i hated my mig

[brownbagg]

for the last 12 year i had the miller 140 mig, i hated that sucker. order the new holabart 230 ironman, order last thursday and monday it was on my front porch from new jersey to the gulf coast, To bad postal service cant do that

but oh my god its a world of different, i can weld without grinding, so smooth yes it was about a thousand more than the miller 140 but worth every penny. i would not even think about 110 on anything anymore

 

[crkleve]

Yes, I went from a 110v (don't remember which one) to a 220v (Lincoln 180 Power Mig) and I could not be happier! Do you have a gas setup with your mig or just flux core?

 

[zkling]

Uhm, I wouldn'tput all blame on the 140. They are a quality little unit and will produce great welds....IF USED WITHIN THEIR DESIGNED MEANS.

 

[customtronic]

I have a Hobart Handler 140 and have been wanting to upgrade to a 220v. Great little welder but it does have it's limits. Nice thing is that my dad, oldest son and myself will be splitting the cost 3 ways. About $325 each and we will be set.

 

[NUTTSGT]

but oh my god its a world of different, i can weld without grinding, so smooth yes it was about a thousand more than the miller 140 but worth every penny. i would not even think about 110 on anything anymore

That's why most the guys recommend to their fellow member step up to a larger machine when looking to buy a welder.

You selling the Miller 140 to offset the cost of the new welder ?

 

[ovrrdrive]

I read all of the suggestions before I bought my first welder this year and went right to the Miller MM180. So far the welder seems far more capable than I am. Most of what I have been welding hasn't been anywhere near the limitations of it but I can see that in the future I'll probably need to step to a 250 class welder. I wish I had the money for one from the start but the closeout 180 was at my limit.

 

[jumpstart]

I have the same Hobart at work. Works great.

 

[Wayfastwhitie440]

I have the millermatic 211 and it works great on 110v. I'm not trying to weld anything super thick right now though but when I do all I have to do is take two seconds and swap plugs. If I'm not mistaken isn't Hobart a Miller product, and the Miller 140 was it intended for more than thin stuff?

 

[mikhett]

I LOVE my Hobart Handler 140 but only use it on Auto body sheet metal. GAS ONLY FLUX SUX!

 

[Slackerzinc]

I know not the right spot but I have a brand new Hobart 210 still in box I am going to put up on eBay.

 

[Superbec]

hahhaha, ever seen mig spray transfer?

 

[BD1]

I have a 140 and leave it setup with .024. Great machine when you know the limitations. It matches the rest of my blue ones, MILLER 211, SD 180 , CST 280, and the 302 TRAILBLAZER .

 

[Bobhdus]

I use an HTP 120 and a Lincoln 140 for auto sheet metal welding and stuff under 1/4". Works great for those things. Anything thicker than that, then I'm gonna use my stick welder. In welding school they always said that with Arc welding, Tig has the best dilution/ penetration, then stick is next best. Mig is the worst. It's just faster and produces "acceptable" results but only in the right hands... Bigger unit is always better but sometimes doesn't go low enough for 14 gauge and thinner...


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[ishiboo]

I never do thin stuff really, and I went from a Hobart 135 to a Miller 252 and the difference was beyond night & day. Having a ton of power to spare is great.

 

[1953mercury]

I've always had larger 220v machines and they've been great. I had occasion to use a Hobart 140 (with gas) here on the island to weld up a bunch of 1" square tube for some gates I built. Aside from a little to many plastic parts I thought it preformed admirably. If I run across one cheap I will probably grab it to have something portable, and as said keep some .023 in it to cut down on wire changes. Mike

 

[kerrynzl]

I hate my MIG too.

It welds nice, but it is slowly sucking the life out of me, with its constant demands for attention.

Every time I go into my garage it seems to find pieces of steel that need to be welded

 

[MarkG]

I had a Handler 140 till I sold it. Welded beautifully within it's rated capabilities. Cart and stove shown among first projects with it.

If you weld properly and within it's limits and know what you are doing, it can do a lot more than 'sheet metal'----I tried a 3-pass and then a single-pass T-joint destructive weld test on metal as thick or slightly thicker than it's rated for. Pounded with a sledge with no signs of joint failure on any of them. The 'cut' in the edge of the side view was a pierce cut-----not joint failure.

 

[PoorOwner]

I think the "hate" may be not enough power, you are just heating up the top 1/8" of the metal instead of welding, and the bead stands proud and goopy looking, while warping the pieces anyway.

That's my recent experience trying to push the 110v machine. I can see with a bigger 220v machine the weld will puddle properly and looks and hold up much better.

 

[nine4gmc]

I love my Hobart 140, gas and flux. I use gas with thin sheet metal and flux with thick wall tubing and heavy brackets. I would like to step up to a dual voltage 180/210ish model but have not had the need for anything bigger, just the urge to have a bigger machine.

MarkG, any build pics of that stove? I have a perfect tank I would like to do something like that with.

 

[Fender1325]

My hobart 140 has treated me well, but Im anxious to try a 220 unit for sure.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

My Lincoln SP100 has had 100's of #'s of welding wire ran through it. It's been used 95% of the time for sheetmetal (body work), but still did it with ease. With that said, a 220V machine obviously takes your welding capabilities to the next level. Those extra amps make it almost impossible to run a bad bead if all the fundamentals are met.

Bottom line, if you are looking to weld thicker material and are wired for it, a 220V machine is a no-brainer. I own both and more than likely always will. The 110V is soley for sheetmetal up to 1/8", and the 220V is for anything thicker. I also own three 125cf bottles, several gauges and hoses which helps. Changing out spools and roller feeds can be a PITA if you need to change from thinner to thicker wire often.

 

[PoorOwner]

I am thinking of going with a TIG though that can be used on 110v as well and can do 1/4 mild steel on 220v. Seems more versatile that way

 

[MarkG]

I love my Hobart 140, gas and flux. I use gas with thin sheet metal and flux with thick wall tubing and heavy brackets. I would like to step up to a dual voltage 180/210ish model but have not had the need for anything bigger, just the urge to have a bigger machine.

MarkG, any build pics of that stove? I have a perfect tank I would like to do something like that with.

Yeah, there are some in my photos section (albums > welding) in my profile on here----I think you should be able to access it. If not, let me know. Thanks.

 

[JunkYardDawg]

I've had a Lincoln 135P for a long time. I bought it in 2002, and since then its been a real trooper. I recently bought an Eastwood 200 tig, and after I get this danged cast off my arm, I'll set that up, and THEN its time for a new mig.

 

[ilovevocs]

That's why most the guys recommend to their fellow member step up to a larger machine when looking to buy a welder.

This...