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#1
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looking for welder opinions
I am looking to purchase a welder soon. I will be using it to weld a
little bit of everything. We run circletrack racecars, and will be welding rollcages, frames, on the trailer when needed, sheetmetal, and whatever else around the shop! I was looking at Tractor Supply today, they have a Hobart Handler 180 that looks like it might work well for what I need. It is a 230 volt wire welder that says it can weld up to 5/16 steel. It comes with gauges, stand, everything but the tank for around $650. Has anyone had any experience with this welder, or brand in general? I haven't looked at the Lincolns yet, is this compatible qualitywise to Lincoln, or is there another brand yet to look at? I won't be welding everyday, really not a whole lot unless doing a major repair or a new car, maybe working it hard 1/2 dozen times a year, with a few odds and ends projects thrown in. I just want something that can handle it when I AM needing to weld on a cage for several days at a time! Any opinions appreciated! Earl |
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#2
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bige lewis wrote:
> > I am looking to purchase a welder soon. I will be using it to weld a > little bit of everything. We run circletrack racecars, and will be > welding rollcages, frames, on the trailer when needed, sheetmetal, and > whatever else around the shop! I was looking at Tractor Supply today, > they have a Hobart Handler 180 that looks like it might work well for > what I need. It is a 230 volt wire welder that says it can weld up to > 5/16 steel. It comes with gauges, stand, everything but the tank for > around $650. Has anyone had any experience with this welder, or brand in > general? I haven't looked at the Lincolns yet, is this compatible > qualitywise to Lincoln, or is there another brand yet to look at? I > won't be welding everyday, really not a whole lot unless doing a major > repair or a new car, maybe working it hard 1/2 dozen times a year, with > a few odds and ends projects thrown in. I just want something that can > handle it when I AM needing to weld on a cage for several days at a > time! Any opinions appreciated! Earl Hobart, Miller, and Lincoln are good brands. As to capacity, you want to look at duty cycle on the maximum thicknesses that you expect to be welding. Another thing to look at is availability of consumables such as contactor tips and nozzles, as well as wear items such as the torch liner. Be sure to get a lube pad for the wire, that'll prolong the life of the liner. A good gas mix is C-25 for general purpose mild steel welding. If you think that you may be welding aluminum in the future then another factor to look at is the cost of a spool gun. If you haven't welded much before I highly recommend taking a welding class at a local junior college if there's one available. When I took my welding class I had a teacher who was nuke certified and had over 40 years of experience, I learned a lot from him. JazzMan -- ************************************************** ******** Please reply to jsavage"at"airmail.net. Curse those darned bulk e-mailers! ************************************************** ******** "Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand. It is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy." - Wendell Berry ************************************************** ******** |
#3
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Check the duty cycle. hopefully 50%. But buy a Hobart, or miller.
Both are made by ITW. Lincoln is a piece of ****. We have,and had a lot of the bigger 250 hobarts at work (truck shop). I think some were traded in on newer units. The hobarts would weld through dirt, grease, rust, paint, anything. If you could get an arc started hobart would weld it. We got a lincoln 225, I think, maybe a 250 sp, and that welder never worked correctly. You had to have both surfaces perfectly clean for it to operate. Great in a production atmosphere, terrible in a truck shop. The lincoln also had a control I did not like. Like a bubble keyboard. Give me knobs, or levers. It's a welder!! I would never own a lincoln wire feed. I have used an EASB for the last 5 years and it works great, but nothing is as forgiving as the hobarts. They are less picky about good ground. Look at TWECO stingers. My choice, but another $200. for a 20' lead, but very handy when yer work is far from yer welder. You usually git some 10' stinger with these welders, great if you can git it on da table to weld, but not too convenient if yer welding on yer car trailer. It sounds like a real welder, 240v, & 5/16. Should do you good. cordless >I am looking to purchase a welder soon. I will be using it to weld a >little bit of everything. We run circletrack racecars, and will be >welding rollcages, frames, on the trailer when needed, sheetmetal, and >whatever else around the shop! I was looking at Tractor Supply today, >they have a Hobart Handler 180 that looks like it might work well for >what I need. It is a 230 volt wire welder that says it can weld up to >5/16 steel. It comes with gauges, stand, everything but the tank for >around $650. Has anyone had any experience with this welder, or brand in >general? I haven't looked at the Lincolns yet, is this compatible >qualitywise to Lincoln, or is there another brand yet to look at? I >won't be welding everyday, really not a whole lot unless doing a major >repair or a new car, maybe working it hard 1/2 dozen times a year, with >a few odds and ends projects thrown in. I just want something that can >handle it when I AM needing to weld on a cage for several days at a >time! Any opinions appreciated! Earl |
#4
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"big"e" lewis" > wrote in message ... > I am looking to purchase a welder soon. I will be using it to weld a > little bit of everything. We run circletrack racecars, and will be > welding rollcages, frames, on the trailer when needed, sheetmetal, and > whatever else around the shop! I was looking at Tractor Supply today, > they have a Hobart Handler 180 that looks like it might work well for > what I need. It is a 230 volt wire welder that says it can weld up to > 5/16 steel. It comes with gauges, stand, everything but the tank for > around $650. Has anyone had any experience with this welder, or brand in Hobart has some nice products - don't know anything about that particular model > general? I haven't looked at the Lincolns yet, is this compatible Lincoln's seem to ALL have wire feed issues! > qualitywise to Lincoln, or is there another brand yet to look at? I > won't be welding everyday, really not a whole lot unless doing a major I really like and use Miller -- "Millermatic" for mig and tig welding Victor for oxy-acetylene -- BBA °?° BBA's RC Site - http://www.billybadassrc.com When Privacy Matters -- http://www.epic.org |
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