I saw a magnetic ground post thingy for use with a welder at HF today. Worth buying / using?
CK5
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Magnetic Ground Posts
- Thread starter nvrenuf
- Start date
Not the HF one. The magnet dies at about a year. Buy a real one at a welding shop. I love mine. I just trow it on the bench and go to work.
sled_dog
1 ton status
What he said, not the HF one. In fact, not most of them. The ones worth buying are from Mag Switch! THEY ROCK! They are switchable magnets. The other ones suck when fabricating. They pile up with metal shavings that are hard to get off and can interfere with a ground. The Mag Switch one, you turn off the magnet and pop it off, plain and simple. I've been running one on my Lincoln 251 for almost 3 years now, love it.
I only have found 2 issues. I wish I would have gone with the next size up one. The ground cable is so thick and heavy on my MIG that it pulls on the magnet a lot when fully extended, so just a bump can knock it off.
The other issue is, welding nuts. You know when you break a bolt, you weld a nut to it and run it out that way? Well with this that is more difficult to do. I generally end up holding the nut with a pair of vice grips then "clamping" my ground to the vice grips. Works well but more difficult than just having a ground clamp.
Other than that I LOVE them.
Matco sells them as does Mac, Snap-ON, Home Depot and a handful of other sources.
They also have some badass jig blocks. Great for setting up tabs, tubes, and all kinds of stuff. Check it all out.
I only have found 2 issues. I wish I would have gone with the next size up one. The ground cable is so thick and heavy on my MIG that it pulls on the magnet a lot when fully extended, so just a bump can knock it off.
The other issue is, welding nuts. You know when you break a bolt, you weld a nut to it and run it out that way? Well with this that is more difficult to do. I generally end up holding the nut with a pair of vice grips then "clamping" my ground to the vice grips. Works well but more difficult than just having a ground clamp.
Other than that I LOVE them.
Matco sells them as does Mac, Snap-ON, Home Depot and a handful of other sources.
They also have some badass jig blocks. Great for setting up tabs, tubes, and all kinds of stuff. Check it all out.
smalltruckbigcid
1/2 ton status
X2 on the Mag Switch ones. I have a couple and use them for everything but welding
Save your money and stop being so lazy that you don't want to clamp the ground clamp to the bench or your work. 
I personally don't see a need for it. When I need to weld something on the bench I just clamp my ground clamp to the back splash on my bench and get at it. When I need to weld something on my rig I just clamp to the frame rail and get at it.
I personally don't see a need for it. When I need to weld something on the bench I just clamp my ground clamp to the back splash on my bench and get at it. When I need to weld something on my rig I just clamp to the frame rail and get at it.
i tend to agree with Scott... seems more problematic than the convenience it would provide..... magnet stuff is always a nuisance in the shop, collecting metal shavings, etc.... i'm always cleaning off my setup magnets and such... whereas a clamp is always going to be good..
tho, i probably wouldn't mind having one of those ones with a post that you can put your clamp on in my toolbox...
tho, i probably wouldn't mind having one of those ones with a post that you can put your clamp on in my toolbox...
GRINCH
1/2 ton status
I thought about getting for the times there is no clean place nearby to clamp to or the piece doesn't have a place to clamp to.
I found that a good wire brush makes quick work of cleaning of magnets.
I found that a good wire brush makes quick work of cleaning of magnets.
a blow gun blows it off in a second, it's just a nuisance.. i've taken to storing them in my toolbox...
I have seen them where there is a post you connect the ground clamp too. Best of both worlds. I have run into some situations where it would have been handy
thats the kind i was talking about...
I am a tired guy I suppose I thought that about 10 minutes after I looked at this thread
TDAWG1
1/2 ton status
OK guys Pics of your Magnents please. LOL
sled_dog
1 ton status
Haha, here:
This is the one I have on my MIG. I have had a lot of customers just take the bolt out and use it in the "grip on" fashion. Where they just stick the magnet on and clamp to it. Or you could put a longer bolt in flipped over to accomplish the samething.
It has a "notch" in the bottom face that conforms to tubes too. So when working with say cage or bumper work it isn't just a flat magnet teetering on the side of a round tube.
This is the one I have on my MIG. I have had a lot of customers just take the bolt out and use it in the "grip on" fashion. Where they just stick the magnet on and clamp to it. Or you could put a longer bolt in flipped over to accomplish the samething.
It has a "notch" in the bottom face that conforms to tubes too. So when working with say cage or bumper work it isn't just a flat magnet teetering on the side of a round tube.
I have a HF one but don't have it bolted on my ground lead, just use it when I don't have a place to clamp my ground on and get whatever I am welding on tacked good then clamp my ground onto that generally.
TDAWG1
1/2 ton status
very cool
