My second MIG130 welder purchase this year!
I like this welder! I've used quite a few different welders in the last 40+ years (gas, MIG, TIG and stick), and this is probably the most useful and fun of the ones I have owned - I like it enough that I got a 2nd one for my grandson who is studying welding. It can be a bit finicky but that's actually the nature of low-priced MIGs, they just don't have all the fine-tuning and heavy-duty parts of a high-priced MIG/gas unit. However, used with good quality wire they can give excellent results (I like ".030 E71T-GS Flux core wire" for most jobs, Harbor Freight cheapie wire isn't going to do the best work!) - just don't expect perfect results without test welds and some practice, and when you do I suggest you take notes on which settings work best. (The accompanying booklet isn't much help at all, sadly) Also expect to do some spatter and slag cleanup, which is unavoidable with flux wire anyway - but I must say it's a lot less than I generate with my stick welder, and easier to remove.
You might want to look online for MIG welding tips unless you are experienced at it (amazed at the amount of good info online!), as it will take some getting used to before you learn how to properly "bite" both pieces you're welding and turn out clean looking beads. You might want to get a decent helmet for any extended welding; I wouldn't even use the dinky "mask" that it comes with, although the shade 10 glass lens is adequate for most light arc work. I traded up to a self-darkening helmet and haven't had any problems. Full leather gloves are a must IMO, and I have leather arms, an apron and a full jacket if necessary. The included "hammer/wire brush" for cleanup is a joke, right? I wouldn't use it for anything, but then again I already own decent welding gear and tools.
Tips: before you start a new bead, clip the end of the wire at the nozzle so it isn't hanging out more than 1/8" or so, make sure you aren't trying to start an arc on a bit of slag, and get your hand in the right position to move the cup in the direction you intend to lay a bead, then WATCH THE PUDDLE as you weld - which is how good welding is done anyway; you can tell almost everything about how a bead is forming by watching the puddle shape, size, color and edges once you have a bit of practice. Make sure your wire is feeding smoothly; any jerkiness can mess up a bead and throw the feeder off further, so follow the booklet setup and I suggest looking online for other tips on wire feeding, it can make a huge difference in good vs bad beads! And a final tip - the best welds follow the best preps, such as proper cleaning, beveling if necessary, even how you set up the metal and fasten the ground clamp; don't expect good results on dirty, greasy, sloppy, rusty, wobbly pieces or a loose ground clamp - ever. Just sayin...
My first MIG130 arrived with a problem in the wire-feed mechanism, but the seller, greatshoppingday2012, was more responsive and helpful than I hoped, getting me an entirely new wire-feed unit from the factory, and everything works perfectly now. I can't recommend this seller highly enough, he responded right away, took the initiative and followed up, and kept me informed the entire time - THIS IS A TOP-NOTCH SELLER, folks! Don't even hesitate to buy from him! I installed the new feed mechanism myself- these aren't very complicated units- and haven't had a single problem since.
So now we have 2 MIG130s in the family, and can tackle lots of light-to-medium welding projects; I fixed a mic stand and my lawn mower engine shroud yesterday - next up, my sons' mower deck that cracked, plus a patch over a hole in my buddy's pickup truck cab. Heavy iron? That's what I have a stick welder for; keep in mind these MIGs are designed for thinner metal welding and need to cool down between passes - they wouldn't do a great job welding a plow rig to a pickup frame, for example. But for sheet steel and thin to thicker steel joints they work just fine - and you can't beat the price!
JLinCNYRead full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
