welding regulator

[webbs2jzgte]

So I bought a small hobart handler 140. The regulator that was in the box looked cheap and I don't like how the adjustment is very loose. I want ot upgrade to a better regulator/flow meter.

I keep seeing them talk about argon, air/co2, acetelyne. I have 3 tank set ups. One with a tri-mix and one with a argon and one with a co2 mixture. Do I need 3 different regulators? Also for the tri mix what is the one to go with?

And shoot me in a direction to get a decent regulator for under $125

 

[Boomer343]

Well the acetylene regulator isn't for MIG welding so that one is out. Whey the 3 different gases? The Co2 will give you a hot weld and lots of splatter but it's cheap.
Argon the nicest welds with least splatter but $$$$ and the Tri Mix is inbetween.

A flo meter will give you a very accurate reading of the amount of gas being used and since the different gases flow at various rates that means that if you have an argon flo meter and hook up the CO2 the metering scale will be off.

You can use the same flow meter but some tanks have different threaded fittings to mount the flow meter...adapters are usually easily available.

But looking at this unit it is a light duty 120 volt welder....light duty doesn't mean poor quality, I have used 120 volt MIGs for years and ran them hard...if you are doing work that requires precise gas flo then you probably need a different machine.....so really what came with it will work just fine....heck you even have one more gauge than I have ....mine doesn't show tank pressure.

 

[A**holes Garage]

http://weldingdirect.com/sinstagflowg.html

 

[Falcon67]

I have a Handler 140 and use the regulator that came in the box - no issues. I use C25 mix.

 

[78Bird]

Yeah, I don't see anything wrong with the one my 140 came with either... it's worked fine for 2 years now. the adjuster feels loose when it's not engaged, but not radically different from any other ive used when it gets some tension on it and is in use.

 

[BigMike782]

the regulator that came with it should be a Smith inert flow gauge with a CGA 580 fitting for your argon tri mix and argon CO2 mix cylinders.
My opinion is why spend 125.00 on the same thing as you have in hand.

 

[webbs2jzgte]

the only issue with the one that came in the box is that where the gauge block branches off to the line that goes to the tank is leaking. its loud as heck too. and you can feel the air leaking. So I contacted Hobart and even though I bought it through a certified hobart dealer, they said they can return it without returning the entire unit. and I already ran flux cored through it to test out drive pressure and what not.

 

[metalmagpie]

The object you don't like probably isn't a regulator, it's likely a flowmeter. There are two kinds of flowmeters, but the ones shipped with small MIG welders are generally of the orifice type. Those rely on the physical principle of gasses where gas flow through a small orifice is mostly only dependent on pressure drop across the orifice and not so much different between the types of gasses. They work but aren't quite as accurate as the other type which uses just a needle valve along with a ball in a tapered tube calibrated to show gas flow. Most of the ball type flowmeters have several scales on the tube so they can be used with most common gases. The Victor HRF2425 is calibrated for multiple gas flows and is a pro quality gauge, though priced accordingly.

In practice you can use an uncalibrated flowmeter. Turn it up until it has the desired shielding gas characteristics, then back it off pretty much as much as you can until bad things (usually porosity) start appearing. You can definitely waste time trying to get things perfect. For a huge weld shop getting gas flow rates dialed in to be as low as possible while still providing adequate shielding will pay off in lower gas cost, but as a practical matter at home it doesn't matter if you flow a little extra. So if the gage isn't calibrated for your exact trimix just use the gage for argon or C25 and then use your experience to tweak it from there if needed. Be aware, some gages are calibrated to read the top of the ball, some the middle of the ball and some the bottom.

You might post a quality picture of the one you got with your Hobart. It might be halfway decent.

metalmagpie

 

[Jonboy1974]

http://www.usaweld.com/Welding-Flowmeter-p/12020-f.htm
This one is the best for money and quality.

 

[bad_idea]

One more vote for roll with the stock unit. Welding at home isn't going to benefit from precision gas flow. Wouldn't worry about it too much. Get them to fix the stock unit and keep rolling. The regulator that came with my Handler 187 has worked great for me.

 

[webbs2jzgte]

thanks guys, the only issue is hobart said since it was installed it cant be returned. I tried to say how would I know it would leak if I didn't install it but you know how customer service works now a days.

So i'll just stop at Northern tool and pick up the hobart unit they sell that is exactly like mine.

The stock unit is made by Smith.

thanks again guys. I have a project car waiting on this welder to be up and running. I refused to use flux core haha

 

[slip knot]

I'm suprised Hobart didn't handle it better for you. When I had problems with my HH175 they were more than happy to assist me. Even told me where to order parts aftermarket for a lower price! That was a couple of years back and maybe times have changed for Hobart?