For my welding, I don't find the 4 heat positions on my Hobart to be a problem. If I had an infinite number of positions, I'd probably use the same ones all the time anyway. There IS a quality of weld difference between my Hobart and the 3 pos harbor freights I had previously.

 

I appreciate the responses and comments. Eviljake, that link shows the new Hobart 187. That one seems to have considerable range for gauge sizes. 7 settings compared to the old 4 (was also featured in my latest Northern tool cat.) I would like a miller or lincoln of equal size, but money aside, the hobart doesn't seem too far behind. Anyone else have any tips, knowledge, info? I don't predict it seeing daily use like my bud's big lincoln.


I think the solar is out, as parts would be a pita.

 

Hobart is made by Miller

 

right, would parts interchange? like steel rollers?

 

I don't know if they will or not. I figure though that as long as you go with one of the name brand units then parts are fairly easy to come by.

My Millermatic 135 came with a variety of rollers and tips to handle a variety of wire sizes. I'll bet any of the big name brands will be the same

Bobby

 

Steel rollers might be desirable if you were making a living welding. I have been using my Hobart for 2 years and still haven't gone thru 1/2 a spool of wire. I can't imagine wearing out a set of rollers in my lifetime, but if I did I could just run down to my local welding supply and buy a new set for a few bucks. In fact I'd expect they are cheap enough that I could just buy a set and put them away. With the speed technology is advancing, I suspect there will be much better and cheaper machines and even new processes that will make anything today as archaic as the AC buzz boxes are now by the time I wear this unit out. Jewelers are already welding jewelry together with lasers and miniature tig welders. Heck it wasn't that long ago that the buzz boxes got cheap enough and small enough to move into the home shop (the early ones were so large and heavy that the "portable" ones had wheels and tires under them and were towed behind a truck!), Tig was called Heli-arc and only major industrial users had them, and Mig wasn't even known. Like computers I'd buy whatever is cheapest that will do the job for the next five-ten years, and not worry about it lasting any longer than that.

 

I have had my lincoln for a number of years (like 10 or 11). They use it at the shop for thin stuff that the industrial machines can't go cold enough for. It gets borrowed a lot. In fact it is down there right now. So far, I have not replaced the drive wheels. I have no clue how many spools of wire (not the tiny ones) we have used through it. A liner and tips is all that has ever been replaced.

Go with a name brand that you can get parts for locally.

 

Just thought I might add this: We run a little fiber thing that clips on the wire just before the rollers. There is a liquid we drip on it occasionally as well. That stops a lot of the grit (and anything else) from getting on the rollers. I think that prevents a lot of wear on them. I don't remember the name of what it is though. Perhaps someone else will.

 

Back when I was running a welding shop we were using the Lincoln 250's (I think). We ran through tons of wire! It was very rare to have to replace the rollers. Tips and cones and the occasional liner, yeah, but not rollers.

We also used the little felt doohickey that Brian referred to. (Thats the name Brian---doohickey. Now you know what to ask for at the welding store).

Bobby