hat1324 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 What should I go with? Ive seen clarke 130ens, with a cart helmet and gloves go for 379, hobart models, lincon models, and all kinds of stuff.. I dont have a 230V plug in my hose(at least I cant find one) so it has to be a 110 115 volt range unit.. I read Ill need more then a 110, so I was looking at the 130 series of welders.. im stuck, im going to buy it prob monday or sometime next week.. know a place? know a friends uncle who needs to get rid of one? Lemme know..... im mostly welding sheetmetal, exaust pipes, small brackets, and maybe my roll cage.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterZ Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 I bought my Miller 110 volt welder brand new for $1,000 with a cart. I use it more than my Miller TIG welder. The guys let me "test drive" the welders because I wanted a 220V welder. They let me try to break it on the thickest stuff I had. It works well. You can increase the wire size, for higher amperage, on the occasion that you need to do thicker material. It has beel all that I have needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Here comes trouble Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 If you have an electric dryer it should be 220.....Go to Home Depot and ask for info on how to hook up a 220 off your elecric sevice box... for light wire welding .... 110 is adequete... I can weld 3/16 th with my Sears "Crapsmen" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hat1324 Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 goes over my price range on it.. i would LOOOVEE a miller, but honestly I dont see myself welding much past this summer..(HOPE NOT!!) but i will be welding all the time till the Z runs.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Jarvis Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 The Millers and the Hobarts are the same welders in the price range you are looking at. I have a Hobart 135 (they are on the 140 now) and absolutely love it, especially since I got it on clearance for $250. Within the realm of what you are going to be doing automotive wise, it should be able to handle it. The only limiting factor with mine is my skill level, but I am getting better every time I try. I have spoken with several accomplished welders who have bought these as ultra-portables, and end up using them constantly. The new 110's are a world of difference from the buzz boxes of 10 years ago. If you do go with one of these though, throw out the flux core wire and buy gas, the 135/140 already has the regulator, you just have to buy the tank, it makes a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hat1324 Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 yeah I planned on using gas, and ill have plent of left overs from a shop to practice on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 73TPIZ Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 I got my Lincoln 135 from Lowe's with a few acces for 450ish. I really like it. Would have loved the 175 but it runs off of 220 and the 135 runs off of 110 volts. Comes with the regulator. Here's a link http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=177708-1703-K2159-1&lpage=none Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GabeRoc Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 i'll go ahead and give annother for the lincoln 135 with gas. i have done everything on my z with one, including sub frame connectors, and it has worked flawlessly. my .02USD --gabe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzzzzzz Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 The Miller 135 will serve your purposes well. Spend what it takes but it should be in your price range. You'll also need a bottle and regulator (about $300-350 for a 90cft bottle and decent regulator). Fluxcore wire is intended for use outside where winds disrupt the shielding gases. It makes a mess too. Miller uses cast metal roller assemblies which are more durable than the plastic pieces of other manufacturers. If you have the 220 Volt option (and you do if you have at least 100 Amp service panel) go with the Miller 175. The difference in quality of weld and service cycle is WELL worth it! I made a 60 foot extension cord to use my 175 and plasma cutter in the garage and driveway. ESAB and Hobart also make good machines. I hate to say use credit to make up the difference for a good welder but it can be a lifelong investment and you'll regret shortchanging yourself later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boodlefoof Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 I've got a Millermatic 175 and it is excellent. It is a 230v welder and getting a more powerful machine is well worth waiting and spending a few extra bucks. You can get a 175 for around $600-$650. It comes with a regulator and everything you need to get started (except gas, and of course a helmet and gloves...) The Millermatic 135 is also a nice machine, and is what I would get if I had gone with a 120v machine. The real nice feature of both of these I've mentioned is the infinite voltage and wire speed settings... no click dials. When you're welding thin sheetmetal, this is really helpful in making nice welds. Also, Miller is known for its customer service should you have any problems. Alternatively, if you're a Lincoln guy... go for the SP 135 plus. It is basically the exact same machine as the Millermatic 135. If you plan on doing any heavy fabrication work... get a 230v machine. It is what I'm going to be building my custom tube-frame with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 One more thumbs up for the Millermatic 135. Bitchin welder. I think it is different than the Hobart 135 because the Miller has the infinite adjustability that John mentioned. My friend's Hobart has 5 settings for wire speed. Got mine with a helmet and gloves from the ebay seller "weldfabulous". The name is a little goofy, but they hooked me up big time. When I got it I blew the gas regulator immediately and had to buy another (better) one, and I also bought a tank, an extra spool of wire, a wire brush, etc. Ended up spending just over $900 for everything IIRC, but it is truly a nice welder, and I'm a lot more comfortable with the welds I've made with this machine than the few other welders I've tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 One more thumbs up for the Millermatic 135. Bitchin welder. I think it is different than the Hobart 135 because the Miller has the infinite adjustability that John mentioned. :icon14: I second that. I love my Millermatic 135. Buy a Miller 135, gas bottle, and auto-darkening helmet and get to welding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Jarvis Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 One more thumbs up for the Millermatic 135. Bitchin welder. I think it is different than the Hobart 135 because the Miller has the infinite adjustability that John mentioned. My friend's Hobart has 5 settings for wire speed. I had to go research that, contrary to what I thought, the Hobart and the Miller are different in that the Miller has infinite VOLTAGE, while the Hobart has click settings (they both have infinite wire speed adjust). Hobart and Miller are manufactured by the same company and they are the same basic machine, but I guess Hobart is the Nissan and Miller is the Infiniti, a few higher end options and tuning, but parts are bolt compatible. You'll have to decide on that one, once you get some experience, the infinite voltage adjustability would be nice to have, and is what sets the Miller apart from the others feature wise. If there is only $50 bucks difference, go for the Miller, if you can find a good sale on the Hobart (try Tractor Supply), then go for it. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the Lincoln, I just don't have any experience, but buy one of these three, don't waste your time or money on a cheap brand at Harbor Freight or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 I personally made my choice of the Miller 175 before I even took welding classes - I actually got it while I was in class (mail order). I did my due diligence, and while I learned on Lincoln, I love my Miller. One of my main reasons for going with Miller is their customer service (Hobarts' too!). All you have to do is look at who sponsors web forums for welders to see who puts a premium on their customers. I read almost every message regarding MIG on the Hobart site (even the OLD site) when I made the decision to get one for restoring my '75 280Z. That was 4 years ago, and I took my classes 3 years ago, then got too busy being taken advantage of on my old job to do much. I welded a rotisserie for the car so I could put in new floor pans and subframe connectors without overhead welding, as well as to make life easy in completely stripping off old undercoating. I have built a sand blast cabinet 4'X2'X2'. and all my neighbors come by to have me fix stuff onced they saw the rotisserie. I have had a blast cutting and welding metal, and can only caution you to not get a cheap welder. Buy a good one, use it, then if you no longer need it, you can sell it and have more money than doing the same with one of the cheap ones. You will also find that even pro's can have problems with the cheap ones, amateurs have even more! I'm gonna keep mine, but htat's because it will have paid for itself in savings over having someone else do it (that includes cost of the lessons at the Vo-Tech) before I'm even finished. I'll sell the rotisserie before I sell the welder (but only after I'mm done with it!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hat1324 Posted June 13, 2005 Author Share Posted June 13, 2005 im going to get the hobart most likely, where the hell did you get it for 250? im looking at 450 w/a cart.. Id like it infinitly adjustible, and if its not to much different I will go for the miller. but I dont see it being that little different.. every month is a different major purchase, last month I bought my turbo(GT45) and got my motor being built. problem was after I cut everything(and primed it) there was gaping holes everywhere, I cant make my mounts, I cant fix the pannels, or anything untill I get the welder. ill let you know wends what I go with, and how much.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I recently purchased the Hobart 140 and love it. I had a cheap Harbor Frieght flux core welder and while it worked the welds looked like crap no matter what I did. This welder with the exact same wire that I pulled out of my old machine welded so much better and cleaner. The Hobart 140 comes with a regulator so all you'll need is a bottle w/ gas and some solid core wire. Works great. I welded in a patch panel on my ZX today and it worked perfectly. My mind is still used to my old welder with all the splatter so everytime I use the new setup I get all excited again because of the huge differnce in weld quailty and apperance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hat1324 Posted June 13, 2005 Author Share Posted June 13, 2005 ok, this is the store im getting it from, Im getting a 25-30 discount by getting it localy.. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45032&item=7521968217&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45032&item=7522460080 almost $200 difference... what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 ok' date=' this is the store im getting it from, Im getting a 25-30 discount by getting it localy.. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45032&item=7521968217&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45032&item=7522460080 almost $200 difference... what do you think?[/quote'] Looks like a good deal to me. I would also buy a bottle w/ gas and a spool of solid core wire. Trust me this is the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hat1324 Posted June 14, 2005 Author Share Posted June 14, 2005 is the infinit adjustibility really worth the $200? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 is the infinit adjustibility really worth the $200? Personally, I think it is. The metal is so thin on our old Z cars that it can be difficult to get the right settings so you aren't burning through the material. Having the infinite adjustablity helps get you to the best possible setting for the job. I admit that I haven't used the units with the 4 or 5 pre-set settings, but I've heard people complain that, at times, none of the settings seem to be just right for the material they are welding. Just my $.02 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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