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A good MIG welder?

Z79outlaw

Z79outlaw

Its tougher in Wisconsin
Messages
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Location
Union Grove/Westfield, WI
I've been look for a good MIG welder without breaking the bank as I've already done that on my truck so far this year, I've been debating between a 140, 180, and 210. And Hobart or Miller, i've ruled out Lincolns as junk and never really met anyone with a good one is Miller worth the price over a Hobart?. 140 is the cheapest but you cant really weld thick stuff, but I dont really weld anything thick and If I had to my uncle has a generator/welder on his truck that can welder thick stuff, but the 180 and 210 models can weld thicker stuff and thin stuff, but also come $350-$600 more that just the 140. And whats a tank of C02 cost to lease these days?
 
I got a 140 for the small stuff (Hobart, which is owned by Miller) and an ACDC stick machine for the big stuff. Stick cost $300, and it is a very nice model.

I have also heard that 140 is better for light/thin metal than 180 or 210. It has worked very well for me, I need to use it with gas. Flux core sux.
 
I have been a welder for 40 yrs now and the Miller, Lincoln and Hobart are all 3 the best you can buy. They each have features that make them unigue but they are all very good. I grew up on Lincoln in my fathers business and they performed very well for 30 yrs. I have used them all in my jobs and they are each good. I prefere Miller but as I read this I am assuming you are looking for a home welder and since I am used to 220 or 440 3 phase and the POWER of them I cant really state what they can and will do. Just stay away from anything less than a 50 % duty cycle as that means for every 10 minute period of time you will be able to weld 5 minutes, it then has to cool. Over work and they will burn up. If you have the shop and the power to do it get at least 220 for them
My 2 cents
 
I agree 100% with radar. I too dislike Lincolns myself, but it's personal preference. It all depends on what you plan on using it for, but trust me, if you don't plan on heavy use right now, it will turn into it in the future. I started with a small, cheap Lincoln 110v model. After a year or so of using the POS, I upgraded to a smaller Miller 220v model. Loved it. Since, I've upgraded again to a Miller 251NT and I'm not looking back. I now know that anything I will ever need to weld can be done, no questions asked. Not to mention, a third grader could weld with it b/c it's so easy to use. If you have the $$, buy a better one, if not, don't chinse and at least get something decent. You get what you pay for. You can get a decent smaller Miller 220v setup with a tank for around $6-700 IIRC. $2,000 or so will buy a really nice one. And for the CO2 question, do you mean argon? Mig's run on 75%ar/25%o2 for the most part and I believe a refill on a midsized tank is about $40.
 
I thought argon was for Aluminum welding, I dont know I've always just used 100% CO2, that really is true about buying more than you need cause I know I'll end up wanting or needing it later. Wish I could justify buying a TIG too though...lol money just flying out the door
 
I got a Miller 252 last year because I didn't want to overwork a smaller one. I've welded a lot of thick and thin stuff. It does just as good on exhaust and thin sheet metal as the 1/2 inch plate. It will do thicker than that actually. I really like it. I got the big tank since the cost of the refill between the smaller size and that worked out to were the big tank was almost twice as much gas for not much more refill cost. I've ran through a spool and a half of wire already but still have a lot of gas in the tank. I also got a 50 foot 220 cord so I could reach farther, think about that if you get a 220 welder. The cables aren't that long. With the big tank and the cord and everything it was almost $3000 so it's probably more than you are wanting to spend, but if you want to be able to do the really thin and really thick stuff it's the way to go.

Miller and hobart are the same, just the hobart stuff is built slightly cheaper. Usually has a bit less duty cycle. Depending what you do and what size you get, the hobart may be the better value. It will still be an excellent welder. Our big engine driven welder/generator is a hobart and it's a really good machine too.
 
That 140 you are lookin at is what I have the duty cylce is 30% I had mine turned up to run at 60% but it's life span will greatly reduced I have my bobcat 250 on the bed and the 252 is a sweet machine I have welded 2" beam flanges no backer full pin welds over 2 feet long the machine did great I think I had about 15 passes in the bevel by the time I was done passed X-ray no-one thought it could weld that kind of joint and pass, other than that our shop has all 3 phose 456 millers that are freakin sweet. Miller is the way to go that is why all my personel stuff is true blue miller. Lincoln isn't junk but they can't run with a Miller or Hobart, as for hobart they aren't made any cheaper any time miller upgrades there units the old models are badged as Hobarts and sent out, stil;l very good.
 
Tow Master said:
Id say Hobart is one of the best out there. If you have a tractor Supply store near you they have the best deals on Hobart. Depending on what you want to do Id get the biggest 110v you can buy. That way you can take it almost anywhere. With 220v its hard to always find a power source.

Most homes have a electric dryer or an electric range so the 220 is in the box already and you can get a electrician to put one in the garage but you cant run the stuff all at once. But it does have the power in the distribution panel.
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You are right but a welder sucks alot more amps than a dryer I blow breakers at the house with a 251 miller when the amps are up. The best unit out there for portablility and effective welding is a miller 160 or what ever varient of it is out now. I just run the 251 off of my Bobcat engine drive if I really need to wire feed, but most times I just throw in an electrode and start cookin witht the engine drive. Hobarts are good machines I would say second only to the big brother miller
 
I ran a 60 amp service out to my garage from my existing 100a house service. I run a 30a breaker in the 220v line in the garage and never have a problem (also a 251). I thought I would. I can have the lights on, compressor is always on, and never once tripped a 220 breaker. Heck, I plasma cut with the same circuit, and the compressor kicks on while cutting all the time.

But just the opposite, we used to have a Miller Bobcat at my former job. Once, I tried to run their 220v mig with it and it wouldn't put out enough juice...........wierd.
 
I guess I am getting old at times but I have the access to the shop if I need anything to get it welded so I just drive over it is only a mile. Have a welder at home and dont blast me guys but in my yrs of work I found that as soon as I had it at home to use all the guys needing anything fixed come to see me so I solved it by NOT having anything at home. When I built my garage addition I had the service upped to 150 and I have that nice box in the garage for a welder if I need it but I wont put one in .
I guess I dont undersand why the dryer box wont work, it is usually a 20 or 30 amp breaker and should work.?? Maybe an electriction will see this and let me know why it dont.
 
But just the opposite, we used to have a Miller Bobcat at my former job. Once, I tried to run their 220v mig with it and it wouldn't put out enough juice...........wierd.[/QUOTE]

Well the bobcat came a long way in just the past few years. They used to only push about 5000-8000 watts on the generator side now they are pushin over 10,500 and my girl is turned up a bit, this last winter when the power was lost from the Ice stoems in KS the old girl powered 2 house through back feeding, each house got two 120 cables into 2 different plug ins ran nonstop for 100 hours. She looks like a diesel now when she starts from the fuel being turned up but it has never failed me it is 2005 model Bobcat 250G. I run plasmas with it in the feild and I have even started a 24 volt duece and a half with it. Hooked my ground cable to the negative terminal had dad hop in the truck when he had the start button pushed i hit the positive post with my electrode worked great never heard a starter turn that fast in my life
 
big block 88 said:
I have even started a 24 volt duece and a half with it. Hooked my ground cable to the negative terminal had dad hop in the truck when he had the start button pushed i hit the positive post with my electrode worked great never heard a starter turn that fast in my life
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That is freakin awesome! Lol.
 
The new Miller Passport is the shiznit. I actually got to demo 1 of the 1st Passports released and it is a sweet machine. It's 110 and 220, you swap the plug for either and the machine self sets for that voltage. You can use fullsize Co2/ Co2 argon mix bottles or you can put a paintball gun Co2 bottle inside the machine itself. It weighs 43 lbs minus wire and welds sooooo clean. The "spatter" is so fine with straight Co2 it's unreal. Not a cheap machine but very sweet none the less.
 
Not cheep is an understatement, but yes perhaps in the top 5 of all time best welders if not the best ever, autoset I am not a big fan of but I guess it makes it easier on beginers or somethin, mine will actually change out of favortie range on extended welds but I have first gen so maybe they have corrected the problem.
 
lincoln IdealArc SP255. I pikced it up used for 600 I think?? Came with everything and a big new roll of wire. I love it anbd Im gonna keep it forever!

Amazing machine, welds beautifully and it has all these cool fancy-pants computerized controls and sets the wire speed/voltage automatically. You just tell it how thick you want to weld! :cool:

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ben
 
For 600 bucks that is a very good macine paint it blue and slap on a MILLER Decal and will last 10 extra years it's a scientific fact. Just kidding.
 
Z,
I too am in the market for a new mig for home shop use. I belong to weldingweb and did alot of research on this. As was said the Hobart is probably a little cheaper than the equivalent Lincoln and Miller but the Hobarts are also built a little cheaper. They use plastic gears inside. Miller and Lincoln do not. I sounds like you are looking for around a 140 or 180 so the best bang for your buck IMO is the Lincoln. The only difference you will see in that range of machines is whether it's Tapped or continous wire speed. Continous is nicer as can be adjusted more finely however you can save 100$+ going with a Tapped. I think Weldingmart.com had some good deals and so does indiana oxyegen(think that was the name). They sell on ebay but also have thier own website. You can buy Tapped pretty cheap used on ebay. I have an old Solar 2120 which I can no longer get parts for so I'm in the market too. Probably going to go with the Lincoln 180c. Nice thing about the Lincoln from what I have read is the setup to run aluminum is cheap compared to a Millermatic 180. Look at the duty cycle and thickness of metal yo plan on welding with it.
 
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