pro mig 140 bad out of box TWICE

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I went down to Lowes about a month ago and purchased a pro-mig 140 new for light duty welding stuff around my home/shop/farm.   It did not work out of the box.  The switch I suspect was bad.  It would come on for a minute or two (maybe) and then just quit.  Wouldn't even stay on long enough to thread the wire through the first time.  Wiggle the switch and it would cut in and out.  Boxed it up and carried it back to Lowes and got my money back.  They had a 4th of July sale coming in a couple more weeks so thought I'd wait till then to try another one.  Went down today, bought another one.  It was actually more expensive and it was a little different.  Wire feed mechanism was different, main switch was different, had 5 power selections instead of 4.  I thought, well,  they must have upgraded in the last couple weeks.  Anyway, brought it home, started putting it together and It also failed.  This time the wire drive quit.  Fed the wire through the first time, finished hooking things up and went to do a test weld and the wire would not feed.  Opened it up, and the feed roller was not moving.  took wire back out and still wouldn't move.     Boxed it up and took it back to Lowes. I still need a light duty 110V mig welder.  My uncle had been using Lincoln products for years and always swore by them.  Did I just get two lemons in a row or are there some problems here?  SHould I try one more time, or go buy a Hobart?  The sale is on for two more days at Lowes.
Reply:IMO, the Lowes line is probably not QC'ed as often as their other stuff, so some stuff gets through. Give Miller, Hobart or Clarke a try. I love my Millers but I have the Clarke MIG and love it. It's on sale right now, complete package with gas gauges, cart, helmet and welder - $399. Oh - welcome to Weldingweb!John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:I've no experience with the Lowe's versions, but Lincoln's usually up to par in quality equipment.  I'd probably still chalk it up to bad luck and try again if I really wanted that unit.Or just get on eBay and get a no-sales-tax, free-shipping HH140 and pray to the Gods of UPS.
Reply:I looked for a long time for the best price on a 140. Lowes is it! Mine works great I love the unit and wouldn't trade it for a thing. Third times a charm. You only need to be 2% smarter than what you are working on.Lincoln pm140hacksawa big hammer
Reply:I got a lincoln 180c a month ago.  It came from a welding supplier.  It was defective out of the box.  The power lug would not clamp the cable securely, so when the gun was moved around it gas coverage was lost.They gave me a new welder.  It works fine.I think I would attempt contact lincoln directly. Perhaps there would be some perks for your inconvience.
Reply:I've had a Lincoln Mig Pak 100 for about two years. It works great. It welds better than I do.If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!Red Green
Reply:Originally Posted by acro2eaa  Opened it up, and the feed roller was not moving.  took wire back out and still wouldn't move.
Reply:I have a 155 weldpac converted to MIG that I bought form Lowes over 10 years ago. Never had a single problem. It's still in my shop.