I was hoping you would chime in. Thank you.
From Googling it I could tell it was an older welder. But everybody seemed to really love it. Really could not find any threads or posts later then 2014 though.
Found that welder on OfferUp for $500. Just the welder and pretty beat up looking. Listing was about 3 months old according to the site.
I thought they were nuts but it is a pawn shop so.....
I do know that I am limited to what I can do with a 110V welder but it is all I can run.
My choice of an air compressor was based on it having to be 110V too.

 

I'll add one more thing, if the CL ad is still active, jump on it, it WILL NOT last long....

I purchased my Miller 211 on a CL ad, got it for around 900, was brand new, with a warranty, reg, bottle, cart, and consumables, I asked the guy to hold it long enough for me to drive 3 hours, he said first money takes it...I departed post haste, got there first, GTFO, HAHA

 

First I want to thank roninofako for replying so quickly.
Well after telling myself for about 45 years that I should learn how to weld it looks like the time might have come.
$250 off Craigslist. To be frank all I know is that it turns on. But the guy, who doesn't know how to weld either, assured me it works as it should.
One of his workers used it to weld the hinges on a Bilco door.
So clean as hell. No gas in the tank but is does have a 2015 date code. And one of the gauges is missing the plastic.
Came with all the crap on the table. It has the flux core stuff in it now. So have find a manual to download. Do some reading. And we shall see what happens.
Before I invest in any gas going to give it a go with the flux core.
I stopped by my buddy's garage right after buying it and he said I did real well.
He knows how to weld. Matter of fact he told me after I determine that it does work to bring it to his garage and he would teach me to weld on my machine.
I like the sound of that.
So............

 

You did good, bud, excellent first machine. Be sure when you make the switch to solid wire/gas, you'll have to switch the polarity of the ground, easy to do.

Manual here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...=1559416839297

Now, plug it in, and try it out! Cool your buddy wants to help you learn, but let's see some beads!

 

Thanks for saving me the trouble of going to look for the manual. Will the instructions explain switching the polarity?
Reason I ask that there is flex core in there now but I would like to be sure that the machine is set up properly for it.
For all I know the polarity is set up for gas despite appearing that it was last used with the flux that is in there.
Oh and something tells me the auto darkening is not working on the mask. I was playing with it in the sun and think it is not working.
It is a solar powered one.
I try not to take things for granted. LOL. And to be frank I did not even know that was a thing.
Which is why I have to do a little homework first. So it is going to be a second before I show off my welding skills. MLOL.
Think I did find some steel in the landlords junk pile out back to play with though.

I found the polarity thing. Page 13.
Hey I can freely admit that I read instructional manuals without any insecurity. LOL.

 

Can you change the battery in the hood? Check and see if it has a battery tray/pack

 

I probably should have mentioned it is solar powered. In a sense. I will post the brand and model.
I have the box and the instructions for the mask. Shame too cause it looks practically unused.
Plastic is all nice and clean on the mask itself. See if Google turns up anything when I get a chance to look.

 

Most AD hoods are solar assisted, try leaving it in the sun a while, and definitely check your manual to see if the battery is replaceable.

http://www.weldinghelmetgenius.com/s...mets-reviewed/

 

So between Google and the owners manual it looks like with .030 flux core wire, what I am pretty sure is in there, I can weld 16 gauge (which appears to be about 1/16" thick) and 1/8" steel without to much of a problem.
Sound right?
Just want to know what thickness scrap steel I should use to "play" with it.
Also it looks like it has a 20% duty cycle.
Which seems to mean I can use it for up to 2 minutes and have to let it sit for 8 minutes.
Also sound right?

Wait till I start "playing" with this thing.
Then I will get real annoying with all my questions.
Cause I will have lots of them. LOL.

 

Correct on both counts.

Since you're gonna be welding flux core, one rule of thumb to remember, is if it leaves slag, DRAG! UNLESS welding up, pushing the puddle can trap slag inclusions in the bead, but gravity keeps that from happening with vertical up. Also, watch the puddle, and what it tells you. Start by laying beads on flat metal, once you get comfortable with that, then start doing overlapping beads. That should keep you busy for a while. Looking forward to seeing you progress!

 

I would be lying if I said I understood what you said. But thinking it will become clearer when I actually try to weld.
I was just thinking I would take a couple flat pieces, butt them together, and weld on the seam.
But today is just going to be going over the machine using the start up procedure as documented in the manual.
Pretending like it is brand new. LOL.
Then make sure that the wire does feed.

 

Yeah, a little overwhelming but you'll pick it up quickly...and don't let jargon get in the way too much, the best teacher is time under the hood!

Also, good to see I'm not the only insomniac, lol

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence.
It is not insomnia just matter of going to bed kind of early.
Once I get 5, if am lucky 6, hours of sleep I am a done deal.
I will spend up to 1/2 hour lying in bed to see if I can fall back asleep.
Which rarely happens.
At that point I get up, get the coffee pot going, and start my day.
But I do sleep pretty solid for that 5 hours though.

 

So I went through the machine like I was setting it up for the first time. Following the manual. Check nuts and whatnot
Go everything set up and it was having trouble feeding the wire. Seemed to work better when the cable was straight but not perfect.
I played with the feed pressure which seemed to kind of help but again not really.
So cleaned the tip with this allen wrench like looking set. Bunch of skinny rods which were kind of serrated farther down it. That did not really help.
So I figure I would blow out the liner. That is when I noticed that they did not have 3/4" of the braiding sticking out like the tell you to do when you put in a new liner when I pulled that cap off..
So blew it out and that did not really help.
So there was a new liner with everything and said screw it and put it in. That did not really seem to help but things were improving.
So then I remember the Harbor Freight reviews I used to read on their cheap welder. Many people telling you to go buy good wire and not even waste your time with what it comes with.
So my buddy laid some Firepower wire on my when I was there yesterday, that is what Napa sells, and gave it a try.
Thinking that was what the problem was. I was able to keep it more on 3 for the pressure, it was what the manual said to start at, and I had it coiled like a snake and it still fed.

So I have questions:
Is it best to keep the gun cable as straight as possible?
Or it should not matter at all if everything is working properly?
What is setting 3 in that shot?
It screwed down to the solid line under 3?
Or to where it is marked like this -3-?
Anybody familiar with that Blue Demon brand in the picture?
Wondering if it was actually the wire?

I was not going to actually weld anything today but.....
Some booger welds for your viewing pleasure.
Hey go easy. That is my first.

 

The bead you laid on that bolt is not bad, I have seen "seasoned welder" beads that look worse, haha... now, onto the feed issue, the straighter the whip, the easier it is to feed. Some of what you're doing right now is trial and error, you will pick it up...machine settings and such don't just happen, every machine is slightly different, you'll get it dialed in, and over time you'll be able to tell just by the **** settings how much you need to adjust for whatever thickness you're doing. Grab some plate steel, no more than a quarter inch, and just start laying beads, one after the other, get a feel, report back. Take your time, document what you do,it will help later, lol