New Hobart Handler 210

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I've been shopping for a while for a nice mig welder to supplement the old Lincoln AC-225.  The stick welder is fine for rusty tractor implements or whatever, but I've been wanting to build a driveway gate and some smaller garden gates and fencing, and I know I would spend a lot of time grinding out the Lincoln welds.  I looked at a Miller 250X a couple of days ago, but I passed on that deal due mainly to a scratched-off serial number.I've had my eye on the Hobart 187 or 210, and I noticed a few days ago that the 210 is being replaced by the 210 MVP (dual 110/220).  I called around to a few local farm stores that normally carry the 210, but they were all sold out.  I however found a nearby Tractor Supply that had one left, and it was being clearanced for $699.  They had the 187 for $599, but the 210 from TSC comes with a nylon cover, kevlar gloves, and a pair of pliers, so the $100 difference is nearly a wash, not to mention the extra power and spool-gun readiness.After about 10 minutes setting it up and dialing in to the panel recommendations for 3/16 steel, I ran a couple of short beads.  I then welded the 3/16 angle to a piece of 1/8 tubing without changing anything.  It was dark and late so I didn't get much time to play with it, but good grief, this welder is nice.I don't have a bottle yet, so I just used the included flux core wire, and I expected a bunch of splatter.  There was a very thin slag layer to chip off, but there was no visible splatter, and the welds are just perfect.  I have a small MC-size acetylene bottle I might exchange for a bottle of 75/25 until I can find a larger one for a decent price.  I can't believe the welds could get much better, but I could at least skip the slag cleanup.I don't want to bash the 250X I tested the other day, but in comparison the HH210 is in a different league, even using flux wire.  Maybe the 250X was not dialed in quite right or whatever, and I'm sure it has a lot of hours on it, but the arc was sharper, it produced a lot more splatter, and the beads were less uniform.  The 210 is surprisingly quiet and the arc is very smooth and constant.  I also tried both units on thinner material (18 gauge or so).  The 210 bead was nice and flat, but the 250X again was much uglier and would have needed a lot of grinding to smooth it out.As I said, I don't want to criticize the 250X too much since there are obviously other variables to consider, but my point it that out of the box, dialing-in the Hobart-recommended voltage and wire speed, the bead quality was far superior.I'm anxious to try it on some other thin sheet as well as some 1/2 inch material.  I have several brackets on a heavy-duty box blade that could stand to be re-welded, and there's plenty of other things I can test on.  We'll see how it does, but so far, so good.
Reply:That was a good deal on a hobart 210 MVP.I have been checking them out also.I was thinking about getting a miller 211 MVP but they have gone up in price since the new year got here.I wish I could find a hobart 210 MVP at that price.They are $999.99 at my local Tractor Supply.I just need a welder with the dual voltage capabilities since I don't have 220 volts to my barn or garage.I have to run my tombstone off of a 25 foot 220 volt extension cord hooked up to my dryer outlet.I could do my tack welding on 110 volts in garage or barn then use tombstone to burn it on in if need be.Great find there Thomasalva.I'm a little slow today hahahaSorry about that,I should have read closer,you just bought the clearanced 220 volt 210 and not the 210 MVP.Last edited by dugndeep; 04-14-2011 at 01:26 PM.Maxus Pro-125 MigChicago Electric 90 amp DC flux-coreLincoln Electric AC 225 tombstoneO/A torchM/O mini-torch10 acres of flatland15 acres of holler
Reply:Yes, to me the MVP was of little value since I've got 220 in the shop (same plug even as my Lincoln buzz box) as well as 220 in a smaller barn.  I have a generator also if I really need to run it too far out.  Even with a 110 machine I would probably use the generator since I wouldn't want to run a 300-foot extension cord.  I can see where the MVP could be very nice if you don't have 220 available or for a pro needing to transport it.  I think the specs for the 210 and the 210 MVP are the same otherwise, and I couldn't justify the extra $300 (actually in my TSC they don't even have the MVP yet, so it wasn't an option anyway).
Reply:I bought of those Hobart 210's @ TSC myself.  http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=53773
Reply:Cool, I figured I wasn't the only one.  Are you using shielding gas with it?  If so, have you seen a big difference in the weld compared to flux core?  I'm watching out for a medium-size bottle, but the B size at TSC is $200 and the C is something like $280, so I'm hoping to find a used one somewhere.
Reply:Originally Posted by thomasalvaCool, I figured I wasn't the only one.  Are you using shielding gas with it?  If so, have you seen a big difference in the weld compared to flux core?  I'm watching out for a medium-size bottle, but the B size at TSC is $200 and the C is something like $280, so I'm hoping to find a used one somewhere.
Reply:I called Airgas and they said an 80cf bottle of 75/25 would be $266, but he also implied if I come in it might be somewhat negotiable.  I really don't understand why these bottles are so expensive, but I suppose it's what the market will bear.  I work for a fairly large manufacturing company and also do a lot of business with them, so I might also be able to work out a better deal.I'll be doing some welding outside, so I'm glad to have the flux core available.  I doubt I'll use it too much though either after I get the gas issue worked out.
Reply:most of that is just the deposit on the bottle though... you get it back when you trade it in, or just trade it for the gas cost ~60 ...miller syncrowave 250hobart handler 140home made 400 amp engine driven in progress...
Reply:Do a 99 yr lease or yearly lease they r cheaper and you don't have to keep the bottle up to code..if it need updated they do it
Reply:I just called Airgas about leasing.  A yearly lease on any bottle is only $55 with no deposit (with good credit) plus the gas cost.  So for less than $100 I would be set with a 150cf bottle of 75/25.
Reply:Originally Posted by thomasalvaI called Airgas and they said an 80cf bottle of 75/25 would be $266, but he also implied if I come in it might be somewhat negotiable.  I really don't understand why these bottles are so expensive, but I suppose it's what the market will bear.  I work for a fairly large manufacturing company and also do a lot of business with them, so I might also be able to work out a better deal.I'll be doing some welding outside, so I'm glad to have the flux core available.  I doubt I'll use it too much though either after I get the gas issue worked out.
Reply:I was calling around today pricing them as well. I was told around $290 for the 160cf bottle and $265 for the 80cf, both full of gas. Then of course its much cheaper to refill them. I want to say it was like $65 and $40 or something like that.He also mentioned the lease deal, I think its like $80 a year + refills so its much cheaper in the long run to just buy the bottle up front. I forgot to ask him if they will fill your bottle. Ebay has brand new ones (80cf I believe) for $150 shipped.