fastcivicboy

Hey everyone im getting ready to drop $650 on a mig. Ive had my eye on the Lincoln 175 that they sale at Lowes, but now ive been looking at the Hobart Handler 175 they sale at Harbor Frieght. Is there any big dif. in the welders, wich would yall prefer from a more experienced welder's view. Please give me some insight on both of the welders. Just from the brand Lincoln I woud think it would be a better and more heavy duty welder. I dont know I just want somthing I can fab up my own manifolds with and not have to worry about the bitch cracking. If I had the money to drop on a tig I would but I dont. Also I dont have to much experience with welders so this will be perfect for me now. Well thanks for the help guys. -Nick

Engloid

You can get into a DC tig machine for near what you're ready to spend...something like the Maxstar 150.

But about the mig...I've used the Hobart in industrial settings with no problems at all. They are durable machines, and a great machine for the cost of them.

Keep in mind that home improvement stores now sell John Deere lawn mowers...but they're far from what you will buy at the John Deere dealership. Same with car stereos at WalMart...they have many that are cheap versions that are made exclusively for WalMart...since they push so hard to get prices down.

I suspect that the Lincoln machines at home improvement stores would be the same thing...cheaper built than what you'd buy from a Lincoln distributor.

Ok, go to this link and you will notice the machine is a 3200HD.http://www.homedepot.com/prel8...=9876
Hmmm wonder if HD is for Home Depot??

And here on the Lincoln site, they don't list it: http://www.mylincolnelectric.c...|241|

Same with Lowe's...they have a model that Lincoln doesn't list on their website.
http://www.lowes.com/lkn?actio...pping

gophaster

Actually you can find all the Lowes & Home Depot models on the Lincoln website. Check here....

http://www.mylincolnelectric.c...2690|

Engloid

You're right...but I'd still reccomend the Hobart, even if they're the same thing.

ComputerJLT

i read somewhere on a lincon board that the pro mig 175 and 3200hd are very similar if not the same as an sp175t non plus.

I wound up buying the pro-mig 175 because it wasn't a whole lot more at lowes as it was online. It came with a free stand and angle grinder so i'm happy. And i'm extremly impatient so that played a big factor.

So far i'm very pleased. I've used about half of a small spool of flux core and about 1.5 small spools of mig wire. I just fucked up my gas difuser so i bought one off ebay along with a lot of other consumables to stock up on.

Oh and send me my cylinder head nick

joeseph

where can you find maxstar's for $650?

Engloid

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by joeseph &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">where can you find maxstar's for $650?</TD></TR></TABLE>
I think I said you can find them for a little more. I think you can get in one for about $750.

quickersol

if your just welding manifolds and exhaust with it you could get by with a little smaller machine. i have been using a lincoln weld-pak 100 and it has worked great for building turbo manifolds and doing other projects upto 3/8" thick (not very fast at that thickness) i just ordered a hobart 135 from harbor freight which is on sale right now for $330, a pretty decent price on this unit.

my lincoln has had its share of use so i will now use it as a backup. i've probably welded a few hundred pounds of wire though it and its showing some wear. i think within the next year or 2 i will sell one of them and goto a nicer tig.

ManBearPig4silly

i have a lincoln 100 for doing random brackets and stuff. There is no chance in hell I will be doing a turbo manifold with it. I'm sure it can be done but I'm not even going to try it.....and i'm ghetto about welding.

Ag-Eng

I thought Hobart & Miller were made by the same company???

I'm also looking into buying a Hobart, but I only have 110 at my house....

ComputerJLT

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ag-Eng &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I thought Hobart & Miller were made by the same company???

I'm also looking into buying a Hobart, but I only have 110 at my house.... </TD></TR></TABLE>

they are

Engloid

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ag-Eng &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I thought Hobart & Miller were made by the same company???

I'm also looking into buying a Hobart, but I only have 110 at my house.... </TD></TR></TABLE>
Actually, Miller owns Hobart. I don't know that they even make machines in the same building though. They may own Hobart, but still be rather separate from them.

and I'd bet anything you have 220 at your house... ovens and dryers run 220.

220 power is just two 110 wires...one from each "leg" of the breaker box.

Either way, I think most of these smaller Hobart mig machines take 110.