does not make welders. They buy welders, slap their name on it and jack up the price.

I'm not against Eastwood but you should only buy stuff from them that you can't find other places.

Find your local welding supply store or even Sears. Buying a welder from eastwood is silly.
 
It is a repacked Lincoln Sp135. This was the predecessor to the Powermigs Lincoln has now.
 
Popdart the hf welder only has two settings I bought the 100 amp / 80 two much heat for stitch welding!
toplscuda is that repacked lincoln welder any good for body work! And I thinks Sears sells Chinese crap now
 
I have no knowledge of the Eastwood welders, but if it is a re-branded Lincoln SP135 I've had one for a number of years. Good little machine. It has infinite controls for the wire feed and amps, and it is 110v so you can plug it in almost anywhere. It will not weld really thick stuff but if you want it for automotive sheet metal it is perfect. Make sure you get a gas set up, and look into what a new Lincoln sells for at the local welding shop. I am biased against Eastwood because I feel their prices are high. Also, if it is possible, make sure the Eastwood unit is a quality unit and not one of the Home Depot SP135's, there is a difference.
 
I have the HF 120VAC wire welder with just the high/low setting. I have used it for sheet metal on several cars with OK results after grinding the welds. I found I need to use the lower setting even on fairly thick exhaust pipe or it can burn-thru. If you can, place a copper spoon behind the sheet metal to avoid burn-thru (true for all welders). I understand that gas makes it sputter less, but my $90 model doesn't have that option. Mine spits droplets of molten metal, especially if it hits rust, so must protect everything around. My main problem is that I can't see well, so often weld in the wrong spot. Don't know if the HF auto-dimming shield or too many vapors coming off.
 
dovercrossing said:
Popdart the hf welder only has two settings I bought the 100 amp / 80 two much heat for stitch welding!
toplscuda is that repacked lincoln welder any good for body work! And I thinks Sears sells Chinese crap now
Click to expand...

Yes the Lincon 135 is a great little machine for doing body work. This one from the looks of it has taken the infinite control form the pro model og the 135 Lincoln made and paired it with some cost cutting items fromthe weld pack series. All in all it should still be a decent machine for the home user. The good thign about it is ease of repair and parts availabilty should you need any in the future. Any repair shop that repairs Lincoln welders woud be familiar with it. The only issue I ran into withhte Lincoln version of the 135 besides users using the gun as a pull toy ans ruining it was the fan motor. They use the fan motor as a transformer also to supply the voltage to the control board. After several years (usually add in a ton of dirt) they fail and it will not work. The good thing is it a about a $50 part.
 
Miller, Lincoln, and Hobart are all top quality welders. Go to your local welding supply company and see what they have. You may need to get gas anyway.
toolman
 
I have one and I like it allot. So far I've used it for patch panels, exhaust, and other misc. welding around the shop. The regulator that came with it crapped out after a a couple times of using it and I just called Eastwood and they had a new one right out to me no questions. I like it so much that I would consider the TIG welder they're advertising now if I needed one.
-Jon
 
Thanks fenderman and toplscuda , I noticed that it had a 3 year waranty and thats part of the reason I was leaning towards it.
 
I bought one of their plasma cutters and it works fine. It also came with a 3 year warranty.
 
If I was a professional welder I'd buy a Miller. I know their good machines. I'm a truck driver and work on my own cars and I'd rather spend that kind of money on a used Monarch Lathe or more neat parts for my car.
 
You can buy the eastwood 135 with the cart and helmet for $399. The cheapest Lincoln I see on ebay is $349 for just the welder.
 
If you have Northern Tool near you, check this out:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200332691_200332691

My buddy has it, and it is suspiciously similar to my Lincoln Weldpak 3200 HD. (This is not mine, just a picture I grabbed off the net). he loves it, and it is priced right.

Lincoln3200HD001-med2.JPG


164611_lg.jpg
 
FWIW I have the Eastwood 175. It feels cheap, almost toy-like. They're definitely chinese. It works ok, not great. I would rather have spent more for a Lincoln or Miller.
 
Go to tractor supply web sight they have a 130 amp 110 volt with helment cart and everything you need to get started, I just bought one it works great, miller and hobart went together on these. I highly recommend this unit for most stuff. I bought the gas to go with mine.
 
Guys- PLEASE do not buy the cheap auto-dark hoods! Yes, you can save a few bucks, but what is your sight worth? On top of that, a quality hood will give greater comfort and visibility through a higher quality lens. Your eyes will only tolerate so much abuse- the more they get flashed (even a little at a time) the sooner you won't have them. I have an Optrel fixed shade for mig and a Miller Elite for tig. Best money I ever spent- no more headaches/"hot sand in the eyes". The better you can see your weld bead, the better weld quality will be. Sorry to hijack the thread-just hate to see anyone's eyes injured. JMHO
 
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