looking to purchase a new welder.

leveled · Oct 26, 2011

I will be using it for small fabrication projects and welding on my implements. I have some basic experience with welding and have a smaller older arc AC welder as of now. At first I was thinking of getting a AC/DC Hobart 220 at tractor supply, but I'm now steering towards the hobart mig 190 with the spool gun since I will probably have to weld aluminum or stainless. In the future I will be looking for a motored AC/DC at auctions and such. I just dont have the money for that now. do you guys have a recommendations on some comparable machines?

rasimmo · Oct 26, 2011

I think that would be a great machine. I use one for a lot of projects myself. I find the wire feed machines a little less hassle when doing porojects that you are not trying to weld in a small area. If you need to move the machine to get to the next weld it gets a little agrivating. I thing the 10' cord is all what they come with. I would make sure I got one that ran on 220V not the 110V versions. I tried to repair a friends box blade with his and it kept kicking out the thermal overload in the machine. The 220V machine has never kicked out on me though.

grsthegreat · Oct 26, 2011

I want to get a miller 252 mig some day, but at $2,500 it will have to wait. I just purchased a new Miller thunderbolt 225/150 ac/dc stick welder yesterday to replace my old trusty Century ac/dc welder that died yesterday after 20 years.

I cant live without a stick welder. I have a 120 volt mig for thinner metals. I still dream of the 252 unit, but i have already spent way too much $$$ this year.

i have looked at the hobart 220 at the supply house, and it looks like a great machine.

jake98 · Oct 26, 2011

I'm kind of glad I got the Hobart Ironman 230, but I don't know enough about welding to have a credible comment. I do believe I spray-arced with it before I knew what it meant tho. More $, but it has a built in cart. 250 amps.

leveled · Oct 27, 2011

boy that 230 looks nice adding the cost of a cart in would start closing the gap. Is this something I'm going to need? what benefits are there with stepping up besides the ability to weld 1/2 inch material?

grsthegreat · Oct 27, 2011

leveled said:
boy that 230 looks nice adding the cost of a cart in would start closing the gap. Is this something I'm going to need? what benefits are there with stepping up besides the ability to weld 1/2 inch material?

Its alot more money, but for sme serious welding it has a much stronger duty cycle.