I found a small flux-core only welder locally that I probably can pick up cheap. It will be my first welder but it is not set up for mig, it's flux-core only.
Buy it and get started, or hold off for something better. I should add that anything up here that is flux/mig gets snapped up in 3-4 hours on kijiji. They go really fast. Missed out on two this weekend.
How cheap? Keep in mind that the H-F one with a coupon is just under $100 brand new. And it's not a bad welder, as long as you're okay with FCAW.
I'm not in the US. Up here they go for $400 new. I can probably get this one for $150.
No HF up here. The closest we have is Princess Auto. They have one for $230, but I have to travel 1 1/2 hours to get there.
save for a MIG.
For what it's worth, my thought process was, after checking out some used ones: "I had better buy a known quantity so I'm not trying to teach myself to weld and diagnose a bad welder at the same time".
Another vote for waiting. There is a night and day difference between trying to weld with a cheap flux core and even a lower end gas. I had one of the HF flux cores that I ended up throwing away, it was such a PITA to deal with.
If it's a decent flux core, buy it. They're fine and excellent to learn on. If you decide you need a mig welder, you can always sell that one and get your money back. If it's not a good one, don't bother.
Remember, welding is welding. One is not better than the other. It just comes down to technique, and the good FC machines work well.
Holding off on getting the perfect welder delays ones ability to become a perfect welder. Or even a half assed welder. 
I need to take my own advice.
You are not going to weld tin with a flux core. Or at the least, you will struggle to do so compared to a gas shielded welder.
My first mig was an Italian thing, and I couldn't make a full pass around a 2 1/2 inch exhaust pipe without stopping to let it cool down.
It was junk.
What is the brand?
Although my Lincoln welder can do MIG I use flux core for 99.9% of the welding I do. The main reason is that I can bring the welder to what I am welding or put it in the trunk of my car and help a friend.
MIG is better in that it is cleaner but for me at least virtually everything I do I go with the flux core. I would rather bring a drill and a wire wheel or a wire brush and 3" grinder with me than hall around a tank of gas. I have also found that with practice flux core welding can look virtually as good as MIG. If you are really looking for that "stack of dimes" weld you really need to go to TIG.
Just your typical Made in China knock off. Nothing special.
Missed out on a Lincoln and Canox one over the weekend.
It will probably weld fine.
I did all the body work on the FB with a Campbell Hausfeld flux core machine that I bought at Kmart for $125. FC will do sheet metal just fine as long as you are handy with a body hammer and a grinder. I did a lot of welding with that machine and it always did what I needed it to. Is the Hobart I bought to replace it a better machine? Absolutely. But for dollars spent, the cheap machine was just as good.
I still do all of my welding with flux core wire, for the same reason Dean does.
How often do things like this pop up in your neck of the woods? If a good one comes by every once in a while, wait and get a good one.
Yeah, a decent flux core is a fine machine. As mentioned, it's harder to thin guage metal on it, but anything from about 14ga up shouldn't be a problem if you're careful. Once you get past 11ga (.120" thick), it'll can work as well as anything else as long as you don't mind it being a bit uglier looking.
Be careful of a crappy machine, though, they can be frustrating to use, but if it's a reasonably name-brand machine (or, a reasonably known cheap one such as the HF), you're getting a known quality. I once had a craptacular flux core welder that the inner sleeve wasn't smooth, so the wire kept jamming. If the wire wasn't jamming, the wheel didn't have enough pressure to push it through, etc. It wasn't the fault of the flux core, though :)
I carry a HF flux machine in my toterhome. At Daytona this September I repaired the broken exhaust on my RX7 and it held up for 3 days of qualifying and the race with no issues. It wasn't as pretty as I could do with my mig, but as mentioned, for convenience it can't be beat.
the instructor at our summer beginners class said that the main problem with the el-cheapo stuff from HF and Northern Tool tended to have over heating and the melting of the tip ... so you had to be really careful how long kept at a particular job
I love my 89 dollar harbor freight Flux core. Has done everything I have asked of it. Lincoln wire and tips were te key. It's done floor pans and quarters as well.
I'm not sure I'm a good enough welder to make a pretty weld no matter what machine I'm using.
I've been looking at the Eastwood 175 for $499. I've even seen it for sale at a lower price every now and then.
jimbob_racing wrote: I've been looking at the Eastwood 175 for $499. I've even seen it for sale at a lower price every now and then.
For that price you can get the same Hobart I got and I'll bet it uses better parts.
Hey....speaking of welders......
Miller Electric will be joining us again as a sponsor of the $2016 Challenge! They will be sending us a welder that challenge competitors will be free to use during the event. This welder will also be awarded once the event is completed.
So if you want a welder------ put on your big-boy pants and enter the Challenge!
I just bought a lincoln 140, at ctc, 499, seems to work good, my old hobart smoked itself (after 20 years of hard use)
Joe Gearin wrote: Hey....speaking of welders...... Miller Electric will be joining us again as a sponsor of the $2016 Challenge! They will be sending us a welder that challenge competitors will be free to use during the event. This welder will also be awarded once the event is completed. So if you want a welder------ put on your big-boy pants and enter the Challenge!
My WRX would qualify - I have less than $300 out of pocket cash into it but . . . .
MapQuest - 21hr 55min 1396.8mi
Any chance you're going to be near me in the near future? I happen to have one of those PA welders that can be had for the right price
I bought my FC/MIG welder from Princess Auto about 10 years ago. I can't recall the brand off the top of my head. They don't carry them any more. It's yellow???? I have a regulator and have always intended to try it with gas, but never have. I've done a TON of welding with that thing. Built a couple light trailers, lots of brackets, built a GSXR750 powered quad that saw many, many sand drag launches with paddles and never broke etc. It works fine. The cleanup is a bit annoying and it doesn't work great on thin stuff, but on square/round tubing, angle iron etc it works great.
Make sure the metal is clean and fits well then the flux chips off really well then I just hit it with a wire wheel to finish it up.
It's not production quality or efficiency but it works great for my hobby needs.
Well I decided to wait like many suggested. . . . .
But I didn't have to wait long!
It came up on our local kijiji last night I emailed an offer immediately and the seller accepted. Picked it up this afternoon. Millermatic 180 complete with a spool of wire, gun and the regulators for under $400 CAD!!!
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