hobart handler 140?

[blazin_blazer]

anyone have this machine, any horror stories?

northern tool has the hobart 140 for $459.99, free shipping and a free cart....its obviously a 140 amp ,..110v,..here it is:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200306073_200306073


then they have ''their'' brand....Northern Industrial MIG 175, again obviously its 175 amp but its 220v,..its $449 =$488.28 to my door w/o cart(get a good mig, i can make a cart) its here:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200342924_200342924


by any chance someone knows who makes northern's welders....
any advice, will the extra 35 amps and 220v ever really make much difference? i have a 250 amp stick, and a tig, and a carbon arc and compressor, so i think the extra 35 amps and 220v will be neglegiable and i ''feel'' better buying the hobart + its @ $40 cheaper, but has anyone owned a Northern Industrial MIG 175, is it as good/dependable as the hobart, making it worth the extra $40.....

btw, from what i understand the hobart has the capability to run a 8in. wire spool adapter & a spoolgun, that i would buy later and set it up to weld aluminium w/another tank of straight argon.....swap gas, attach spoolgun and be set up for aluminium...the nation tool brand mig doesn't have this capability w/o going w/a universal spoolgun, when hobarts is designed for it....any opinions,...i think i'm going w/ the hobart, but wanted to hear if any one had any good arguements for the northern? thanks

 

[BILTIT]

I cannot comment on the NT welder but i would highly recommend going 220V. I looked at the hobart 140, 187 and the miller 180. I finally went with the miller 180 for the infinite voltage control. Welds great and more than capable for most offroad rig work.

 

[jekquistk5]

Its an all right machine. I use it for stuff I can't get my Lincoln 180 to. The only thing that sucks is only having 4 settings for Amps. Were as my lincoln has so many. I like it, do not regret buying it. Its nice for little stuff but the big stuff it stays in the barn.

 

[BlazerBud]

The Handler 140 works well. I have had it for 3 years, it was $419.00 at Tractor Supply, I have put several large spools through it, I have not used it as MIG yet, just flux core, so I don't know how well it is for that.

 

[Rollcenter]

I have one and it works good. Not like a 220 unit but I dont have 220 so had to go with the 120. The only problem I have is the wire feed gets screwed up if you try to bend it to much. But I put a kink in mine will doing my mufflers and think that is the problem not the welder. I built a nice cart with a spool for 100 feet of 12 gauge extension cord so I can wheel it outside and have my torch set mounted to it. Next is the Plasma cutter they have with on board air and it will mount below the welder. Someday I might get a camera so I can post pics.

 

[k20]

I have the older version of it, the 135 (same friggin thing) and its.....eh.... Ive been spoiled by the miller 252 at work (I love that thing).

I have the same complaints with my 135, lack of settings and the thing doesnt like to feed if the cable gets twisted. By twisted, I dont mean a series of 90* bends, I mean like the excess coiled by your feet......You cant coil it, just do a long series of S-bends....It gets rather annoying at times, when I dont have enough room in the garage to set the welder any further away than under my feet.

 

[Snowman1000]

Same as everyone else not a bad machine I have used it as a MIG though and it does a decent job. Works good for me wish I could of gone miller 220 but from lack of $$ and no 220. Decent machine for the money

 

[thezentree]

I can't say anything about the Northern machine, but I'd hold out for 220v if you plan on doing anything more than body work. It's soo much more versatile.