compare miller 211 & hobart 210

[Rob-D]

If you can afford the Miller, go blue; if not the Miller Lite version called Hobart will probably be fine for your needs.

Just get a brand name you can get parts and service for if you need it.

Big welders I like the Millers but for the small portable ones I like the Lincolns. They do thinner metal too, down to 24 G as opposed to the Miller which only goes down to 22 G.

Rob

 

[2manyrocks]

I bought a Hobart 187 and have been pleased with it. Seems like TSC puts them on sale for $599 pretty regularly. This model has a pretty good following on the Hobart welder forum.

The Hobart 210 and the Miller are obviously bigger and more $. If you ever wanted to resell, the Miller would probably sell faster and for more.

Whatever you buy, factor in getting a tank, too.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I bought a MM 211 a little over a year ago. With a filled 125 CF tank, cart, spoolmate 100 out the door, the price was $1,544 from our local Airgas dealer. I wouldn't buy a welder over the internet, but they matched a price I saw on the Internet.

I have only used it in the 240V mode, but I bought it for it ability to run in the 120V mode and it's portability. I am very pleased with it. Despite what yomax4 said, it is a true autoset. However you may want to set it up for yourself (tweak it as he said). I have found the autosettings OK. I really like the machine. I bought it primarily for making metal sculptures but I use it for everything that needs welding. I don't use my stick welder much anymore

I don't know anything about the Hobart machine. I didn't consider it. My experience is primrily with big (3 phase) Miller and Lincoln welders so those were my choices and I am not a fan of Lincoln. Just so you will understand the relationship correctly, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) acquired both Miller and Hobart in the 1990's. They represent about 9% of ITW business. Miller and Hobart had been successful operating companies before, and when they were acquired by ITW. They have both been around longer than ITW. They were competitors before the acquisition. There operations are in different states. ITW is a company that likes to expand by acquisition. There are some commonalities between the companies and since the MM211 is a new product, it is possible that they are made in the same plant as the Hobart 210. I own stock in ITW and it has been a fairly good stock to own.

 

[lostcause]

I bought a MM 211 a little over a year ago. With a filled 125 CF tank, cart, spoolmate 100 out the door, the price was $1,544 from our local Airgas dealer. I wouldn't buy a welder over the internet, but they matched a price I saw on the Internet.

i'd much prefer to buy locally, but it doesn't always want to work out that way. i did a lot of looking on the internet and i found this place: www.toolsforless.com selling the miller 211 and spoolgun for a little less than the ebay advertisers - including shipping. after a little more research i found that they are actually part of the same parent company that runs one of our local gas suppliers. the local store was a few hundred off in price compared to the online company. i told the sales guy the name of the online pace, and he immediately confirmed it was part of the same overall company. i gave them the printed shopping cart and they came back with a price that was lower than their original, but still higher than online. it wasn't a ton higher, but still high enough to make me wonder why they couldn't match it. the difference amounts to 10#-20# of wire, or a couple of tank fill-ups.

i like to try to buy locally to support the community, and i also hate to take something in for service to a place where i didn't buy it, so i was hoping they would just match it. i know everyone needs to make a profit, but in today's world i'd think it would be better to make the sale with less profit as opposed to losing the sale and making nothing.

 

[yomax4]

When Hobart came up for sale, ITW bought the small welder half and Thermadyne bought the large welder half. Both companies continue to enjoy what Hobart had to offer. I think the ITW Hobarts are actually a little better than the old ones mainly because of the Miller influence. The large Hobart version is currently being phased out by Thermadyne as technology moves forward with the Thermal Arc line. In any event, The Hobart was/is a part of the welder evoulution..

 

[smfcpacfp]

i like to try to buy locally to support the community, and i also hate to take something in for service to a place where i didn't buy it, so i was hoping they would just match it. i know everyone needs to make a profit, but in today's world i'd think it would be better to make the sale with less profit as opposed to losing the sale and making nothing.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[trook]

I was trying to decide between these exact two models about a year ago. I decided on the Miller 211, and I'm glad I did. The largest deciding factor to me was the ability to switch between 120v and 240v. I have needed to use the welder a few times at a location that didn't provide 240. Without the ability to switch to 120v, I would have been SOL.

From all the research I did, Hobart makes a good welder also. I don't think you can go wrong either way. I just perferred the ability to switch between 120 and 240.

 

[dfkrug]

The current "Hobart 210" is the Hobart Handler 210, a small portable unit.
I have the Hobart Ironman 210 (now replaced by the Ironman 230), which
is a much larger cabinet with wheels, like the Millermatic 210.

I have step current settings, which are no problem for me, and I have
successfully used .035 aluminum in it without a spoolgun. I don't do
Al very often, and you can get the wire to bunch up now and then. I
use ER70-S .035 wire in 10-lb spools 99% of the time.

Excellent unit.