looking for welder opinions

I am looking to purchase a welder soon. I will be using it to weld a
little bit of everything. We run circletrack racecars, and will be
welding rollcages, frames, on the trailer when needed, sheetmetal, and
whatever else around the shop! I was looking at Tractor Supply today,
they have a Hobart Handler 180 that looks like it might work well for
what I need. It is a 230 volt wire welder that says it can weld up to
5/16 steel. It comes with gauges, stand, everything but the tank for
around $650. Has anyone had any experience with this welder, or brand in
general? I haven't looked at the Lincolns yet, is this compatible
qualitywise to Lincoln, or is there another brand yet to look at? I
won't be welding everyday, really not a whole lot unless doing a major
repair or a new car, maybe working it hard 1/2 dozen times a year, with
a few odds and ends projects thrown in. I just want something that can
handle it when I AM needing to weld on a cage for several days at a
time! Any opinions appreciated! Earl

bige lewis wrote:
>
> I am looking to purchase a welder soon. I will be using it to weld a
> little bit of everything. We run circletrack racecars, and will be
> welding rollcages, frames, on the trailer when needed, sheetmetal, and
> whatever else around the shop! I was looking at Tractor Supply today,
> they have a Hobart Handler 180 that looks like it might work well for
> what I need. It is a 230 volt wire welder that says it can weld up to
> 5/16 steel. It comes with gauges, stand, everything but the tank for
> around $650. Has anyone had any experience with this welder, or brand in
> general? I haven't looked at the Lincolns yet, is this compatible
> qualitywise to Lincoln, or is there another brand yet to look at? I
> won't be welding everyday, really not a whole lot unless doing a major
> repair or a new car, maybe working it hard 1/2 dozen times a year, with
> a few odds and ends projects thrown in. I just want something that can
> handle it when I AM needing to weld on a cage for several days at a
> time! Any opinions appreciated! Earl

Hobart, Miller, and Lincoln are good brands. As to capacity,
you want to look at duty cycle on the maximum thicknesses that
you expect to be welding. Another thing to look at is availability
of consumables such as contactor tips and nozzles, as well as
wear items such as the torch liner. Be sure to get a lube pad
for the wire, that'll prolong the life of the liner. A good gas
mix is C-25 for general purpose mild steel welding. If you think
that you may be welding aluminum in the future then another factor
to look at is the cost of a spool gun.

If you haven't welded much before I highly recommend taking a
welding class at a local junior college if there's one available.
When I took my welding class I had a teacher who was nuke certified
and had over 40 years of experience, I learned a lot from him.

JazzMan
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Check the duty cycle. hopefully 50%. But buy a Hobart, or miller.
Both are made by ITW.
Lincoln is a piece of ****. We have,and had a lot of the bigger 250
hobarts at work (truck shop). I think some were traded in on newer
units. The hobarts would weld through dirt, grease, rust, paint,
anything. If you could get an arc started hobart would weld it.
We got a lincoln 225, I think, maybe a 250 sp, and that welder never
worked correctly. You had to have both surfaces perfectly clean for
it to operate. Great in a production atmosphere, terrible in a truck
shop. The lincoln also had a control I did not like. Like a bubble
keyboard. Give me knobs, or levers. It's a welder!! I would never own
a lincoln wire feed.
I have used an EASB for the last 5 years and it works great, but
nothing is as forgiving as the hobarts. They are less picky about good
ground.
Look at TWECO stingers. My choice, but another $200. for a 20' lead,
but very handy when yer work is far from yer welder. You usually git
some 10' stinger with these welders, great if you can git it on da
table to weld, but not too convenient if yer welding on yer car
trailer.
It sounds like a real welder, 240v, & 5/16. Should do you good.
cordless
>I am looking to purchase a welder soon. I will be using it to weld a
>little bit of everything. We run circletrack racecars, and will be
>welding rollcages, frames, on the trailer when needed, sheetmetal, and
>whatever else around the shop! I was looking at Tractor Supply today,
>they have a Hobart Handler 180 that looks like it might work well for
>what I need. It is a 230 volt wire welder that says it can weld up to
>5/16 steel. It comes with gauges, stand, everything but the tank for
>around $650. Has anyone had any experience with this welder, or brand in
>general? I haven't looked at the Lincolns yet, is this compatible
>qualitywise to Lincoln, or is there another brand yet to look at? I
>won't be welding everyday, really not a whole lot unless doing a major
>repair or a new car, maybe working it hard 1/2 dozen times a year, with
>a few odds and ends projects thrown in. I just want something that can
>handle it when I AM needing to weld on a cage for several days at a
>time! Any opinions appreciated! Earl

"big"e" lewis" > wrote in message
...
> I am looking to purchase a welder soon. I will be using it to weld a
> little bit of everything. We run circletrack racecars, and will be
> welding rollcages, frames, on the trailer when needed, sheetmetal, and
> whatever else around the shop! I was looking at Tractor Supply today,
> they have a Hobart Handler 180 that looks like it might work well for
> what I need. It is a 230 volt wire welder that says it can weld up to
> 5/16 steel. It comes with gauges, stand, everything but the tank for
> around $650. Has anyone had any experience with this welder, or brand in

Hobart has some nice products - don't know anything about that particular model

> general? I haven't looked at the Lincolns yet, is this compatible

Lincoln's seem to ALL have wire feed issues!

> qualitywise to Lincoln, or is there another brand yet to look at? I
> won't be welding everyday, really not a whole lot unless doing a major

I really like and use Miller -- "Millermatic" for mig and tig welding
Victor for oxy-acetylene
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