Considering my first welder.

[Bwgad96]

Hi, I have some experience with gasless mig welding and was very impressed with it portability and ease of use. I dont know much about other forms of welding, but I want to look at buying my first welder.I will mostly be welding sheet metal for tractors and trucks along with small projects. It must be able to plug into a regular wall socket and preferrable no tanks. this is what i am considering buying. thanks
https://m.northerntool.com/northerntool/product/detail.do?itemId=167746

 

[FredH]

If it was me , I would look at the 140 instead , twice as much in $$$ but likely twice as good also . Look on Craigslist , also look for the SP135 Lincoln . Same as the 140 just older model .
That is the one I have , SP135 model , And you will be surprised at what you are able to do . But here is the downside , Thinner medals can be tricky since as you stated , no bottle of gas , so that limits you to fluxcore wire and smallest I have found was .030 . Try welding 20 gauge with .030 = low amps , slow wire feed , and move FAST !! Can be done but it can also be frustrating .

Fred H.

 

[cowski]

i would get a Lincoln 140.

 

[Bwgad96]

Thank you for your replys , what are the pros and cons of a 140?

 

[lockhaven]

how does Lincoln compare with Hobart?

 

[mjncad]

how does Lincoln compare with Hobart?

Lincoln and Miller are essentially equal. Hobart and Miller are owned by ITW (Illinois Tool Works), and Hobart is just a step down from Miller as they use cheaper components here and there to lower the price. That's not to say the Hobart is a bad product, it's just not top tier like Miller and Lincoln. Miller has a dual voltage MIG unit that you might get to start off on 110 volts, and then as your skills and needs increase, you can add a 220 volt circuit and still use the welder you bought.

 

[cowski]

to me lincoln and miller are not equal.on a 110 machine i like lincoln better.one thing to look for is tapped settings or infinite .for a beginner tapped setting are easier to learn on,that is what i still prefer.2 other options to consider are a regulator for mig and a aluminum kit.lincoln offers their 140 with fluxcore only or with mig and flux, of course it costs more.the aluminum kit consists of aluminum rollers , tip and teflon liner.my recommendation would be to get a lincoln 140 with tapped settings with the mig set up and add the aluminum kit if you need it.aluminum has to use argon gas.

 

[Bwgad96]

So looking at the handy core and 140 side by side, do you think it is worth over double the cost?

 

[Bwgad96]

Also any oppinions on a millermatic 140?

 

[FredH]

My brother has a miller 140 for use around the house to go along with his 212 in the shop . It is pretty similar to the lincoln 140 although the miller has the auto set feature which I know nothing about .
I myself am not a fan of the " Tap " type settings that are on the Lincoln 140T's , Mine is the SP135 "C" model , earlier version of the 140 . " T " is for Tap settings , while " C " is for continuous settings . For me , the continuous give's greater flexibility in your welding or Fine Tuning while welding . Instead of being stuck with either setting it at say 4 or 5 , with continuous , you can go any were in between 4 and 5 . Handi mig tops out at 88 amps with 70 amps @ 20% duty cycle , While the 140 goes to 140 amps with 90 amps at 20% duty cycle . 20 more amps does not sound like much BUT if you are welding sheet metal ( Thickness ??? ) you would be able to set the 140 at 70 amps and have a longer duty cycle than the handi mig .

Go here : Operators Manuals | Lincoln Electric
Then in the top search box , click the arrow on the right side , scroll down to handi mig , then press go. It will bring up the operators manual in a .pdf format .
Then scroll down to page B4 , gives a small chart on settings for various metal thickness up to 1/8" . It may actually work for you and if it did , that price is hard to beat unless you find a 135 or 140 used on Craigslist .

Fred H.

 

[FredH]

Lincoln SP-85 Mig Welder


Hobart Handler 140 Welder ( Hobart 140 for only $100 more )

Fred H.

 

[Bwgad96]

Ok thank you very much! I am kinda clueless on metal thickness, but whatever sheet metal is on old lawn tractors is, thats what its going to be used for. I would like to stay with either a lincoln or miller unit, as i have been told they are top of the line.Basicly I have 800 bucks to spend and really want to get the most bang for my buck, which seems to be the lincoln 140. Then again with the autoset, the miller sounds promising to. The diffrence in cost is about 120 bucks which i am willing to spend if that is the best route to go. Thanks again

 

[cowski]

all you need is a chart to get started with .that is why i like tapped settings.set the tap based on thickness then fine tune it with line speed .i would get a lincoln 140t.

 

[mjncad]

to me lincoln and miller are not equal.

I was referring to brand, not a specific model and I should have been more clear about that.

 

[Bwgad96]

I have one more question. Where is the miller and the lincoln made?I try my absolute best to only buy usa made products.

 

[sixdogs]

I am in my 60's and spent a lifetime being a marginal welder until I took some Tech school night classes and actually learned the right way and became a good intermediate welder. In all of these efforts I found that more people than not tend to gravitate towards the Lincoln welders. I'm virtually certain all USA made but call them. Look on-line as well since they have great tech and educational info.

 

[IslandTractor]

You don't indicate your budget. If you can spend a bit more (well more than twice really) what a entry level US made 110V MIG machine costs, have a look at the new Miller Multimatic 200. It does MIG, TIG and stick in a 20 some pound package. Not cheap at about $1700 or so discounted but for non industrial use it offers the benefit of all three main processes and great flexibility.

 

[Bwgad96]

Thank you for your replys, Yes i am going to do some more investigation on the place of origin on these machines.I will buy one over the other even If it costs a bit more. My budget is $800. I would love to have that miller your taking about, but there is no way i could swing that kind of $. With what im lookin at, i can get a millermatic 140 for 719.00 dollers, but that is the biggest. Does miller make a 140 without auto set, because im going to be flux core welding and dont need this feature.If not that im going to probably decide between the miller and lincoln 140s depending on where they are made. thanks

 

[mjncad]

Miller's and Lincoln's are probably still "made" here in the USA; but I know they have some Chinese components in them. Unfortunately one can't get away from that fact of modern life. The good thing about Miller and Lincoln is that parts and service are readily available if need be.

Just a guess on my part; but it seems a lot of Hobart welders are rebadged Miller's that are one model cycle older than the current Miller lineup.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Lincoln or a Miller. You may not need the auto-set feature now; but don't limit yourself just because your current plans are for using flux core wire. Like tractors, welders find all sorts of unexpected uses once you get one.

 

[teampryor]

I have both Lincoln and Miller and must say that the Miller 140 with out auto set has far out performed my Lincoln as far as durability, reliability, and quality. I believe I paid around $700 for the Miller but it included a spoolgun for aluminum work. I did upgrade the mig gun to a 15ft 200 amp unit and upgraded the ground clamp and wire to 15ft also. I have had my Miller 140 for 5 years now and the Lincoln is only used rarely for flux core work which is very seldom.