A good 110/115v MIG welder

[TarAlderion]

Hey folks,

I am really starting to consider getting a little 110/115v MIG. My little HF piece of xxxx buzz box is just not working out too well for me, so I think its time for an upgrade. In the past I have used a little hobart 115v MIG that worked very well, and would run up to about 1/4" thick material. I don't have 220v power in the shop, or I would just go with a nice big millermatic 210 or something of the sort. Plus, it is really handy to have a smaller welder that you can throw in the back of the truck and take places that don't necessarily have 220v access. Someday when the shop gets upgraded I will beef up the power and get some better welding equipment, but thats a long ways off and definately need something in the interim.

So I was hoping some of you who have used a number of these little 115v MIGs could steer me towards a good one. Something that performs well (though I am completly aware of 115v limitations), and holds up well. And to clarify, I am after MIG w/shielding gas, not a sole flux core. Like I mentioned, my only experience was with a little Hobart, think it was the 140 model, and it seemed to work pretty darn good for running off 115v. But I wonder if there are better little MIGs out there.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Graham

[maddog]

I had the Hobart 115v MIG/Wirefeed welder and it was a champ. I think its the best kind of welder available for 115v. Miller makes almost exactly the same welder with different colors. I havent tried the Lincoln equivalent but I am sure its good too. This kind of rig is a lot more complicated than a buzz box and I would not go cheap. Definitely go with one of the quality names. Stick really works best with larger currents and larger inductances. The low currents and choppy power you get from 115v make it hard to stabilize the arc. I would have liked to have kept mine since its so handy for small stuff and runs off a regular wall outlet but I have a big IdealArc stick welder and oxy acet. so it was hard to justify the space and the money it tied up.

[Jose Gomez]

Miller 140
Millermatic 140 MIG Welder (115 Volt)

Lincolin 140
Power Mig 140C: Lincoln Mig Welders - Light Duty, K2471-1

Hobart 140
WeldingDepot -- Hobart Handler® 140 Mig 500500 110 Volt 140 Amp (No Gas or Gas) Mig Welder 5/3/1 Year Warranty

[Mike BR]

I have a Lincoln 100 amp. It's held up well, but the I don't use it much. I keep it set up for MIG (.023 wire) and I just doesn't have the power for anything over thin sheet -- 14ga is pushing it. (That's okay, because I can stick weld anything thicker).

I've seen some pretty impressive welds on thicker stock made with a Millermatic 135 (predecessor to the 140). So it's probably worth the extra expense for one of the 140 amp units Jose listed.

[mike-hr]

I bought a new lincoln SP-125 plus, probably 8-10 years ago, for packing upstairs on the back deck to do final installations on railings. The little guy does okay in the shop, but I quickly noticed that electricians just can't see the merit in running a #12 wire with a 20 amp breaker upstairs to the back deck of any house. The little lincoln really doesn't like 15 amp breakers and #14 wire supply. I bought a Miller Bobcat portable with a Miller suitcase Mig set-up for it. The suitcase is real nice, even with the inconvienience of running cables from the Bobcat. I haven't used the little lincoln in over 5 years, I reckon I should take it to the next hammer-in and sell it for gas money.

[TarAlderion]

Thanks for the info guys. I have some more to consider now.

I used to work as a welder doing ornamental work, rails, stairs, fences, etc, and any other fab jobs that came in. We used the 220v Millermatics in the shop and they were always good. We also had the Miller bobcats on the trucks for the field, and I think there were a couple of suitcases for them, but we primarily stick welded our field welds. This little MIG would be mostly for my own shop usage, and the occasional odd job or need that might need to be welded elsewhere.

I am pretty set on 140 amp for a little MIG and wouldnt want to go to a lower amp model. I do want to be able to do a decent bit of fab work with it and not just be limited to thin sheet. 1/4" would be decent enough for my uses.

I guess my main concern was whether or not the Hobart held up as well to the competition. I have heard that Hobart is more of a "hobby" grade welder. In addition, there are the various biases that one welding manufacturer is better than the other, etc. And wanted to get some of your opinions on what you all think is best. It seems like the hobart can be a bit less expensive than the Miller and Lincoln models, and wondered if there was any reason to spend a hundred or two extra for lincoln or Miller.

[KevinD]

Looks like I need to save up $350 more dollars...

Mike HR - What'll you take for the little Lincoln?

[Dave M]

If you look at the Hobart & Miller 140 amp Mig units they look all most the same. The sales man at the shop I buy my gases at said that they are made in the same factory. If you look at the miller on the wire feed and the amp control they are variable. On the Hobart unit they are preset on the controls so you can't slide in between whats on the dial. I have the miller unit and have had no problems and I use this unit all of the time because of its portability. I think if you are going to use it a lot I would go with the miller or the lincoln 140 unit. The shop that I bought my welder at sells all 3 units and I noticed the Hobart unit felt much lighter when I lifted it.

[j@j metal works]

I run a Lincoln 140 C and it works great. Its the most powerful 110 mig that Lincoln makes. I have welded up to 3/8in steel with no problems. I mostly us 75% Argon and 25% CO2 shielding gas. I prefer to use shielding gas over flux core. Gas is a lot cleaner than flux core.

[Mike BR]

You could also look at the Millermatic Passport. It'll give you 140 amps at a slightly better duty cycle than the Millermatic 140. Or you can connect it to 220 and get 180 amps. Of course, it lists for $2000.