Thinking about buying a welder.

[Kansas Bu Wagon]

I've been thinking about buying a welder lately. I'm gonna need one for the wagon due to all the rust repair needed lol. And I'm sure other uses will pop up.

Anyway, I notice a lot of people use Hobarts. I've seen some guys on here and some friends that have them.

Looked around online and read some reveiws and kinda landed on this one ... http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002PS7R ... =8-12&vs=1

I have very minimal welding experience. Want something nice to learn on and have read the cheaper harbor freight types can work well but can be hard to learn on. The price of the Hobart isn't to bad for me considering the other stuff I'll have to buy.

What do y'all think, is it a good one? Not getting it right away just just seeing what you welders recommend.

 

[timo22]

I don't think you can go wrong with a Hobart . I had no prior welding experience and bought one a few years ago. When I first got it, I took it over to my friends shop so he could check it out and show me how to use it. He was impressed. This friend of mine is not just a regular guy. He build custom motorcycles and race cars. When he builds a bike , he bends and fabs the frame himself. Now he is a miller guy. He has high end mig and tig welders. He has even borrowed mine because it is portable compared to his units. I have the handler 140 which is the top 110 v welder. He said that it is basically a miller welder. Good luck and I hope this helps...timo

 

[Bonnewagon]

It's not so much the brand as the fact that it is a MIG. I have a Lincoln MIG, and it makes me look like an expert . Really, for sheet metal a MIG is all you need, as it is thin gauge and MIG wire is perfect for that. There are a lot of other projects that a simple stick welder, or oxy-acetylene are needed for, and as time goes on you may want to acquire those. For example, while I did my body rust repairs with the MIG, I still swear by acetylene for building an exhaust pipe system. Beware of Harbor Freight stuff. I bought a HF cheapie stick unit, it was made in Italy, a major wire inside was never hooked up at the factory. BAD!

 

[Fox80]

The Hobart is probably a decent welder for home use, I prefer Lincoln stuff myself but honestly all the lower end 110v stuff is the same from the well known names. My 110v Lincoln looks exactly the same as the Hobart, it's even the same price. I usually tell guys if you can afford it step up to a 220 amp 220v welder, if you get into frame patches or whatever you will need it. You can turn a welder down but you can't make it bigger when you need it to be. The 220 welder I have could weld anything but it is kind of large, so I got the 110v welder for its ease of movement, but I made it for many years with only the 220. JMO

 

[Kansas Bu Wagon]

I was actually just getting ready to ask if it could be used to weld on a car frame. The description says it can weld up to 3/16 steel? How thick are our frames?

 

[Fox80]

The sales pitch may tell you it can weld 3/16", and yes it will lay a bead on it but I would not use it for heavier metal repairs myself. I'm not gonna lie when I was building circle track cars I used my little welder for a tab or two out of convenience but a job like the body mount frame repair washers or weld on frame braces I would use a 220v welder. Like I said above you can't buy a welder that is to big, but many of them are to small.

 

[truracer20]

I would go with the Handler 140 and add on a gas cylinder. I wouldn't want to flux core body metal. For heavier work though the flux core runs really well compared to the Lincolns I've used. Hobart offers a non metallic nozzle for flux core and it works great since spatter doesn't stick and it allows the tip to protrude for visability, less wire stick out and better access to tight areas. Also spring for a solid ground clamp, the original stamped ground clamp is the only short coming of this welder. Get a tip cleaner and a small fine file to dress the tips. While you're at it an auto darkening shield is the way to go.

The Handler 140 will weld anything on your car with the addition of a gas cylinder. I built the rear platform bumper for my F250 Super Duty utility body using .035 flux core, all work was done outdoors so gas wasn't a possibility. It did a great job on the 1/4" plate that makes up the pintle hook mount as well as the 1/4" angle that mount to the trucks frame. As long as you either v groove and make multiple passes or v groove and weld both sides it handles 1/4" just fine. The biggest downfall is the duty cycle. With the amps cranked all the way up on thick steel you'll only be able to run a 4" to 5" bead.

A bigger welder is always better but it's not always a possibility. A good option for about twice the price of the Handler 140 and less than top end 220v units is the 210 MVP.
Hobart and Miller are from the same parent company. I've never heard bad reviews on them that's why I bought mine and I like it a lot more than the Lincolns I've used.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

The Hobart is probably a decent welder for home use, I prefer Lincoln stuff myself but honestly all the lower end 110v stuff is the same from the well known names. My 110v Lincoln looks exactly the same as the Hobart, it's even the same price. I usually tell guys if you can afford it step up to a 220 amp 220v welder, if you get into frame patches or whatever you will need it. You can turn a welder down but you can't make it bigger when you need it to be. The 220 welder I have could weld anything but it is kind of large, so I got the 110v welder for its ease of movement, but I made it for many years with only the 220. JMO

My 110 volt MIG had no trouble welding a repair washer on my frame. Through I used fluxcore and G body frames are thin as most frames go. The max thickness any MIG unit is rated for is always with fluxcore since it penetrates more than solid core wire at the same amps. Good for thicker stuff but bad for thinner stuff. Fluxcore is what I would use with any frame repair really. Body repairs I would use solid core. Also a auto darkening helmet makes things much easier.

In most cases if you get a 220 volt machine you will also need to install a 220 volt outlet where you will be welding.

 

[tc1959]

I bought a almost new Lincoln Weld pak 100 from a Pawn shop a few years ago. It was a 110 flux core machine.
I spent the extra cash and bought the gas conversion for it. It made it a much better machine. (my welds actually look like someone knew what they were doing now.)
Picked up a decent cart from Harbor Freight.

 

[Kansas Bu Wagon]

Hmm the handler 140 has really good reveiws. Looks like they upgraded some internal components on it compared to the others. It's an extra $120 but I think in the long run it will be a better investment. There are quite a few reveiws saying they welded 1/4" steel with it. Doubt I'll weld anything 1/4" or bigger. When the time comes I think I might get the 140.

Here's the link... http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009X43F3 ... r=8-1&vs=1

Thanks fellas. This place never disappoints.