[TheForge] MIG Welders

[ries]

I dont know much about the Lincolns, but I have had very good luck  
with Millers for many years.
Hobart is Millers economy line- they are indeed cheaper in build  
quality, and I would not recommend one- they use plastic gears  
instead of metal in the drive motor, for example.
Personally, I would skip the autoset- its not really that hard to set  
the wire speed/amps on a mig welder, and its just one more thing to  
go wrong.

The difference between the two lincolns appears to be that the T  
model has just 4 settings for amps, while the C is infinitely  
adjustable. The infinite adjustment is a bit nicer, and probably  
worth getting.

I would either buy the Miller 140, or the Lincoln C. Both are going  
to be good machines.

ries




On May 21, 2007, at 1:23 PM, Washington, Aubrey O. wrote:

Okay Folks, I know we've covered a lot of this territory in the past,  
but I'd like some specific input on my situation.  I'm not a great  
welder and don't do a lot of it.  But, I've owned a Lincoln 225 AC  
machine for many years.  I was thinking of upgrading to the AC/DC  
model to see if that would improve my welding in sheet metal.  (I get  
a lot of burn through or sticking.)  Then this weekend I got a chance  
to play with a Miller 135 MIG welder.  That got me to thinking about  
other options.

Now I'm considering keeping the old  AC stick welder and adding a MIG  
machine to my shop.  I can use the stick welder for heavy duty  
applications, so I'm thinking of getting a 115V MIG machine so it can  
take it with me to locations where 230V is not available.  In doing a  
quick internet search, it seems that 140 amps is the largest that  
MIGs come in for 115V.  Roughly in order of price I've found the  
following:

Millermatic 140 w/ Auto Set
Millermatic 140
Lincoln Power MIG 140C & 140T
Hobart Handler 140 MIG

I have several questions.  Why are the Hobarts so much cheaper?  (Are  
they boat anchors?)  Is there any real difference between Lincoln and  
Miller (besides color preference)?  Is the "auto set" feature of the  
Miller worth the extra $80?  What is the difference between the  
Lincoln 140C and 140T?  (I didn't notice any difference in specs and  
there is only about $5 difference in price.)  What other issues  
should I be considering?

Thanks,
Aubrey
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Ries Niemi
Industrial Artist
http://www.riesniemi.com/