I have been shopping around for a 110v wire feed or mig welder,and I have noticed that the ones that Harbor freight sells have the same case as the Century welders. Has anyone bought one of these HF welders? Do they work Ok? I don't really want to go crazy spending tons of money on one, just for ocassional bodywork and other thin metal items.

 

Welding machines are a good place to stay away from the junk and go brand name. It just isnt worth it. Secondly. I get asked about machines all the time and I also stay away from the 120V units like the plague too. Best machine for the amateur for the dollar is a HH175 by Hobart, get a C25 gas bottle, run 030 solid wire. You will hear a lot about infinate voltage adjustments of other machines but they are difficult for the beginner to use. If I wanted the best machine in that class it would be a SP175 by Lincoln which does have infinate. The 175 class you can dial down but you can only crank a small one up so far and it is about useless for any kind of fab work. HH 175 will do well on metal to 3/16 with this setup, has excelent short circuit arc transfer characteristics and 240V power supplies are so much better. Even the 120V units are designed to run on a dedicated circuit, not to be plugged in just anywhere. Half the problems with them are from poor power.

 

I would have to respectfully disagree about not paying attention to the infinite control. It isn't above a beginners head to learn, and you soon learn to want it. I do agree, however, that you should stick to a good brand name. The Millermatic 135 or 175 will automatically adjust your wire speed to the voltage you set. I would recommend sticking with Miller or Lincoln. Hobart is good, too, but depending on what you do, you may grow out of it. If all you want is just something to have around the house, then go Hobart. IMHO, Century sucks.

 

I have a miller 420 it is like the millermatic 135 it is 120v and it works great i love how good it welds . i used one of the big welders in a plant and it welds as good as it !It was made for sale for northern hydraulics the only drawback is the welding tip have to come form walmart the weld shop does not stock them there odd ball . Fyi miller is now owned by hobart

 

Correction...Hobart is owned by Miller.

 

Most guys that have auto tracking wish it didnt. They try to figure out how to disable it but I guess it cant be done according to the factory guys. There are plenty of steps on these machines that infinate isnt critical and causes more than one person a lot of grief. If they get it on the right step the only adjustment is wire then. One of mine, a small 240V Lincoln has steps and I like it as well as my big one with infinate for adjustment. http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/ have you been to the Hobart board, one of the best on the net. Besides the Hobart experts Dan is the small feeder specialist. He is a Miller fan but thinks for the $ for the newer guy you cant beat the HH175.

 

I sell welders, and have heard just the opposite about the auto-tracking and infinite control, so it's just a matter of opinion. But like myself and the others have said, for the hobbyist or garage, Hobart will suit you just fine.

 

Please go for a 220/240 and get yourself an extension cord. The jump in price is very minimal these days. The most of the rest is up to the individual. With a quality machine with good duty cycle you should be able to easily weld your stuff regardless of the options and doodads.
It's like having power rear windows in a hearse....will you use it?

 

I bought a HH135 for the portability and ability to plug it in anywhere. Granted, to use max output, for should use a dedicated line. But I have welded up a couple of exhausts with just any old outlet. The HH175 can only weld like 1/16th of an inch more. You could just make 2 passes with the 135 and save some dough. Then when you need a bigger welder, get a Miller 251 or something like that. Or just go big in the first place. It also depends on what you want to weld.

Mike

 

I have a Hobart 200 amp machine. With .035 wire and CO2, I run at 100 amps output. Input amps is 17 on the 220. The welder doesn't even get warm. I have 130' of 220 extension cords. I also have a Miller wire feeder that I power with a 24 volt 100 amp battery charger. I have hoisted the Miller up 15' in the air while working on a particular project.

 

I really want the ability to plug it in to regular house current, that is the reason i am buying a different welder. I saw a Lincoln wire feed at the Home Depot for 200.00. Would this be a good choice in these type of welders. I guess welding equipment is like politics, everyone has an opinioin and no one agrees about much anything. I know the Lincoln arc welder I cut my teeth on is about 15 years older than i am!

 

I'm guessing you're talking about the Lincoln Handy Core or Handy Mig. For applications around the house, that machine will work fine for you.

 

here's my 2 cents......

If money's no object then spend the $700 that you will lay out for a Miller 135... absolutley......

That price includes the 135.... a bottle.... and a autodarkening helmet and some gloves that you will need...... add to that $50 for some clamps an extention cord a wire brush and a 4.5" grinder if you don't already have one and then you can start welding....

If you need to weld a lot of 1/4" plate then consider a 220volt machine and add $400 - $500 to that....

I would recomend you spend extra for the miller over the hobart or lincoln........because they cost over $450 anyways....

On the other hand I bought a cheap Campbell hausfield 110V 85 amp welder on ebay for $260 shipped added a bottle for $95 and the above acceosries and it has been very useful so far on my truck..... I can tack 1/4" plate and luckily I have acess to a bigger welder at work..... However most of the stuff has been 1/8" or thinner and so the CH has been fine....

Now if I could afford the inital layout I would have bought a Miller 135.....unfortunantly I couldn't because I'm spending alot of money on the truck......but it feels really good to have a welder available and I don't regret the purchase.....

The harbor freight welders seem a little pricey but if they are on sale and you buy the protection plan then maybe..... but again if you need to do 1/4" you'll most likey need to go 220V because I believe even the 135 is only rated to 3/16"....

 

HH175,,, 575$ This is not from me but from the feeder guru. "Yes, the HH 175 does have wire speed tracking. However, since the voltage selections on the machine are taps instead of a variable control wire speed tracking on this machine isn t an issue. For 1/8" or 3/16" thick mild steel in most cases you use tap #3 and from there play with the wire speed. The HH 175 is a pretty user friendly machine, and is the 175 amp machine that I recommend for the novice home hobbyist."

 

I have welded 5/16 steel with my HH135. I just welded both sides. I didn't think it would weld that thick, but when I cut it in half, it had full penetration. I paid 510+/- for the HH135 and an auto darkening helmet. Check out the local Tractor Supply. They carry Hobart welders.

Mike