Hobart or Miller???

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I am getting a new welder. Can't  decide on the  Miller 210 or the Hobart 210. The Hobart is about $300.00 less but a lot of the parts on the Hobart have Miller on them. Any ideas????Thanks.
Reply:This was discussed a lot over at the "Dark Side". But I'll give it another shot.As a MM210 owner I'm biased towards the Miller. Some of the differences are;Hobart comes with a 10' M-10 gun, rated @ 100 amps, Miller comes with a 12' M-25 gun rated @ 250 ampsHobart rated output 150 amps @ 23 volts @ 40% duty cycle, Miller 160 amps @ 24.5 volts @ 60% duty cycle.Hobart uses plastic drive system, I believe, but I'm not sure the same as the HH 175, Miller uses Aluminum.Finally the Hobart weighs 144#, Miller 200#, probably a heavier transformer.I think for a major investment like this, the extra $300.00 is worthwhile. I'm really happy with my MM210.
Reply:fatboy03,The Hobart 210 and the MM210 are both made by Miller in Appelton WI. I do not have any experience with the Hobart 210, but I do have a newer Miller MM210 and love it. I have heard that the Miller MM210 has a heavier duty wire roller and other parts compared to the Hobart 210. A good idea would be to go to www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/ and put in a search for the MM210 or the Hobart Ironman 210. You will find quite a bit of info from Dan and others.
Reply:I was recently told by a supplier who could sell me either machine that the Miller is a superior machine to HoFart, model by model.My conclusion is all that  is left of the once proud Hobart Bros welding co is the name, and ITW is whoring that name to the max shoving the maximum number of units out the door with Hobart painted on them.Were I making the decision you are, I'd sure want to know why the weight difference to begin with.   If you can look at the machines side by side, many of the differences should be obvious.Of course, you may need to look more than skin deep.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:i've owned and used both. in my opinion, there is a substantial difference in arc quality/charactaristic. i'm still using the mm210 almost daily. i passed the hobart on to a friend. it's somewhat of a personal preference, but i would spend the extra for the miller.
Reply:I was recently told by a supplier who could sell me either machine that the Miller is a superior machine to HoFart, model by model.
Reply:Guys,I have used both, and I prefer the Hobart versions of the 135/175 machines over the Miller.  They are rated the same, only adjusted differently.  They share many common parts.That said, in the larger machines, Miller has widened the distinction between the products.  The Hobart Ironman 210 is really an island, and the Ironman 250 is more comparable to the MM210.  Hobart has no offering comparable to the MM251.If you desire to compare another machine to the MM210, try either the Ironman 250 (by far the entry-level 250A machine) or the red unit.  Personally, I like Miller machines, and I'd just get a MM210, or if you could swing it, get a MM251.  Both are excellent units.