Im going to be putting in new floors and i need to know which welder would be best. Id like one that has a wide range so i can do smaller more detailed work along with larger jobs. I heard HTP offered a good product but i was wondering which one you guys use. Ive got a standard 110 outlet so thats my only limit i guess. Im new to this so any info is greatly appreciated
You can't beat the Miller 130 amp 110 volt for quality, but buy the Hobart 130 amp. It is the exact same machine only less money.Miller owns Hobart now and just changed the case and gave it a new name. Save your money and build your own cart with your new welder. I've had several of these and have ran them hard with no problems. It will easily weld 5/16, and with the part pre heated will go thicker. HTP has been around for a while, but a lot of the smaller companys sacrifice internal parts for cheaper stuff.
I'm on the other side of the Token..I prefer Lincoln machines..I use the Lincoln 135 with the gas kit which is a 110v. unit.I also have the Lincoln 225 wire machine which is the 220v. unit and I love them both.Hope this helps but it all comes to personal preference eventually.Good luck to you.
Just my opinion for what it's worth. Get a 110v machine for sheetmetal and a 220v machine for heavier stuff (frames, roll cages, suspension, ets.) Frank
I started with a lincoln 100, and moved up to a Hobart 250. Get the biggest you can afford and stick to brand names. Hobart is made by Miller, but they do cut a few corners to keep the price down, but unless you are doing full time production work you'll never know the difference.
here's my 2 cents...for what it's worth... it's fairly cheap here to get an electrician to add a 220 outlet in your garage.....even in a two car garage. We are talking less than 300 bucks. get an estimate for grins. Add that to your budget and get a 220 unit. You will have all the power you need for anything car related.
I have a Lincoln 135 because it was all I could afford. But when I get to the serious welding I will get a 220v machine or use someone elses. Just don't want to take chances with my life or others. IMOHO
I have a hobart 130 i havnt used it much but i like it so far. The hobart is made by miller and is slightly different. I believe the power dial on the hobart has 5 or so positions while the miller has a full range of settings, but like stated earlyer if your not running a shop it wont mater. The most important thing is probably the duty cycle, but again if your not cranking on your welder all day everyday its not a problem.
I went through the same thing in DEC of last year. I did the research too. I wound up buying the Lincoln SP135+. The Miller, to me, was equal in quality and price- Lincoln dealer was closer. Whatever you get, and I don't know your $$$ postition, but get the one with the gas option. Even if you don't buy the tank now, you'll wish you had. And the most important thing to me is, don't buy the tap transformer type. Buy the infinitely vairable wire speed and voltage adjustment. The tap type only gives you 5 or so settings. The infinitely variable can be set to anything from 0-10 (whatever the # is) so you can find it's sweet spot. Yes, I was thinking tonight that I sorta wished I'd bouth the 220v one now. At the time I was thinking portability. Shoot, though, when do you pack your mig and tank up and take it somewhere else? Also, I can stick weld anything bigger than what my 135 can handle.........just my 2 cents!! With help here, you can do the 220v outlet yourself. It's not hard at all. Depending on how long your run is; $30 for wire, $25 or less for the outlet and possibly a new breaker at $10. Wiring is the easy part....... ground to ground, one 110 leg to one side of the outlet, the other 110v leg to the other side.......walla, you have 220v!!!
10 or 11 years ago when I had some free time and G.I. Bill money that was going to go away, I enrolled into a local community college (junior college, etc) Auto Collision Repair (body and fender) two year course. I did this mostly because I learned that magazine articles were nice to read, but I couldn't learn how to do body and fender stuff from them. To the point: the school had state-of-the-art welders from every manufacturer, donated of course: they want to sell a welder to a student, and my choice then was the Lincoln, then a 125 Plus. Great for sheet metal. I will readily weld a Model A frame (3/16ths) with it. For bigger stuff, the shop that I work part time in (by choice) has an older ESAB 250 that welds beautifully when dialed in (or if we run out of acetalyne, I can use it to cut 1/2" steel). Mike
I bought my Millermatic 175 (220V) last summer and it is totally awesome. When I buy tools I am a firm believer in "Buy right, buy once." And I knew if I got the right machine the first time, it would probably be my last. Unless it breaks (not likely) it will be my last. All the professional welders I asked told me to go Miller. I agree. It'll do anything I throw at it... frames, sheetmetal, whatever. The big thing is it has POWER. When you need to do some heavy shit it won't hold ya back. I even installed my 220 outlet myself. No big deal. (Just be shure you shut EVERYTHING OFF! )
Ive seen the hobart machines in the craftsman catalog.. i was planning on going with one that was gas ready, but the 110v only because im still at home, and pops isnt up for any extra work to the garage. Hes not into cars or any kind of work actually haha.. its kind of a mystery to how i got into this hobby, but im not turning back.. thanks for the advice guys. really helpful theres a tech high school in my town that offers welding during the day to students, but ill have to see if they have a night course.
IS there a dryer in the garage? If so you can change the 220 plug on the welder to match.I've said it before, but if money's tight, check out northern tools, they sell Hobart on 4 month payment plans, that's how I got my 250 amp model.
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