mig Welding question, help please
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Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2003
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mig Welding question, help please
Hey all, anyways here is my ordeal. I am looking at buying a mig welder. If I really had my choice of welders then of course it would be a commercial grade miller machine, but really I dont have that amount of money. What I am looking at is a machine that operates on 220 ( I dont like 110 welders) that is consistant, reliable, and arround 450. I wouldnt matter if it was used, I ve been looking at Hobart 175s. Does anyone know of any good places to buy welders. I checked ebay and was not impressed with what was there ( considering it consists of 4 actual people selling loads of the same welder. Any info would help, even makes models anything....
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,157
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From: Central Kali
I have a Hobart Betamig 200 that has been rock solid reliable for over 20 years. Check a welding shop for a trade-in. Sometimes you can get a new machine over time with a down payment and a no interest loan. 
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
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From: Atlanta GA
northerntools.com
Free S&H on the HH175, plus, for a purchase over $250 you can split it into six payments.
www.hobartwelders.com has a very good website, which is the reason I bought the Hobart, for the ready support.
Free S&H on the HH175, plus, for a purchase over $250 you can split it into six payments.
www.hobartwelders.com has a very good website, which is the reason I bought the Hobart, for the ready support.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 483
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The Hobart HH175 is a good solid choice and will be much cheaper than the Lincoln in the same class,,, and possibley easier to operate due to the tapped V selection. The Lincoln SP175T is considered one of the best in its class but costs more and the avg guy wont be able to tell the difference in the use of it. The HH has a great short arc. It will run 030 solid wire well,, my choice would be solid with C25 gas. Hobart/Miller has the best support in the industry and as rebo said go to the Hobart site. Dozens of guys there have HH's.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,773
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From: On the road in Ohio
price wise, they are the two brands to compare against each other, both in features and pricing, but a web site dosn't make or break a companies image, it just says that they put more resources into web based advertising.hobart is just as good of a product as is Lincoln. in school shop class[many moons ago] i learned to strike a bead, on a hobart, at home, we had a lincoln. both are good machines. my best advice, is to shop both, and which features will suit your needs the best, and which dealers will service your needs the best. and if there any training/class aviable to help improve your welding skills.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
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I have the miller 175 I bought this from doing extensive research before buying. miller owns hobart that is why they look alike but thats where it stops. miller makes the best small machine. If you dont belive me just look inside the the cover youll see that the drive units in the millers are all alluminuim construction where the others are plastic If I were going to get a bigger machine I would go with lincoln, however I have heard nothing but good stuff about ESAB A guy a the local welding shop said that they all fight over who is going to use ESAB, because it walks circles around the competition.
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Lead Driver
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Tuned
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 483
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While Esab doesnt have the name recognition as Lin and Miller in some parts of the country they are a major manufacturer of quality welding equipment both here and Europe. They make some of the best in the world. Yes, there are some differences between the Hobart and Miller,, but,,, it doesnt mean the Hobart wont work well. Its also cheaper to buy and the stepped V design tends to make it more user friendly. To most users here the quality issues will not affect them. The HH has great arc characteristics with solid wires. The couple hundred dollars difference in price in this class of machne makes it a good buy. If it was a 2000$ machine the couple hundred wouldnt be as significant,, but about half the posts here have the word "cheap" in them so it is a factor. This HH175 is the best in its class for performance as a feeder for the $. There are better machines, but they cost more and the avg operator would never be able to tell the difference with his hood down.
Last edited by Sberry27; Mar 18, 2004 at 09:23 AM.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,734
Likes: 38
From: Sunny Florida
I am looking for a good welder myself. I've heard that hobart would be a good choice but then again I don't know enoough about welders to pick the correct one either.
Would any care to break down the performance of a welder? Like why 220V over 110V.
I have read some can run different wire size. Why or where would one need to run different wire size?
I know I want gas. No flux core wire for me.
The need for wire speed control and heat control?
Thats all I know to ask so if someone has more they can add please do. I think these things will help those of us that need welders select one but have no clue what we really need. We only look at price. If we knew what to really look for in a welder we wouldn't have to ask. thanks bob
Would any care to break down the performance of a welder? Like why 220V over 110V.
I have read some can run different wire size. Why or where would one need to run different wire size?
I know I want gas. No flux core wire for me.
The need for wire speed control and heat control?
Thats all I know to ask so if someone has more they can add please do. I think these things will help those of us that need welders select one but have no clue what we really need. We only look at price. If we knew what to really look for in a welder we wouldn't have to ask. thanks bob
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,157
Likes: 1
From: Central Kali
I use two size wires. .035 most of the time. .024 for thinner stuff. I have the .024 on a separate wire feeder that I power with a 24 volt, 100 amp battery charger. My 200 amp Hobart runs at 100 amps output with the .035 wire. It could run all day and not get warm.
A 110 machine limits the amps you will be able to put out. But....If it is good for some where above 100 amps output, it will work. The duty cycle will be less then a 220 machine. One advantage of the 110 welder is portability. I would go 110 if I wasn't going to weld a lot and I wanted it to be portable.
A 110 machine limits the amps you will be able to put out. But....If it is good for some where above 100 amps output, it will work. The duty cycle will be less then a 220 machine. One advantage of the 110 welder is portability. I would go 110 if I wasn't going to weld a lot and I wanted it to be portable.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,734
Likes: 38
From: Sunny Florida
Right now Harbor Freight has the 175 on sale for $599. It seems that most people lean towards this model. Is this a good deal? A buddy of mine is telling me to by a lincoln. I still haven't priced the Lincoln model yet that compares to the 175.
