Lincoln vs. Campbell Hausfeld

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Well I'll start by saying I'm a novice welder. Wait... I can't even say welder, just novice. My bubble gum fasteners get joked about on occasion when I head out to the father-in-laws to fix something. So, I decided to buy one of my own and get some practice in. Right now I'm looking at a Lincoln Electric 120-Volt MIG Flux-Cored Wire Feed Welder Model K2185 (Handy MIG) from Lowe's and a Campbell Hausfeld 115 Volt MIG Flux-Core Welder Model WG2160 from Menard's. The Lincoln is about $10 more. They are both comparable in features and specs. Has any one dealt with either of these welders and tell me about your experiences with them? I know $10 bucks isn't much but with my budget, $10 is $10. Thanks.
Reply:Lincoln. Hands down. Originally Posted by SS45VaqueroWell I'll start by saying I'm a novice welder. Wait... I can't even say welder, just novice. My bubble gum fasteners get joked about on occasion when I head out to the father-in-laws to fix something. So, I decided to buy one of my own and get some practice in. Right now I'm looking at a Lincoln Electric 120-Volt MIG Flux-Cored Wire Feed Welder Model K2185 (Handy MIG) from Lowe's and a Campbell Hausfeld 115 Volt MIG Flux-Core Welder Model WG2160 from Menard's. The Lincoln is about $10 more. They are both comparable in features and specs. Has any one dealt with either of these welders and tell me about your experiences with them? I know $10 bucks isn't much but with my budget, $10 is $10. Thanks.
Reply:lincoln. Hands down.
Reply:I would save my dollars and not buy either.  You will be grossly underwhelmed by the amp range and duty cycle (or lack there of).  Look for a used Lincoln SP125 Plus (at a minimum) so you can at least run some .030 ER70S wire with 75/25 argon co2 mix.  You should be able to pick one up for $250 - $300 in good condition.  110v welders are limited on what you can do in metal thickness and duty cycle.  I'm not going to tell you have to go out buy a 220v machine to be able to stick metal together.  However, do not buy the little 100 amp jobbers and whatever you do stick with a Lincoln, Miller or Hobart.
Reply:I don't know what you intend to weld, but unless you plan on buying a bigger welder later, I would recommend getting a 220v machine right now. You'll be money ahead. Just my. 02Teach Ag Mech - Mike At Home:Lincoln Electric AC225Miller Challenger 172Gas AxeWork:eclectic bunch of 90's vintage blue boxes
Reply:Originally Posted by teachagmechI don't know what you intend to weld, but unless you plan on buying a bigger welder later, I would recommend getting a 220v machine right now. You'll be money ahead. Just my. 02
Reply:Originally Posted by PipelinerThis is like telling a guy who has 1 Bradford Pear in his yard a $35 Homelite XL with a 12" bar won't be enough for general clean up and maintenance and he should go buy a $750 Stihl MS362 with a 20" bar because he might need it in the future.  I'm not looking to get anyone's panties in a bunch, but a lot of these guys go out and buy $1000 welder and run about 5lbs of wire through it and never touch it again.  Not everyone is going to be or needs to be Paul Bunyan.
Reply:Whatever you buy, not the Campbell hausfeld.Stick with good names like lincoln, hobart, miller, esab, tweco/thermal arc.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Who is going to fix the CH if you have a problem?? At least with the Lincoln you can take it to a dealer and get it fixed, I suspect resale on the Lincoln will be higher. Giving us an idea what you intend to weld will enable us to give you much better guidance.JimMaxtor 150STH
Reply:Ok, wow!!! Lots of responses. Thanks guys. To be more specific about use, generally anything that pops up around the house, some automotive including auto body, I might eventually get into some fabrication  maybe blacksmithing, but generally small stuff. I'm not going to be butt welding 1/2" plates of steel together or turning my truck into an armored vehicle (but one can dream right?) by any means. Pipeliner you said go higher usable amps, so I looked around and found a Lincoln Weld Pak 125 HD Wire-Feed Welder for $335 at Home Depot. Unfortunately it is Flux-cored only, but for a additional fee of $193 I can get the MIG conversion kit from Lincoln. OR... I found a Lincoln Weld Pak 140 HD Wire-Feed Welder at both Lowe's (have one of their cards and can get 5% off with it) and Home Depot that has MIG/Flux-cored for $524. I'm not sure what gauge auto body gets down to but the 125 only goes down to 20 ga. with flux core and no conversion and the 140 goes down to 24 ga. with MIG. Thoughts on either of these units? And Campbell is now out the window.Last edited by SS45Vaquero; 10-25-2014 at 10:18 PM.
Reply:If you plan to do auto body, you want a flux/gas machine - so that rules out flux only machines.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:I have purchased nine, (yes nine) SP-125 Plus Lincoln welders for use in auto body shops so I do believe they will work for sheet metal pretty good. In the 120VAC welder line this is probably the best choice out there, (IMO). The welders marketed by the box stores do not have infinite adjustments to current but rather distinct steps. The "Plus" line of Lincoln machines in that range do and it is the way to go for fine tuning the weld to the material being welded.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:Ok so has any one installed one of these MIG conversion kits for the 125? It makes it $4 more in the long run and I can split the cost up into two bites but I'm not sure if it will have the same performance on lower gauge as the 140. And is the 140 going to make that much of a difference compared to the 125? I know it will work better on thicker metals but is it going to be that much difference? I know I can save up too but I would like to get to practicing asap before more of my truck starts rusting out. Also whats the gas cost with buying the cylinder and what size would you recommend?
Reply:Originally Posted by PipelinerThis is like telling a guy who has 1 Bradford Pear in his yard a $35 Homelite XL with a 12" bar won't be enough for general clean up and maintenance and he should go buy a $750 Stihl MS362 with a 20" bar because he might need it in the future.  I'm not looking to get anyone's panties in a bunch, but a lot of these guys go out and buy $1000 welder and run about 5lbs of wire through it and never touch it again.  Not everyone is going to be or needs to be Paul Bunyan.
Reply:I agree with Pipeliner and Slob. Go with the Lincoln SP125 Plus to get started. Its a very capable machine. Ive used one with .023 wire and CO2 gas and got TIG-like results on 20 ga. sheet metal. By the way, I have a very nice SS .45 Vaquero too, 4 and 5/8" barrel with Rosewood grips.
Reply:Originally Posted by 12V71I agree with Pipeliner and Slob. Go with the Lincoln SP125 Plus to get started. Its a very capable machine. Ive used one with .023 wire and CO2 gas and got TIG-like results on 20 ga. sheet metal. By the way, I have a very nice SS .45 Vaquero too, 4 and 5/8" barrel with Rosewood grips.
Reply:If you go with the 110, you will likely find that you still need a short dedicated line/outlet with a higher amp breaker for your welder in the garage. Most outlets don't have enough breaker capacity to keep them working without tripping the breaker. That's one more reason for going 220, but it doesn't sound like that's in your budget right now. If you do any autobody work you will definitely want gas shielding.250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Originally Posted by whtbaronIf you go with the 110, you will likely find that you still need a short dedicated line/outlet with a higher amp breaker for your welder in the garage. Most outlets don't have enough breaker capacity to keep them working without tripping the breaker. That's one more reason for going 220, but it doesn't sound like that's in your budget right now. If you do any autobody work you will definitely want gas shielding.
Reply:Originally Posted by SS45VaqueroAlready have a 30A dedicated circuit in the garage I'm not using. 240v twist lock but thats easy to switch over. Pull one leg off 2-pole in panel and put on neutral bar. Change out to normal single 20A outlet and new face plate. Piece of cake for a sparky like me.
Reply:Some I would consider if buying new, and typical web pricing:120V:Lincoln POWER MIG 140C  $734.Hobart Handler 140 $500.TWECO 141i  $595.---------------240V:Lincoln POWER MIG 180C $849.Hobart Handler 190 $700.Tweco 181i  $893.----------------------------I occasionally see a good deal on Craigslist for a Lincoln or a Hobart."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:CH is junk.For that price difference the Lincoln must be on sale.Every ones says buy a 220 volt machine now because you will want one later.If you decide you want to weld heavier stuff later on, find a used 240v powered AC stick welder for $100 on CL.If you cant get 220 volt power there isn't much point in getting a 220 powered machine. Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveYou'll like 30a 120v input on the small migs  Hard to keep them from popping the breaker on a 20a circuit in the summer in my experience.
Reply:a 220V welder is the way to go, I dont know of any home that does not have 220v service.  even if you have to run a 220v line ,you will be able to use a 10 gage wire that will handle a 200A welder no problem. same is true for a compressor go 220V my first welder I bought 20 years ago was a harbor freight mig 150 it is 220 volt welder and it works fine.  If you plan on fixing a trailer or any repairs like that ,you will need plenty of power and a 110v 100A machine wont cut it.
Reply:A few things to let you know. a 125C has continuous voltage control and 125T has a Tap switch.4 or 5 settings. If I remember correctly the gas kit comes with a gas valve and regulator and hoses.real easy to install. mount the gas valve and plug it into the pcb. run hoses and connect to bottle.change nozzle on miggun and put covers, back on. There are two sizes on 115 volt Lincoln welders. most are 90 amp on a 20 amp service. A few of the older weld-paks were around 70 amps. 20% duty cycle limit on all machines. 2 minutes of full output welding with 8 minutes of rest. with a 90 amp welder, you will trip a 20 amp breaker at about 2 minutes. Because you will be using 25 amps. the 230 volt small welders have a 30% duty cycle limit and have around 130 amps of weld current.  The 100,125 and 140 are 70 to 90 machines. the 130, 175 and 180 are all 230volt 130 amp machines.
Reply:My first welder was an SP Lincoln.  I would get that or a 140 Hobart or Longevity which has a gas option.  Good luck.  What a fun time for you!Agape GuyEverlast Power I-MIG 200 (dual voltage)Everlast PowerArc 200 stickHarbor Freight Titanium 125 Easy FluxHypertherm Powermax 30Way too many power tools