Hi, I'm in the market for my first real mig machine. I say real because ive used a gasless cheapo one my dad had before and wasnt so great with it. And i broke it somehow haha. Anyway through reading around, mostly this forum, ive narrowed it down to most likely the Hobart 140. Mainly because of its price and how much people like it. My question is... I have access to 220v in my garage, and I already use it for a stick welder. Would I benifite from getting the hobart 180 for about 175$ more, since it utilizes the 220 and i think ive read somewhere that the 220V machines are better.

Basically I will use it for stuff like exhaust work, brackets and minor fabricating, maybe a downpipe. I found on my other mig I used its higher/highest heat settings alot, but like I said it was a BS machine. I do like the fact that I would be able to use the 110v Hobart 140 other place besides my garage, or if I were to move.

Also, i know its been covered, but what do you reccomend for a tank size, for a beginner thats willing to take a few trips to the local fill place.

Id like to learn but want the best machine for my money, what does everyone think?
Thanks

 

I have 2 20CF tanks. After making 2 manifolds, 2 downpipes, modifying my manifold and DP to accept an external WG, and some repair work (going through 2 pounds of stainless wire and 1 pound of mild wire), I am still using the 1st tank, while using ~8CFH flow rate the entire time.

IMHO 2 20CF tanks is all anyone who isn't fabricating for money needs; and I say 2 because it is nice to have a tank of 75% Ar for mild and stainless and a tank of 100% Ar for aluminum.

I don't have a suggestion for a welder. I love my Clarke MIG130EN. But since you already have an SMAW power source and 220V, why not convert to TIG?

 

Thanks for the info on the tanks beepy, sounds good to me.

As far as converting to tig, I thought about it. Like I said though im def a beginner, not even really too good with the stick welder I have, so I figured Mig would be a better place to start. Plus, its an older craftsman arc stick machine and I dont know if i could get parts, or if its even worth investing in an older machine. Is tig that much harder to learn then mig in your opinion?

Also, ive read a bunch of stuff about this too, but can you really do decent quality welding on aluminum with a Mig and no spool gun?

 

bump for some more answers

 

With a tank you pay more for the labor to fill it than the gas.

I had a 20cf and it lasted about 3lbs of wires worth @ 7

I now have a 40cf (it costs $5 more to fill and its 2x the stuff) and I fill it every 10lbs..

Nothing sucks more than running out of gas on a saturday afternoon and the welding supply house just closed.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hi, I'm in the market for my first real mig machine.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I'd go for a Kemppi or Esab.

 

I just picked up a Millermatic 135 and I love it. I was using a flux core wire feed for a few years and could get some great welds with it because I new the machine and what I could do with it. I have now put one spool and one tank through the miller and will never turn back to the flux core BS. Hands down, it is the best bang for the buck I could have gotten. I pick up a 40lb tank and it's nice for the sake of moving the cart around the garage. However, I wish I would have gone a little bigger.
I also found that my local Miller dealer was just a little more expensive than buying the unit on ebay. Most places have free shipping on them, and it takes about 4-5 business days to get.

 

How in the hell are you using so little flow? I use about 22-24 cf/h with my MillerMatic 210. Personally I would go with the 80cf tank. Everyone has them, and they are cheap to fill.

 

You don't need that much gas flow if welding indoors. I have been able to get great welds at as little as 5 CFH but now run it at 8 CFH just to be on the safe side. That is for surface welding, however. I turn the gas way up if I am trying to weld in a recess.

 

I don't have any welding experience and I'm in the same boat as you looking for my first welder. Unfortunately, I don't have it as good as you in that I have to install a 220 line because I don't have one.

Being that you are already equipped for a 220 machine, I think it would be stupid not to get one. On the hobart 140 the duty cycle is only 90a @ 20%. Like I said, I don't have any experience, but I assume you'll need at least 90a to weld most exhaust/ charge piping and 2 mins ain't a hell of a lot of time to do so.

THat's not to say the 135 miller is a bad machine. Needless to say it's very capable. They say you can weld 1/4" thick in one pass so..... I just think you'll be able to use the extra duty cycle of a 220 machine

Please keep us updated when you make your choice

 

Well I wasnt really aware that the 220 would affect the duty cycle. I guess thats something to keep in mind then. Anyone else have personal experience with this, particularly on any of these mentioned machines?

The 110 machine still has the benifite of being able to use it almost anywhere though.