Hobart Welder... Yay.. or nay

[fasthumpman]

so i got my eyes on this hobart welder. i will be usin it to replace my rusted areas of my truck.(pretty much the whole thing). i know hobart is made by miller and ive searched the forums but ive never heard any testimony from anyone whose owned or used em. i dont trust online reviews anymroe these days i need some i can trust. it welds 22 guage to 1/8... think it'll get the job done?? might even try my hand at makin some bumpers. thanks guys

 

[kgblazerfive]

Yea I like them.

 

[pauly383]

Hobart is a good name for a good welder , but since Whirlpool makes their dishwashers ( kitchenaid's ) , maybe someone else makes their welders too .

 

[NoRustNoGlory]

borrowed a Hobart from my work (dockyard) and it is a MIG type. I've never welded before in my life and found it quite easy to use, even though I've proven I'll never be able to make money welding for anybody else!! I used 0.030 dia flux core and did up some sheetmetal replacement body panels with pretty good success. Blew out a few holes, but chalked that up to inexperience. My only problem was trying adjust the feed tension, as this welder is older, it has grooves worn into the roller, which meant I had to stop frequently and fiddle with it. Other than that, no problems.

 

[onlychevy6]

Hobart is a good name for a good welder , but since Whirlpool makes their dishwashers ( kitchenaid's ) , maybe someone else makes their welders too .

I believe Miller makes the welders for Hobart....

 

[Leper]

Good welder, good price.

 

[fasthumpman]

ok so good welder but whats the catch of the price..... cheaper parts maybe??

 

[sweetk30]

yes its miller . and just not as super built like top of the line. but thay sell lots of them and no real problems . this info is from my friend whos dad owns a welding/supply shop. thay cant keep them on the self for the smaller shops and weekend builders like us.

mine is the 140 model. i have done some big stuff with it. and i run gas with .030 wire. runs off 20 amp plug at 110 volts.

 

[wforicv]

Like the other guys have said, they are made by Miller. The only differences I have "heard" is that the Hobart has some less expensive parts on the inside- like the wire spool or drive roll or something is plastic/ composite instead of metal. Again, that is what I hear only. I also hear that parts are interchangable.

Eric

 

[tlspeed]

One of the main difference between hobart and miller even though they are made by the same company is that the hobart has its conducting internals made from aluminum while the miller has copper interntals. Basically hobart is millers economy type welders. I have welded with both and i liked them both, so i wouldnt be scared to purchase a hobart if i needed a welder.

 

[AZ79K5Project]

I just bought the Handler 180. I love it. One of the big differences is the power setting. Hobart 180 has 4 stops plus a purge. Miller 175 is infinite.

I am new to welding so I would have NO idea how to set up with the dial setting.

The Hobart has the Miller gun and a steel drive wheel.

Check around, IN PERSON for welding tanks. I picked a 55CF up for the price to fill it at a shop. ($30.00).

Stay away from the Harbor Freight ones. That is where "CHEAP" parts live.

 

[outsider223]

Like everyone else said, Hobarts are made by Miller. They're acutally made in the same plant (I was lucky enough to tour the Miller plant) Millers are designed for severe duty; construction sites, all day welding, extreme temps; whereas Hobarts are lighter duty, like hobby work. I've welded with both the 110 volt Hobarts and Millers. I didn't notice a difference in performance.

You should have seen their diesel powered welder/generators. I want one of those!!!!