Welders

[Bud]

I was thinking about getting a mig welder. Don't know much about mig, but would like to get one. I looked at Tractor Supply and Central Tractor, they carry Hobart and Century. Thought I'd get a 220 model since I already have a 220 line for my stick welder. The Hobart 175 costs $650.00 and the 170 Century costs $550.00. They both have everything but the bottle for the gas. Anyone have an idea which one would be the better buy?
Bud

 

[TexasJeff]

Bought a hobart handler 175 2 weeks ago. Love it so far and I have only welded with self shielded wire so far(flux core) Have not made it to town to buy a bottle of shielding gas. The penetration has amazed me. I haved welded 1/4 inch down to about 12 ga. Paid $556 at a local welding supply house. I went with the hobart because of local supply of consumables, Tips, nozzles ect. I would check the avability of parts for the century before buying one.

 

[TraderMark]

While I'm always one to save money when I can, I have to say that when it comes to welders, that's one thing I stick with the major brands on. Too many of the cheaper models and companies have come and gone, only to leave people looking for parts all over the place. My personal advice would be to stick with Hobart, Miller or Lincoln. You can get parts for them easily and even get aftermarket consumables.

Just my opinion as one who does a good bit of welding..../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I have a Miller Bobcat225 portable and in the v ery near future will be getting a mig myself. Am hoping to be able to afford a Millermatic 250. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[richfromPA]

hey tradermark and bud,
tradermark, why dont you get the wire feeder for your bobcat. i also have a bobcat and got the miller super s32p feeder for it in december and have been running lincoln innershield nr-211-mp .035 thru it and it works great. you will find when you do your mobile repairs that the stick will be left home, just like mine. for bud, how thick do you want to weld? and also how important is mobilty? my first mig welder was a lincoln sp125. it runs on 110v and has a gas soleniod if you need it and i have repaired alot of tree nursery stuff with it. just plug it in any 110v outlet and go to town (within reason). i also run the nr-211-mp wire thru it. no need draggin blottles around. if ya got any questions just ask.
rich

 

[PaulNakamura]

You might want to check on E-Bay for a mig welder, I bought a Century 170GS reconditioned for a good price. I couldn't tell it from new. Looking inside it, I don't see a huge difference between it and the big name offerings in that price range. I liked the infinite range of wire speed and volts, the red and blue units in this size range do not have this feature. It came with everything except the gas bottle. Warranty included

Paul
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[Bud]

Paul
I kind of thought the infinite voltage control would be a big plus on the Century, that's the reason I asked about the welders on the net. Parts would not be a problem for a Century welder. Central Tractor, in this area, has tips, gas shields, feed rollers, and many other parts. This does not have to be portable, everything I do is in my garage. Could you tell me how much you paid for the welder on Ebay and was it much of a problem to get it?
Bud

 

[PaulNakamura]

Bud, I paid $465 including shipping of about 60 Lbs from Washington state to Michigan. It came with a helmet and everything to ge started except the gas bottle, 90 day warranty. "Jason Reed" <bcliq@quik.com> was the guy I bought it from, a closeout liquidator type business, he frequently has good welder deals. (I have no connection with this outfit)

Good luck,
Paul
.

 

[michael123]

I drove a Honda Rancher AT GPScape for a bit. This also had the Hydro drive thing where there was no shifting. I thought it was a really nice atv and if I had the cash I would buy one. I later (same day) drove a 329 without electric shift and was suprised at how much I disliked it. No power and constant shifting over the same trail. If I were going faster it may have worked better.

 

[Chilly807]

The Hobart is made by Miller, and a good value. I've no experience with Century, so I can't comment.

I've got a Miller 180 with the autoset feature, 100 series spoolgun, and a Miller autodark helmet. I thought the auto-set was a sales gimmick til I tried it. It has a lot better judgement than I do for welding settings, to put it mildly.

Try to find something that will let you add a spoolgun for welding aluminum down the road, or up-front if you want. I don't use it all the time, but it gives you a lot more options for DIY stuff. I've welded everything from cast aluminum mower spindle housings, to this log skidding cone last weekend..

I don't regret choosing the Miller at all. Before you buy do a bit of research on what the differences are between the "big two" i.e. Miller and Lincoln, and the "rest". There's quite a price jump, and sometimes there's a really good reason for that, like copper windings instead of aluminum, more expansion options, longer warranty that covers more things.

Sometimes you're just paying for the pretty blue or red paint, too...

Chilly

 

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Chilly
The question was asked by the op about 9 years ago. No fret, your opinion is certainly applicable to anyone else wanting a welder presently.