wire welder

Anonymous-0 · Apr 5, 2011

I'm thinking about getting a 120 volt wire welder. Tractor Supply has a Hobart on sale for 300 dollars, but I can get Campbell Hausfeld for 200. I quess my question is, is the Hobart worth the extra 100, or is the CH a good buy? The reason I want one is for little odd jobs that is hard to take to my Lincon stick welder. Or should I find another Lincon or a Miller? I hope you guys know more about this than me!
Thanks in advance!
Tom

gene bender · Apr 5, 2011

The Hobart will have a dealer for service where would you find one for the CH.

Mashbox · Apr 5, 2011

A buddy had a Hobart that we had a time with getting it to perform correctly. Finally determined it was something to do with the wire. Installed a new roll, made a few adjustments and it worked much better. Two days later someone broke into his shop and stole the welder.

He replaced it with a Lincoln wire welder, and it performs flawlessly. After using both I purchased a Lincoln for myself. Around $420.00.

I have not used the CH unit, but know people who have, and from what I hear about them you would be better off spending the $100 and getting the Hobart.

greygoat · Apr 5, 2011

The Campbell-Hausfeld is a "Dime Store" welder,
probably places like TSC that sell to drugstore
cowboys, and Wannabee farmers sell them. Get it
only if you can"t afford anything else.

Mike M · Apr 5, 2011

GO WITH THE LINCOLN !

Good welders GREAT company,employee owned I think. One of the few good companies left in the USA.

John Harmon. · Apr 5, 2011

I bought my Lincoln 120volt,110 amp flux core welder 3 years ago and use it quite a bit and have no complaints. Dealer support [Vern's Welding Supply,Phoenix Az.]is great. I bought a small Cart with wheels and a deck that raises with a foot powered hydraulic cylinder and use that to move the welder around the shop.

jdtractor · Apr 5, 2011

stay away from the cheaper units ,lincoln is the way to , i know ive done too much welding. custom and pro.you get what you pay for!!!!!!!!!!!

DoubleR · Apr 5, 2011

I went with the 140 hobart at TSC, I had a coupon but I think they are about $450.00 now. I've had no problems and hobart has a 800 # to call for help which I called once. They were good and were helpful. I got the 140 because I wanted the gas option on it. I did go with the gas later on and found it to be alot better to weld with. If you want to weld much more than 3/8 inch and do a good job you will need a bigger 240 volt welder.

BCnT · Apr 5, 2011

i'm one of the cheapskates that bought a CH...its been nuthin but a royal pain in tha keester...neighbor has a Hobart Ironworker...that thing is a dream to weld with...owning one is on my bucket list.

dhermesc · Apr 5, 2011

I bought a CH about a month ago from TS, it only costed $100. It was their display model from Christmas and they kept dropping the price on it. I have a restoration project on an 80 Scout that starts this summer and I am collecting the things I'll need to do it.

If all you need a little od jobs its fine. If you plan on making a living with it you wastd your money.

Errin OH · Apr 5, 2011

Can't speak to the Hobart, but can tell you there is night and day difference between the CH and a Lincoln. Spend the 100 bucks.........

Bill in IL · Apr 5, 2011

My experience is with a lincoln sp135. I bought it 10 years ago and have been very happy with it. It has the infinitely variable voltage control instead of steps that is very handy for light guage metal.

If you are going to buy one make sure it can run shielding gas, not just flux core wire if you plan on welding light guage metal.

If I had to do it over again I would have bought the same size machine but a 240 volt model. It gives you slightly more duty cycle, slightly higher output current, and to get full potential out of a 120v machine you need to be on a 30 amp circuit.

In the long run I think you should stay with a miller or lincoln. You will be happier.

NCWayne · Apr 5, 2011

Personally I like the Millers but I got a good deal from a friend on an older 220 volt Hobart, about 6 years ago. I've run the immortal mess out of it and never had any problems welding anything from sheet metal to 1/2 plate.

eastexan · Apr 5, 2011

(quoted from post at 03:51:57 04/05/11) I'm thinking about getting a 120 volt wire welder. Tractor Supply has a Hobart on sale for 300 dollars, but I can get Campbell Hausfeld for 200. I quess my question is, is the Hobart worth the extra 100, or is the CH a good buy? The reason I want one is for little odd jobs that is hard to take to my Lincon stick welder. Or should I find another Lincon or a Miller? I hope you guys know more about this than me!
Thanks in advance!
Tom

I've never ran a CH welder, but I know their large air compressors are good.

But I do have a Hobart Handler 125EZ that I really like. It takes the guesswork out of setting it up. You just set it to the thickness of metal you are going to weld. It's so easy to use that just about anyone can pick it up and use it with just a few minutes practice. After knowing the basics, of course.
After I told my son how to use it, he made a small project after practicing on some scrap metal a little while.

You don't have the infinite adjustment on the 125EZ as you have on the 125, but it automatically sets the wire speed accordingly to the amps/thickness you set it on.

The downside is that the EZ is flux core only, and you can't weld really thin stuff with it.
Bill in IL is absolutely correct in that.
I had a file cabinet that the door had been hit and had a very thin bracket broken on the inside. On the lowest setting, it still wanted to burn through it. I managed to "bird dob" it back together, but it was fairly hidden anyway.

But all in all, i'm very pleased with it. It came with a 5 year warranty that I never had to use and will weld most everything that breaks around here. I haven't needed to use my Miller Thunderbolt in quite a while.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 5, 2011

The short answer is yes. Hobart is made by the same company as Miller. Sometimes they are the exact same machine but the Hobart is a little cheaper. Other Hobart machines have less features or aren't built as heavy in the wire drive as the Miller. You'd be better off to spend a little more and get a Lincoln , Miller or Hobart machine that can be used with gas for MIG welding or flux-core without gas. Get a machine with a removeable gun and cable. On machines like the CH, if you have a problem with the gun or cable, you have to cut the cable shorter to repair it or replace the whole thing. That is if a replacement is available. If you ever have to repair or replace a removeable cable, it's real easy to do. Look at the drive roll assembly on machines you're considering. You want larger diameter drive wheels and preferably all metal components, not plastic. It's best to buy from a welding supply. Then you can look at the bigger machines to compare to the smaller machines like you're looking at. Upgrading in a machine is a good idea. If you bought at least a 140 amp machine, you'd be able to weld all of your projects that use steel up 1/8" thick and even some 3/16". It sure beats a stick welder for thin gauge welding. You want to buy a machine that parts are readily available and they will be in the next 3 to 5 years at least. You won't get that in a machine like the CH.

farmboyWI · Apr 5, 2011

Look at the Hobart sometime-the gun says Miller, so do other parts. I was told they came from the same factory, the Hobart is just the economy version. Nothing wrong with that, I have an Ironman 250 which works good for me. Spend the $100 extra or you will kick yourself later when you go to spend the $300 again in addition to the $200. Happy welding!

bob featherstone · Apr 5, 2011

go for the lincoln migpak 140 you will not be sorry we use one at work all the time & are great machines with very little maintenance
can weld with flux core or gas
bob

Geo-TH,In · Apr 5, 2011

Why do you want a wire welder over a stick? Flux wire is very expensive, at least 5x, and so is the gas. Wire does a great job on rust free tin. If you want to weld thick old rusty, dirty, greasy metal good luck with wire. BTW, I have both wire and a lincoln stick.
George

trucker 40 · Apr 5, 2011

You can get a Hobart from Sears that doesnt have a regulator for CO2 for $351.99.Thats a model 500549 without the gas regulator. I would get the hook up for CO2 which is a model 500550 which you can get from
Sears for 460.49,but Amazon.com has them a lot cheaper at I think $372.00 and maybe free shipping. Plus there are other Lincoln welders for $299.99 at Sears with a CO2 hook up with them. After reading the description,the Hobart is a better welder according to their claims.
Eastwood sells a 115 volt welder for 339.99 and it has a Tweco gun which you can get tips about anywhere for a Tweco gun.Also comes with a gas regulator so you can use CO2 with it.
If it was me I would look at Craigs list and buy a 220 welder like a Lincoln,Hobart,Miller,and whatever else I could get with it,bottle,regulator,wire,tips,if possible.You will probably be a lot happier with the results.Of course you can weld thin stuff with one of those 115 volt welders.You would probably be better off getting one you can use flux core,hard wire and CO2 on.When you buy it all together like that its a lot cheaper than trying to buy it to go on your welder later.A regulator by its self is over 70 dollars from Sears.Flux core does work out in the wind though.
Look long and hard and try and get as good of a name brand welder as you can.That 299 dollar deal for a Lincoln looks like the best deal that I saw.That flux core wire is costly.If you needed to do a lot of welding the hard wire and CO2 would be better.

chvet73 · Apr 5, 2011

I had the CH and sold it. It is worthless. I now own a Lincoln and it is a much better machine. I also have a 220v Hobart and it is excellent. The Lincoln can match the Hobart on thin material but can't handle the thicker stock.
Don't buy the CH!

bc · Apr 6, 2011

For my 2 cents worth, I prefer my teenie weenie $80 with coupon 110volt HF stick welder over my crapsman/Century 110v wirefeed. Flux core doesn't work to well for old metal, the gas is more expensive that it is worth, and the gas won't work outside in the wind anyway so it is basically an inside shop welder and you already have one. It takes some practice to get good penetration with a wire welder as it tends to lay a lot of metal down before it melts into what you are welding especially on thicker stuff.

With an extension cord, I can take the weenie welder out to fix a gate or whatever with 1/16" and 3/32" rod in either 6011 or 7018. I've experimented a little with 1/8" rod as well but it takes more control as it tends to stick.

The weenie welder works for me and the wire didn't. Everybody else's mileage may vary.

eastexan · Apr 6, 2011

I wish I would have gotten on of those "weenie welders" myself, back when HF would take coupons for their welders. I may still get one anyway.

Excellent customer reviews.
http://www.harborfreight.com/80-amp-inverter-arc-welder-91110.html

bc · Apr 6, 2011

This is the one I got. Switches from 120v to 240v. Gets 70 amps on 120v and 120 amps on 240v. You buy the appropriate plug. Model # 98870 and price shows now as $109.
Weenie Welder

FORD 1710 · Apr 6, 2011

A few things on welders.

Hobart ( a old welder name ) is now the consumer arm of Miller.

110V input wire ( MIG ) welders need a 12 Gauge 20 amp power feed, anything less will give poor performance. The old throw the ground clamp on dirty metal so loved by those used to stick welders won't work with MIG as the welding voltage is around 24VDC where stick is 90 V ish.

Solid wire MIG with argon/co2 mix is the only way to go when welding clean body sheetmetal as flux core makes too much spatter / flux to clean up.

Straight co2 can help out a low power welder as co2 is a reactive gas. Co2 will also work when welding slightly rusty metal.

110 welders just don't have enough zip to weld much above thick sheetmetal as you can only pull so much power from 110V at 20 amps .

Even a low line 220 v input welder will be better than 110. Expect to pay ~ $ 600 for something worth while. Installing a 220 line isn't any more difficult than wiring a 110 V outlet.

Gas welders just won't work in a windy area as the gas blows away, either move indoors or use flux core.

Hobart and Miller have good message boards and you question has been asked many times before so check old posts.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 6, 2011

A MIG welder is considered a constant voltage power source. The open circuit and arc volts stay relatively the same. A stick welder is considered a variable voltage machine. The open circuit volts are high in order to strike an arc but once the arc is established the voltage goes down to approximately the same as a MIG welder(24 volts). MIG does benefit more from a good ground though. A lot of cheap machines have a booster cable clamp for a ground clamp. Junk!

Anonymous-0 · Apr 6, 2011

An inverter power source will have DC current but it's really hard to get excited about 6% duty cycle at 95 amps. That means you can weld for a whole 36 seconds and then have to let the machine cool for 9 minutes and 24 seconds before you can weld again. For $109, I'd rather buy a decent battery charger. Then I'd at least have something I could use.

eastexan · Apr 7, 2011

(quoted from post at 17:02:14 04/06/11) An inverter power source will have DC current but it's really hard to get excited about 6% duty cycle at 95 amps. That means you can weld for a whole 36 seconds and then have to let the machine cool for 9 minutes and 24 seconds before you can weld again. For $109, I'd rather buy a decent battery charger. Then I'd at least have something I could use.

Dave, you're talking about bc's welder #98870. It's not an inverter.
The one I was talking about is an inverter, weighs 8lbs, and is about the size of a loaf of bread. It's also a Harbor Freight but with item number #91110.

It's tiny but puts out 80amps. It's duty cycle is 35%@75amp.
People that have bought it are surprised that a machine so tiny welds so well, and say it will weld up to 1/4".

FORD 1710 · Apr 7, 2011

A Inverter power source can make DC or AC. There are inverter power sources that are the size of a small microwave that can run 300A so don't label all inverters as too small.

Scott Hightower · Apr 10, 2011

Finding parts is a big consideration. Welding shops will have parts for the Miller machine. Miller now offers a very affordable 110 volt machine. It may be a few extra bucks but well worth it.

Scott
http://www.welders360.com/

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