rob in nh
Well-known member
i want a mig for my home shop, i use a miller 200 at my shop. i was wondering how the 110 ones work?
mig welders
- Thread starter rob in nh
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rsanter
Well-known member
I have the miller 211 that operates off 110 and 220
Works great
Bob
Works great
Bob
e30bradley
Well-known member
I have a hobart 190.. I love it. its 220v
I have a longevity 140 mig. It is 110. It is a decent welder that lays good beads. But it is 110, it struggle on 1/4" but will do it and keep chugging. I like it and use it for all my small projects and repairs. I wouldnt build a heavy duty trailer with it but have built a tailgate with it and it worked great. You just have to relize the limitations of 110. Thats why for the bigger stuff I have stick welders.
creativecars
Well-known member
I have an old Miller cricket 110 and it is showing its age. I really want the new Lincoln 210 mp. It looks like it will come in at less than 1K and has lots of versatility..
110 and 220, mig, tig, stick... will do aluminum with a spool gun
110 and 220, mig, tig, stick... will do aluminum with a spool gun
back2class
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2009
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- 2,723
Had a Hobart 140 and now I Lincoln 140. Liked the Hobart much better. That said, I love the 110 units. The duty cycle is more of a limit than the power but I don't do much production type work so no biggie there. Got rid of the Buzzbox and would rather have the portability over the 220v units. Yes. I am a fan. Even use it for heavy stuff.
greenbikemike
Well-known member
I also have a Hobart 140,great for what I use it for,around my shop and such,and anything thats going to be structural as in frames or whatever,I can tack it together and bring it to a couple of my friends and have them weld it....they do it for a living!
Greenbikemike
Greenbikemike
sberry
Banned
After using a 200 at work the 120V units will feel too small. I personally think the effort to get a real welding circuit is worth it. Get a 240V machne, they are twice as good and tailored to run 030 wire which lets it have some punch, not only on thick material but it welds 1/8 or lighter so much better and that size wire will allow enough current to run 1/4 with a little experience.
RedneckWelder
Well-known member
The 110v Mig units are great for thinner metal, up to about 1/8, maybe a touch thicker, top out right around 3/16" or so.
But I do caution you that if you are going to get a 110v Mig, to do two things...buy a quality unit, not the el cheapo flux core specials or the junk cheap units, get something quality like a Lincoln or Miller or Hobart (Hobart is basically the economy version of Miller these days) or an HTP or Thermal Arc if you are more budget restricted. And run it on a 20a circuit when possible to get the most potential out of it.
Personally I prefer 240v Migs but if you are only planning to weld thinner stuff with it and can deal with the duty cycle limitations on the top end, the 110V migs are not bad little units.
If you are willing to spend the money, one of the dual voltage units like the Miller 211 or Hobart 210 are solid choices.
But I do caution you that if you are going to get a 110v Mig, to do two things...buy a quality unit, not the el cheapo flux core specials or the junk cheap units, get something quality like a Lincoln or Miller or Hobart (Hobart is basically the economy version of Miller these days) or an HTP or Thermal Arc if you are more budget restricted. And run it on a 20a circuit when possible to get the most potential out of it.
Personally I prefer 240v Migs but if you are only planning to weld thinner stuff with it and can deal with the duty cycle limitations on the top end, the 110V migs are not bad little units.
If you are willing to spend the money, one of the dual voltage units like the Miller 211 or Hobart 210 are solid choices.
kazlx
Well-known member
Get a 220V machine, you won't regret it. Unless you really are only going to use for body work or have a specific use in mind for thinner stuff, you will eventually want more. I have a Miller 180, which is already a 220V machine and want a new 252.
Either that or buy a nice 110V Miller or Lincoln off of CL and sell when you want to upgrade. You really can't go wrong with red or blue (or Hobart). You can buy reconditioned Hobarts for a nice discount as well.
Either that or buy a nice 110V Miller or Lincoln off of CL and sell when you want to upgrade. You really can't go wrong with red or blue (or Hobart). You can buy reconditioned Hobarts for a nice discount as well.
bobcatdan
Well-known member
Always buy the biggest you can afford. Depending on what your doing, a 140 could be just fine, but more power is always nice.
sberry
Banned
A 180 is really twice the machine as a 140.
Schurkey
Well-known member
Best thing I ever did to improve my welding was to lose my 110v welder in favor of a 220v welder.
Second-best thing I did to improve my welding was to buy a better self-darkening helmet. The original one didn't have a replaceable battery, or any adjustment for sensitivity or delay. Total eye-burning junk.
Second-best thing I did to improve my welding was to buy a better self-darkening helmet. The original one didn't have a replaceable battery, or any adjustment for sensitivity or delay. Total eye-burning junk.
I think the reason 110v welders get a bad rap is because entry level folks tend to buy the cheapest machine out there. If they had purchased a quality, more expensive 110v unit and used it within it's designed capabilities, there would be a significant difference in outcome.
Schurkey
Well-known member
Perhaps. I had a Sam's Club Century with the included gas kit. At the time, it sold for ~$300. Seems to me Sears sold the identical welder but painted black and priced higher. I moved up to a 220v Century; and it made all the difference. Lost the 220v Century in a garage fire NOT caused by welding, now have a 220v Lincoln. I didn't notice any difference between the two 220v machines in terms of my welding ability--but I sure did between the 110 and the 220 Centurys.
exactly! I started with a HF 90A flux core because I wanted to learn on something and it was all I could afford. A few years later it sat on a shelf, like new, cause I found it difficult to use. I then jumped on a like new Lincoln 100 for cheap and traded off the HF unit for other tools and have been having fun with it ever since. It's still no great welder to brag about, but for me at least I now feel like I'm learning something.
Maybe my next step will be a Miller or Hobart 140 when one of members here finds it invaluable compared to 220. 
PBCampbell
Well-known member
If working in a sheltered area MIG is always preferable to Flux core. Those units usually ship with -GS wire which seems fussier than -11 (or -MP if Lincoln wire). Always handy to keep some Flux core wire around though.
I'll through my 2 cents in on the 120v vs 240v debate and agree with Zkling and go further to say that certain shops benefit having machines that do certain procedures benefit from the reduced costs of a 120v unit. I think it's always beneficial to have a clear idea what you're trying to accomplish and buying accordingly, however when potential uses are hazy bigger capacity isn't usually a detriment.
I'll through my 2 cents in on the 120v vs 240v debate and agree with Zkling and go further to say that certain shops benefit having machines that do certain procedures benefit from the reduced costs of a 120v unit. I think it's always beneficial to have a clear idea what you're trying to accomplish and buying accordingly, however when potential uses are hazy bigger capacity isn't usually a detriment.
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