Aight. I have been doing some searching for sometime trying to pic a good mig welder. It is most likely going to be a gift from my parents and girlfriend for Christmas. I am basically going to make an exhaust, downpipe, dumptube, and intercooler piping with it. I will probably use it for things here and there and may possibly construct a manifold (exhaust) later on down the road. Just for the heck of it. I won't be able to afford a tig for quite some time.

I do have access to 220, however its from the washer drier and I could not find a place that sells 220 extension cords, so thats pretty much out. Plus for what I am doing, I think 115 and some gas will have strong enough welds to hold.

I thought I had made up my mind on a Hobart 135, but then I read they were refurbished units and I wasn't so sure i wanted to buy a refurbished unit. I was not opposed to a Millermatic 135 except its a couple hundred dollars more and from what I have read for what I am doing I am pretty much getting the same quality out of a different colored box.

I am wondering what the more knowledgeable people on here would suggest and I was curious what the real differences are between the Hobart 135 and 140.

Any help will be appreciated.

 

if you look at the specs on each welder it will tell you what you can weld with it. figure what the biggest thickest material you are ever gonna really weld and go with that one. its pretty easy to figure out on your own.

 

If you use the dryer outlet you can make up an extension cord from HomeDepot.

 

Get the hobart handler 180 thats what I have and I couldnt be happier with it.

 

make up? do explain please.

 

Which mig is it,the 175? I think thats rated at 20 amps?

I used something like what HankJ(post#6) recommends here

http://www.millermotorsports.c...=3498

I couldn't find the recepticals at homedepot though but they have em at Lowes.

 

I am probably interpreting this completely wrong so bare with me.

Is HankJ saying to construct a box with 2 230 plugs? I am sorry I am not quite understanding what he is saying. I think I get the jest of it, and maybe it would make more sense if I went to home depot/lowes and started looking at the stuff, but if you could possibly break it down for me to understand a little bit better I would greatly appreciate it.

I dunno why it doesn't make sense, maybe its cause its late, but I read it like 4 times, and I feel like I am missing something, it just doesn't all click together.

 

You buy the cord( however many feet you need)

Then you buy the plugs for the ends. One plug is male to plug into the dryer plug the other is female and you plug the mig into that....done. The box he is talking about is just the recepticle (or female plug).

You might want to post on there and they can give you exact directions.


Modified by 89civicdx at 7:29 AM 11/20/2005

 

220 if you can do it. how many of us wish we had 220..
can't go wrong with the top 3 miller/hobart/lincoln. don't forget the cost of the gas cylinder. <100 or so.