Welder
- Thread starter Ryanbabz71
- Start date
If it was me, I'd probably buy a used name brand off craigslist. I have a Lincoln 120V I've had a few years and a new in the box Hobart 240V that I got at the swapmeet last weekend. The Hobart cost a bit less than the Lincoln. I haven't gotten around to putting a 240V outlet in the garage.
cagullett1
Well-known member
Agreed. Go Hobart over Miller for a hobby welder. Same quality with less price tag. If I hadn't got my miller 211 for $500 new, I would have bought a Hobart.
bsaint
Well-known member
Id only get Hobart if I had local Hobart support. The advantage of Miller is I can buy it at my LWS and get LWS support.
How much more is the Miller?
The Hobart uses most of the same parts as the Transformer Miller, Nozzles, Tips, liners Rollers, etc... MILLER and HOBART hail from the same parent and generally there is pretty good Hobart support everywhere.
211
$1095 free shipping
210
$794 free shipping
Rural King has a good price on Hobart Handler 140 MIG Welder 115 Volt, 140 Amp, #500559 for about $440. It looks like a good deal if you have a RK store locally so you don't have to pay shipping.
MegaManny009
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2012
- Messages
- 100
I started with 170 amp mig from HF had it for few years and upgraded to Everlast. The HF are good for starter. Just get some CO2 and good wire. Good enough to do exhaust and other other projects I did a rhd conversion with the HF welder.
Farmall450
Well-known member
Not to mention you can weld a lot with stick...including Cast iron, thick cast iron!
strength_and_power
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2015
- Messages
- 1,392
Shipped out 2 flat rate boxes of scrap this week. 125#s worth. Post office does not like me. Oh well
View media item 58372
Thank you strength_and_power, I received the package. 60lbs packed into that little box, I'm impressed!
Quick delivery as well.
Thank you strength_and_power, I received the package. 60lbs packed into that little box, I'm impressed!
Quick delivery as well.
Marcm157
Well-known member
I just bought a Miller 190 from my LWS and I am a stone cold novice. I knew I always wanted to learn to weld and didn't want to start on a cheap machine that was going to give me nothing but grief.
My father always told me if you are going to buy a tool buy the best one you can so you only have to buy it once.
As others have said I enjoy the support I received pre and post purchase from my LWS and prefer to deal locally when I can.
My father always told me if you are going to buy a tool buy the best one you can so you only have to buy it once.
As others have said I enjoy the support I received pre and post purchase from my LWS and prefer to deal locally when I can.
everybody say that, but out of thirty years welding, except for consumables, I have never needed a local welding supply for repair.
places like cyberweld, you can save a killing. I saved over $500 on my hobart because of cheaper prices, free shipping, no taxes, and had it at my door in 72 hours
erniebahr
Member
I started out with a Century 130 since I was primarily using it for auto body work. It was good for that but I always struggled with anything heavier than body panels. My current mig welder is the Lincoln MP 210. I love that machine. You can take the defaults and it works great but you can also fine tune it. They were under $1000 for a while but you can still get one now for $1200 all day long.
kerr
Well-known member
We build treestands and whatever we end up needing with tubing and other light metal . I have to say thaat The Hobart Handler 140 is a darn fine rig for that .
I have a tombstone for heavy stuff .
I just got a Lincoln Pro Mig 130 on the cheap and it is a Darn good little rig also .
I cant kick dirt on these little 110 migs .
Kerr
I have a tombstone for heavy stuff .
I just got a Lincoln Pro Mig 130 on the cheap and it is a Darn good little rig also .
I cant kick dirt on these little 110 migs .
Kerr
maverick3316
Well-known member
As other have stated.....
Personally, I push people away from the harbor freight welders if they are serious about learning to weld. I have seen a qualified/certified welder lay down beautiful welds with a HF machine. The problem is... That guy knew exactly what he was doing, and how to accomplish it. Someone just starting out will get very frustrated, because the machines can be very.... crappy as far as weld quality and consistency go. I also dont like having just a switch for amps and speed. You really need knobs so you can "fine" tune the weld. Most cheap machines cannot be fine tuned, so your stuck with what ever it has for settings. Personally, I keep an eye out on CL for a name brand adjustable welder. And if you can, take someone with you that can weld, so they can mess with the settings and know if it works properly or not.
I once bought a welder from a guy that claimed it ran perfect, well it did except the machine was stuck at full output, and would not adjust any lower, so it could burn 1/2" plate, but would blow through 1/8" plate. I bought it anyways (reasonably cheaper!!!) and replaced the rheostat for $30. $ years later the machine still runs great.
Personally, I push people away from the harbor freight welders if they are serious about learning to weld. I have seen a qualified/certified welder lay down beautiful welds with a HF machine. The problem is... That guy knew exactly what he was doing, and how to accomplish it. Someone just starting out will get very frustrated, because the machines can be very.... crappy as far as weld quality and consistency go. I also dont like having just a switch for amps and speed. You really need knobs so you can "fine" tune the weld. Most cheap machines cannot be fine tuned, so your stuck with what ever it has for settings. Personally, I keep an eye out on CL for a name brand adjustable welder. And if you can, take someone with you that can weld, so they can mess with the settings and know if it works properly or not.
I once bought a welder from a guy that claimed it ran perfect, well it did except the machine was stuck at full output, and would not adjust any lower, so it could burn 1/2" plate, but would blow through 1/8" plate. I bought it anyways (reasonably cheaper!!!) and replaced the rheostat for $30. $ years later the machine still runs great.
Fixed
Well-known member
I have one of theirs, and even though it works acceptably sometimes, even on the best day, it's a pain in the ***: it won't fit a large roll of wire, the leads are so short it's stupid, and replacement tips are hard for me to find, since I don't have a HF nearby.
But, it got me welding for $120, so I really can't knock it too hard
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk
sberry
Banned
The reason we harp a bit here about decent machines is that anyone very serious about shop and maintenance will get a return on a welder fast. It doesn't take much to payback. A 210 is really 2x the 140, its 300 more.
sberry
Banned
At 440$ the 140 would be worth the price to keep around as a sheet metal machine. If I am doing general work want the 210 and 030 wire but for a steady diet of sheet could see dedicating a unit right to small wire. 25 yrs ago it would have been a 500$ dealer only machine.
Off brand wire feeders are nothing new, I wasnt an early adopter and would have paid more attn but got distracted. I didn't understand what I was looking at with a Sears 200A mig when I was 20.
The exploitation of this market by welder companies has been good, they increase features to raise price. A half way decent feeder was 1500 30 yrs ago. While the 210 class isn't big it is so much more capable that make it so much more useful its worth the extra reach.
You can go to a size bigger wire and transfer 2x the power and that's a lot. It can even make it faster on lighter work saving gas.
Its got enough punch to weld a roll cage or do repair to a light trailer etc.
Off brand wire feeders are nothing new, I wasnt an early adopter and would have paid more attn but got distracted. I didn't understand what I was looking at with a Sears 200A mig when I was 20.
The exploitation of this market by welder companies has been good, they increase features to raise price. A half way decent feeder was 1500 30 yrs ago. While the 210 class isn't big it is so much more capable that make it so much more useful its worth the extra reach.
You can go to a size bigger wire and transfer 2x the power and that's a lot. It can even make it faster on lighter work saving gas.
Its got enough punch to weld a roll cage or do repair to a light trailer etc.
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sberry
Banned
This is a Hobart 210. We set the first bead with the chart as most people may do, it was cold. As of the second we could wring every drop out of it but could turn it up with a little warming to take the ripple right pout of the bead and we didn't clean the plate.
The4 pics were a cut and slash job where we kept the job dimensionally accurate and simply filled the gap with weld. Got it close fitting, The steel about 10 gage and can roll right down it hanging puddle surface tension and fill this in a simple pass, no cold weld, no extra when it was done but the web in that joint being 1 piece again and way better than it needed to be as a connection.
The4 pics were a cut and slash job where we kept the job dimensionally accurate and simply filled the gap with weld. Got it close fitting, The steel about 10 gage and can roll right down it hanging puddle surface tension and fill this in a simple pass, no cold weld, no extra when it was done but the web in that joint being 1 piece again and way better than it needed to be as a connection.
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