New Welding Machine...Titanium Ultimate 140

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

Been hearing a rumor for the past couple years that Harbor Freigt was coming to a local town, but never figured it would happen. But finally after 2 years of hearing the rumor, the new store finally opened up last Tuesday. Went over there yesterday on my day off just to look around and maybe pick up some stuff to throw in the truck for working on tractors out in the field. 

 

I'm not sure if it's just me or if it affects everyone, but I have this disease that makes it almost impossible to buy the one thing I came for in Harbor Freight (or any other tool store for that matter) and I ended up walking out of there with a new welding machine. I opted for the Titanium Ultimate 140. Ive been looking into purchasing a new welder for smaller projects around the shop for some time. Guys I work with hate it when something around the shop needs welded and I fire up the old Miller on the back of the truck (I think they are complaining about the sound of an old CCK Onan with dual straight pipes, though I can't hear them well enough to know for sure) 

This welder will be prominently used as a MIG machine, but the other features will be handy to have. I have never TIG welded, but always wanted to try it, so this was an inexpensive way to try it out, with the possibility of later down the road buying a higher end model once I get the hang of it. 

 

Took the welder out to the shop after Christmas dinner this afternoon and loaded it up with a 2 LB spool of .030 Flux core and tried it out. I must say I was impressed...does it run as good as a Miller? Of course not...I never expected it to, but for what it is it lays a nice bead. One thing I did notice is the recommended settings for Voltage and Wire Feed are WAY OFF, not a deal breaker just takes some getting used to setting it up. Gonna go to the welding supply up the road tomorrow and pick up a bottle of 75/25 mix to try it out running solid wire.

 

Once I use it enough I will update everyone here with my findings, as well as probably have a video review on my YouTube channel for those of you who follow that 

[Pullstart 62,849]

7 hours ago, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

I have this disease that makes it almost impossible to buy the one thing I came for in Harbor Freight (or any other tool store for that matter) 

I think I have that, but it spread to my Horse shoppin’ muscle too!

 

congrats Bryce, where’s the picture of the beads?

[953 nut 55,216]

Good for smaller jobs where duty cycle isn't a problem.

7 hours ago, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

Guys I work with hate it when something around the shop needs welded and I fire up the old Miller on the back of the truck (I think they are complaining about the sound of an old CCK Onan with dual straight pipes, though I can't hear them well enough to know for sure)

Years back I worked on a jobsite with a Kohler powered Lincoln welder mounted on a Cushman three wheeler. Whenever I could I would park it outside and run the stinger inside but on those occasions where I had to run it in the building the noise was deafening, it had spark arrestor mufflers but they did nothing to quiet it down. 

[WHX?? 48,815]

8 hours ago, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

I have this disease that makes it almost impossible to buy the one thing I came for in Harbor Freight 

Welcome to my world... I walk out with everything but what I went in for!

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

I think I have that, but it spread to my Horse shoppin’ muscle too!

 

congrats Bryce, where’s the picture of the beads?

If I get time today I'm gonna play around with it some more and I'll get some pictures then...kind of embarrassed to show what I did yesterday...we were in the wife's pickup when we came over here instead of my welding truck, so I didn't have my good hood with me...used the one at the shop but my blind eyes can't see to weld real well without my cheaters 

[Handy Don 12,217]

10 hours ago, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

I must say I was impressed...

I'm using the non-TIG version 140 with flux wire only and I agree, the “recommended” settings are too low for both feed and power. I’m using the inductance setting at the mid-point.

Not having a lot of prior welding experience I can’t give a comparison, but I can say that the bits I’ve stuck together so far look decent and have stayed together! 

I liked saving $$ on the machine at HF but chose a pro-level Hobart helmet and other protective gear and quality wire (Forney or Lincoln) elsewhere.

Good luck with your new toy!

[squonk 41,099]

3 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Welcome to my world... I walk out with everything but what I went in for!

Hope you don't ever walk into a Victoria's Secret store! 

[ebinmaine 67,465]

23 hours ago, squonk said:

Hope you don't ever walk into a Victoria's Secret store! 

Why not??

 

Never mind.

 

No no really. NEVER MIND.

 

 

 

 

 

Bryce I'll be looking forward to your impressions of this machine. I've been mulling over picking up a  110 volt welder myself.

[RandyLittrell 3,877]

On 12/25/2022 at 11:30 PM, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

the recommended settings for Voltage and Wire Feed are WAY OFF,

 

I am sure you know, but thought I would put this out for others. Did you have the leads set for positve gound? Flux core is reversed from mig. 

 

It should make you a nice little welder! 

 

 

 

Randy

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

Been messing around with the welder quite a bit in my spare time the past couple months, and I must say that I am impressed. Once you play around with the settings and find the sweet spot for what you are welding, the little machine works extremely well. Still haven't ran any solid MIG wire through it yet, but running flux core it welds really smooth. Haven't gotten it set up to try TIG yet, but I did play around with the stick feature a little bit, welded a few pieces of scrap together with some 3/32" 6011. It could be used for light repairs with stick electrodes, but I wouldn't recommend it as a machine if one is primarily looking for a dedicated stick welder. Which is fine as most of my stick welding is done with the old faithful Miller on the truck anyway. 

 

One of the first projects I have been working on with the new machine is a rolling cart and workstation which will hold said machine, as well as the YesWelder Cut55-DS plasma cutter I purchased last month. I looked at several of the welding carts sold at various retailers, but none of them offered all the features that I wanted, so I opted to build my own. I started with a US General 5 drawer roll cart, and began by removing the handle, top lid, and casters. I then began building a rolling frame out of 14 gauge 1"x2" rectangular tubing that cages the original box. 

 

I then reinforced the rear part of the cart behind the box, and covered it with a piece of 1/8" plate, this area will hold up to 3 125cf gas cylinders. The space to the left of the box will have shelves built for the welder and plasma cutter to sit on. 

 

And finally a close up of one of the beads laid with this little unit running flux core wire. 

 

Hope to get this cart finished soon, I ran out of 1x2 tubing due to a midway design change. Steel supplier is 40 miles away, and only open M-F 8-5, which really sucks as I work M-F 8-5. Probably have to take the wife's pickup to work one day and send her to the steel supplier with my welding truck and trailer to pick up the rest of the tubing for this project as well as another one I need to get started on for the neighbor. Once the frame is built the top will be covered with a solid piece of 3/16" plate to make a small workstation for small repairs and projects. 

[Handy Don 12,217]

I have the Flux/MIG 140 version and I’ve been impressed, as well. I’ve been sticking together some quite heavy stuff (¾” rod; ¼” plate) with flux core as well as smaller stuff. I have found that spraying anti-spatter helps with the cleanup. You do have to pay attention to duty cycle when running it at full power but on the smaller stuff, it’s pretty easy (and I’m a novice at welding).

I’ll likely be getting a tank so I can do some MIG work in a couple of months.

So far, I’m quite satisfied at the value. I did drop coin on a fast, adjustable, wide-view Hobart helmet and good gloves--no compromise on personal safety.

[Wayne0 457]

On 3/17/2023 at 10:54 PM, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

Been messing around with the welder quite a bit in my spare time the past couple months, and I must say that I am impressed. Once you play around with the settings and find the sweet spot for what you are welding, the little machine works extremely well. Still haven't ran any solid MIG wire through it yet, but running flux core it welds really smooth. Haven't gotten it set up to try TIG yet, but I did play around with the stick feature a little bit, welded a few pieces of scrap together with some 3/32" 6011. It could be used for light repairs with stick electrodes, but I wouldn't recommend it as a machine if one is primarily looking for a dedicated stick welder. Which is fine as most of my stick welding is done with the old faithful Miller on the truck anyway. 

 

One of the first projects I have been working on with the new machine is a rolling cart and workstation which will hold said machine, as well as the YesWelder Cut55-DS plasma cutter I purchased last month. I looked at several of the welding carts sold at various retailers, but none of them offered all the features that I wanted, so I opted to build my own. I started with a US General 5 drawer roll cart, and began by removing the handle, top lid, and casters. I then began building a rolling frame out of 14 gauge 1"x2" rectangular tubing that cages the original box. 

 

I then reinforced the rear part of the cart behind the box, and covered it with a piece of 1/8" plate, this area will hold up to 3 125cf gas cylinders. The space to the left of the box will have shelves built for the welder and plasma cutter to sit on. 

 

And finally a close up of one of the beads laid with this little unit running flux core wire. 

 

Hope to get this cart finished soon, I ran out of 1x2 tubing due to a midway design change. Steel supplier is 40 miles away, and only open M-F 8-5, which really sucks as I work M-F 8-5. Probably have to take the wife's pickup to work one day and send her to the steel supplier with my welding truck and trailer to pick up the rest of the tubing for this project as well as another one I need to get started on for the neighbor. Once the frame is built the top will be covered with a solid piece of 3/16" plate to make a small workstation for small repairs and projects. 

Damn nice bead for flux core!

[kpinnc 12,017]

On 3/17/2023 at 10:54 PM, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

Been messing around with the welder quite a bit in my spare time the past couple months

 

Nice mobile welding station! 

 

I picked up a Hobart 140 a couple years back. Never took the plunge on a bottle yet, still using flux core. BUT very impressed with the power on these little 110V welders. I "grew up" on stick welders, and I'll not likely go back to those- unless I find a need for 1/2 inch thick and up steel welding.

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

43 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

Nice mobile welding station! 

 

I picked up a Hobart 140 a couple years back. Never took the plunge on a bottle yet, still using flux core. BUT very impressed with the power on these little 110V welders. I "grew up" on stick welders, and I'll not likely go back to those- unless I find a need for 1/2 inch thick and up steel welding.

Thanks...that one is my mobile welding station...then I have my MOBILE welding station 

 

I grew up on a stick machine as well. Matter of fact I learned to weld on this Miller that Grandpa bought new in 1979. Up until my junior year of high school I didn't even know that electric powered welders of any kind even existed. The old Onan powered Miller was the only type of welder I knew there was 

[kpinnc 12,017]

2 hours ago, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

then I have my MOBILE welding station 

 

Yep, that's mo-mobile! 

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

Did some more work on the cart today, and finally got to use the Titanium running solid wire. I changed the machine over from flux core to solid wire a couple weeks ago for a coworker of mine to do some exhaust work on his pickup, but this was the first time I ran it since. Running .030 wire from my local welding supply with a 75/25 Argon/CO2 mix shielding gas. Very happy with how the machine welds and very happy with how the cart is coming along as well. 

[c-series don 8,701]

A guy I used to work with told me that he was helping a friend build a mobile welding truck. So I asked him “Do you mean as opposed to a stationary welding truck?!” Then he just gave me that look 😬😂