- Location
- Seattle, WA
Try to find a used cylinder on Craigslist. A deposit on a new bottle is like $250.
hobart is made with some really crappy chinese parts.
Do you have a source for this information or is it your opinion? I know they are owned by the same company as Miller and besides some of the the drive sysem components and paint I understand they are close to identical.
Hobart warranty: 5-year limited warranty on transformers, 3-year limited warranty on electronics, and 1-year limited warranty on guns
Miller Warranty: 5-year limited warranty on transformers, 3-year limited warranty on electronics, and 1-year limited warranty on guns
Lincoln warranty:Three Year Lincoln Warranty/90 Days on gun and cable assembly
Hobart Welders (Troy, OH): all Hobart MIG and stick welders are made in Ohio. (Hobart is owned by Illinois Tool Works).
Lincoln Electric Co. (Cleveland, OH): (stick, MIG, and TIG welders) welders manufactured at several facilities in Ohio. (Some product lines imported ). In 2003, Lincoln bought the Century brand, and many Century welders are made in USA.
Miller Electric (Appleton, WI): all Miller welders are still made in Wisconsin. (Miller Electric is owned by Illinois Tool Works.)
I did my research and found the Hobart Handler 190 to be the best value. I hope I was right.
i just got home with a new lincoln 140c mig that i need for work. i was thinking of buying the miller 140 but after talking with 3 different stores today & having them all say the difference is pretty much weather you like blue or red paint it just came down to price & the lincoln was only $619 after the $75 mail in rebate. now i need to learn how to use flux core wire so i can teach my employees how to use it for a job we are doing next week.
yeah i worked at the hobart plant in Troy ohio while i was going to Hobart. not to bash on Hobart to much i had the Hobart Handler 140 for awhile worked ok besides having to send it in for repair work 3 times in the first year. since ive run pretty much every miller machine out there at various jobs. and have a miller 304 xmt. none have ever given me problems the hobart handler did.
May I ask where you found the 190A for $500?
Should I start with flux or would I miss out on anything going right to gas?
From my experience, it is best to start with flux core. If you can get a nice looking flux core weld, then it will be nice and easy to make a sexy gas weld. But why waste youre money on gas if your going to be spitting out boogers for your first tank, before you actually get the hang of it.
Also flux core burns hotter than gas, and has beter penetration.
I use a HF auto helmet. It was on sale + 20% off, and gets the job done nicely. I like it.