Thoughts on Hobart welders???

[Hozen]

I'm looking to get a wire welder here in hopefully the near future. I've only used Lincoln wire welders, but noticed the Hobart brand is noticably cheaper. I ran electric out to my shed this summer and it has 240, but with the long run, it's only 40amp service. So, I was looking at either the Hobart 140 or Hobart 187. The 140 runs on 120 and they claim it can weld 1/4 inch steel. The 187 runs on 240 and does 5/16 inch.

So, is it worth paying the extra for a Lincoln or is the Hobart brand "as good"?

 

[mrtfelton]

Hobart is a great brand. Thats going to be my next welder. Go for it..

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have the 187 and use it for almost everything I do. Love it with .030 wire. I also have a Miller 250 amp welder and can not tell the difference in quality. I know they are the same company now but my Miller is old so at the time it was in a different class.

By the way watch for them on sale. I got mine at TSC with a coupon for $550 with a cart, gloves, helmet, hammer, and tank kit. Great deal compared to $900 or more for a Lincoln or Miller.

Chris

 

[tommu56]

Hobart Lincoln and Miller were some of the best welders made!
I have a Miller max star and a Hobart gas champion and haven't had a problem with either.

and an old off brand buzz box (collecting dust now) which has only need a cooling fan in 30 years.


At work we had a miller sidekick 110 gas mig and it would weld 3/16 with out a problem 1/4 rated it would cut out temp because of the duty factor but it was on a 20% machine and we over used it not the machine's fault.
tom

 

[Scotty370]

Regardless of brand, I think you'll be disapointed, if you don't get the 220-240 unit. ~Scotty

 

[zman007007]

I just bought a Lincoln 180 amp mig, and love it so far. It runs on 240 volts. It is suppose to weld up to 1/2 steel with .045 flux wire, but I havent had the need to try that yet. I have welded up a 1/4 so far and it does great. If you have the choice, unless you sre planning on toting it around from place to place alot, I would go with the 240 volt unit. It should do anything you need within reason. I saved about $200 by buying it at Lowes instead of the Dealer/welding supply outlet. zman

 

[mainah79]

Hobart makes great welders. I can't comment on the smaller welders, but I have a 210 Ironman and it get alot of use working on trucks and equipment and it has been a great welder!

 

[Bill_C]

I've got 2 Lincolns (a Weld Pak 100 wire feed and a AC/DC "Tombstone" stick) and a Hobart Handler 175. All good welders.

Hobart is owned by the same company that owns Miller and there's some Miller parts in mine.

Despite what advertisements claim, the 110 volt wire-feed units are realistically only capable of around 90 amps. There's an extensive thread on weldingweb.com a few years ago that took actual measurements of the so-called 140 series...bottom line, they pull 20 amps which is most a common 110 volt circuit can supply, and after you go through a transformer and rectify it, then the power output *at a useful welding voltage* is only 90 amps or thereabouts. The 220 volt models run from 175 up to 210 amps output typically, with the differences being in duty cycle as the price range goes up.

IMHO, a 110 volt unit with flux core wire is extremely useful--within its limitations. They are great for portability. The flux core is ideal for outdoor windy conditions and also useful for out-of-position welding (vertical and overhead). The thickness range for a 110 unit with flux core is (subject to some debate)...probably around 1/4 to 3/16 or thinner. I say probably because to weld 1/4 requires a clean surface with no paint or rust, good fitment, and good skills, weaving on a horizontal weld, and even then its not really ideal. I've welded thicker with mine, but it gets ugly and it's not a quality weld. The thread on Weldingweb showed that the 110 volt units did NOT have enough heat to get good fusion on 3/8 inch material--the metal soaked up too much heat. I beleive they speculated that with some preheat, perhaps the 110 volt units could be pushed to weld around 5/16 inch or so but 3/8 was outside its range.

For material in the 1/4 to 3/8 inch range, the 220 volt MIG's such as the Hobart 175, 180 or 187 work very well. For 1/2 inch and thicker, multiple passes are required and I'd reach for the stick welder then...

 

[mikeyee]

there is such a big difference from 120v to 240v since your outlet can only pull a certain number of amps. Not to mention most 120v outlets have 14gauge wire which is rated for 15-20 amps and 240v outlets have 10 gauge for 30amps. Regardless of brand other than offbrands, the welder will weld pretty well; the difference comes with preference. An example would be me with my Miller stl 150 which I do tig work and stick work with the same controls that I"m used to for years. I've used Hobart before and dont have any complaints. Go out and try each brand and find which one you like, then consider price. That's just my opinion

 

[Sockwell]

Either of the Hobarts will serve you well. Most of my machines are Miller and most are 240V or 480V. I do have a Hobart 140. Of the machines, it is not the most capable, but it is the handiest. I use it almost daily for welding mild steel and stainless. If you have it set up for flux core, you can weld inside or outside, all you need is an extension cord. You just have to know it has a limited duty cycle and material thickness limits compared to the bigger machine.