There is a Harbor Freight store next to my work, they have a Chicago Electric Mig Welder for $149.99

I do not have the specs for it now, but I can get them on my luch break. I know it does not have a argon bottle, and it has a standard 3 prong plug

what do I need to look for in a welder. I do not know anything about what to look for, just seems cheap to me

You get what you pay for!!! It would more then likely but I would save my money and buy a Hobart. I have seen them for a bit less then $500. for the 110 model. Myself I would get a 220 one. I have found that most stuff from HF is junk. I have a Lincoln SP 175 and it works great. The bottle is for CO2 or CO2/Argon mix not what ever you tried to spell which I thing was acetylene. This is just my opinion. :D

Originally posted by OPP'S
The bottle is for CO2 or CO2/Argon mix not what ever you tried to spell which I thing was acetylene. This is just my opinion. :D

WTF?? He spelled Argon the same way you did, A R G O N.

Don't waste your $ on the one from Harbor Freight, those small flux core wire welders ones won't do much.

Save for a 135A/110V, or better yet a 175A/220V model, and DO get the gas bottle, using flux core wire sucks. The gas enables a non-welder (like me) to do a decent job. Both Miller and Hobart have such models.
Check out this place (http://www.cyberweld.com) for info on both.

Originally posted by fourwd1


WTF?? He spelled Argon the same way you did, A R G O N.



Hmmm OPP's posted at 1:41pm, and this little line at the bottom of the original post should clear things up:

Last edited by TN85YOTA on 04-02-2002 at 01:44 PM

Im guessing he fixed his post, what do you think?

Anyways, im about to close my long search for a good mig welder also. I will be purchasing from www.cyberweld.com or www.welders-direct.com. And ive narrowed it down to either a Miller 175, or a Hobart 175, both produced by miller with the same great warranty, but I can't distinguish a difference other than the $75-100 price difference. Can anyone shed some light on this?

For auto fab, I found in my searching that anything less than 175 A will probably become annoying, or just plain let you down.

Hobart has 4 distinct voltage settings, Miller has infinite adjustment from 0-100%

I think the wire feed is different on the Miller, and it has a quick change feature which makes it faster to change rolls and refeed the wire. Mainly designed for commercial work as opposed to hobby work.

For home use I think the Hobart is fine.

I got a Hobart 250 amp machine, works real well.
might be overkill for someone who doesn't weld that often.
Depends on your needs, I like to turn it up and let it fry myself.

I like to turn it up and let it fry myself.

:D :rasta: :D

Picked up my Hobart 135 for $430 shipped to my door (399 + 31 for shipping).
Got it from www.weilerwelding.com (no tax on the internet and i got it in 5 days)

I think they have the Lincoln 135 for $399 now.
My hobart is great for my needs. When welding on thick metal i do have to run two passes.

THe flux core is ok for now. I'll get a tank sooner or later.

what about Lincoln welders are they any good , how do they compare to Hobart and Miller

For home use (read less experienced weldors) you will want to buy the HOBART (I just got the 135 to replace my 8+ year old 120).
Let me make some sense of mig welders for you guys...

There are two basic types of power supplies for welding:

Constant Current (your average "STICK" welder)
you adjust the current (amperage) with your
little dial.

Constant Voltage (your average "MIG" welder Hobart, Miller)
you adjust the voltage with your little dial.

Hobart Handler 135 like most portable MIG welders is what is called a "Tapped Machine" as it only has four voltage settings to choose from. the way this works is like having four transformers in one, each one progressively bigger, to choose from.

The Miller is a constantly "Variable" machine, it controls voltage like a light dimmer knob.

The Tapped Machines generally produce a nicer looking weld with less splatter (easy to use and clean !!!)

Among professional weldors there is debate as to which Tapped/Variable is the best, some guys like the clean weld with less splatter and some guys like to just dial it in perfectly.

I have built MANY rigs with my previous and current Hobart, the small 135 will do anything you need to build your Toyotas, and is a HIGHLY dependable unit with a great warranty.

My old hobart is gutted of it's power supply and I am planning to use it either as a spool feeder for my Linde TIG welder or as a battery/alternator powered trail welder.

The Hobart Sounds fine for what Im doing, but im going to go with the 175 as opposed to the 135. As I get better I will probably end up doing a lot of fab work for friends, and I think I will need something a little bit more heavy duty.

http://www.cyberweld.com/hobhan175.html

I asked a friend last night that does a lot of welding. he preferred the Hobart over the Lincoln for a mig welder. He advised to get th e175, because you can always turn it down, but when you need the power, it will be there

He also informed me the mig welders with out the Argon bottle is called a ' flux welder', he said they tend to be messy and the spit and spudder while you weld.




Thanks for all the input so far, I think I will save up and get a Hobart 175, and stay away from Harbor Freight special.

Lets not forget about the Ready Welder www.readywelder.com . It kicks ass. It takes some getting used to since there is no way to regulate the power other than with wire speed but once you get used to it you love it. More than enough power and portable too.

Just got a Hobart 135 from cyberweld.com. Was $445 to the door. :D I have used the Lincoln in the past - the Hobart kicks the shit of the Lincoln.
For bigger stuff I use a Miller 225 AC/DC arc.
The el-cheapo HF unilts will be major disappointment.

Originally posted by Richard
what about Lincoln welders are they any good , how do they compare to Hobart and Miller

I have a Lincoln SP-175 Plus. It's a kick ass machine! 220V with Argon/CO2 cover gas. It's a great welder and has served me well.

Don't forget- you get what you pay for!