welder question

[kobudo]

Does anyone have experience with a Hobart 140 MIG welder? Pros/Cons etc.?

 

[Whitebread]

I've used one several times in the past. It's a decent little box, emphasis on little. For sheet work and light/art type hobbies it's fine. For anything heavier (farm repair, trailer building/repair) you'll end up wishing you had a 230v unit. I had a Miller 185 for several years and it was a great all around unit. I recently sold it and bought a Miller 252 with spoolgun - SWEET unit.

The Hobart 187 is very similar to the Miller 185, and that's what I'd buy if I wanted a do-everything machine for home/ranch where I don't need the added features (and price tag) of the Miller.

 

[ikessky]

I just bought one actually. Most of my needs center around automotive work, which is partially why I didn't go with a 220V unit. Then again, if you bevel and prep the metal properly, you should be able to get decent penetration on 1/4" even. It's really all about knowing your and the machines capabilities. Before buying mine, I talked to a guy who used a 110V machine to weld some 1/2" stuff. It wasn't structural stuff, but he did the necessary prep work and multiple passes and got a decent weld.

Pros:
Well built (Miller makes Hobart)
Pretty inexpensive
22ga to 1/4" capability


Cons:
Tapped, not fully adjustable amps
Not powerful enough to do a lot of 1/4" and up work
Relatively low duty cycle

 

[burntime]

I have the tombstone 220v ac/dc lincoln. I end up welding together hitchs for tractor attachments or deck cracks...stuff like that. I think a log holder tray for the speeco will come soon. My neighbor has a 140 or so lincoln wire welder w/o gas. It does not weld anything thicker then say an eigth of an inch. He may have power issues in the garage cause it trips the breaker so it may not be a true representation of the units ability. I can wholeheartedly vouch for the lincoln stick welder though. I did not know how to weld 4-5 months ago, now everything holds together. I get better each time I use it. Wire is supposed to be easier though. Whichever you do, see if you can get someone who knows what they are doing to help you a time or 2. I had problems till a buddy came over and then the light came on so to speak. If you go wire I would push for a 220 welder or if money is the issue go stick, but thats my limited experience...here is my last project...

 

[burntime]

By the way, I am an office guy that likes to tinker and do house projects....not a mechanic or something that is exposed to this type of thing daily...

 

[ikessky]

Do we work together? I'm an office guy also from Wisconsin. I'm a motor head at heart though. I have lots of projects around the house to take care of and would eventually like to do some customizing for other people on the side.

I forgot to mention that I also have access to a Lincoln 220v arc welder for the heavier stuff.

 

[chad3]

Have a Lincoln 255. It can do everything from sheet to 1/2 plate. If you need larger, go double pass with bevel. Turn down for sheet metal. I love the digital vs. knobs.
Got for a great price, that may help.
Chad

Edit to say:
I'd get a 220. Lots more power and usually more duty cycle. You can burn tons of rod before having to take a break. Don't want to overheat. After running for a while, you will find tons of stuff to weld.

 

[mjbrown]

spend a little xtra and go with the 220 welder...you can always turn it down for thin stuff, but you can only go so high on a 110. the miller , hobart, or the lincoln wire feeds are thhe best going. if you do go with the 110, just a word of advice,dont use a regular 14-16 gauge extension cord. you will call the welder all sorts of colorful names. i have a 110 lincoln, and i use a piece of house wire with plugs on it to make an extention cord, that way i dont lose power for the machine. you can go with a heavy duty 10-12 gauge cord. just my exiriance from being a welder for the past 26 yrs(shipyards and fabshops, home welding).

hope this helps,

mike

 

[burntime]

Do we work together? I'm an office guy also from Wisconsin. I'm a motor head at heart though. I have lots of projects around the house to take care of and would eventually like to do some customizing for other people on the side.

I forgot to mention that I also have access to a Lincoln 220v arc welder for the heavier stuff.

I hope not cause that means I am sleeping with you...I got laid off :lol: Its nice to do anything that you do not do for a living....

 

[ikessky]

110 vs 220 machines......... I think you really need to sit down and think about a couple things. The first and biggest question is, are you going to be doing a lot of stuff 1/4" and up? If the answer to this is yes, then you really need to get the 220 machine. The next question would be, do you have 220v in your garage already or will you need to get it run? Portability is another thing to think about.

I choose a 110v Hobart 140 for a few reasons. First, most of the stuff I'm going to be doing is under 1/4". Second, I have access to a larger arc welder for anything 1/4" and over. Third, cost. Not only of the unit itself, but I would also have the added expense of getting 220v into my garage. Fourth, portability. I can pick this thing up and head to other people's houses and do jobs for them as well without having to worry about where I'm going to plug it in.

Perhaps I'll get a larger welder in the future. They come across in the company auctions fairly regularly as we have tons of welders running here and are constantly upgrading. It all depends on what I'm doing at that point and how big of a garage I actually build in the next few years.

Regardless of what you get, make sure you get a decent auto darkening helmet as well. You'll never do the headnod dance again once you've used these!

 

[burntime]

I have to look at one of those auto helmets. I have a sheild over the clear glass so its peek and weld, peek and weld. Why is it the sun is aways behind you too :lol: I end up looking at myself thru the glass until I strike an arc...

 

[Gooserider]

I have to look at one of those auto helmets. I have a sheild over the clear glass so its peek and weld, peek and weld. Why is it the sun is aways behind you too :lol: I end up looking at myself thru the glass until I strike an arc...

They are definitely worth every penny - once you've used one you will never want to go back... These days you can get them for fairly short money as well - Harbor Freight seems to have one or more models on sale constantly for around $50 - and reasonably decent quality as well... Make sure to get one with the solar charging cells, and preferably replaceable batteries. I got one several years back that didn't have the solar cells and used the expensive lithium "coin batteries" - expensive, mildly hard to find and always dead when I wanted to weld Rather than buy a new helmet, I did a cheapo and spend $1.99 for a 4-cell, "AAA" battery pack and soldered it into the module where the batteries used to go - now it works great and I can at least use the cheaper batteries that I always keep on hand for other things...

Gooserider

 

[madrone]

It would be fine up to 1/8", struggle over that. Get the biggest welder you can afford, if you want to be happy doing anything but body work. Don't use flux core for sheet metal. Buy a bottle of 75/25. Don't use an extension cord unless you have no choice, and use the biggest gauge wire/shortest length you can find. If you can, run that welder on its own circuit, or at least on one that's not shared with lots of stuff. Ideally, it would use a 20amp with no other loads.

What are you hoping to do with this welder? That makes a big difference in whether this is a good welder for you or not.

 

[madrone]

Regardless of what you get, make sure you get a decent auto darkening helmet as well. You'll never do the headnod dance again once you've used these!

I still use my Huntsman with the big glass most of the time. I like the auto-darken well enough, but I can see so much better with the old helmet. Depends on what I'm welding. I guess I'm just used to the old helmet...

 

[North of 60]

Regardless of what you get, make sure you get a decent auto darkening helmet as well. You'll never do the headnod dance again once you've used these!

I still use my Huntsman with the big glass most of the time. I like the auto-darken well enough, but I can see so much better with the old helmet. Depends on what I'm welding. I guess I'm just used to the old helmet...

Fabricating and tacking on little projects, Auto is handy. Full on pipe welding 4" and up Ill take the old school helmet.
N of 60

 

[wahoowad]

Does anyone have experience with a Hobart 140 MIG welder? Pros/Cons etc.?

I own this welder. You didn't say what you want to use it for. My buddy owns one too and has used it every day for several years - I am amazed it continues to work given the number of spools of wire he has gone through. We both use them for hobby/sculpture/garage projects, nothing commercial. Hobart has a fantastic forum called weldtalk.com - I have found welders to offer some of the most spot on, practical advice on a wide range of subjects. You can get plenty of advice on that or other welders or applications there.

 

[ikessky]

weldingweb.com is also another great resource