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Help me chose a Welder

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SilentUnicorn

SilentUnicorn

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The Miller and the Lincoln are both going to require 230V outlet.
the Hobart will run on 110v
The miller and the Lincoln will preform heavier work at a longer duty cycle than the hobart will. The Miller and the Lincoln are more expensive.
So .... what YOU have to decide is .... am I willing to spend the extra cash to get the 230v machine, do I already have a 230 V outlet. If not am I willing to spend the $ it will take to get one installed by a qualified electrician. Do I plan to do heavier work than body and fender. eg building structural framework or the like {keep in mind that 5/16th is about the limit of one pass welds on the Miller or Lincoln}. Although there is nothing at all wrong with doing multiple pass welds with ANY of these machines IF done properly.
The Hobart is going to be the cheapest route ...... you decide!
Hope this helps
 
I have had a Hobart Handler 135 for about 7 years and find it to be a very capable machine. I've rebuilt a Spitfire with this machine and it served me very well.

I think as long as you stay with Hobart, Miller or Lincoln you will end up with a good welder.
 
+1 on what AweMan said. I have a handler 180, which is comparable to the Miller 180. For 90% of what a hobbyist does, the 140 will do fine. Also, its a whole lot more convenient to take to your bud's garage to help him out. If I had to do it again, I would probably go with the 140 for the convenience of 110v. As it is, my next purchase will be a TIG setup.
 
+1 with Aweman. They are all good machines with cheap consumables. You need to figure out how much you intend to use the machine and what else you would like to do with it. Are you intending on using field gas, or core wire? I like to buy equiptment that is a little larger than the job requires, simply because it easier on the machine and usually less time/effort to complete the work.
Cheers,
D.
 
SilentUnicorn said:
I do Have one of these
https://www.iserv.net/~wmogrady/lube/welders/m12179.html

it quit working, and it looks like the circuit board got pretty hot.

Aweman do you have any knowledge of these?

Mark
Click to expand...
---------------------------------
No Mark Unfortunately not!
About all i`m used to are the Industrial welders. And if one of them broke down we called the Millwrights to come service it. And Yes even on the industrial machines it is quite common for the boards to quit. I do have the Hobart 180 for home use and we did have a lincoln 180 in the shop for the Body and fender guys to use. However I never used it, {it was forbidden} we Welders coudn't use the 180 for anything requiring a certified weld. As far as the circuit boards go, I wouldn't know where to begin other than contacting the Mfg. and asking if a replacement board is available or if they could recommend a repair service jobber.
If you, or you know someone that is electronics savy you might be able to test the board components, I know, a long drawn out process. If you decide to try it, start with the components nearest the discolored areas that got hot. Transistors are usually the culprit. Especially the ones near any heat sinks. Finding replacement transistors may be a whole different ball game!
It's been my experience and what I have been told by our Millwrights is that running the machine for extended periods of time beyond their duty cycles is normally what causes the boards to go south. Yes even industrial machines have duty cycles!
The higher end machines will usually take quite a bit of abuse where as the lower end ones not so much.
If you have an owners manuel for that machine, there is a good chance a parts list may be included, usually on the last page or pages
Sorry I can`t be more help
 
I'm no welder so take my opinion with a grain of salt... I've been using a Lincoln 110v mig welder for years. Gimme a roll of.023 wire, some good shielding gas, and a pot of good coffee, and I can weld up a rusty floor so it's strong and doesn't look too bad. I got mine used for $200.
 
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