Mig advice hobart 140 v. lincoln 140

Archdukeferdinand

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Location
Vilas, NC
Pretty convinced I want a 110 unit for portability and hook up issues. I currently rent and though I could make an adapter cord, it seems like a bitch for not much gain for my uses.

I was looking at the lincoln promig 140, but I can get the hobart for about $100 cheaper and its actually made in the USA (low end lincs are made in mexico). I'd like a miller, but $$$- hobart is owned by miller now anyways so...

I plan on using my welder to make a rear tow bumper, some cage work, replace rockers with box tube, you know the deal. Don't really forsee anything getting thicker than 1/4"

The linc claims it'll weld up to 5/16" with fluxcore, the hobart says it'll do 1/4" but no mention of fluxcore- methinks that linc is claiming the extra 1/16" from the extra heat of fluxcore, anyone have more experience with it?


I'm planning on buying a bigger (probably stick) machine down the road, so I'm looking for the mig equivalent of a DD. Since I'm not looking for the capability to do more than 1/4", would I gain anything more than duty cycle and headaches whenever I want to take the machine to a friends house or an event by going with a 220 machine?

Thanks in advance for any help, I've never used a mig setup. Done lots of stick work, everyone tells me I'm about to be spoiled.
 
Based on my experience with Linc's customer support, I'd say go Hobart. Lincoln can make a hell of a welder, but they seem to have a lot of trouble supporting it. Now I don't have any experience with a Hobart whatsoever. I've used Miller, Linc, and Esab, and I'd say Miller out of that bunch, but for your purposes, I think the Hobart will be the ticket. And yes, that 1/4" rating that Hobart claims is probably with flux. Check the welding chart on the lid for verification. Either way, flux isn't that bad. It's cleaner than stick any day!
 
I've only used 1 Linc MIG (140A/110V)... with the taps being on a POT, it's VERY nice to adjust the amperage (especially when burning sheetmetal). As opposed to the Miller/Hobart fixed taps, where the amperage is fixed to 1 of 4-5 settings.
 
welder advice

Unless you plan on doing heavy plate work or plan on doing welding in less than ideal conditions such as wind or dirty rusty materials save the money you would eventually spend down the road and by a bigger 220 machine. Anybody who has a dryer can run a single phase 220 machine, so power at other households shouldn't be a problem. I personaly like a 200amp machine, small enough for fine tuning on sheet stock a large enough to fabricate light plate (under 3/8). Remember the max any machine will do is usually at its lowest duty cycle and only industrial machines advertise what they'll do at 100%. Try and find someone who has a machime like you want and test drive it, you'll be amazed at the performance between models and sizes, don't just weld were your buddy likes it either. Turn all the heat ranges and selectors for wire speeds or high and low voltage and see what it really will do. I've used several machine that do well at one range and poorly everywhere else. If you do go small you'll benefit from running the smallest diameter wire you can and a blended shield gas for ideal no wind clean conditions.
 
I have a Lincoln 140 running on 110vac. Nice for sheetmetal work even without the bottle. You will still need a AC/DC buzz box for the big stuff. I have learned to butt stitch sheetmetal with it and that makes it great for cutting out rust and performing a metal patch repair. Mine had a three year warranty.

My $0.02
 
The short version!

If you skip the long version in my first post here's the short one.... Cage work or tow bumpers= higher quality welders. Both could mean your life or someone elses. Flux core wire and stick rods were originally designed for high amperage large weld deposits and were then down scaled for other situations ie. thinner mat. they still work best on larger more powereful machines. 100amp -175amp min = lawn furniture or door skins.
 
The best thing I can tell you, if you are going to be using the welder off an extension cord, get the largest wire gauge cord you can find.

a 12ga extension cord is decent for about 50ft run ( when using a 120v machine) , anything more use 10ga.

makes a HUGE differance in the way the machine performs. enough that you can hear the differance.

Don't waste your time with anything less than a 12ga cord.
 
Wow, thanks for all the responses.

As for taps, those don't scare me. I don't use the fine amperage pot that much on the big miller I use at work, I think just switched will be fine, although I have used it on thin stuff and it was nice.


I CHOSE hobart because its miller's cheap line. Better than going harbor freight. I'm not exactly well off, and welding has to fight with guitars, mountain bikes, motorcycles and my heep for whatever bits of my paycheck end up leftover.

As for duty cycle, I'm used to 100%, and was prepared for a BIG step down in productivity going to the 20% or so that the 140 amp 110 machines provide. Maybe I'm still being naive about how big a deal that'd get to be.

And you'd be surprised how many places don't have a 220 outlet. I've had 2 apartments in boone that didn't. Sure I could wire one up, but that's another headache with the landlord.

But all of this may be beside the point, I was buying some steel yesterday at triplett & coffey (local fab shop) and one of the welders is selling his old personal rig, said he'd take $500 for it.

The lowdown- Century 145 mig w/cart, bottle, couple spools of wire, gun, tips, etc. I know its a 220 machine but it sounds like a good deal, but then the hobart is a little cheaper and comes with a warranty...

Thanks for all the advice, I'm leaning towards the century now. Touch more amps, longer duty cycle, price is right.
 
no 220V outlet? You have a stove, right? thats 220V. You may have a dryer, thats 220V. Electric heat pumps with auxiliary heat strips run off of 220V.

ALL residences have 220V coming into the main panel. Its easy to just pop in a 220V breaker and have an outlet just under the breaker box. Its what I did and works well. I have about a #4 extension cord for my 220V welder.
 
rockcity said:
no 220V outlet? You have a stove, right? thats 220V. You may have a dryer, thats 220V. Electric heat pumps with auxiliary heat strips run off of 220V.
ALL residences have 220V coming into the main panel. Its easy to just pop in a 220V breaker and have an outlet just under the breaker box. Its what I did and works well. I have about a #4 extension cord for my 220V welder.
Click to expand...

Ever heard of a gas range? Or a laundromat? Or space heaters? Now of course it looks like I'm getting a 220 machine, and I'm not the least bit afraid to wire one up but... Yeah, the 2 places I lived didn't really have any 220 coming into MY apartment that would have been readily available to me.

Kinda hard to explain to the people who live beneath you that its just their bad luck that the house's main is in their apartment so I'm gonna need to wire up an outlet in their place and oh, I'll need the outlet whenever I want to weld - just step over the extension cord.
 
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