hobart stickmate ac/dc arc welder

[big bubba]

finally letting my old Lincoln tombstone a/c welder go after many years. i only weld with torch & arc for farm utility applications. anyone have personal experience with the following arc welder? looks like a good upgrade. again, all i do is stick welding. thanks in advance

Hobart Stickmate LX 235AC/16DC

 

[Sberry]

It is a very good machine and good for smaller electrodes where fussy apps can call for a couple amp adjustment. I was doing something the other day, can't remember exact what it was but would have fussed with it if mine had infinite.
I remember now, was a couple bushings in all position. But, good arc, very reliable and way better than its ratings. That is priced right. Only other things i might consider is inverter 160 if you want to be portsble or a 200 if I was going to burn on heavy equipment regular and wanted to use larger rod.

 

[Sberry]

Where the 200 shines is that it can do the work a Dialarc can from.a common 50A circuit
Having said that I used my 300 on stick once once in 25 years and still use my ac/dc buzzer for shop stick.

 

[Sberry]

Well worth the upgrade from the AC machine. You should run towards that and not have a minutes buyer remorse over it. It's such a deal that it's worth charge card interest if you have any real work. I am sure we could find other opines but it is really a professional machine in the respect to the quality work it can do

 

[Sberry]

Go to the welding store after and buy some number 2 at least 15 longer than you think you need, 25 if you work outside, chop lead off a foot outside and splice it to the stinger and take the stinger lead and make a whip or splice it to the work lead.

 

[big bubba]

hey thanks to the above members for thoughts on the Hobart. the specs meet my needs i think. like the dc reverse, about all i will use. prob will replace w/a more substantial ground clamp. 1/8 6011 & 7018 is about all i use, so should meet the bill. prob will go ahead. thx again
like the Hobart name anyway, that's where i went to weld school so many yrs ago in Troy, Oh cheers

 

[user.69169]

like the Hobart name anyway, that's where i went to weld school so many yrs ago in Troy, Oh cheers

Where you went to school was Hobart Bros. Company no longer exists, bought by ITW slime holding company importer.

When you went to school in Troy did you learn OxyFuel first? Hobart Bros was famous fer teachin O/F first.

 

[big bubba]

Where you went to school was Hobart Bros. Company no longer exists, bought by ITW slime holding company importer.

When you went to school in Troy did you learn OxyFuel first? Hobart Bros was famous fer teachin O/F first.

hello, & thanks for question. mainly basic & pipe arc welding instruction at Hobart school, followed by oxy/acet training & job on west coast. at a young & clueless age (still am) was impressed by weld tests including etch test at Hobart..... but off topic now...think the new welder will be a keeper & thx for replies

 

[Jw5875]

Hobart dropped all of their stick welders
except the 140i and the engine driven
welder generators.

JW5875

 

[user.69169]

Hobart dropped all of their stick welders
except the 140i and the engine driven
welder generators.

JW5875

UM NO.
After ITW bought Hobart Bros and turned it into HoFart, thinking they could finally build a DC generator machine under the Hobart brand, Lincoln sued knowing what ITW was trying to do.

ITW chose to abandon the field and gave Motor driven generators, Plasma Welding and Plasma cutting to Thermal Dynamics along with all parts, drawings and rights to said machines to settle the suit.
ITW then continued along whoring both the Hobart name and Miller name.

Too bad yer in Arkansas Bubba, nice ITW HoFart just popped up here
Hobart 235 - Miscellaneous Tools - Sterling, New York | Facebook Marketplace

 

[big bubba]

hey thanks, always a better deal out yonder but given the market & budget, will give stickmate a try.
if i had to make a living arc welding, i'd starve. for now, glad for the upgrade over the old school lincoln best regards

 

[Sberry]

Regarding the machine itself. It's really good..

 

[senecak19]

I attended their school maybe 10 or so years ago and they taught Oxy first.

Where you went to school was Hobart Bros. Company no longer exists, bought by ITW slime holding company importer.

When you went to school in Troy did you learn OxyFuel first? Hobart Bros was famous fer teachin O/F first.

 

[big bubba]

hey great. am sure the school has changed through the years. they well may have taught oxy back when... attended in '70 right out of college. remember my main experience w/the torch was my 1st job. their basic & pipe welding arc classes were outstanding. thanks for note
anxious to try out the stickmate when it arrives

 

[Ford850]

I went through the same questions about which welder to get, years ago. I researched here and found the Stickmate to be a favorite for my needs, which are similar to yours. I tried to find a used one for months, but the only ones I found (and there were very few) were selling close to new price. I gave up looking for used and bought a new one, and it's been a great welder.

 

[Sberry]

If a guy has work to do it's not worth waiting over the difference in price. Used is good if a guy stumbles over one and they often come with extra stuff which can be well worth it. It helps if a guy has good luck with that type of thing.
They work so well and so economical that it's not a big deal. I like 3 rods. 1/8 6011, 3/32 7018 and 1/8 7018.

 

[Sberry]

More later.

 

[Sberry]

hey thanks, always a better deal out yonder but given the market & budget, will give stickmate a try.
if i had to make a living arc welding, i'd starve. for now, glad for the upgrade over the old school lincoln best regards

You will find a DC Stickmate a big improvement over an AC buzzer. Get 3 electrodes, 1/8 6011, 3/32 7018 and 1/8 7018. I havnt metered the Hobarts settings, my red one is really hot. But 92A for the 11 and the small 18 and about 115 for the 1/8 7018. I realize there are LOTS of other rods in the world but a guy can do it with these and all we stock anymore.
Something else to consider here is,,, they make bigger machines but not really better. I run mine next to my Maxstar, a Synch and whatever the machines was at a power house I was on at the time I bought it and if you couldnt see or hear it wouldnt be able to tell them apart with the stinger end with general fab work. The Max has a safty start feature makes restarts a bit touchier but I give the buzzer as good or better mark than the Max. They are really really good and run way past their rated duty cycle.

 

[big bubba]

hey thanks for the comment. the upgrade over the Lincoln buzz is remarkable. i'll look into 3/32 7018...so far on utility ag repairs, i'll burn a hot 6011 root pass, grind, then go w/7018, thanks again, i can only give rave reviews of this new Hobart machine. hey, i'm a graduate of their school, it only makes sense. (but as i mention earlier, if i were making a living at it, i'd starve)
i endured decades with the Lincoln tombstone and MF TO 35 tractor. the Hobart welder & my Kubota utility tractor have made retirement a cakewalk. along w/other tools acquired through the years to get the job done thx again
cheers

 

[5030]

One thing an old Tombstone is good for is getting fishing worms out of the grass on a damp evening............