Welder Question

[dieselscout80]

I have a Craftsman 140 amp Mig welder that I have used for years and it does a good job on 3/16" or less steel.

I am needing to weld some plus 3/8" steel however it is not often.

I would like a 220 volt Mig welder, but they are expensive for something that I don't use often.
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I have thought about getting a Arc (stick) welder.

Sometimes older ones can be found used, but I saw this new inverter welder a Hobart Stickmate 160i Dual Voltage DC Arc Welder Inverter, 120/240Volt, 20?60 Amp Output, Model# 160
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How good are these inverter stick welders and will I see enough of a jump in capability to weld 3/8" steel in a single pass?

 

[RandyT]

I have found that my Hobart 160i set at about 80 will out perform my Hobart 140 mig welder running at 140 which in reality is probably only about 90 amp

 

[WranglerX]

I have found that my Hobart 160i set at about 80 will out perform my Hobart 140 mig welder running at 140 which in reality is probably only about 90 amp

Beg to differ.... Might want to look at page 10 of this document.....

https://www.hobartwelders.com/files/owners-manuals/O258267G_HOB.pdf

Dale

 

[WranglerX]

I have a Craftsman 140 amp Mig welder that I have used for years and it does a good job on 3/16" or less steel.

I am needing to weld some plus 3/8" steel however it is not often.

I would like a 220 volt Mig welder, but they are expensive for something that I don't use often.
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I have thought about getting a Arc (stick) welder.

Sometimes older ones can be found used, but I saw this new inverter welder a Hobart Stickmate 160i Dual Voltage DC Arc Welder Inverter, 120/240Volt, 20?60 Amp Output, Model# 160
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How good are these inverter stick welders and will I see enough of a jump in capability to weld 3/8" steel in a single pass?

Might try multi pass welds on thicker materials... I glued a piece of 1 inch thick plate onto of a piece of 1/4 inch wall steel pipe for "T" post drive with my HH 140 and welds have not failed yet....

Dale

 

[dieselscout80]

Might try multi pass welds on thicker materials... I glued a piece of 1 inch thick plate onto of a piece of 1/4 inch wall steel pipe for "T" post drive with my HH 140 and welds have not failed yet....

Dale

I have done that but the duty cycle can still limit the process.

I have even tried preheating the steel with a torch to help, but I think that need a more powerful welder.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Well, I spoke with a guy that runs a big outfit that fixes all manner of (commercial) welders and cutters. His opinion, no good at all. Not compared to the old transformer based technology. He said, they will all be long gone when the old stuff is STILL around.

 

[Birdhunter1]

You can also bevel each side of the 3/8" plate and multipass weld it. I have an Everlast 140 amp mig that if I feel I am starting to run out of steam I get my 200 amp arc welder and burn some rods. My arc welder is a 200 amp Everlast Powerarc, I feel the two welders are a very good combination.

 

[yomax4]

Transformer machines are long life units for sure. They do have a lot of limitations like size, weight, mobility and power consumption. Don't get me wrong, I still like them but they are not long for this world. A few home shop units are about all that is left for tranny stick welders. Everything has moved on to Inverters. Lots of good used stuff out there too.

 

[RandyT]

I have found that my Hobart 160i set at about 80 will out perform my Hobart 140 mig welder running at 140 which in reality is probably only about 90 amp

Beg to differ.... Might want to look at page 10 of this document.....

https://www.hobartwelders.com/files/owners-manuals/O258267G_HOB.pdf

Dale

I said that because I have come across people that stuck amp clamps over the leads and were only getting about 90 amps. The Handler 140 is a constant voltage not constant amps. So could peak at 140 but doesn't mean that is actually putting out that amperage all the time where as the Hobart 160i is a constant amp machine.

 

[yomax4]

The 115v welder numbers keep creeping up. fact is it's difficult to get more than about 90 amps out of a 115v circuit for all practical purposes. You can sweeten the deal if you choose a machine with Power Factor Correction ( PFC ). One year the welders were sold as 100's the next year nothing changed except they called them 115 or 120's and the next year they call them 140's. Also A dual voltage machine on 115v will weld circles around a straight 115v machine. Try it.

 

[Motorboatin]

These have been around forever. They are cheap, easy to use and they work

 

[grsthegreat]

These have been around forever. They are cheap, easy to use and they work


View attachment 670761

i has one of these, till she gave up the ghost after 25 years of use. Replaced with a Miller Thunderbolt XL225. I absolutely love this machine. Does beautiful welds. If i was into it i can also do tig with it with some lead changes, etc (been reading up on how to do it). But i dont tig weld much. I have a friend thst has a fantastic tig machine if i need that kind of work.

 

[Bearsixty7]

These have been around forever. They are cheap, easy to use and they work

View attachment 670761

Yes Sir! I have one of those I think I paid about $180 for a couple decades ago. I believe they go for ~$400 now. The predecessor (made back in 60's or 70's) was more rounded, is what I learned to weld on back in my youth on our farm. Dad was a pipe fitter/welder/Jack of many trades and taught me. I think those will be around a long time due to their affordability and capability.
My other welder is a Lincoln Pro Mig 140 that I use more these days unless I weld the heavier/thicker stuff.

 

[stevewarner1957]

I am sticking to my story. Look for one of these if you want a forever stick welder. Continuous adjustment of amps, at 125 amps it’s about 100% duty cycle. Full use of all rods being AC/DC. 350lbs is awesome.

 

[dragoneggs]

Also A dual voltage machine on 115v will weld circles around a straight 115v machine. Try it.

I thought I noticed this as well when I got my Miller 211 Transformer. Why is this so?

 

[user.69169]

Idealarc is a sliding core transformer and dat whups a tapped transformer every time its tried.

 

[workinonit]

I have a Craftsman 140 amp Mig welder that I have used for years and it does a good job on 3/16" or less steel.

I am needing to weld some plus 3/8" steel however it is not often.

I would like a 220 volt Mig welder, but they are expensive for something that I don't use often.
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I have thought about getting a Arc (stick) welder.

Sometimes older ones can be found used, but I saw this new inverter welder a Hobart Stickmate 160i Dual Voltage DC Arc Welder Inverter, 120/240Volt, 20?60 Amp Output, Model# 160
Error | DNS Resolution | Northern Tool + Equipment

How good are these inverter stick welders and will I see enough of a jump in capability to weld 3/8" steel in a single pass?

I see you are in SC. Not sure where but if you are interested I have a Miller Dialarc 250 that I replaced with a Syncrowave 200 a few years ago. If you are interested I would like to get it out of my shop.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

When I was considering a welder, the reviews I read were pretty much in agreement that the inverters models were
(a) overpriced
(b) underpowered

Which isn't to say an inverter model won't do it for you assuming you don't have issues with the duty cycle. For me with my lack of welding skills, I like having the necessary current to know that I'm getting good weld penetration. (Plus I secretly delight at the sheer power of electricity to liquefy metal instantly ) Multiple passes and other things for me is just another way for me to screw up.

I have a Hobart Stickmate LX235 which runs both AC and DC (the AC is nice for tight corners with blowback problems and when I need just a bit more current, mostly I use DC). I haven't had any issues welding anything I wanted to weld, though my welding skills are pathetic.

I think the welder was ~$550 when I bought it and I notice Hobart doesn't even list this model any more, or indeed any stick welder more powerful than the 160i. So clearly my buying research is dated.

The significant hidden cost was the electrician to install the 240v wiring/jack, which cost me like $750, but that's partly because I hired a bad electrician, live and learn.

Anyway, good luck. If you go with the 240v installation it opens up a lot of options for you, but that one-time cost for wiring is a pain, and of course you lose the sheer portability of an inverter welder, as it forces you to bring the work to the welder instead of the welder to the work. But are you really going to haul around the welder and all the assorted paraphernalia? There's also potential safety issues. For example, I wouldn't want to be using AC in damp ground, I like having a dry safe floor under my feet when welding.

If I had to do the electrical work again, I might consider a second circuit and appropriate wiring for a high amperage space heater, since I don't like to weld in my freezing garage in winter.

 

[dieselscout80]

I see you are in SC. Not sure where but if you are interested I have a Miller Dialarc 250 that I replaced with a Syncrowave 200 a few years ago. If you are interested I would like to get it out of my shop.

Thanks, that would be a nice welder, but I am limited to a 50 amp circuit and Miller says it needs 80 amps.

https://www.millerwelds.com/files/owners-manuals/O321P_MIL.pdf

 

[FTG-05]

There's a Millermatic 252 on CL near me. Ad says only one reel of wire has been run through it. Is $2500 a decent price?

Thanks,