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Miller, Hobart, or Lincoln??Greetings.I am looking to purchase a welder for general home/shop use and am looking at these three:Hobart Handler 140Lincoln SP-135TMiller Millermatic 135Could anyone suggest which of these would be best for occasional welding of steel, stainless and aluminum? Maybe this is the classic, whos best, Ford, Chevy of Dodge, but Id like some input from those in the field before I pull the trigger.In the past, Ive used Miller and Lincoln stick welders.Lastly, Ive heard that Miller and Hobart are like GMC/Chevy in that they are made by the same parent company. Is this factual?Thanks so very much for the advice.Tim
Reply:whats your favorite color? L lol L there shouldnt be much difference between them, however im only familiar with the Lincoln (it was a good match for my red toolbox = }). i spent a little extra on the "plus" model for its variable settings because i tend to mess with things, and more adjustment = more fun to me. i have yet to weld stainless or aluminum with mine so i cant tell you how it would perform. i would not expect super performance, but either of them should be able to make those materials stick together, likely with additional upgrades of course.im sure some people here will tell you to go a with 220v variant if you can, and i agree. if you 220 available to you or the means to install it, then by all means its worth it. i have the 135 amp model and it tends to run out of oomph a little sooner than you may want. ive only had to weld up to about 1/8" with mine (i switch to the ac225 for thicker material)
Reply:Lincoln 3200 weld-pac here, so far, so good. I am teaching myself with limited sucess!Bruce The Welding ChefLincoln Weld-Pack 3200 NORWELD StickStanford Hill Farm
Reply:Yes, Hobart and Miller are both currently owned by Illinois Tool Works (ITW.)Hobart is no longer the heavy industrial equipment it used to be. Only the welding machine division was bought by ITW. The kitchen machinery is now separate and still industrial-duty.BUT, for 120V MIGs, Hobart is very good. In fact, they have the best deals for most of us. A reconditioned older model is the way to go, IMO. When in stock, Toolking has them for as low as $358, incl. shipping: http://www.toolking.com/category.aspx?categoryID=323The Miller and Hobart are very similar, with the Miller having the infinitely adjustable voltage control, which is not really needed. Lincoln offers both styles as well, the SP-135T and the SP-135+Really, for 120V MIGs, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these four models.Don't expect much for aluminum capability. Do you REALLY need to do aluminum? I also hope you know these machine's are limited to 1/8" in GMAW and 3/16" in FCAW. No trailer-building or suspension work, etc. They also really need a dedicated 20A 120V circuit and heavy extension cords, if used. Unless you NEED 120V, you are really limiting yourself with these machines. A reconditioned HH175 from Toolking isn't much more and running the 240V power is usually easier than you might think.Last edited by MAC702; 05-30-2006 at 03:06 PM.
Reply:None of the three is the best. The MM135 has continuously variable voltage which makes it different, but not necessarilly better.You might consider the 240VAC models as the ones you mentioned won't handle much material thickness. They'll all do stainless with tri-mix, but you'd have a hard time making a decent weld on aluminum with any of them.-Heath
Reply:I'll cast a vote for Lincoln. I have two Lincoln MIGs; a Weld-Pak 155 with the MIG kit and a Pro-Mig 175. Both run on 220v and I have welded aluminum on both, but the 155 had to be run at max power to weld 1/4" aluminum. Note: to weld aluminum without a spool gun, you will have to keep the torch cable as straight as possible and set the drive roller tension as light as possible.There are no small projects
Reply:Originally Posted by MAC702Lincoln offers both styles as well, the SP-135T and the SP-135+
Reply:In addition to keeping the lead as straight as possible, you'll probably also want a teflon or nylon liner and a tip that's .005" oversize (e.g. .035" tip for .030 wire). Also, 100% argon, helium, or a mix of the two will be required which would necessitate a separate cylinder.-Heath
Reply:I went with a MM DVI this past February. Runs on 220 or 120 (basically a MM 210 and 135 combined) and rated to 3/8" single pass on the 220. On 120 VAC, I've welded down to 22 gauge with .023 wire and Argon/ CO2 mix with excellent results. Very versatile and makes for a handy addition to my shop as an auto hobbiest. I really like the quality construction and the fact that I can easily(?) transport it (185 lbs) in the bed of my truck. First welds I laid after buying it made me glad I spent some extra cash... Some will say to just go ahead and get a 220 VAC unit, but the versatility makes me very satisfied... Just my .02 worth
Reply:Originally Posted by stein4ixoyeMiller, Hobart, or Lincoln??Greetings.I am looking to purchase a welder for general home/shop use and am looking at these three:Hobart Handler 140Lincoln SP-135TMiller Millermatic 135
Reply:As an aside--I just looked at Toolking, and they list a "Firepower" Pro-Wave 185 TSW AC/DC Tig welder (that is really the Thermal Arc Pro-Wave 185)and pricing it at $2152.99, while many online dealers and my local welding supplier offer the Thermal Arc labelled rig for $1859! The moral is to shop around when you decide on a machine, as there may be some better deals on welding supply web sites or your local welding supplier, and for new machines, at that. Most of those sites offer free shipping and generally no sales tax if out of state.
Reply:Originally Posted by sail2uAs an aside--I just looked at Toolking, and they list a "Firepower" Pro-Wave 185 TSW AC/DC Tig welder (that is really the Thermal Arc Pro-Wave 185)and pricing it at $2152.99, while many online dealers and my local welding supplier offer the Thermal Arc labelled rig for $1859!
Reply:Ive never had a problem with the local supplier. Sure Ive had some unfriendly dealings, and Ive made it real clear my intentions. Sometimes this makes a differnce to that individual, sometimes it just dramatically affects that individuals business. I can do more damage by word of mouth than any shoplifter ever thought ofIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Originally Posted by wizardEspecially when buying things like MIG and TIG welders which require continous servicing.
Reply:Originally Posted by MAC702What's your definition of continuous servicing?
Reply:Originally Posted by TxRedneckI find it too impersonal, and theres no guarantees. Although theres no guarantee in anything we do, the small shop local welding supplier is your best bet IMHO
Reply:Originally Posted by MAC702What's your definition of continuous servicing?
Reply:Originally Posted by wizardIn this context I'm talking about the supplies and parts needed to keep the guns /nozzles in working order. Admittedly a bigger issue on a MIG than a TIG. This as oppsoed to a simple Stick welder where the stinger will last almost forever.Sure you can order all of this stuff from internet suppliers and have it there in a day or two, but it is not the best approach if you want to keep as much of your cash out of spares as possible. That assuming that you would have to keep more on hand than needed due to the delays of getting said supplies. Better to go buy stuff as needed in my mind and keep your on hand inventory low.The other issue is how do you keep up with what is new on the market. Sure the dealler will try to sell stuff, that maybe you don't need but on the other hand there is likely to be stuff out there you don't know you need. Probably not a big issue with welders, as things do change very slowly in this industry, but that is not the case with allied crafts and the tools associated with them.Dave
Reply:one of these even with fluxcore is a nice machinethis is the one at the shop...i think it does a great job ...zap!Attachment 3708Last edited by zapster; 12-27-2007 at 03:35 PM.I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I suppose we'll have another local vs. online debate.I prefer to buy stuff online. The guys at the welding shops around here are twits and what's more, they're not very accomodating. On top of that, they don't stock the consumables that I use and they're generally overpriced on most things. I've had a hard time finding tips my MIG gun (Miller fastip) or consumables for TIG torches. I needed a new shield for my Hypertherm plasma cutter in a hurry and had to drive to a store 60 miles away to a store that had one in stock.Some local shops are great, particularly when the pricing is fair and the service is good. However, if I need something specific, I prefer to order it. For example, I get TIG consumables from Arc-Zone. They charge half as much as a local joint and ship priority mail which costs me four bucks. Orders usually go out in a hurry and since they're in SoCal, I usually see my stuff the next day along with a package of M&M's and some stickers.-Heath
Reply:Originally Posted by halbrittI usually see my stuff ... along with a package of M&M's...
Reply:I've had a Liquid Arc 210i for years I am told its a Lincon and regularly weld 3/8 ally .I highly recomend it its a 240v
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterone of these even with fluxcore is a nice machinethis is the one at the shop...i think it does a great job ...zap!Attachment 3708
Reply:Originally Posted by MAC702I stand corrected. Looks like I'm getting ripped off...
Reply:Originally Posted by halbritt...in a lot of ways, the Hobart equipment is identical to the Miller products particularly in the 140/180A class of machines. I know they use the same drive rolls, guns, and consumables, and probably also the same drive motors. I've read that Hobart uses aluminum wound transformers and that Miller uses copper wound tranformers, but I've not confirmed this. I'd suggest that the Miller welders in this range compare directly to the Lincoln plus models and the Hobart welders compare directly to the Lincoln tapped models. ...The MM175 and maybe the MM135 have a feature called "wire speed tracking" which some folks really don't like and other folks never notice...Originally Posted by MAC702Maybe I'm missing your point. If so, I apologize. Don't the tips sold at Home Depot and local welding shops fit all the welders, no matter where you bought them? If you buy a welder online, the local welding shop will still sell you tips, too, if you don't want to wait for the cheaper online ones.
Reply:I like chris in have the Miller dvi for my home shop and I reallly like it its a good allroung mig machine
Reply:For those who have a DVI, I always have a question. Do you actually USE it's dual-power option?I've always wondered just how handy it is. I find most either have it on 120V because they don't yet have 240V available, or they have it on 240V and just like knowing they can put it on 120V if they really HAD to take it somewhere else.
Reply:Mac702 Yes I have used it in both, It runs good on both but i rather run it on the 240. I got because somtimes I do little things for my buddies in there garages and the don't have 240. It allows me a little more freedom on where I can weld |
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发表于 2021-9-1 00:59:59