Considering my first welder.

[Bwgad96]

Hi, I have some experience with gasless mig welding and was very impressed with it portability and ease of use. I dont know much about other forms of welding, but I want to look at buying my first welder.I will mostly be welding sheet metal for tractors and trucks along with small projects. It must be able to plug into a regular wall socket and preferrable no tanks. this is what i am considering buying. thanks
https://m.northerntool.com/northerntool/product/detail.do?itemId=167746

 

[FredH]

If it was me , I would look at the 140 instead , twice as much in $$$ but likely twice as good also . Look on Craigslist , also look for the SP135 Lincoln . Same as the 140 just older model .
That is the one I have , SP135 model , And you will be surprised at what you are able to do . But here is the downside , Thinner medals can be tricky since as you stated , no bottle of gas , so that limits you to fluxcore wire and smallest I have found was .030 . Try welding 20 gauge with .030 = low amps , slow wire feed , and move FAST !! Can be done but it can also be frustrating .

Fred H.

 

[cowski]

i would get a Lincoln 140.

 

[Bwgad96]

Thank you for your replys , what are the pros and cons of a 140?

 

[lockhaven]

how does Lincoln compare with Hobart?

 

[mjncad]

how does Lincoln compare with Hobart?

Lincoln and Miller are essentially equal. Hobart and Miller are owned by ITW (Illinois Tool Works), and Hobart is just a step down from Miller as they use cheaper components here and there to lower the price. That's not to say the Hobart is a bad product, it's just not top tier like Miller and Lincoln. Miller has a dual voltage MIG unit that you might get to start off on 110 volts, and then as your skills and needs increase, you can add a 220 volt circuit and still use the welder you bought.

 

[cowski]

to me lincoln and miller are not equal.on a 110 machine i like lincoln better.one thing to look for is tapped settings or infinite .for a beginner tapped setting are easier to learn on,that is what i still prefer.2 other options to consider are a regulator for mig and a aluminum kit.lincoln offers their 140 with fluxcore only or with mig and flux, of course it costs more.the aluminum kit consists of aluminum rollers , tip and teflon liner.my recommendation would be to get a lincoln 140 with tapped settings with the mig set up and add the aluminum kit if you need it.aluminum has to use argon gas.

 

[Bwgad96]

So looking at the handy core and 140 side by side, do you think it is worth over double the cost?

 

[Bwgad96]

Also any oppinions on a millermatic 140?

 

[FredH]

My brother has a miller 140 for use around the house to go along with his 212 in the shop . It is pretty similar to the lincoln 140 although the miller has the auto set feature which I know nothing about .
I myself am not a fan of the " Tap " type settings that are on the Lincoln 140T's , Mine is the SP135 "C" model , earlier version of the 140 . " T " is for Tap settings , while " C " is for continuous settings . For me , the continuous give's greater flexibility in your welding or Fine Tuning while welding . Instead of being stuck with either setting it at say 4 or 5 , with continuous , you can go any were in between 4 and 5 . Handi mig tops out at 88 amps with 70 amps @ 20% duty cycle , While the 140 goes to 140 amps with 90 amps at 20% duty cycle . 20 more amps does not sound like much BUT if you are welding sheet metal ( Thickness ??? ) you would be able to set the 140 at 70 amps and have a longer duty cycle than the handi mig .

Go here : Operators Manuals | Lincoln Electric
Then in the top search box , click the arrow on the right side , scroll down to handi mig , then press go. It will bring up the operators manual in a .pdf format .
Then scroll down to page B4 , gives a small chart on settings for various metal thickness up to 1/8" . It may actually work for you and if it did , that price is hard to beat unless you find a 135 or 140 used on Craigslist .

Fred H.