Ironman Anyone

[dfkrug]

Well after trying stick welding I have decided I hate it... Too many variables.
I love MIG, have a Hobart Handler 140 and though I would get the Hobart Ironman 230 as it will weld
up to 1/2" and that would work for anything I would ever do. Anyone have this machine? Likes dislikes?

Well, I love my Ironman....210, that is. Replaced by the Ironman 230 nearly 10 y ago. Nearly the same unit.
Best deal I could find on a new 240V MIG. I use 25# rolls of .035 ER70S wire and 75/25 gas.

BUT....I still use my Miller Thunderbolt 225 AC/DC stick welder (DC only!!) for the 1/2" plate I do. You CAN use the
MIG for that if you do multiple passes, and keep the work really hot. AC stick welding can be sooo
frustrating, I know, but I lived with that (Lincoln AC225) for many years. Long gone.

I have also used the Ironman with stainless wire, and even .035" Al wire, WITHOUT the spoolgun. You
can do aluminum without a spoolgun, but replacing the wire in the torch is a bit of a hassle. You
will get some drive hangups with Al, too, if you are not really careful about wire feed drag.

 

[ThomasH]

I think that is fair but it is also the case that such technology will trickle down to benefit the typical DYI handyman too. Some of the features will probably never be relevant to someone fixing a crack in their lawnmower deck while others will make that sort of repair easier, cleaner and more reliable. I don't claim to know where the line is but I certainly find my newer inverter based highish tech Miller welder to be easier to use and helps me make better welds than my first tombstone. I don't need a welder to make me a cappuccino but if the technology advances to the point that I can just enter the thickness and type of steel and type of weld into the machine rather than running a few test beads to find the optimal settings, that will help me make better welds and waste less material and time.

Yup, it would be nice, such as Autoset in some Miller gear, but then again you have to start welding and watch the puddle to see how well you are pentratrating, etc, and do minor adjustments, so the torch would have to have some fairly sophisticated auto-sense technology to really get that part right. And I would say if I have the option, no thanks, I will just tweak a knob after welding a small amount and adjust the heat a touch. I weld a bit irregularly, in that weeks can go by without anything and then I end up doing fabricating/welding for two days. Even with my brain farts I can remember pretty well how to set things for a certain process (stick or mig) and then with one minor adjustment adjustment I get going.

One thing I don't do too much of is overhead welding, and I can see how pulse would help freeze the puddle faster in that process and that would be a good thing. Nor do I weld much aluminum. Otherwise, a good DC welder with hot start and arc force controls, and amperage/voltage/and wire feed controls (if I am doing mig) and I am doing as good a work as I can with my skill level.

The thing I *could* use but can't afford (space or $ wise) is a welding positioner. It's somewhat simple to weld on a temporary brace to try to position something, and use an overhead chain hoist, so I can't justify $5,000-10,000 to position a backhoe bucket for example. After seeing the really impressive backhoe that BFreaky built, basically on a concrete floor, I feel extravagant having a welding table...

 

[Nightforce]

Regardless of which process, both require practice....The more you weld the greater your understanding becomes allowing you to make quicker decisions and fine tune your techniques....

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I think a lot of the analogies thrown around here are wrong. There's a lot of talking about comparing autos and options and accessories. What you should be comparing is what is under the hood: a flat head 4 cylinder engine or a dual overhead cam with electronically controlled timing and fuel injection. Forget about the accessories. A lot of the technology is inside the box, and not something people will see or be able to control. Which will last longer? My money is on the dual overhead cam engine for the highest mileage durability. The technology doesn't have all to do with bells and whistles, but at the foundation of how the arc is generated, the smoothness, and the overall feel and quality of it. Inverters have helped move technology along with welders. Most people that talk about the evils of technology in welding have never operated an inverter welder and felt the difference the technology can make.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Additionally, sharing some of the sentiments of Yomax, the major guys have held the market back, rather arrogantly I think. No different than the big three auto companies did in the 70's and 80's trying to impress people with their "bigness" rather than supplying what people need. It's almost as if Miller and Lincoln were arrogantly saying, you'll need what we give you. In a strange way the Chinese inverters on the market have really shaken these sleepy giants awake. TA, Everlast and others have put a bite into the market that these guys were raking in the cash in the DIY and prosumer markets that were being taken for granted. While some may doubt reliability, and despite people questioning performance, support as a red herring to discourage others from buying, the units offer a "taste" of what is possible with more advanced technology at the very least.

Now, getting back on track to whether the Ironman is good. I'd take a look at whether you'd want a roll around unit or a table top. 200 amps of welding power is more than adequate for most welders. I don't know how many people on average buying a MIG need a full 250 amps or more. I've got a roll around. I do use it, but nowadays it sits more an more since I have been using the smaller Everlast MIGs. And my ESAB is no slouch. It puts others to shame. But it doesn't get right there in the middle of stuff easily where I need it. I have to shove it around and, well it weighs over a pound per amp I think. It's heavy. Now the Ironman isn't so heavy as that, but space and convenience may be something you want to consider.

 

[Reverser]

What you should be comparing is what is under the hood: a flat head 4 cylinder engine or a dual overhead cam with electronically controlled timing and fuel injection. Which will last longer? My money is on the dual overhead cam engine for the highest mileage durability.

I see the message you're trying to convey, Mark.
But I think many Ford 8N and 9N owners with their old 4 cylinder flat head engines, would disagree with your comparison of engine durability. I think most are probably still around, being 60 or 70 years old.

At least here in Texas, they're thicker than hair on a dog's back. :laughing:

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

People that own 8,2, or 9N's don't realize how many times they've been rebuilt or resurrected and the best ones where people owned them since new or second owner usually are units with relatively low hours. Having my fill of those tractors, once you jump on a new diesel tractor of the same horsepower with 4WD, you quickly see there isn't any comparison. But if all you've ever operated was an 9, 2 or 8N and say it's the best out there, well it was in its day, but it would be crazy to think that better tractors have never been made that were better designed, longer lasting or more useable. A 3 speed 9N or 2N was fine until a 4 speed 8N came along and the 8N was fine until live hydraulics eclipsed it along with live PTO...Once people learned they didn't have to get pushed through a fence while bushhogging when they tried to stop, it became quite obvious that technology was something to embrace rather than scoff at.

 

[aczlan]

People that own 8,2, or 9N's don't realize how many times they've been rebuilt or resurrected and the best ones where people owned them since new or second owner usually are units with relatively low hours. Having my fill of those tractors, once you jump on a new diesel tractor of the same horsepower with 4WD, you quickly see there isn't any comparison. But if all you've ever operated was an 9, 2 or 8N and say it's the best out there, well it was in its day, but it would be crazy to think that better tractors have never been made that were better designed, longer lasting or more useable. A 3 speed 9N or 2N was fine until a 4 speed 8N came along and the 8N was fine until live hydraulics eclipsed it along with live PTO...Once people learned they didn't have to get pushed through a fence while bushhogging when they tried to stop, it became quite obvious that technology was something to embrace rather than scoff at.

And you could do more with less... Dad went from a Massey Industrial 35 (50HP Perkins Diesel, 2WD, 6' loader bucket, massively overbuilt) to a Kubota L3650 (40HP, 4WD) and the Kubota would do more than the Massey would because it had way more traction...

Aaron Z