New welder unbox, setup, test weld, and initial thoughts (deep dive)

[@JuanDavid-ts8ur]

Greg, men I just wanna say I enjoy watching your videos, they are very informative, very thorough, casual enough and just pleasant overall. I don't ever feel the need to skip ahead. Thank you for taking the time and hope you keep doing more videos.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks for the kind words and I enjoy making the videos and helping people out. I want to see people learning skills and building stuff 😀

[@Cptnbond]

No one does better unboxing and testing episodes than you; thanks for all the detailed comments. The ESAB build quality impresses me, and the menu looks well thought out. I'm looking forward to taking it through its capabilities in practice. Cheers.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks as always for the kind words 😀. Esab has always been a favorite for me. For home/hobby/ and real world use they are great.

[@BCole-bj4lv]

I've learned, from you, about the PFC and that is interesting. I could have used that to not trip a breaker and weld some 7018 on a job I did. For $1300, I bought the Everlast Cyclone 262, which is a 275amp mig machine. It does 6010, has all the bells and whistles ( memory, synergistic, other rod settings, hot start, dual drive rolls, hot start timing, spot/stitch timing, burn back, and on). It welds stick perfectly. It isn't terribly portable as it is heavy, 80#. It takes the big 30# rolls as well as 11# (not the small) so it can weigh 110#. I do a lot of car work and the huge 300 amp gun is not ideal. The screen is intuitive but letters are tiny; my old eyes don't like that. I thought for the money it was the best deal. I now wish it had PFC.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

It’s very common for bigger machines to not have PFC. The assumption is that due to how big they are they will be stationary and not have issues with power availability/breaker sizes. I haven’t tested many 200+ amp mig machines but I have a feeling most don’t have pfc. It’s also likely far harder to have PFC on a mig machine vs a stick machine. Due to the nature of the current output of mig being highly variable and based on the wire feed speed, I don’t believe you could achieve as good of a power factor with a mig machine as a stick. I know for a fact that fronius mig machines have the best power efficiency and power factor. I have seen testing of their machines in videos and their ability to control output and keep input loadings down is unreal. Where PFC can make all the difference in the world is on 120v and on generators. The esab rebel 235 I have can hit 215a 26 volts (5600 watts) with mig on my 9500 predator. A normal mig machine would struggle to hit 190a and 22v (4180). That’s a massive difference in what you can do with the machine. Not to mention 120v welding becomes possible with PFC. My little rogue 200 can tig weld at 140a on a 20a circuit. That is unbelievable for output without breaker trips, you can practically weld unlimited thickness on a simple 120v outlet.

[@thedahlins]

Just a note on flux core welding with an ESAB using its Tweco gun. Tweco makes the short tipped flux nozzles for this kind of welding: part number VNSFC, and stock number 1220-1207. They're nice and short and you can clearly see the end of the tip when welding.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Great tip. I ended up cutting a normal mig nozzle down and using it with my firepower welder, but that specific nozzle is definitely the way to go. The visibility you get with flux core is one of the huge benefits, and a big nozzle is preventing that visibility lol.

[@ezelk1337]

You make the best welding videos. Straight, to the point and honest. Looks like a great welder.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks 😀. Overall I have been pleased with ESABs products and I find myself buying them often. They seem to really get the idea of making more rugged machines with capabilities that make sense for guys like me. They definitely have some draw backs (as do all welders) but when it comes to my money I have no issue buying from them.

[@jake-mv5oi]

I've seen similar posts about northern tool lately. Can't wait to see this thing spray. Also, when I tried playing around with .045 dual shield, I found that the wire would fit through the .030/.035 liner that came with my machine just fine.

[@melgross]

Don’t do that. I have a gun I just use with 0.045 fluxcore.

[@ajkiviaho7212]

Excuse the typos, I was talking and texting at the same time and it is difficult to edit

[@bearkawiboy6246]

Not knocking anyone that has one but I went from a ESAB Rebel 205 to an HTP 2500, and have ZERO regrets! It’s a better welder. However id pick the ESAB 205 over a Miller 220 that I put quite a bit of time on. The only thing I’d buy over the HTP is a Fornius if the were AC/DC tig

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Every all in one has limitations over stand alone machines, I wish that wasn’t the case. The 2500 is a solid machine, I got a chance to use one (HTP/USA weld is a hour away from me, I buy my tig torches from them). The only draw back I could say is I don’t recall it working with 6010. For my application (needing 250 amp capability, 6010 performance, and portability), I only really had once choice, esab 235. The 2500 is a far better tig welder, but I was unconcerned with that due to having a miller dynasty. The 2500 is a much smoother tig machine than the rebel 205 as well. Not sure if your 205 did it, but the 205 I owned had a weird “clicky” tig arc that was not smooth at all. HTP has pretty much offered really solid welders for a long time, I definitely recommend them to people. Their invertig 221 is a great machine too.

[@bearkawiboy6246]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@makingmistakeswithgreg In all honesty the Rebel 205 ran 6010 and had the dedicated mode, however it didn’t run it near as well as the HTP 2500. It would struggle in certain positions or after several minutes of welding. The HTP just never quit even past the rates duty cycle. Which makes sense when the OCV on the HTP is more (75v) vs ESAB (68v) and if you turn up the arc force on the HTP it will roast a 5/32 6010 rod. I didn’t have the same issue as you, however I have heard others that have but more on the 215ic. However I did have issues when it wouldn’t work if the ambient temperature got too cold. I would get an error. I was told the an update would fix the issue however it didn’t mine. However I’d still pick the ESAB over the Miller 220. I still currently have mine for sale. I had several control board issues with the 220. Which lead me to have to power off the unit to reset it before it would function. The ability to switch between processes by hitting the trigger or foot petal stopped working and an update wouldn’t fix it as well. Sent it in and for repair and it’s had more board issues since its return. Also the miller 220 running 6010 rod is like the equivalent of using a cloths hanger as an electrode. There’s pros and cons to all but the HTP overall does everything better.

[@oldmate8626]

Interesting, ESAB in Australia is CIG (commonwealth industral gasses) esab and coloured blue. I just bought their blue venom 190xf. It's a single phase inverter multi function machine

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I have seen CIG, I had no idea they were related to esab. I looked up the welder you bought, there is no American equivalent I am aware of. Looks pretty sweet. I noticed they said it has a voltage reduction device built in (lowers non welding open circuit voltage), do all stick capable machines there have that? I read somewhere that it was going to be law to prevent shocks.

[@oldmate8626]

@makingmistakeswithgreg The Voltage reduction is a safety feature, but no, it's not on all machines here, or legislated as far as I know, however I'm not sure if its the cause of start up issues sometimes. The machine does have hot start & arc force adjustment.

[@RenegadesGarage]

Making mistakes with Greg.. I have heard several people say they have had problems with orders from Northern Tool and some say they have had problems with their "lifetime warranty" on their hand tools. Not honoring the warranty. Makes me stay away from buying anything from Northern Tool. Great review of the welding machine though. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Yeah, I have been hearing that a lot as of recent. They definitely are doing some shady stuff over there. I also find it odd everything I was searching for regarding welders for the last 3 weeks would come up with northern tool as the number one result for shopping on google with them having the lowest price, and now (in the last 3 days) they aren’t even close to the lowest on anything. I really think they were doing the pricing to drive clicks to their site. A member of the channel even made a order for a discounted welder that was listed as in stock, only to be told it’s not available. I know they won’t be getting my money for a while lol.

[@melgross]

I had a 215, then bought the 205. I ended up giving the 215 away once I used the 205 for a month. Very impressed by both. If ESAB had a 235 powered version, I would get that. There are times when the extra 35 to 50 amps would make a difference. The 205 will spray arc with the proper gas. Welder prices have really gone up. My 205 was $3200, but now it’s at least $4,000. I’ve bought all my welders and the plasma cutter from IOC. Never had a problem with them. Honestly, at these prices, $200 one way or the other, doesn’t really matter. ESAB has a shield for the 180, specifically for fluxcore. You get all the visibility you need. Never had a problem with the gun through thousands of welds. ESAB has lots of shields for their guns. I don’t know why nobody on KZbin seems to ever look at the manual that shows all the tips, and shields. The solenoids on the 205 are in the same place. I don’t remember my 215 having a light. The 205 is still the newest in the Rebel I’ve, so maybe that’s why it’s the only one. Hopefully, ESAB will update the entire line before too long. I also like that there are plastic trays on the bottom of the compartment with pins to hold the wheels and other small parts. Yeah, I decided to open my 215 when I got it and the gasket around the metal panel, which is very long, was a real pain to put back. Are you sure you were spray arcing? When I do it, it sounds more like a hissing while short arc sounds like bacon. What gas are you using?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Yep, I ordered the flux core nozzle and some extra parts. I am going to make a little tray for the spare parts to put in the machine. The 205 was a solid machine, definitely well worth the money. Prices are definitely higher now, I miss the prices from a few years ago. In the video I was doing short circuit, I have to pickup a cylinder with different gas for spray. I have been so busy I haven’t had the time. No doubt the 235 will handle that well on the scale I would need to use it for. The two biggest jumps for me going to the rebel 235 over the fp200 is massively more efficient (I should get 20% more output on my generator due to how much more efficient it is), and I can run 200a output all day without hitting a duty cycle. In the future (Once I can find a shop to buy) I will be doing bigger projects and the extra output will allow me to hand those projects far better.

[@melgross]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg I agree. I love your videos (don’t tell my wife that!). They’re very interesting. I hope you don’t mind my interjections. There are times where I could use the extra amps so I don’t have to spend the time multipassing. But I like the features of this enough to not want to go elsewhere. I just wish there was pulsed MiG, and little things like button feed when changing reels and button gas purge. But that’s about it.

[@TamVu77]

Thanks for the review of the updated Rebel! I noticed they don't include the TIG torch (anymore) and now has a separate gas port / solenoid. Many years ago - I bought at a "discount" machine mis-marketed as a "TurboTorch Rebel EMP 215ic." It was yellow with Esab markings and sku. Order was denied at first, but was later honored at $1300. Turned out to be a great machine!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Sounds like you got a hell of a deal lol. Some of the rebels still come with a tig torch, the 235 doesn’t, likely because the mig gun it has is pretty expensive. The 235 is an oddball in the rebel family due to it really being the least useful to the average person. The 215 and 205 models are far more useful to the average person. The 235 I have is really good for my situation specifically, it is basically a majorly powerful compact and portable mig welder with excellent stick capability, that runs on a generator exceptionally well. So far I really like it, and it’s a significant upgrade over the much simpler firepower fp200 I had been using.

[@user-ru7jh5df9z]

I've always been intrigued with ESAB, although I've never used one- they just seem to be very well thought-out. Upon researching them, I believe they are engineered in Sweden and manufactured in Poland. So it's a European welder.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

They are definitely designed for field use. A lot of thought process went into making them more rugged over most competing welders. Based on having owned numerous esab, miller, and Lincoln machines, the rebel is the best for a guy who wants the best stick and Mig performance, and the welder isn’t going to just sit on a cart in a shop. I feel miller and Lincoln multi purpose welders have the rebel series beat on the tig end, but both are not comparable on the stick welding end. I will have to open up some of my other welders and show the differences that clearly indicate esab put a lot of thought into making it durable.

[@jasoncousins1343]

U could've bought a everlast mts400 its an industrial machine comes with a movable wire feeder 1 and 3phase CAG gouging capable does every process for 2999 its just like the miller xmt cc/cv power source its amazing

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

The issue I have with that machine is it’s nowhere near as efficient at converting power on 240v. I have tested numerous everlast machines and they are in the 55-75% range for efficiency. The esab rebel is over 80% (the rogue I have is 85-93%). On more limited power (I run on a generator and do mobile work) it’s far easier to carry a more portable machine that’s energy efficient.

[@williamheitl8941]

I’ve had two experiences with northern tool, one went ok, the other was a nightmare.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I generally buy stuff occasionally from them, but I am really not liking how they are doing business. They seem to be doing bait and switch tactics. They had the firepower welder I have on sale, and a viewer tried to order one only to be told it was out of stock. Ok that’s fine. Well 2 days later I got a email that said “back in stock” with the same firepower welder. I wonder if they cancelled anyone’s order for that too. The sad thing is I was going to use the 200$ rebate to buy another welder from them to do a review (which could have benefitted their company) and instead I will just go to harbor freight instead. What kind of nightmare did you have to deal with?

[@williamheitl8941]

⁠​⁠@@makingmistakeswithgreg oddly enough it was a cancelled order. It was some gardening beds in the spring. The kicker, in the fall they sent me a targeted email and I bought them had had them shipped for a third of the price. I don’t normally shop there and there are two Home Depot’s one north and one south of my local northern tools on the same highway.

[@ypaulbrown]

well alrighty now......always love new welder videos......cheers my friend, Paul in Orlando, Florida

[@larryvollmar8763]

When I was looking around for similar set up I landed on the Everlast MTS251si welder. Same specs for the most part except does do hi frequency start tig and pulse tig & mig. Everything including great peddle for 1450.00 I have a Rogue 180 and love it. Also a firepower😁👍

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

The everlast 251 seems like a great option for people looking for more power than an average home hobby MiG welder. The main reason why I didn’t buy one is they tend to not have power factor correction, which means they tend to load up breakers. On a generator (like I use) I can get far more power out of a power factor corrected welder than one without. On household breakers it doesn’t matter. Hopefully soon I will have to do a everlast review and open it up to get an idea how they are built.

[@larryvollmar8763]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg it’s definitely a beast. It does not like generators, but if you get it into power from a shop or a house which I’ve taken it to job sites, she impresses people.

[@darenscott1718]

Heyo! I clicked on this vid because I already own a rebel 285, but was curious what someone else thought of the platform. There are some slight differences between our machines, probably because mine is a few years old at this point. for instance the on/off switch on mine is a dial type switch and not a rocker type. Other differences are probably because mine is a 285 and yours a 235, and example of this is the drive roller situation. mine is a four wheel dealie bob. But the two machines are very similar. On mine there is an option in the stick menu for 6010 or all other electrodes. I do not remember you mentioning that, so that might be your issue with the ease of starting some rods as opposed to others. Like I said I have owned mine for a bit and have been pretty pleased with its performance. It is not a feature rich machine but it does all processes fairly well. I kinda wish they would have included a pules tig function, but I cant use that as an excuse as to why my tig welding is not great. That's all operator error. Anyway I enjoyed the vid enough to subscribe to your channel. I hope to see more content with this machine in the future.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Thanks for your thoughts and Info on the 285. My guess is they went 4 roller due to the straightening effect it has for bigger wires, and the higher wire feed a person might run with it. I do wish the 235 had the LED light and the built in roller/parts holder, but I won’t hold that against it. You are correct, there is not a pulse tig function, I believe the 205 is the only one that has that. To me the rebel series focuses on MiG performance the most, stick the second most, and tig last. I found that even the 205s tig wasn’t very smooth in ramping up/down in amperage. In my experience millers machines focused heavily on tig performance first, Mig second, and stick last (with many of their machines not running 6010 at all). For a guy who builds and repairs stuff in a garage, possible portable work, the rebel series is the best I have used. For my needs I couldn’t justify the 285 because what I would gain I don’t need at this point. Honestly I always thought the 235 was a oddball machine because of how there is really no competing products to it. I mean the rebel 285 has a few loosely competing products like the miller 255 and numerous Lincolns. The 235 doesn’t really have comparable machines, even more so if you include good stick performance. I am happy to have the increased output over a 200amp class machine though. I plan on using it as my primary MiG machine very soon, and it will be used for a lot of stick as well. I will do a tig video using it too, since I have a rogue 200 and a dynasty 210, most of my Tig work will be done with those.

[@ajkiviaho7212]

Wow, that is amazing. I know I have a big ass Lincoln ideal art 250 and I think the fan loan draw 6 A or something stupid like that I bought myself ArcCaptain inverter little fart stick welder, and it is amazing how little power draws in comparison, and it does the same job. 200 amps with 60% duty cycle at 200 amps just down right amazing in a shoe box

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Yeah the output vs older transformer machines is pretty crazy. Esab rates their machines at somewhere around 104 degrees, so In my 50 degree shop I bet it would be even higher. Considering my fp200 is probably 5% duty cycle at 200a 25v, having a 60+ percent is crazy. The esab rebel 235 should prove to be above 80% efficient at turning input power into output power. The average inverter mig machine is only 50-60%. The fp200 I have is around 60%. So just by going to the rebel I should gain 15-20% more output at the same power draw, which is huge. I should be able to hit some decent numbers on my generator.

[@blackrpsw]

Esab one of the best

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

They definitely are, especially for people that need tough machines that are portable.

[@jimschaffroth5652]

Consider yourself lucky with the Northern tool issue. I bought a Milwaukee M18 impact and battery for a pretty penny. It was broke after I used it only 3 times. In hindsight when unboxing I remember the boxing seemed odd. I think they sold me a return. I will think twice before buying from them in the future.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Yeah they seem to be doing some sketchy stuff lately. I definitely put them further down the list of worth shopping at. Something I also found interesting is the local northern store seems to go through a ton of employees every year. The local harbor freight seems to average 3-5 years for the typical employee. The customer service is not that good at northern in store and the high turnover suggests they don’t take care of their employees either. All not good things.

[@sebastianleicht]

One cool thing is, that a 300mm spool will fit, makes wire much more affordable. The gun seems to be equal to the MB25 or more MB36 we have here and the size doesn't bother me, I'm usually using a watercooled MB 401 on smaller stuff, too because I'm too lazy to fit appropriate size gun althought I have them - resulting in a stiff wrist sometimes, the idiot I am. Seeing the additional liner my first thought was, that it is one coated for aluminium or stainless. The choke is a hardwired inductance, maybe they control that by the waveform outputted. I once added one to my chaep chinese 160A MIG welder and man, it welded like a completely different machine.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Yes it will run the bigger spools which is a nice feature. I will admit, it’s kind of a real oddball machine since there really isn’t anything else comparable to it. In a lot of ways it’s probably a top tier “home gamer” machine, because it gives you the ability to tackle virtually any steel up to 3/8th with no issue with duty cycle. Then to even be able to weld with 6010 (or be decent at stick at all) is something most other machines In it’s class can’t do. Definitely niche market but for me it will work awesome.

[@sebastianleicht]

Yeah, this machine seems to be absolutely awsome. The wirefeed also looks rock-solid although I personally would prefer 4 driven rollers especially when it comes to softer wire on the big spools. Ist the machine capable to weld aluminium MIG?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

It can do aluminum MiG with a spool gun yes. I could probably run 5356 wire through the liner no issue but 4043 would probably be a issue lol.

[@sebastianleicht]

Pls help me with the Material-No's: 5356 is AlMg and 4043 is AlSi?

[@jarltroyreviews]

I can't afford Esab so I have ordered the MIG 250D aluminum machine from Simder. Planning a series of individual process reviews

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Make sure to tag me in the review. I have not welded with a simder before. With welding in general a lot can be done with a minimal machine. Never get discouraged if you can’t buy a higher end machine, get to know the machine you can afford and practice a bunch with it. You will weld by far better than with a higher end machine that barely gets used.

[@jarltroyreviews]

I received the machine today, but not the TIG torch, extra MIG torch, or the "luxury package" I paid substantially more for.

[@jarltroyreviews]

Simder has not responded yet.

[@bruced1429]

Good to see that you finally got a welder worth your skills. Just a few things to add, you can get different nozzels from esab /tweco to fit what process you are going to use, plus you can get special tweco nozzels for gasless fluxcore, I have some for my esab 215. I use my 215 just for 030 wire and 035 gasless fluxcore , I use my Fronius 2200 and my HTP 220 for every thing else. The Esab 235 is not really protable if you put a 30 lb spool in it. I recomend you try the Esab Aristo 12.50 mig wire for spray. OnFire Welding uses it and his results are very very good. Since I started using it , the results are very good. It is a non copper coated wire. I happen to have a spool gun for the 235 which I don't need, maybe some time you might , let me know , its going fairly cheep.

[@skyfreakwi]

Hey Bruced1429! I might have a home for that spool gun if the price is right...

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

It came with that exact wire so I will be burning up some of that with spray in the near future. I did order the flux core nozzle for the machine, since I plan on using .045 wire as well. I will let you know on the spool gun. I have tigged aluminum exclusively but it would help to know mig aluminum for sure.

[@bruced1429]

@@skyfreakwi If Greg does not want it It may well be yours. I am in Canada but can send it as a gift . It needs the teflon liner , about 8 inches .

[@bruced1429]

@@skyfreakwi by the way it is new unused.

[@skyfreakwi]

@@bruced1429 I'm pretty sure I have a new liner from a MiG gun that was busted when I got it. If Greg makes a mistake and doesn't get it. Maybe Greg can use it for a while test it out and I'll buy it from him used. We are basically neighbors after all... Lol (I have no idea where Greg is based outa but it's Wisco so we're close enough.)

[@Kevin.L_]

I had the same experience ordering a DeWalt grease gun kit. It was on sale at Northern for $200 and included a free grinder. A couple days later i got an email my order was cancelled. I checked and they raised the price $50. I called and said it wasn't available. Took 3 calls to get rest of order cancelled.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

That’s too bad. Yeah, I think I am going to avoid shopping with them from now on. I understand mistakes happen, but straight canceling orders and not offering to find a resolution is a huge problem.

[@tigxxl]

Curent price with tax in Poland with promo is 11900 PLN (about 11900/3,9= 3051 USD with tax) 🤑

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

That’s not too much more than the states. Pricey but it welds really good. I have grown to really like the way it welds.

[@tigxxl]

I have old transformator c340 (just manuał 340amp setup) almost 200lbs but its smoth. And curent price is the same. 😮

[@slowb4lls1]

Dang thing is soooo INTERESTING 😂

[@JeffsWay.]

Super nice welder Greg! That's a shame about Northern Tool. It's definitely going to influence my decision to shop there.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Yeah, they seem to be up to no good lately. Numerous things I have seen had suspiciously low prices from them, and they were the first result on a Google search. I am starting to think they were doing it to drive traffic to their website. It’s unfortunate because when I look at the complete situation of how many things seem questionable and how many people tried buying stuff on deal and were told they were out of stock, I honestly think it wasn’t a mistake. I know I won’t be giving them any more of my money.

[@jakeknight6154]

Another great video. I’m curious what you think about the Firepower MST-200 vs the Everlast PowerMTS 211Si for an intermediate multi process machine.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So the mst-200 (now a esab 210em) is a great welder and so is the everlast machine. Depending on what you’re looking at doing I can make some suggestions. If stick performance matters the everlast is better because if it’s adjustable hot start features. It also has adjustable arc force control, but this will have little affect on the welding due to it not running 6010 (the firepower will be unlikely to run 6010 either). The firepower has a better mig gun, torch, stinger, and is way more portable/lighter. The everlast has high frequency tig start which is much preferred. So if it was my choice between those two this is how I see it: if you want to do a lot of tig welding, or stick welding, the everlast would be my choice. If you want to do some stick, but mostly mig the firepower would be my choice. If you wanted to do portable work, or move the welder around, the firepower is far more portable. If it’s going to sit in a garage the everlasts size and weight isn’t an issue. For me personally I would buy the everlast because I do a lot of tig welding and the high frequency start is more useful over the lift arc of the firepower.

[@jakeknight6154]

@@makingmistakeswithgreg that makes sense. Thank you. Keep up the great work.

[@jasoncousins1343]

And the everlast comes with a 350 amp gun a 300 amp water cooled tig torch stick stinger and a massive ground flowmeter fricken everything

[@richarcruz7843]

Great content always Greig ESAB welding machines are as expected fantastic i am a beginner welder an inspired by great people such as ur self An Jody,Bob Mofit An Justin An so manny others thank u on inspiring me on this great journey….I have th stand alone tig welder from Everlast 255ext my mistake was that I needed a 200 amp mig welder an I’m not ready to get th Everlast 262 yet with that said would u be interested in selling that firepower 200 in th near future An if so how can I get in touch with u thank u much appreciated thank u for all ur wealth of knowledge 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@steeveejee4647]

than clamp you showed was nice but what do you think about the berger solid brass clamp from hf? I got one on sale and I was thinking of putting it on my old miller thunderbolt ac buzz box

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So that Berger clamp is ok, however I find its spring to be a bit weak, and due to the jaw design it doesn’t have much clamping pressure on really thin material (it can slide off). With a stiffer spring it would be a lot better.

[@summerforever6736]

Very nice machine congrats!!!(

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

It will definitely benefit my testing since it has a lot more headroom and should hopefully output way more power on my generator 😀.

[@mindseye1234567]

First of great content!! Now a question....I know most people running this machine are running it for ³/16 and up material running .035 and up wire....I worked in a sheetmetal fab shop and mainly work with carbon and stainless steel 20ga, 18ga, 16ga, on up to ¼ occasionally. Typically running .023 and .025 wire and for the life of me cannot get this Esab 235 to run smoothly on the thinner material, been trying for ages to get it dialed in...my old little milermatic 141 just blows it away on the thinner material. I would totally expect this expensive of a machine to be able to handle the thinner metals......has anyone else reading this had this experience with the 235?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So I have never ran anything under .030 wire with it. I think I have some thoughts that should help you. Something I never understood (until recently) is how different setups with mig perform and why they do so. Many smaller wire welders are setup with teflon or plastic liners vs the coiled steel the 235 has. The liners are often smaller in diameter too, which makes it easier for small diameter wire to feed through. The 235 ships with a .030 to .035 liner, most mig machines ship with a .023 to .030 liner (that is big enough for .035 by chance). Not to mention many smaller welders have shorter whips which also helps. If you haven’t tried a teflon liner or a smaller diameter liner for the .023 wire I bet this will help a lot. Also, if you haven’t played with the inductance this may help as well. Older machines have fixed inductance and the 235 is adjustable. The 235 won’t weld quite the same as a fixed inductance machine unless the inductance is set very close to the fixed inductance machines. I also believe the 235 has run in speed adjustment, and this can help significantly with the start of a weld. Beyond that I know that my firepower fp200 welds with .023 wire perfectly. I will have to try .023 in the 235 to get a better idea if it will match the performance. The 235 should go low enough to run .023. It’s probably just a lot to do with the liner and the details. Manufactures do a pretty bad job about explaining what setup you need for what wire. The 235 is really setup for .035 wire and 200-220a output and thats likely why it’s .023 wire performance suffers. I think it’s doable though.

[@mindseye1234567]

@makingmistakeswithgreg thanks for the reply man!! I'll have to double check the liner, I've changed it once already and pretty sure our welding supply guy sent me the correct one but it won't hurt to double check....loving the no BS content you're putting out

[@paulmuff9883]

Hi I watch all your videos great stuff, I’m in the U.K. an just recently got a 5 in one hitbox 200 and I love it. Ps it was £300 only Perhaps you could do a review on one, manny thanks from a fan 😀👍👍🇬🇧

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Welcome and thanks for the kind comment. Who knows, I might test one of those, time will tell 😀

[@mkearn724]

That’s a hell of a nice machine that you picked up Greg. I’ve eyed them up in the past, but I’ve always been too damn cheap lmao. I’ve been lookin forward to see this video for several days now. It’s pretty shitty of norther for the stunt that they pulled on you. I’ll definitely be lookin forward to the content that you put out with this beast. On a side note… what size grinder do you typically use?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I will have a bunch of videos on it out testing efficiency and using it for projects. I am too cheap to buy one too, I had no choice though, I definitely needed something that was more efficient and more powerful. The only thing left for me to do is find a commercial building to buy so I can take on some bigger projects to use it on 😀. Grinder wise I have a 5in cordless Milwaukee I use mostly, but for bigger jobs I have a bunch of corded 4.5-9in metabos and a few Bosch specialty grinders. I use those on bigger jobs where speed matters.

[@summerforever6736]

Video idea .. Showing how much power its draw from the wall..

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I will be doing that. I actually compared the esab rogue 200 to the titanium 225, the video should be out this Sunday on that one. If the rebel 235 is anything close to as efficient as the rogue I will be in a much better spot. The firepower fp200 I have is 55-60% efficient, so if the rebel is 80% or more I will gain 20% more output with the same generator power, that is huge.

[@slowb4lls1]

Gregg you gotta hit up arccaptian man. I’ve been learning using their machine, not the nice one they send everyone to demo, that one does it all, I’ve just got the tig 200 which does stick and tig, and I’ve got the mini century Lincoln flux only welder also. Which since I started learning stick I haven’t much messed with since I first got it. But they make some pretty stout machines man maybe hit them up and see if they will send you the one I want, it’s the mig 200 and does it all, plus it also comes with the big flux reel capable in the side not the cheesy top load that holds like 1lb reels. I’m cracking up watching another one of your videos just now when your using the same exact shit milawaukee die grinder. Your like this is kinda bullshit and I lost it, without even knowing what you were using , me knowing your tools already I’m welding some plate in the garage just listening and I’m like I bet he’s talking bout that raggedy die grinder that cuts off with barely any pressure on it. I got mine of the Matco truck and I returned it like a week later and she gave me a new one, same exact thing. Contacted milawaukee about it and they said it’s a pressure sensor inside it killing the grinder, I said yea that’s totally understandable the 200.00 grinder is completely useless, maybe you guys could add that to the box before we buy it, and we can go buy the ryobi one I’ve got now also that shits on the more expensive and useless milawaukee grinder 😂

[@ajkiviaho7212]

I guess next thing you will get 50 amps 240 run into the garage 😮 or you going to get a bigger generator?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

So shockingly enough the machine should be significantly more efficient than the firepower, and I should be able to get much more output out of it. The firepower is around 55-60% efficient, the rebel should be around 82-87% (we will find out lol). My hope is to be able to hit around 230amps at 26/27v with it, on the generator. The fire power could only hit 190-200 at 21v. As soon as I can find a suitable shop to buy I will be relocating 😀.

[@wurlabyscott]

Where are ESAB manufactured?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

It’s hard to say, they have a ton of welders and every one of them probably comes from a different plant. I know their consumables are made in the USA. The welders are made in India, Europe, Asia/china. Parts of those welders are probably from everyplace in the world lol.

[@thegarbagegladiators4735]

Looks like I won't be shopping at Northern Tool

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

They seem to be doing a lot of bait and switch tactics lately, something isn’t right. I think they are at a minimum posting BS prices so they come up in search engines to gain traffic. I haven’t seen that kind of stuff from them in the past. Clearly they don’t want my money so I will spend it elsewhere lol.

[@douglasthompson2740]

That is a crock of sh_t! Once the order is accepted at the price posted with whatever incentives as well and you agree by sending the money (card# or whatever passes for money these days) that is a contract. Even over the phone it is a verbal contract. It cannot be cancelled unilaterally, period. Without your approval they have to honor the deal they have made. There was a famous case in Seattle back in the early seventies where a car dealership advertised a certain new car for X amount of bananas. A woman called their bluff (somehow Chequita Bananas heard about it and gave her the bananas, probably for the free advertising). The car dealer tried to back out saying they were never seriously asking for bananas. The court held differently and she got the car for the truckload of bananas. Same deal applies here. As long as you do not agree to cancel the deal you have a case. One of these days someone will take them to small claims court (you can represent yourself and the rules are not as strict for procedure. The court will generally give you a set of guidelines you follow.). It is a really foul way to do business and Northen Tool should be ashamed of themselves. I used to buy quite a bit from them but they started getting totally outlandish with their freight rates a few years ago and I haven't bought anything from them since. Too bad at one time they were a good place to buy tools. Sounds like some new MBA fresh out of dirty business school is running their operation.

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I may be able to go after them in my state for bait and switch and false advertising, but ultimately I am going to choose to not spend a dime with them in the future. I do feel as though they have a decent selection of stuff and I was even going test out one of their welders to see how decent it is. I have seen enough evidence to really suggest they are doing certain things on purpose for the sake of driving traffic to their site, and I know for a fact my incident is not isolated. I will vote with my money, and they don’t get any of it lol.

[@jacobwrona]

It may take years to earn a customer and just minutes to lose them forever. The downside risk of shady business practices today is that you might lose more than just the business of the customer you treated poorly, you might lose dozens of customers or more! #northerntool

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

100% agree. I don’t like bashing companies or products. I want to support businesses and solid products. Something just doesn’t add up with what northern tool has been up to. One of the channels viewers tried to order the firepower fp 200 I have from northern (because they had the best price). They were told it’s not available despite on my end it showed in stock. It was the number one search result on Google at the time with a lower price than anyone. A day or two after he was told it was sold out I got a random email from northern tool that said “back in stock” and it was the fp200. Why would they tell him it’s sold out and then magically it’s back in stock 2 days later? Everything is pointing towards them purposely trying to drive traffic to their site via fictitious prices and incorrect inventory stock status. That’s shady as hell. Not to mention if a price is a error, atleast offer it to me for what the correct price is, not cancel the whole order where if I still want everything else I have to rebuy it. I had no reason to think it was a price error, it was going to cost 2850 or so to my door, and a 200$ rebate. It cost a bit over 2900 from welding supplies from ioc (no rebate). It’s not like it was 2200 vs 3k. Like I said, I don’t really bash companies or products. I simply just don’t buy from them if I have a issue. Northern has pretty much left me with no reason to do business with them anymore.

[@jacobwrona]

@@makingmistakeswithgregThe fact that your experience wasn't unique and many others are dealing with this too speaks volumes. I think the situation would be different if they were forthcoming with an explanation of why they canceled the order and what went wrong on their end at a minimum. Let's be honest, the "deal" you found on that ESAB is still priced way above what they pay wholesale from the distributor. I'm curious if they are having supply issues?

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

I sent them a email with questions and have yet to receive a response. Just today I received a packet with my northern tool buyers club (which I signed up for as part of the welder purchase to save on shipping). I was told it was canceled so I am not sure why I got it. A phone call is in order for later today lol.

[@foggynight]

Will be staying away from Northern Tool!

[@makingmistakeswithgreg]

Yeah I will be honest and say I am pretty disappointed. To have no communication for a week and get everything canceled with no option to find a solution is pretty clear they don’t want my money lol. They really seem to be pulling some bait and switch tactics, I have been noticing they price stuff at like 40% less than anyone to have their item appear top ranked on Google, and then when you click it the product says “out of stock”. I think they are doing that on purpose to drive up clicks to their site. In the end it cost them me as a customer, and I know I am not the only one.

[@joseargonza7984]

Buy a box cutter first.