Which Mig welder to buy?

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red67gts said:
Miller 211 is a great machine that will run 110 or 220. I bought the 50 ft cord extra and built a cart so I can roll around the shop. Cyber weld has them for $1149
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$200 rebate through Miller right now too.
 
I concur with the recommendations for the name brand welders. I personally prefer 220v but my welders seldom leave my shop. I strongly recommend that you make sure to get continuosly variable voltage and wire speed. No click settings. Especially if you plan to weld sheet metal and thin stuff.
 
C130 Chief said:
Stop by your local welding supply house (you'll be buying gas, wire, and such from them anyhow) and see what they have on the floor in the way of trade-ins or reconditioned (warranty repair) units. Keep in mind that with the lower priced 140 amp models you are usually just getting the transformer and by the time you get a gas regulator you're not too far from the price of a 160 amp which is about all you can typically run 110. The really cheap units don't have an internal gas valve any you're stuck with flux core wire.

FWIW I have a Hobart 187 that I bought from Northern Tool. Got a pretty fair price, but my local shop would have met their price. They still made me a deal on a package of new gloves, wire, gas bottle, spatter gel, a cool auto-dark shield and basic hand tools.

Check you local shop before you pull the trigger online...
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That is a good idea. I'll check with the gas company that I have been buying oxygen/acetylene for a bunch of years now and see what they have.
 
Dad taught me to weld with a Lincoln sp-100 setup with the argon/co mix. That was 21 years ago and it still welds great and often. It has not been babied, and has seen a lot of hours. Anything over 3/16 I'll preheat for
Max penetration. I would say even with preheating and champhering, 5/16 is the limit for that little machine.
 
Hard to beat the 120 volt Hobart. I have had one for about 10 years and it still works fine. Hobart is (at least used to be) made by Miller.
 
I would want to know whose making those for Eastwood. (ask Them) As previously stated, make sure its not a fly by night company and in 4 yrs you can't find parts. Also i would'nt be bragging my welder weighs " half as much as similar welders". Lincoln and Miller have bean counters on the payroll also. So they're not overdoing anything to make theres soooo heavy!
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
I have 110 or 220 in my shop now. I've used and old but good Airco stick welder for many years but decided on making the leap to a mig. A friend of mine uses a 140 Hobart machine and swears this is all I need and that the 110 makes it more versatile to use in different locations. I know he does a lot of fab work with his. I mainley use a welder to repair trailers, exhaust work and other hobby type applications.
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I agree with your friend. ( and a bunch of others here)
This my Hobart 140. Has been great for fixin the Ruster.
 

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When we needed one at work i was going to get another H-140 like mine. Local Praxair had the Millermatic. Decided to go with that so I would have support/service nearby. Had to send it for warranty after a couple uses cause i was going through gas too quick. Figured out the gas valve was not sealing when off. Works good now. Have yet to see any advantage of the Miller over Hobart for a few $100 price diff. Someday when i am bored i might bring mine in and open them both to compare
 

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220 amp welder hands down -better duty cycle , If you have 220 in shop get a 220 welder

115 amp welders are toys- short duty cycle and welding amps drop off very quickly
 
dwire67 said:
220 amp welder hands down -better duty cycle , If you have 220 in shop get a 220 welder

115 amp welders are toys- short duty cycle and welding amps drop off very quickly
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That's a little harsh, it all depends on what you need. For the casual welder who's only gonna use it 3-4 times a year, a 220 is way overkill...a decent quality 110 will be fine. Obviously, if you're a pro or will need to be welding truck frames or something heavy duty that's a different story.
 
Oaktree said:
That's a little harsh, it all depends on what you need. For the casual welder who's only gonna use it 3-4 times a year, a 220 is way overkill...a decent quality 110 will be fine. Obviously, if you're a pro or will need to be welding truck frames or something heavy duty that's a different story.
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Well, sorry, your reasoning is wrong. 110 vs 220 has nothing to do with "how many times a year" you need it. If you are trynna weld up your snowplow, you will be sorry you bought a 120V machine. But if all you ever do is light work a 120V "rig" will do just fine. It has nothing to do with "being a pro" or whatever.

I don't use my rig NEAR as much as I used to, but I've NEVER been sorry I bought a 240v setup

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I am not trying to be harsh, but most of the time people by off price only and Harbor Freight and other places sell inferior welders that are waste of your hard earned money. Even though you may only use your welder for occasional use, and the 110 might do the job MOST of the time, you're going to encounter a job you'll wish you bought the 220v model. Buy it to begin with, and you'll never be disappointed
 
i have a miller migpac 180 and love it, i had a knock off unit and it was nothing but problems
 
Another vote for Hobart here.
I have 3 mig machines in my shop and the Hobart 210 out-welds the whole bunch.
220V is the way to go.
I keep .024" wire in the Hobart for most sheet-metal and my automotive stuff. The other machines are more for heavy welding. I've tried several different brands of mig wire as well. I've had the best performance in the Hobart with the Lincoln L-56 wire.
 
My advice, stay away from the Harbor Freight/ Northern tool/ Tractor Supply machines. You will not be able to get parts at the local welding supply house. I turn people away for that all the time. Stick with Lincoln or Miller, or even Hobart (which is owned by Miller).
Not sure what you're looking to spend, but the Lincoln MP210 is a pretty nice unit for $999.00. It does MIG, TIG, and Stick. Dual voltage (120 or 230).
I sell a bunch of them.

The machines at Lowes and Home Depot are the real thing and we can get you parts if you go that way, but those machines are personal home units, built with plastic parts inside versus the commercial units you'll find at your local welding supply house.
Airgas has locations in Tampa and Lakeland, but there are others that sell them that may be closer to you.

Here's a link to that machine.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I'm taking it all in. I looked at the Hobart 210 MVP today at Tractor supply. I like the dual voltage idea. I'll more than likely sell my Airco stick welder along with about 150-200 lbs of rods when I purchase a mig. The old girl has served me well over the years but i won't need the both of them.
 
If you weld outside in the wind the stick will do better
 
I have had a Miller 180 for over a decad.it has seen heavy daily use and now weekend work. It has not once been in for service and had hundreds of pounds of aluminum and steet through it.
Now I am in the tig market. The Everlast style brandzs are tempting but I think I will be going blue again.
Welders are the one item I can truly say you get what you pay for. Dont waste your time with 120v unless thats is your only option.
 
MidTexCuda said:
I have had a Miller 180 for over a decad.it has seen heavy daily use and now weekend work. It has not once been in for service and had hundreds of pounds of aluminum and steet through it.
Now I am in the tig market. The Everlast style brandzs are tempting but I think I will be going blue again.
Welders are the one item I can truly say you get what you pay for. Dont waste your time with 120v unless thats is your only option.
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I bought an eastwood 175 mig some yrs. back, when it was on sale, it works fantastically. even had two pro welders use it, and they liked it too ! eastwood has a sale on tools every now and then, their stuff seems to be very good !
 
Miller hands down! Best damn machine on the planet
 
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