Forney 291 Easy Weld Review 180 ST 120V/ 230V

This Forney 291 Easy Weld review came about from the fact that we have previously reviewed the Forney 304 before but it has been out of stock for some time and our readers asked us to discuss this machine that is similar and available right now.

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Forney 291 Easy Weld Review

The Forney Easy Weld is a fantastic little machine, and we make no bones about positively revising Forney. They produce easy-to-use welders that are suitable for beginners and semi-pros alike.

It has a powerful TIG and stick ability which means you don’t need to buy two separate machines when working on different projects.

Although professionals will often have several different welders around, including individual stick, MIG, and TIG machines, most home welders can spare the expense and multi-usage machines are good enough for most amateur jobs.

Duty Cycle

• 80 amps @ 30% for 120 volts
• 180 amps @ 25% for 230 volts

Dimensions

• 11 x 6.31 x 14.13 inches

Lightweight

The Forney 291 is super lightweight, coming in at only 14 pounds (6.35 KG), which means it is very portable. You can easily move it around the yard and even throw it in the back of your truck to help a friend or family member out with welding work.

With all of that said, the size and weight shouldn’t trick you into thinking that this is some cheap garbage…far from it! Able to weld up to ½ inch thick mild steel at 180 amp, the Forney 291 packs some serious punch.

In fact, in our research, we found that one of our readers warned us that you need to treat it with respect, especially in stick configuration, otherwise you can easily burn through the metal you are attempting to weld together.

Ease of use

Forney always creates welders that are simple and easy to use and the 291 is no exception. With simple and accessible controls, you will have no issues changing voltages or switching between modes, even in thick welding gloves.

Durability

This is a tough cookie! Made with an all-metal casing, the Forney Easy Weld can easily survive bumps and scrapes as well as some semi-serious knocks.

This is not such a big issue for those of us that will predominantly use this machine at home, but if you are thinking of traveling a lot with it, you will be happy to know that any damage from it banging around should be purely cosmetic.

With that said, it is still a complex machine and you need to make sure that you treat it well.

Power

Featuring a dual voltage system, you will be able to adjust settings on the fly for whatever job that you are attempting. In fact, you can check out our handy Amperage guide or Welding calculators to find out what settings you need. It can weld mild steel very easily.

Generator Friendly

As this is an incredibly portable welder, it should come as no surprise that it can maintain a very stable arc even when running off generator power. 

Accessories

The Forney Easy Weld 291 comes with some handy accessories such as an electrode holder and ground clamp in the box to help you get started without any fuss. They include:

• Electrode holder and clamp
• Ground clamp and cable
• 230V to 120V adapter
• 6-foot power cord