In this review allow me take you for a complete tour of the Lotos MIG 140 Amp MIG Wire Welder.
You’ll find the Lotos MIG 140 reasonably portable and easy to move around.
Want some fun welding?
Then what harm is there in taking a look at the Lotos MIG140 as your starter MIG welder.
It‘s an excellent MIG welder for home use and even for those with more skills looking for a good solid welder.
Lotos MIG 140 Pros
Lotos MIG 140 Cons
Verdict On The Lotos MIG 140
This is a nice welder with some clear improvements over its competitors.
If you bought this MIG for short occasional use. Because it is so easy to use and durable.
After a while you’ll find yourself using this welder more and more often.
*Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. And at no extra cost to you this site earns a commission through image links, Amazon button and text links should you buy.
Lotos MIG 140
Because of its quality —
You’ll find that the Lotos MIG 140 MIG Welder is so much better than your run of the mill starter MIG welder.
YouTube Video – 1st Six Months With The Lotos MIG 140
You’ll find this YouTube Video made by Luke Stodden a nice over of view of his experience 6 months in with the Lotos MIG 140.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Video Credit: Luke Stodden
Review Of The Features Of The Lotos MIG 140
The Lotos MIG 140 has a number of really nice features for the price.
Able to be used with flux core welding wire only or with solid wire and separate shielding gas this welder is aimed at hobbyists and semi professionals.
This welder is capable of welding
- 24 gauge stainless steel up to thickness of 3/16 of an inch,
- 24 gauge mild steel up to a thickness of 3/16 of an inch
- Aluminum 1/8 inch plate using the Lotos compatible spool gun.
The Lotos 140 MIG welder is a true MIG and is flexible in that you have the choice of using shielding gas or flux-core wire for those situations where taking the gas bottle with you is not practical.
Or the weld job is outside, and you risk bad welds with your shielding gas being blown away by the wind.
Or your weld doesn’t have to be the prettiest and flux core wire welding is just the job.
If you’re confused about whether this is the right MIG welder for you and really don’t know how to go about choosing, then I have a document that might help.
One thing …
For welding Aluminum the Lotos 140 has a spool gun that can be fitted. The spool gun is a separate purchase. It is pictured with the welder in the advertising pictures on Amazon but is in fact ​not included with the Lotos 140 MIG welder.
If you are looking at the Lotos 140 why not decide to buy the ​Lotos Spool Gun​* option for welding Aluminum.
And also get yourself a welding helmet while you are at it. You’ll like the ​Antra Auto Darkening Helmet​*.
(*Paid Links)
The 2017 Upgrade Of The Lotos MIG 140
The Lotos MIG 140 now sports two snazzy digital displays. One shows the arc volts and the other shows the wire speed, both in separate visual displays to make the unit easier to understand and control.
The welder has a 2T/4T switch so you can use the switch on the unit instead of the trigger on the MIG gun. This allows you to turn on the power to the MIG gun without pressing the trigger. You could use the 2T/4T switch when you are doing a lot of welding and have a tired trigger finger.
– some may find this feature useful.
To make things even easier there is also a newly designed ground cable quick connector to help you make the switch from positive to negative polarity when you swap from welding with flux core wire to solid wire and shielding gas.
Lotos 140 MIG Duty Cycle?
The Lotos MIG 140 has a very reasonable duty cycle of 90 Amps at 20%.
What this means is that at the 90 Amp setting, Over a ten minute welding session you can weld for two minutes straight. Before you have to rest the welder for eight minutes before resuming.
Which isn’t bad for a welder that’s a step up in price and durability compared to entry model welders.
Thermal Overload Protection
Thermal Overload Protection protects the welder from overheating due to the welder exceeding its duty cycle. The torch is automatically turned off to protect the welder.
If this should happen.
Be sure to wait the rest period. Putting the torch somewhere safe.
As is quite often the case with MIG welders the tip is live the entire time when the unit is switched on.
There is a switch on the back to manually reset the Thermal Overload Protection so that you can start welding again.
You may be interested to see where the Lotos MIG 140 appears on the best MIG welder for beginners list. If you’re curious you can take a peek at the list here.
Is The Lotos MIG 140 A 110 Volt MIG Welder?
The short answer is yes.
The Lotos 140 is a MIG welder that runs on regular domestic house current.
This welder needs input voltages of 110 – 115 volts and needs a dedicated circuit fused to 20 Amp minimum for you to get the maximum output voltage out of this welder.
Lotos themselves recommend a 30 Amp fused circuit for maximum voltage output, which you will need if you plan to weld Aluminum.
This welder does not use 220 volt power.
The Lotos MIG 140 provides welding power output range of 25 Amp up to 140 Amp..
What Welding Wires Can I Use On The Lotos 140?
The Lotos MIG 140 can use both 4 inch or the larger 8 inch wire spools also referred to as 2lb and 10lb spools.
The size of wires used is 0.025″ or 0.030″ for solid steel, and 0.030″ or 0.035″ for flux cored wire.
Using the optional spool gun you can feed 0.030 or 0.035″ Aluminum wire.
Inside the Lotos MIG 140 is a robust wire feeder made out of Aluminum, which adds to the durability of the unit and saves caught and tangled wires.
You can also use your own choice of wire manufacturer. As the Lotos MIG 140 uses standard wire sizes readily available at your local welding supplier. Or indeed on Amazon.
What Shielding Gas Can I Use?
The Lotos 140 MIG can use the standard mixture of C25 (75% Argon, 25% Carbon Dioxide).
You can feed 100% Argon when welding Aluminum with the optional spool gun.
You have in the box with the Lotos 140 an Argon gas regulator.
The regulator provided is quality and totally up to the job.
You may be curious to see how the Lotos 140 does competing for the best MIG welder for home use. You can check here.
Is The Lotos MIG 140 Portable?
Yes it is classed as portable. At 54 pounds all in and dimensions of 14.5 x 16 x 9.5 inches. You wouldn’t want to spend much time walking with the weight but for sure it is portable.
Lotos 140 Welding Amp To Metal Thickness Chart
A welding chart on the inside of the cabinet helps you to get started and gives you some guidelines for your welding. A really nice to have that some of the entry level welders and even some of the more expensive welders on the market have omitted.
Lotos MIG Aluminum Welding
Have a need to weld Aluminum?
Then the Lotos MIG 140 has you covered. The welder comes with the ability to connect a spool gun.
is able to weld one eighth inch Aluminum plate, up to 3/8ths of an inch using the optional spool gun.
You will need to use 100% Argon as your shielding gas.
You can find out more about Argon and the tank sizes Argon comes in for welding Aluminum by having a look at my post on Argon tank sizes​.
Note:
Welding Aluminum does take a lot of power from a welder. So you will be driving this welder up to its maximum to weld Aluminum.
And for that it would be better used on a 30 Amp fused circuit.
Lotos 140 Spool Gun
To weld Aluminum you will need the ​Lotos MSG094 spool gun​ (*Paid Link) as this is the spool gun that is compatible with the Lotos MIG 140. ​
With a 9 foot cord it is supplied with 1 lb. of Aluminum wire.
And two 0.035″ contact tips to get you started.
Though I would recommend ordering spare contact tips compatible and suitable for welding Aluminum as you may burn through a few getting yourself practiced and up to speed welding Aluminum.
The spool gun can also feed solid Aluminum wire of sizes 0.030″ or 0.035″
If you are new to welding Aluminum and would like further advice on welding this metal alloy then take a look at my article on ‘How to Weld Aluminum a Home Welder Tips for Success’​.
or
If you would like to take a look at the Aluminum welding wires that are my personal favorites then please take a look at my article ‘Best Wire for MIG Welding Aluminum the Which, Why and What‘.
Who Makes Lotos Welders?
Lotos Technology based in Sunnyvale California designs their own welders.
The company Lotos Technology started in 2007. So has been around in business for a decent amount of time. The Lotos welders themselves are actually made in China.
So it seems to me you have the advantage of a US company designing and overseeing the product quality of their welders manufactured in China.
The MIG 140 was released to the market in 2013 and has seen a number of upgrades since then, in 2016 and another upgrade in 2017. Keeping this MIG 140 bag up to date.
The Lotos MIG 140 Manual
The Lotos MIG 140 Manual seems pretty good and coupled with the Lotos Technology installation video on YouTube.
You can view the video below.
You will get a good idea of how to set up and run this welder. Though I would say as with many welders be prepared to experiment to find out just the right settings for the job you are looking to do.
I’ve provided a link to the Lotos MIG140 MIG Welder welding Manual so you can take a look at it ahead of purchasing.
Link to manual credit: Lotos Technology site: www.uwelding.com
Lotos MIG 140 YouTube Installation Video
Lotos Technology has made a nice YouTube Video showing how easy it is to install the MIG 140.
You’ll appreciate watching the video ahead of making your decision.
Lotos MIG140 140 Amp MIG Welder Installation Guide and Demonstration
Video Credit: Lotos Technology
What Do Users Of The Lotos MIG 140 Think?
I’ve provided a link here so that you can see the Reviews on Amazon of the Lotos MIG 140. Scroll down to the bottom of the sales page on Amazon to view the reviews. (*Paid Link Button)
The majority seem very happy with their purchase.
For those that have experienced a few inevitable issues Lotos Technology does seem responsive and keen to sort out any issues, which is always a nice touch from the manufacturer.
What’s In The Box When You Buy The Lotos 140?
You get a starter package.
- The Lotos MIG 140 welder
- A hand held Welding face mask,
- 0.023 Wire,
- The MIG torch
- 0.023″ and 0.035″ contact tips
- A ground clamp cable
- An Argon gas regulator
- A hose for the shielding gas
The face mask is basic and hand held. You will want to invest in a welding helmet, as anyone who has welded before will know, you will definitely want both hands free when you are welding.
​Warranty On The Lotos 140
A 30 day buy with confidence, 100% satisfaction or Money back guarantee is lovely to hear just in case you do have any issues with the unit that appear straight away and from what I see Lotos do try to sort out any issues experienced with the welder. There is a 1 Year Limited Warranty.
Last Words On The Lotos 140
So there you have it the complete tour of the features and the pros and cons of the Lotos MIG 140.
The Lotos MIG 140 is part of the affordable class of MIG welders. It is priced competitively when compared to the price of the welders from more traditional US manufacturers of welders.
Aimed at and designed for semi professionals, hobbyists, DIY’ers and beginner welders alike that want a welder they can use with solid wire and shielding gas or with flux core wire.
