Forney welders

[patiolant]

I have an old Forney AC stick welder (probably 50 plus years old) that finally quit. It was a reliable workhorse until recently, but now I need a replacement. Anyone have any idea on the quality of the currently available Forney welders (looking for an AC/DC stick-have a small MIG and don't really need to spend the dollars on a bigger one)? I noticed they are priced a bit cheaper than the comparable Miller/Hobart machines, but from what I can see they are made in either USA or Italy depending on the model. Any one out there have a relatively recently made Forney?

 

[Andy Wickiser]

Not too long ago I bought a Forney 235 FI AC/DC stick welder. I wanted DC capability, previously using a classic Lincoln 225 tombstone. The new Forney does the job, retoothed my backhoe which included some reasonably heavy welding with 5/32 rod. The welder itself seems to be of reasonble quality although doesn't seem quite as solid as a comparable Lincoln. The welding cables are kinda light, short, and cheap and the accessories (mask, wire brush, and chipping hammer) are a joke. I purchased the welder from a local farm store. It was on sale but wasn't selling so they kept marking it down and I picked it up for $315. All in all I'm happy with it. Truth be known I think I could have gotten by just fine with the good old Lincoln buzzbox for the type of welding I do. Oh yeah I think mine was made in Italy.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Have you opened it up and looked inside? Might be something obvious and simple, loose connection, bad switch, etc.

 

[patiolant]

We had already done a few wiring repairs to it over the years (broken wires) that fixed it up fine. But it has really dropped in output to the point that I am having to plug the cables into the output plugs that are much higher amperage than I should have to for what I am welding. And this has gotten consistently worse over the past few months. I now use amp ratings that are twice what I should have to, and still have a hard time striking and maintaining a good arc. From my reading, it may be a capacitor issue. But there are definitely some wires that have cracked insulation that could give rise to other potential issues down the road.

Frankly I am just getting a bit tired of dealing with it. I would also like a welder with DC capability, and this is my excuse for looking for something else now.

 

[patiolant]

Thanks for the info, Andy. In looking into it more, I found out that there is zero local support in my area of Canada for Forney welders. While I can buy the model you own online at Amazon for a decent price, the local Forney Canada office now carries Hobart welders instead (and they are still called Forney Canada-figure that one out).

I have a line on a lightly used Hobart Stickmaster LX235 AC/DC for a decent price. I may just go that route.

 

[CBBC]

I was just welding...getting shocked with the old Forney AC welder at my parents farm. It actually was working well for me for a change.

I bought myself a used Century AC/DC machine, and I must say the DC is very nice to weld with. I also have a Miller mig and a small Deca inverter 110 V stick which is ok for small repairs 3/16" with limited voltage. I can do 1/4" but it limits how much you can weld.

If you don't weld all the time any name brand Miller Hobart Lincon etc used AC/DC should be fine. I see them on Craigslist anywhere from 200-500.

I still like the old Forney but when you get a DC machine you won't miss it.
Grant

 

[Joe(TX)]

A common problem is the capacitor failing. About $25