The hobart 180 is what i plan on gettin... one sight says its 230 volt .... well hang on just check them out:
http://hobartwelders.com/products/handler180.html#
http://hobartwelders.com/products/pdf/spec_sheets/Handler_180.pdf

it's a 220 welder. I had the 175 version back in the day

what did you think of it
???
on the harbor frieght website it shows a picture of the welder with a 110 plug in the back of it.... thats why im confused

what did you think of it
???
on the harbor frieght website it shows a picture of the welder with a 110 plug in the back of it.... thats why im confused

It's definitely a 230V unit. I just got one a couple of months ago, and it's pretty fantastic. Pay attention to your polarity for the welding you are doing (yeah, I experimented with different polarities, just to see what made the big difference). It's easy to change, it's right there under the cover where the wire spool goes. I got mine at Tractor Supply Company, it came with the cart, a cheap hood and some decent gloves, they even stock the gas.

I have the 175 and love it for small fabrication (using relatively thin materials used in building brackets, bumpers, shock hoops, cages etc. Most of those projects use .120 to .25 thickness materials. If you need something with thicker capacity for heavier projects, like using 1/2" or thicker, you'll need to find a larger unit.)

I have the 180. Also got it at Tractor Supply, came w/ auto-dark helmet (which I love), gloves, pick, bottle, regulator, cart, etc. I paid just under 600$ for mine.

I love mine. Still haven't boogered up a tip, surprisingly.

1/2" may be a bit on the thick side for that unit. I also have a Lincoln 225 buzzbox for when I weld REALLY thick stuff.

JP