Looking to get a 110v welder

[blk96gt]

Been looking at picking up a welder, and now that I've got the garage cleaned up and organized the wife gave me the OK to pick one up (jokes on her, garage will look like shit again in a week, hah!) The main features I've been looking at have been 110v and the ability to do both gas and flux cored, unless someone tells me that just flux cored will be fine for things like sheet metal, exhaust, etc. Don't see myself needing to weld anything bigger than 1/4" or so.

I've been eyeing the Hobart Handler 140 for a while.
http://www.amazon.com/Hobart-500559-Handler-Wire-Welder/dp/B009X43F38/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1390716379&sr=1-1&keywords=hobart+140
Comes with the regulator and is pretty much ready for gas or flux cored. There's a welding shop a few minutes from the house that I could go grab a bottle from.

I've also looked at this little Lincoln welder that's available from Lowes.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_256722-1703-K2480-1_1z0zvjl+1z13yp1__?productId=1072945&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1%26 page%3D1&facetInfo=Lincoln%20Electric
Seems similar to the Hobart, just a few bucks more.

One of the reasons I'm looking at Lowes is because I've got a pretty good chunk of gift cards to there. They also sell Amazon gift cards there, so if I go with the Hobart I can use my Lowes gift cards to pick up some Amazon cards.

Are there any other welders I should be looking at? I like the convenience of being able to use a standard 110v outlet, but it's not out of the question to install a 220v outlet if these welders don't stack up. I'd just like to have the convenience of being able to use a standard plug.

[marshall_mosty]

Kevin,
Make sure you go with a bottle. don't do flux core... We have a Miller 110V that works very well. I've heard good things about the Hobart. It was on my list until we ran across the Miller. The only reason we have the Miller is the shop my Dad managed closed down after he retired and he bartered for it. Much nicer than the piece of crap we had previously (Century brand).

[ShadowBolt]

Dan is a Miller dealer. Miller is top of the line.

JJ

[GlennCMC70]

I have welded cages with 110 welders. They can do most anything you need.

[BlueFirePony]

I've been eyeing the Hobart Handler 140 for a while.
We've been happy with our Hobart 140. Definitely convenient to have is run off 110V. Have not built anything like a cage with it yet but did some work on Mandy and the racecar as well as some wrought iron and my bro-in-law (as good a welder as I have met) gave it the OK for cage if needed. About to use it for a new desk in my wife's office...

Edit:we re using a bottle - currently 75/25 - works for everything we've been doing so far.
Need to up the Argon for Stainless and Aluminum (like 95%-100% Argon IIRC).

[jdlingle]

I've got the Hobart 140 and love it. Still just doing flux core though.

Marshall, what gas mixture are you running?

[AI#97]

I've done some amazing things with the Lincoln Weld pack 3200 from Home Depot...however, I will tell you this. for a couple hundred more, buy a 220v machine and be done with it. I too have build cages with my 110v model, but it struggles and hits the duty cycle/thermal overload pretty quick. Search Craigslist and find you a bargain. Yeah, Miller is great, but at a price that isn't necessary to get a quality unit. I found a 220v Lincoln welder sold at Home Depot on craigslist new in box for $500. When I went to 220v machine, life became grand and cage welding became easy!

[marshall_mosty]

I've got the Hobart 140 and love it. Still just doing flux core though.

Marshall, what gas mixture are you running?

John,
I'll be back at the shop next Sunday and will check our mix.

[Dulaney]

Hobart and Miller are the same company, and you'll find similar specs for all of their machines, just a couple hundred dollar price tag difference.
I highly recommend a 220 machine. If you can afford it, get this one. It'll run on 110, but still give you 220 capability if you need it.
Handler 210 MVP (http://www.amazon.com/Hobart-500553-Handler-210-SpoolRunner/dp/B004USV5UC/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1390835116&sr=1-1&keywords=hobart+210+mvp)
Miller version isn't exactly the same but close. Miller 211 (http://www.amazon.com/MILLER-MILLERMATIC-211-AUTO-SET-WELDER/dp/B002RXO1SA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390839083&sr=8-1&keywords=miller+211)

A mix of 75/25 is most common for MIG welding steel.

[ShadowBolt]

We do almost zero MIG welding. 99% of what we do is TIG. From the welders I have hired and lots that tried out and failed it looks to me like almost anyone can learn to MIG weld (I have never tried either one) but TIG welding on thin material like the .024" to .050" aluminum that we weld thins the heard.

JJ


Jerry

[blk96gt]

Thanks for the info guys. Didn't realize they had combo 110/220 machines. Either way it looks like I'll probably end up with a Hobart.

[y5e06]

look into the millermatic 211 w/ the dual voltage plug MVP. 120 or 220.
this one, among others, also can run a spool gun if you want to do aluminum. For an AI car I bet you find that useful when you decide to fab your own aluminum components...
the 220 allows you to crank up the amperage if you ever need it (thicker Al). you'll need a 2nd bottle, diff gas, for Al though.

also, typically you aren't supposed to run flux core (globular transfer) for sheetmetal, instead use solid core MIG (edit, i suppose not as big a deal for basic racecar repair).
I prefer C25 as also noted above. 0.035 for thicker projects, 0.023 for thin projects, but to get along w/o the PITA change over i use 0.030 for most things.

If i could do aluminum (spool gun) w/ my older Lincoln 175 I'd would probably not have just picked up a new machine for TIG
(200DX)
http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/images/buy-welder-online-first.JPG

[Casey_SS]

Eastwood is another good option to consider. They launched their own brand of welders a few years ago that are really quite good. I bought their mig 175, have used it a lot more than I expected to, and have been extremely happy with it. I've run nearly 3 spools of wire and just about an entire bottle of gas through it now without a single hiccup. Fantastic welder...makes me look better than I really am.

http://www.eastwood.com/welders/mig-welders.html

[Pranav]

Looking on Cragislist, I have located a Hobart 140 in good shape for $325. I have also found 2-3 Lincoln WeldPack 140HDs for roughly the same price on CL as well.

Which should I go for, Hobart or Lincoln? Or a brande new Eastwood for cheaper?

http://www.eastwood.com/mig-welder-110vac-135a-output.html

I can also get a Refurb Hobart 125 for $289

Thanks,
Pranav.

[ShadowBolt]

Looking on Cragislist, I have located a Hobart 140 in good shape for $325. I have also found 2-3 Lincoln WeldPack 140HDs for roughly the same price on CL as well.

Which should I go for, Hobart or Lincoln? Or a brande new Eastwood for cheaper?

http://www.eastwood.com/mig-welder-110vac-135a-output.html

I can also get a Refurb Hobart 125 for $289

Thanks,
Pranav.

I would ask Dan. He has forgotten more about welders than the rest of us know all put together.


JJ

[Supercharged111]

Is that what he does for a living?

[ShadowBolt]

Is that what he does for a living?

Lets just say Dan knows a little about welding. I think he has made a living in the business for most of his life.

JJ