Are you looking for a suitable machine for MIG welding? You aren’t the only one. There are many users out there that perform MIG welding tasks and need the right welder by their side to do this.
Luckily, models like Lotos MIG 175 exist on the market. As one of the popular machines, it both looks and operates in a promising way. For starters, it can weld many different materials. And the mere fact that it incorporates a regulator for gas and supports flux core makes it an interesting pick for many homeowners and professionals.
No matter to which category you belong, in this complete Lotos MIG 175 review you’ll find all details you require in order to make the final decision of whether to get this model or not. So, if you’re ready, let’s go!
Buying Guide As A Part of Lotos MIG 175 Review - Key Features And Details
There are many things to keep an eye on when it comes to this product. Some of them are even better than many of the more expensive models. This proves that price plays an important part but it isn’t crucial in determining the quality of a welder.
In the following paragraphs, let’s take a look at the key details together and see why this welder is worthy of your attention.
Those that want to learn more about the specifications of this welder should take a closer look at these:
- Weight: 85 pounds
- Input power: 220 volts
- Welding thickness: 1/4 inches for mild or stainless steel and 3/16 inches for aluminum
- MIG spool gun length: 10 feet and 4 inches
- Output power: 175 amps
- Time needed for set-up: 10 minutes
- Color: black
- Duty cycle: 20% at 175 amps
A Steady Arc
Having a steady arc is crucial when it comes to welding, as every professional in this industry will tell you. Among many things, it ensures efficiency and a proficient look of the welding. What’s more, this welder has a DC arc welding. No more should be said about it except the fact that this type of arc has been around for around a hundred years. And Lotos is continuing this tradition in a suitable way.
High-Range Output
The output has a pretty wide range. Moreover, it goes from 135 amps to 175 amps. The duty cycle varies based on the various levels of output. At 135 amps, it is 30%, while at 175 amps, users can weld with a duty cycle of 20%. As can be seen, this is adequate for many users.
Lightweight
For greater portability, welders have to be light and compact. This is especially true for users who work remotely or travel from one job to the next. Among other things, the welder’s lightness will make the transportation preparations easier and it will speed things up.
With that being said, this Lotos model is considered pretty light. It weighs around eighty-five pounds. Thanks to it, the welder can maintain its fast response and portability and pack the necessary features one needs.
Thick-Metal Welding
This is a highly valued feature among the people of the welding community. That’s because, in many instances, you’re required to work with thicker metals. And you’ll have a hard time doing that with a welder that can’t do that the right way. The ability to weld denser metals also increases the versatility of the entire welding machine, putting the user in a much better position.
Having said that, some of the metals that this welder can successfully work with include aluminum, stainless steel, regular steel, some types of mild steel, alloys, and more. More specifically, the machine can weld up to 3/8 inches of aluminum and, of course, thinner than that. From eighteen Gauge to 1/4 inches of the thickness of other materials can be welded with this machine. According to many industry players, this is more than enough for newbies as well as more experienced welders to perform their welding tasks with the required effectiveness.
Fast Set-Up
While it may be overlooked by many, the ability to set up the machine is very important to look for in a welder. Furthermore, this saves plenty of time and helps you be more efficient at the welding job you’re currently performing. To be more precise, this can be achieved in about ten minutes.
To make this quick set-up process possible, Lotus has provided all the necessary items together with the purchase. Some of these include a spool gun, a long gas hose, a welding wire made of aluminum, a face shield for protection, an argon regulator, a welding torch with a reach of eight feet, some solid wires, and even brushes for maintenance and cleaning of the welder.
Affordability
The cost of the welder is considered by many to be equally as important as why you’re planning to use it. This factor will highly likely determine your final decision or, in other words, if you’re going to eventually buy this Lotus welder or not. Many companies charge plenty of bucks for a quality model. They have plenty of features and are sometimes even deemed as complicated by many users.
However, this Lotus welder has all the necessary specifications (more on these also in this post), yet the price is very affordable. That’s why many list it as one of the most budget-friendly welders in its tier.
People should watch out for the price of the welder they would like to purchase. That’s because they may want to buy additional accessories to perform the job. This increases the overall costs that your budget would have to provide for. So, finding a cheaper-than-usual welder is a plus.
- Can be quickly set up and utilized
- Can firstly release the gas thanks to the trigger with two steps
- Adjustable speed of the wire
- Works well for do-it-yourself tasks and fabrication
- Durable and long-lasting
- Can weld a variety of materials
- Not suitable for professional and heavy tasks
- Sometimes the product arrived broken but this can be fixed by contacting customer service
- Can’t perform girder jobs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can the welder operate without the gas?
Answer: Yes, luckily this is possible. The wire can be utilized with flux core preferably outside for the best results.
Q: Is this welder made for a higher input power of 240 volts?
Answer: This product can operate only on 220 volts and it doesn’t support anything over that including 240 volts. However, many outlets around the houses provide a power of 220 volts, which makes it versatile enough for wider utilization across many spaces. The fact that it doesn’t weigh much and is portable only contributes to this.
Q: Is United States the country of origin of this product?
Answer: This product is imported to the United States and it isn’t produced there. Still, the headquarters of Lotos are in California in the U.S.
Q: How long is the warranty of the Lotos MIG 175 welder?
Answer: This welder has a warranty of one year. This means that during that time, users can get parts or the whole product replaced if something is wrong and it isn’t their fault. Also, the machine can be repaired if some damage occurs.
Q: Can this welder handle welding steel?
Answer: You can weld steel with this welder. Moreover, it supports mild and stainless steel. However, tougher steel than these can be a problem.
Q: Are users able to build barbecue grills, boats, and even a shed?
Answer: When it comes to handling tasks like these, it should be understood that this is a welder predominantly made for do-it-yourself projects. Therefore, things that are easy to make and that you can craft by yourself are supported. This includes aluminum, stainless and mild steel, and similar materials. If you need to build something with tougher metals you will need a stronger machine than this one. So, you can make a BBQ grill with a lighter metal as well as a shed and a boat that don’t require extremely heavy materials.
A Final Word Regarding Lotos MIG 175
All in all, people that don’t want to spend a fortune on premium welders and require a machine for regular and nice welding tasks will find pleasure in this model. As we previously discussed, it possesses multiple useful features that come in handy in various situations. One of them is the quick set-up and start of the machine. Basically, ten minutes after first turning it on, users can utilize it fully. Connected to this, they can weld more materials, including steel and aluminum. Also, the machine is lightweight and enables them to place it where it most suits them around the house or at their workplace.
So, after learning all of this, what are your opinions and thoughts about this machine? Would you get it for yourself? Or do you maybe own one already? Share everything on this topic with us here.
Being a part of a welding arch can certainly be a challenging thing to do. But beyond any doubt, it is not a huge challenge for James Johnson, a 25 year old man who has somehow been in the welding business since he was an adolescent. The work was introduced to him by his father and today it is a part of his everyday life. Following the family tradition and wanting to become an entrepreneur, James has now expanded the family business his father has started, and runs a company alongside his brother. Having his father as a certified welder by his side and taking into consideration the experience and lessons he taught him, James learned to fuse metal better than his father.