advice on first mig machine

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I am new to this board.  I am a hobby blacksmithwho works with bar stock and flat stock. I have very little experience with welding.  I am looking to buy a mig welder.  I want it to last for a long time.  I have pretty much rulled out the Home Depot  lincwelders. Price is an issue, but I understand that you get what you pay for, and I am willing to pay a bit more for a machine that will last a lifetime.  I want the most powerfull machine I can get in 110 volt.  I have narrowed it down to a reconditioned hobart from Toolkinghttp://www.toolking.com/hobart/view.asp?id=4279best price of the group. The Daytona mig 135. http://daytonamig.com/combi_mig_135.htm    And the Htp 140 http://www.htpweld.com/products/mig_...s/mig_140.htmlat $749. it's the most expensive by  $200, but I am impressed with them because they are the only ones who show the inside of the machine.  there coils are copper, while the others are aluminum.  They have dual wire drive wheels for a more positive feed, and they have metal parts where the other welders have plastic.
Reply:My opinion is go for the name brand stuff and forget the rest. The availability of parts and consumables locally or close by is a major deal, not to mention service should it be needed. The Hobart is almost 50 bucks more than the same unit at Tractor Supply. Hobart will be the best of the bunch on service alone. Miller/Hobart service is second to no one. I would go up to a Hobart 140 if you could. It is a better unit than the 125. It has a better low end arc. Look at Ebay for some prices from IOC, B&R Welder and maybe Quimby. They'll give you a price range for the unit. Tractor Supply, Northern Tool and Harbor Freight sell alot of them as well.As to copper vs. alu windings, that topic has been beat to death on the various boards. The bottom line is that there will be no noticeable difference in the way the machine will weld. They are engineered to work well with the components they have. Let's face it. This sized machine is basically a hobby type welder. It is not going to have the same characteristics of the larger and higher priced industrial machines. But, they still can be the best in class. I have a Miller 135. It is a very good little MIG. It isn't a MM 210, but it does very well for what it was designed for. I don't think the dual gear drive is a selling point on a 135/140 class MIG. A 200/250 class, yes, but not a 135/140. Seems like something else to spend money on.
Reply:Tractor supply has hobart 140's for $446.91.  They don't have a 135 at the one in my town.
Reply:The 135's have been replaced by the 140. They might've run out. The 140 is THE small MIG right now. Low end arc is supposed to be a major improvement.
Reply:Thanks, I think I might rewire for 220 and gat a hobart 175.  Toolking has reconditioned hobarts with cosmetic blemishes for $450.00  I don't think I will find a better deal.
Reply:I found one of the old HOBART 110/220 mig welders for a great price. That thing welds just as good in 110 as 220 for small jobs. I patched a outdoor wood boiler and only had 110, the first time I used it in 110. It welded like a champ I was welding with .023 70-s6 wire and 75/25 gas, on 12ga. plate.Just my .02 .Brett
Reply:On the subject of small MIGs, is it worth the extra money to get a "plus" model with variable voltage and feed speeds, as opposed to a 4-position model.Rackmaster
Reply:Rick,If the difference is $50+ and that is the only difference in the package, probably not.  Fine tuning is not that important for a welder in that class.  You can generally compensate enough with wire speed and travel speed to get anything you can do with the infinitely variable machine done with the 4-pos machine.  I use an old millermatic 130 with the 4-pos knob.  Never been a problem.  Simplify.  I have used migs that are infinitely variable and sometimes infinite choices make repeating a process a day or so later a bit of a problem if you dont take notes.Last edited by smithboy; 08-23-2005 at 01:16 PM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:In addition,both htp and datona make good feeders, but you are likely to have to go back to them for parts that, for another more common machine, you might be able to pick up at home depot or tractor supply.  One thing to mention, if you need portability and the 110volt option, that's one thing, but if you actually plan to do most or all of your welding in your shop (in a single location), you probably want to get a larger unit and wire for the unit.  I have the mm130 (that I mentioned earlier) for maximum portability, but I also have another feeder suitcase unit that I use for heavier, less mobile work or for anything in my shop that benefits from wire feeding.  Inside my shop, I practically never turn the mm130 on.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Nice thing about the older hobarts Vs newer ones, is the older transformer cores where actually copper, not alluminum.  Many of the newer economy models windings are alluminum.  Something to keep in mind.  Alluminum works ok, and is also a good conductor, but connections corrode horribly. and resistance is worse as time goes bye, less likely with copper.   They do this for cost and weight savings, as in shipping costs. But new or old, if taken care of well, both are good welders. Hapy welding   Brian Lee  Sparkeee24