Welder opinions

[PanelDeland]

I'm looking to buy a welder for myself.I want to be able to do some body panel replacement but also have some heavier projects I would eventually tackle.I have determined that I don't want a 110 Machine since I would probably just wind up moving up in a year or so.I do some welding but am by no means an accomplished weldor.So I also want something I can improve my skills with.I'm looking at these two right now and though the Miller is a bit more it has some features I think may be important.Like infinite adjustment for amps,and the ability to use 110 or 220.So I guess my question is,for the $200 or so difference is the Miller worth it?
If you have a suggestion other than these please post it up.I'm really thinking one of the big three (Lincoln,Miller or Hobart)though I haven't looked too closely at Lincolns offerings in this range yet.

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...p?model=M00245



http://www.hobartwelders.com/product...ed/handler210/

[HarrolLS1]

Bought my miller though these guys. Free shipping in the US.

http://store.cyberweld.com/mi211migwewi.html

[trz1000]

My experience is with the bigger 240v machines but should apply to the smaller ones. Also, it's been a few years since I've made any kind of in person comparison of the two. If you don't know, Hobart is owned by Miller.

Anyway, Hobart and Miller are both real good machines. As are Lincoln though I have very little experience with them. Hobart are more for the hobbyist and are constructed out of cheaper materials. The most obvious being the drive roll assembly. Miller uses metal for the framework while Hobart plastics. You can see the Miller drive roll on their web site but I didn't see a pic of the Hobarts.

Now before you get all bent out of shape about the plastic drive roll assembly, I welded with a Hobart Ironman 230 (or whatever the equivalent was in the early 00's) for five years with no problems at all. The only reason I switched welders was to get my ESAB Multimaster 260, which will do MIG, TIG, and Stick on the same machine. I was running out of room in my shop so I wanted an integrated unit. The Hobart was a good welder and I'd probably still have it if I didn't want to have a TIG welder as well.

Tap voltage as opposed to infinite is much easier for a newbie to dial in. Having infinite voltage and wire speed can be intimidating but it's not impossible to learn. The infinite voltage is real nice to dial in a soft arc when working with light gauge. I never complained about the Hobart tap voltage but I do like the infinite better on my current welder.

Either machine will suite you fine but if you plan to do any amount of serious fabricating, go with the Miller. Once you learn to adjust the voltage and wire speed, you'll be able to better customize the arc for every situation (and they're all different).

Very smart to buy a welder for your future anticipated needs. Lots of guys regret buying a 120v machine. If you're anticipating to regularly be pushing either welder to the limit (1/4" to 3/8") the low duty cycle of both welders will drive you nuts.

Just like an air compressor, buy the biggest welder you can afford. But always be honest with yourself about what you'll be doing. My ESAB will MIG 1/2" with one pass. I actually use that capability at least a few times a year but most guys don't need anything that substantial. On the flip side, I burn a lot of 1/4" and have never run into the any duty cycle issues, and that is worth the price of admission. It really, really, sucks when you're welding something that's going to take several hours and your welder keeps overheating.


Happy welding!

[PanelDeland]

trz,you have just about echo'ed my seniments about it.On a future project I do anticipate doing some 1/4 but doubt there'll be any if much 3/8.I have also toyed with the idea of buying the Miller and keeping my eyes open for an older (USAmade) Lincoln Tombstone for heavier stuff.I'm actually pretty well sold on the Miller.Just want to see some reviews.Thanks for the input.

Harrol,thanks for the link.It looks like theiur special is a few dollars less than my local dealer quoted me.

[Gobbles]

Originally Posted by trz1000

Tap voltage as opposed to infinite is much easier for a newbie to dial in. Having infinite voltage and wire speed can be intimidating but it's not impossible to learn.

Just to help sway you further, the Miller 211 with infinite voltage also has "auto set" functions. I found that when I had trouble finding a sweet spot I would turn the auto set on to point me in the right direction, ie) less wire or more wire , then find just the right heat. I don't know if Hobart has similar technology but I love my Miller 211!

[shortbed70]

I use a miller 251 at work and I just bought a hobart 230 for home and I prefer the hobart myself. I looked at the miller 211 autoset also but it was more expensive.

[gastrader35]

miller all the way. the 211 auto-set is all you will ever need. check welding supplies from ioc you can save a couple hundred and free shipping.http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/

[shortbed70]

Keep in mind also both those welders are 30% duty cycle so if your doing alot of welding might want to look into a bigger unit. That was the other reason I went with a bigger unit to get into a 60% duty. Out of those two units miller would probably be the best for a beginner, novice welder because of the easy set.

[PanelDeland]

I pulled the trigger on the Miller 211 Autoset.I went to the LWS and asked them what they could do.They told me and I did a little research.It was about $100 higher at the LWS but I like to spend locally (if it isn't an unreasonable markup)and have a go-to for warranty.I went back to the LWS today and told him I wanted one,that I had found it some cheaper but really wanted to keep my business local.He asked what I found it for(the $999 from Cyberweld) and he matched it,then dropped the price of my bottle of gas another $50.Should be here Mon. I can hardly wait to start playing!!!!

[Gobbles]

Grats! You won't be disappointed! I'm really happy with mine and will be using it tomorrow, not bragging or anything . Monday is close!