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.

 

[2manyrocks]

I have the Hobart 187 and am very pleased with it. You can go on this site and get lots of opinions about your choices.

Weld Talk Message Board and Online Forum - Hobart Welders

 

[mrennie]

I would recommend the Hobart Handler 210...only a bit more than the Hobart Handler 187, and besides the increased output it is ready to add a spool gun for aluminum welding without the need for a separate controller.

 

[Bill_C]

I would recommend the Hobart Handler 210...only a bit more than the Hobart Handler 187, and besides the increased output it is ready to add a spool gun for aluminum welding without the need for a separate controller.

Yep, if I had the money to buy a new MIG, that'd be at the top of my list--a lot of bang for the buck.

 

[BuckeyeFarmer1994]

I have the Hobart Handler 120, which is primarily designed for light use (up to 3/16 steel), but I love it! I highly recommend going with shielding gas as opposed to the flux core wire. Based on my experience it is much easier to see and control the weld using shielding gas.

 

[djw250]

I've had the 187 for about a year now, and use it for just about everything. I bought the factory refurbished (A grade) from tool king, and couldn't tell it from a new one. I've used it on everything from thin tubing to 3/8" plate, and it just flat works great. I'd def go with the shielding gas and solid wire as it makes a much nicer weld.

 

[JB4310]

I've got the 135 handler which came just before the 140.

It's an excellent little machine and is well built and user friendly, just wouldn't want it to be my only welder. I have welded heavier metals with it cranked up.

I prefer stick but if I was gonna go with a mig as my only welder, it would have to be a larger machine.

JB.

 

[Hozen]

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

I wired my building myself. So, all outlets are 20A rated with 20A breakers and 12-2 wire. I'd have to run a 240 line if I wanted to use a 240 welder, but that's not a problem. I'll have to see what the max draw is on the Hobart 187...

 

[Hozen]

Looks like the hobart site has it listed as 20.5A draw for the 187... That isn't bad at all. Running a line of 10ga wire to a 240 outlet should work fine, I'd think. I think after reading all this I have my mind set on the Hobart 187... now, how to pay for it?

 

[Soundguy]

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"?

I have a hobart stickmate 235xl.. and if their wire welders are as good as this stick unit, you should be fine.

soundguy

 

[ovrszd]

I have a Miller 180 Autoset and my Son has the Hobart 187. I've used both. It appears they use the same gun. The feed mechanism is different however. In appearance it looks like the Miller feed is of better quality but we haven't had them long enough to know yet. Being used to my Miller, when I use the Hobart I notice the sound of the feed mechanism being louder, I also think the Miller feeds the wire more steadily. My Son says the same thing. I paid $200 more for the Miller than he did for the Hobart.