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 You should be able to find one cheap, because it's out of date and not sexy, but if I ever come across one, I would grab it.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".

 

[Deere Dude]

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".

I just looked at the Everlast website and the prices seem pretty fair. Thanks for the tip. Now to figure out which one.

 

[Cuban]

I recently bought a lincoln electric K2185 its the best handy mig welder,It is relatively light and portable for easy handling,The wire welder comes with fluxcored wire with an option for shielding gas and uses fan cooling to extend its lifespan
But the only cons is that its compact design makes it unable to carry large spools of wire and this will definitely work for you
Its input voltage is 115v,while it isn't the high enough for more industrial purpose it make accessible to householders

 

[Sodo]

I want to weld light steel and maybe heavy sheet metal and have it look fair.
I am not sure if a 110 volt would work well enough for me

Depends what you consider light steel or heavy sheet metal.
Up to 1/4" thick steel, the only difference is the 110v can be easier to put in your truck and move around, and you can use it in a lot more places.

There is no difference in the welds between 110 and 220v if 1/4" thick or below.
I have a 20-foot long dual axle car trailer. There is nothing on that trailer thicker than 1/4" other than the axle stubs.
The amps setting for welding 1/4" steel is the same, regardless of the input voltage, so it makes no difference if it's 110v or 220v.

I'm referring to welds from a quality machine like Hobart/Lincoln/Miller, not some 30-year old discount POS.
The Everlast iMig 140 is a good 110v machine at a great price $399.

Get the C25 gas setup.
You might be a little surprised how much the gas part costs, but your projects will come out much nicer.

If you are ONLY going to weld where you already have the 220v.... I'd get a 220v machine.
And of course 110/220 are very handy too. I have a Miller 110v and a Miller 110/220.

 

[m1garand762]

Based on your budget look at the Hobart 190 tractor supply generally has a decent price but they do go on sale periodically and they do have some 10 and 20 percent coupons occasionally. As far as a bottle goes , your local welding supply should be able to help you relatively inexpensively.

 

[MoArk Willy]

I know you are looking for a wire feed and you said a "toy".
I also have an arc welder but plan on buying a flux core for lighter work.
I am seriously looking at the Lincoln Century FC90.
It is an inverter welder which bumps up the duty cycle a bit.
It is highly rated and is a 120v machine.
I know that some of the "welders" here want you to spend as much as possible because they did.
You don't need a sledge hammer to pound finishing nails.
From what you describe as your needs, a small 120v flux would be fine.
You have a bigger welder for the bigger stuff....you have that covered.

 

[Big Barn]

IMO Chuck (Deere Dude) should get a dual voltage (110 /220) inverter OR perhaps a 220V transformer MIG.

No one is saying he needs to buy a top of the line commercial unit.

He already has a welder suitable for heavier stuff but better to spend a few bucks more for a “toy” that can he can actually weld with and enjoy using....and WANT to use.

No point having a toy that’s not fun to play with.

I think I mentioned IMHO of course....

 

[fried1765]

IMO Chuck (Deere Dude) should get a dual voltage (110 /220) inverter OR perhaps a 220V transformer MIG.

No one is saying he needs to buy a top of the line commercial unit.

He already has a welder suitable for heavier stuff but better to spend a few bucks more for a 鍍oy that can he can actually weld with and enjoy using....and WANT to use.

No point having a toy that痴 not fun to play with.

I think I mentioned IMHO of course....

"OR perhaps a 220V transformer MIG"

The Hobart Handler 190 fits that option just perfectly!

Best price: "IOC" - 1-866-854-7380
$725 with free shipping and no tax.
Amazon is $700 but.... PLUS tax.

 

[abunchofidiots]

I've used a number of different welders over the years. Like some of the recommendations in the thread, dual voltage offers a lot of flexibility. The C25 gas setup (25% Co2, 75% Argon) will give much better welds in a MIG setup. My latest welder is a Vulcan Omnipro 220. The unit has performed flawlessly.

 

[yomax4]

Simply check your budget and buy the best unit that makes sense. Dual voltage inverters on 115v will walk on plain 115v machines. Try a couple and make a choice. good luck..

 

[MoArk Willy]

The OP has mentioned he ALREADY has a stick welder. I don稚 have access to HF here in

Harbor Freight ships to Canada. I understand that doesn't help if you want to see and feel a product before you buy it.
But product reviews are readily available and HF offers owners manuals online for most of their products.