Picking the right welder that comes in your budget and also offers some great features is too much to ask for. Ain’t it? When you get your hands on the welder with all desirable functions, it turns out to be expensive and over your budget. And when you go pick a cheap welder you are made to compromise with little functionalities.
Although finding such a desirable unit for professional welders is quite difficult, there exists a welder tailored to suit all the hobbyists which offer many features and is inexpensive in comparison to other welders of its class.
Review of Century FC90
Century FC 90 is a flux-cored arc welder. It’s a powerful and portable unit ideal for your small to medium workshops. This flux core wire feed welder comes with some great features at an affordable price.
Century Brand is under the ownership of Lincoln Electric Holdings which is one of the leading manufacturers of welding machines and types of equipment. Their Century FC 90 flux core wire feed welder has been designed to provide a smooth welding experience to its customer. If you are looking for an affordable yet powerful welder for your different projects then look no further. This welding unit will be a perfect DIY welder for all your projects.
Let’s go through each of its features to determine whether it is worthy of being in your workshop or not. Have a look at this FC 90 guide and decide if it’s worth investing your money on or not.
Pros
- Uses standard 120V power supply
- Provides stable and smooth arc
- Comes with inverter technology
- Light bodyweight hence is highly portable
- Comes with an automatic thermal protector
- Perfect for home-based welding solutions
Cons
- Ground Clamp needs an upgrade
- Can only be used for the flux-cored welding process
Key Specifications of Century FC90
Product Weights & Dimensions
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11.25 in x 5.75 in x 17 in |
| Net Weight | 18 lbs |
Machines
| Machines Processes | Flux-Cored (FCAW) |
Wire and TIG Feeders
| Number of driven rolls | 1 roll |
| Feeder type | Portable |
| Communication Technology | analog |
| Wire Feeders Processes | Flux Cored |
| Hand Shield Included | No |
| Instructional Media Included | No |
| Maximum Wire Thickness | .035 |
| Minimum Wire Thickness | .030 |
| Wire Feed Amperage | 30-90A |
| Wire Feed Duty Cycle | 30% |
| Wire Feed Process | Flux-Cored |
Basic Specification
| Input Current | 120V |
| Input Hertz | 60 |
| Input Power | 120/1/60 |
| Input Phase | 1 |
| Output Range | 30-90 A DC |
| Polarity | DC |
| Rated Output | 80A @ 30% Duty Cycle |
Application
| Typical Application | Maintenance & Repair |
What makes Century FC90 Great
Century FC 90 is a high-quality welding unit that offers a range of good features. This flux-cored welder comes with wide amperage and high portability. It comes with automatic thermal protection which keeps your welder safe from overheating effects. You can power it with the standard 120V input and start welding. It also includes a welding gun.
We have a curated list of all its features to provide you with a better idea about the working capabilities of this welder.
Lightweight and portable
Century FC 90 weighs 18 lbs only. Its light bodyweight is one of the best features of this welder. Because of its lightweight, this welder is highly portable. It can be carried around easily. Another advantage is that it comes with shoulder straps to provide further ease. It would be the right choice for you if you are going to work at different locations.
Who is it ideal for?
Being a lightweight welder, it is ideal for hobbyists, home-based welders, and farm owners. Professional welders can also use this unit. This welder will work well for DIY projects, household projects, auto body, and farm work.
However, its limited duty cycle prevents it from getting the industrial work done. It can not handle heavy-duty work but will be sufficient to handle light to medium-duty tasks.
How’s the duty cycle?
The duty cycle of this welder is rated 30% @ 80 amps. It simply means over a 10 minutes duration, it can work for 3 minutes, and for the rest of the time, it needs to be left to cool down.
You must not exceed the duty cycle of the welder. It can result in permanent damage to the machine.
Fortunately, Century FC 90 comes with an automatic thermal protector. Hence whenever the machine gets overheated, the welder shuts down automatically to safeguard itself from getting any damage.
The duty cycle of this welder works well for light-duty applications.
Welding voltage
This welder comes with infinite welding voltage. It allows fine-tuning the heat more easily and gets a smooth arc.
Inverter power source
Century FC 90 welder is an inverter-based unit. Hence you can easily power it with generators well. This feature provides you with more flexibility and enables you to work in different locations more easily.
120-Volt input power
This welder needs a 120V input power supply which is easily accessible in most places.
Some welders may criticize it for not having a dual input voltage feature. Many welders prefer a dual voltage welder as it gives them more versatility.
Despite not having a dual input supply, it will still work well for most of your projects.
Amp range
The amperage range of this welding machine is 30-90A with 30 amps being its minimum and 90 amps being its maximum current output.
With its amperage capabilities, it can weld 18 gauge to ¼ in. thick materials in a single pass.
Warranty / Repairs
Century FC 90 offers a strong warranty cover. They offer a warranty of 6 months on parts. And 90 days warranty is provided on labor.
A strong warranty cover is always desirable in the case of welders because you never know when something can go wrong. With a robust warranty cover of Century, you can focus on your bigger projects without thinking about the repair costs.
Customer Review Analysis
Century FC 90 flux core wire feed welder has got mixed reviews from its customers.
Most of the users were happy to get such a nice welder at an affordable price. Many people mentioned its lightweight and quality welds. Because of its compact size, the welder can be easily carried around without putting much strain on your shoulders. Most of the welder units which are portable enough still require a welding cart. But this is not the case with Century welders. You don’t need to buy a welding cart. The welder also comes with straps to further ease out the carrying and handling process.
Users seemed to be happy about its weld quality and arc quality. Many people stated about the smooth quality of their arcs.
People also like the fact that it is an inverter-based welder unit. It not only gives a compact structure to welders but also allows it to be run with a generator power source. It allows users to work in multiple locations.
However, there were few concerns stated by its users. Firstly, people didn’t like the absence of dual input. Secondly, some people stated that the company’s customer service was not very apt. Also, the unit didn’t come with filler wire. The ground clamp is also not very sturdy. People mostly look for copper teeth that are stronger. But keeping these aside, overall this there are many reasons why this welder is a good investment for smaller jobs of welding.
FAQs
Does this welder leave a residue like an arc welding rod?
Unfortunately yes this welder leaves residue. Hence after welding the material you will have to spend some of your time in post-welding cleanup.
Can it use wire spools like 0.030 so I can use it to weld body panels on cars?
Yes, you can use wire spools of 0.030- 0.035 inches for auto body projects.
What kind of inverter should I use with this? Can I run it on a Honda 2000?
Century FC90 flux cored welder can work well with inverter power sources. This welder needs a maximum of 2400W( 120 volt ×20 amp) of power to run.
Yes, a 2000 watt Honda inverter can be easily used to power this welder.
Can you weld aluminum with this?
Century FC90 welder is designed to work with ( mild and stainless) steel material only. You cannot use this welding unit to weld aluminum.
If you work more with aluminum then this welder might not be the right fit for you.
Conclusion
Century FC 90 welder is a top-notch choice when it comes to buying economical welders. This small machine offers great power and is perfect for small weld jobs. It offers a range of good features all stuffed in a small package.
If you are on a small budget then this unit is worth considering. This Century FC90 welder is cheaper in comparison to its peers. In comparison to other welders of 90 amp, FC90 flux core welder has an edge in terms of performance and quality. This welder machine gives smooth welding arcs and is very easy to operate. The welder offers minimal controls. The control panel of this welder has two knobs only for settings required power and wire feed speed. It comes with a welding gun to aid you in your welding process. Such minimal controls are highly recommended for beginner welders, hence this is the best flux core welder for beginners.
This welder unit is extremely light, weighing just 18 lbs only. Its lightweight enables users to carry around this welder without any discomfort. Further, it is provided with a shoulder strap to provide extra ease to users. On based portability, this welder gets all the scores.
But on the downside, this welder is not suitable for aluminum welding. You can only weld steel and sheet metal with it. It is not an industrial welder. In a way, its limited features stop it from being used on bigger projects or heavy-duty applications.
After going through several feedbacks we have come to this final verdict Century FC90 is a great DIY hobby welder suitable for light to medium-duty welding works. If you are looking for versatility, this may not be the right fit for you. But overall it is compact welding unit to carry out small welding duties.
