Want a MIG welder, but what kind?

[Industrial Toys]

I have worked on an old Hobart MIG Welder Several Times for a friend. It has welded thousands of farm gates. It is an amazing machine, does everything that a 250 class Miller or Lincoln will do and not a transistor in the thing! Only problem ever was main contactor issues. You should be able to find one cheap, because it's out of date and not sexy, but if I ever come across one, I would grab it.



Another welder I fixed for the same friend. Look at all the electronics that are absolutely unnecessary!

 

[lennyzx11]

I have the Hobart 210MVP.
It is dual voltage.
Has worked perfectly out of the box.
I have used it on flux core on 110 and 220, mig on mix, and mig aluminum with straight argon.
The welder just flat works. I wished I was as good as it is!

The only thing is that it is a transformer based machine and heavy at 80 lbs to lug around compared to one of Mark’s Everlast inverter type. You’ll want a cart or dolly if you move it much.

 

[fried1765]

I have the Hobart 210MVP.
It is dual voltage.
Has worked perfectly out of the box.
I have used it on flux core on 110 and 220, mig on mix, and mig aluminum with straight argon.
The welder just flat works. I wished I was as good as it is!

The only thing is that it is a transformer based machine and heavy at 80 lbs to lug around compared to one of Mark’s Everlast inverter type. You’ll want a cart or dolly if you move it much.

I think the values of both the Hobart Handler 190, and the 210MVP are impossible to beat.

 

[Joe Millar]

Hi. AS you say You already have a stick welder. Then You don't need flux core.
I Discovered I could weld lighter material using 3/32 rods Than I could with Fluxcore wire.
I Have a Lincoln 180 I Bought for welding the lighter stuff around the farm, Most of my welding
is done with an engine drive. But one of my best buys was a small inverter stick welder With the
digital read out it can be fine tuned almost amp by amp to weld almost anything I ever need
I Run my mig on c25 gas But hardly ever need it now. esp with the price of gas here in Manitoba.

 

[rocco611]

In the lower price range you might take a look at Century or LOTOS . LOTOS is one of the better brands of imported welders. Hobart and Forney are pretty good too from what I have heard. I have a Century mig welder ( now owned by Lincoln ) I bought at Costco in 1996 it is 120v . it does a great job on steel up to 3/16 using .023 wire and blended gas for better penetration. this is my go to welder for autobody work I use it a lot it has never given me any problems .

 

[Deere Dude]

OP here. How important are the controls that are set in incremental stages vs. variable controls? I looked at a Hobart 190 and was concerned that the weld was somewhere in between the settings given. Or is in a non-important question?

 

[rocco611]

OP here. How important are the controls that are set in incremental stages vs. variable controls? I looked at a Hobart 190 and was concerned that the weld was somewhere in between the settings given. Or is in a non-important question?

I have used both types of controls , I prefer the variable controls for welding thin material at lower current. incremental is fine on when welding thicker material at higher current. example , my millermatic 210 is too hot for sheetmetal even at the lowest setting #1 but welding 1/8" to 1/2" material the incremental settings are fine. A lot depends on the total current available from the machine as to how much difference there is between incremental settings.

 

[dragoneggs]

I'm sure glad my Millermatic 211 is variable.

 

[BukitCase]

"I'm sure glad my Millermatic 211 is variable"

Me too Mark; both my mm211digital and mm252 have welded everything from 14 ga. fence wire welded to emt conduit, up to 3/4" flat bar and never change wire size from .035".

Hint - on the fence wire to EMT, I set for 17.5 volts/180 IPM (low end for 16 ga.), strike off on the EMT (about 1/2 second) then flick it over to the wire for about 1/4 second and DONE...

The 3/4" flat bar takes a bit more juice and time ...Steve

Yeah, I know; pics or it didn't happen

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Right now, the Everlast Power i-MIG is 20% off. It will MIG and Stick weld. I've personally used one down to 22 gauge with .030" wire, and up to 3/8" and 1/2" material with .035".