Welder??

[85lolo]

Anyone own a Hobart welder?? Lookin at the handler 140 or the handler 210 I like the 110 volt option but like the option to have both voltages. What is sacraficed for the convenience of dual voltage??

 

[Jim greengo]

I've got an older handler in back of barn,I think it's a 170 or something like that.
240v

 

[evintho]

I have a Hobart Ironman 210 and love it! I've had it about 10 years and use it a lot. Built the frame and lots more on my roadster. A few years back I did have to replace the contactor and range switch but it's been fine ever since. Right now I'm using it everyday installing floorpans in my '54 Customline. It's a 220v unit and I wanted a 110v for sheet metal work so I acquired a Lincoln Handy Mig but I don't care for it at all! I use the Hobart for pretty much everything. It lays down some really nice beads!

 

[red61cj5]

Bought a 140 handler just before Christmas. Got a 100$ rebate at northern tool. Easy to set up, transport, and get started welding. If I outgrow it, I have no doubt I can sell it easily.

 

[Stooge]

I've had 2 Hobart 140's and still have one of them. Good value for money if you are don't intend on doing the thicker stuff but still want a quality machine. I sold my first 140 after I bought a Miller 211 with dual voltage, which was a big selling point and I interchange the plugs pretty regularly depending on what im working on and where im working on it. I grew out of the 140 fairly quickly, so be honest with yourself about what you plan to be doing with it and if it would be better to invest in a bigger machine off the bat.

 

[Havelka44]

I bought a Lincoln m&p 210 And it dual power mig tig and stick can do aluminum with a spool gun and it’s been awesome no complaints.

 

[dimichele]

I had a lincoln 140 that got stolen. It was a nice machine you could do a lot with. I upgraded to the hobart dual voltage 210. It seem good. I've barely used it though. It is twice as heavy as the lincoln so not that portable. If I add 220 to my garage and add gas. I would consider the hf titanium for a cheap 110 flux core machine because I don't t want to have to change everything around for a one time use.

 

[sberry]

You should have absolutely no regret buying a Hobart 210. It is super good, very simple. 030 gives it some punch with gas, a size bigger wire than a 140 will run.

 

[sberry]

The I'M 210 is ok, it was really a small machine in a big body, best thing about it was it held a full size spool of wire. Its time was really before the popularity of the 200 class compact. I was thinking thru some of Hobart advances and model changes,,,, it's guite a sophisticated evolutionary chain. A lot of it due to manufacturing posibilities. They wanted to use lots of the same parts, simplify stock, Miller too which was synergistic. But,, they dropped the IM210 and the 250 and settled on the 230 to replace both and simplify the product line. Was a good move

 

[zak77]

Had a 140 which did the vast majority of my needed work then got a MVP210 and sold the 140. Very happy with both but if you can, go with the bigger machine.

 

[Hammer1963]

The 210MVP is a fantastic welder. Same with the EZ TIG 165 if you ever decide to venture into that area.

 

[zmotorsports]

My brother has the Hobart 210 which is basically a Miller and he really likes it. I've welded it with it a couple of times when I've been over to his shop and feel it is a nice unit. I finally convinced him to go from .035" wire down to .030" and he says he likes it better but it's only been a few months and I don't think he uses it a ton.

 

[sberry]

Yes, it really is a 030 machine. Most 250 class are 035 but I am going to try an 030 in my 255 next time around. I am tempted to put a different liner in it and see if a 035-045 liner makes a difference in the spittin biatch.

 

[MoonRise]

Only sheet metal?

The 140 can do that no problem. Runs on 120 V.

But it will run out of output power if you are trying to do MIG on pieces thicker than sheet metal, maybe up to about 1/8" steel is do-able. You can maybe use some FCAW (flux core) and do up to about 1/4" thick with some 0.035 FCAW wire like Lincoln NR-211-MP (FCAW runs 'hotter' than solid wire GMAW).

The 210-class dual-voltage (can run on 120 V input power at a reduced output power, or can run on 240 V input power for full output power) machines can usually do most of what any 'home' project would need.

Trade-off with the recent inverter 210-class machines is that they cost more than the 140-class machines (in general).

The old-school Hobart Ironman 210 is a different type machine than the recent 210-class inverter machines.

 

[DerekV]

Good machines, but I would recommend a quality dual voltage inverter unit over those. Millermatic 211, Lincoln 210MP, ESAB Rebels, Thermal Arc Fabricator 211...heck even the Harbor Freight Vulcan MIG Max 215 (if they still have the 1 year unconditional money back guarantee). They perform better on 120v and 240v, lighter weight, more forgiving arc, more tunable arc, etc. Modern transistors are very robust, transformers are still heavy and not nearly as efficient. Infinite voltage (and sometimes even inductance) control that these inverters offer isn’t necessary, but it’s so much nicer than tapped voltages like on the Hobart MIGs.

Again, the Hobarts are good machines, but I would recommend a quality dual voltage inverter unit over them. FWIW I owned a HH210 MVP for about a year and sold it for an inverter MM211 back in 2015...still have the MM211 [emoji106] It’s better in every dimension.

 

[Catch_22]

Started with a Hobart 140, 3/16 is the very max you can do with safe levels of penetration.

I work with 1/4 max so I bumped to a 210 MVP and feel much better. Also the duty time is better because its not running all the way up.

 

[dsilver1007]

I purchased an ESAB rebel 215 (mig only) and run it on 110v. It is absolutely amazing and well worth the money especially with a 200$ rebate they had/have on the machine. Prior to that I used an Eastwood 135 mig and it was very nice for the money. Only issue I had was the plastic arm that held the top bearing for the wire feed. Seems like ESAB has some pretty great machines for reasonable prices.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sberry]

The Linc was priced right at one point. A guy had a stick in the same package which might be practical in some places. I understand more,,, better , when time is money, shops vs hometime and custom vs general but for the avg forum Joe a 210 class mig is a good buy, can do it without upgrades maybe and a inverter stick. Nothing beats them for light field work. Light stick is difficult though for the non regular welder, a bit easier if he strikes an arc on occasion. They will burn 1/8 lohy on a welder circuit which is another benchmark for sticks. On 120V they run 1/8 6011 and 3/32 lohy which makes some real work do-able. I fixed something a while back, beat having engine drive running and added about 3 rods to the job for a short piece needed a second pass.

 

[junkyardwarrior]

Hobart is the cheaper version of Miller. I have both (Handler 210 and MillerMatic 211). They are supposed to be almost identical, and size and case/housing-wise they are. But the Miller's wire feeder is more consistent, and I like how it's set up better as far as changing the spool. Just easier to use than the Hobart is. The 211 also welds considerably hotter; I do not know what the deal is but you can hear/see/feel the difference when both are turned up to the highest settings. Also in my arsenal is a Lincoln 140 which is 110v only. The Hobart and Miller are MVP (multi-voltage plug) so if you were in an area that only has 110v service (20A!) it is still able to be used; but if you have 220v, USE IT. It welds MUCH better and the feeder works better. As far as the Lincoln, it was a unit that I purchased at a garage sale for pennies, and I rarely use it, and when I do it's just because I feel sorry for it sitting in the back corner of the shop all by it's lonesome. Between the Hobart and the Miller, I use the Miller a LOT more. Actually I'm probably going to sell my Hobart to my brother if/when he comes up with the money.

One thing worth mentioning is autoset. Miller's Autoset works pretty good! I was skeptical of it when I bought the unit and figured it was simply a gimmick, but I'm here to tell you, if you have .030 wire in it (which runs sweet) and set on the autoset feature, it will automatically adjust the wire speed based on conditions and voltage. I've noticed that it "auto-sets" even if I'm welding along and hit a patch of dirty metal, it will adjust the speed as it sees fit, works wonderfully. Must be used with 75% Argon and 25% CO2, however. Straight CO2 is what I learned with and autoset does NOT work with it (at all).

I had the Hobart already and at the time wasn't really shopping for another welder, BUT the Miller came up on sale brand new for exactly the same price as the Hobart plus it came with a free spool gun. Figured I'd use it for some aluminum fab work that didn't require a TIG, but never really used it much. The thought was, buy the Miller, then sell the Hobart. And again that is the plan--assuming my brother will come get it soon. If not, I'm putting it on the market.

The dual voltage really doesn't have a sacrifice by itself, however, using it on 110v limits your work. You're not goign to be able to put full voltage (heat) into welding, so if it's about 1/8" steel or less, you're fine with 110v. It feeds ok, but on 220 it works a little better. All it is, is an adapter that allows you to plug it into either 110 or 220, and internally it senses and works without you doing anything else. I've used mine on both and almost always use 220 as long as I'm not carrying the welder somewhere where 220 isn't available.

 

[sberry]

I bought a Lincoln m&p 210 And it dual power mig tig and stick can do aluminum with a spool gun and it’s been awesome no complaints.

That type of machine can be an answer. Does a lot of stuff, small, thrifty, dv, being able to do 120v stick is revolutuonary. So much a guy can do so easily. It's even better when this can pay for itself.

 

[85lolo]

Thanks guys. Gonna look a little more but I think the Hobart will be the one