Any Opinions on this MIG Welder?

D

Dougster

Old Member
Any opinions out there on this particular MIG welder... the Hobart Ironman 210... or any preferred alternates in the $1K price class (excluding gas tanks and spool gun)?

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_36331_______14151%7C14220%7C14238%7C36331?listingPage=true

It's the one I've had my eye on for a while. Use would be by a total rank amateur on general tractor implement/attachment and trailer-related projects. It was on sale last year at Tractor Supply Co for something around $800, but I hesitated and lost out. I need to wait for another great sale to bring it back into my price range, but I can't seem to find anything better for the money.

Also, the spool gun is around $500.00 extra. Any opinions on the cost and wisdom of purchasing the spool gun as well would also be greatly appreciated! :)

Dougster

p.s., Please no advice to go to HF... :o ...even if they have the world's greatest MIG welder for a song. Thanks! -d
 

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No I'm not going to say HF! That's for hobby craft stuff.

Have you tried one of the price-comparison sites, or Amazon? Since thats a common item, it might be listed.

I saved $40-50 on a camera from Amazon compared to all other sources for the identical camera.
 
I generally google the name and model number of what I am looking for and occasionally find a better deal than Amazon. Many folks find good buys on E-Bay, but I no longer shop there--too many scams and I prefer not to deal with PayPal.
 
California said:
No I'm not going to say HF! That's for hobby craft stuff.

Have you tried one of the price-comparison sites, or Amazon? Since thats a common item, it might be listed.

I saved $40-50 on a camera from Amazon compared to all other sources for the identical camera.
Click to expand...

ghautz said:
I generally google the name and model number of what I am looking for and occasionally find a better deal than Amazon. Many folks find good buys on E-Bay, but I no longer shop there--too many scams and I prefer not to deal with PayPal.
Click to expand...

I've had my eye out for any similar deal/discount with no luck. Nothing even comes close to that TSC price from last year. For now, I am hoping that lightning will strike twice by springtime. :rolleyes:

Maybe I should just ask: What is the best MIG welder out there in the $800 to $1,000 price class??? This particular machine has gotten some pretty darn good reviews.

Dougster
 
I have a taskbar icon (Firefox) that lists the farm & garden category of local Craigslist. One click and I see potential implements, etc.

You might make a similar one-click inquiry for that specific welder. I see welders on Craigslist that say something like 'bought for hobby use, didn't use it much' and the photo looks brand new.

And there's always the Ebay search that will email you when a listing appears. I would use the '50 mile limit' feature and go see it before bidding!

That's the sort of equipment that should be as just as good after a year's use (and a big price reduction) compared to new.
 
California said:
I have a taskbar icon (Firefox) that lists the farm & garden category of local Craigslist. One click and I see potential implements, etc.

You might make a similar one-click inquiry for that specific welder. I see welders on Craigslist that say something like 'bought for hobby use, didn't use it much' and the photo looks brand new.

And there's always the Ebay search that will email you when a listing appears. I would use the '50 mile limit' feature and go see it before bidding!

That's the sort of equipment that should be as just as good after a year's use (and a big price reduction) compared to new.
Click to expand...
Been watching Craigslist off and on for a long time now and no luck so far. Lots of stick welders and smaller MIG welders, but nothing in this class. I do use Snarfer for RSS feeds on other equipment types, but not for welders. Maybe I should do that.

No great deals showing up on eBay. I'd prefer not to have it shipped anyway. Best on something like this to do a local buy.

Dougster
 
Dougster said:
<snip>
Dougster

p.s., Please no advice to go to HF... :o ...even if they have the world's greatest MIG welder for a song. Thanks! -d
Click to expand...

What if they have the exact same welder? I periodically get HF coupons for 20%-25% off. They list the Hobart 210 for $1049.99.

I'm not trying to rile you up :badidea: but the spring coupon should be coming up soon. Then again if it's a resentment against HF itself I understand. :sorry: There are places I'll never do business with again. :no: :forgetit: :topicclosed:

Ted
 
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xPosTech said:
What if they have the exact same welder? I periodically get HF coupons for 20%-25% off. They list the Hobart 210 for $1049.99. I'm not trying to rile you up :badidea: but the spring coupon should be coming up soon. Then again if it's a resentment against HF itself I understand. :sorry: There are places I'll never do business with again. :no: :forgetit: :topicclosed:
Ted
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No resentment Ted. Disappointment yes... every time I go down there against my better judgement... but no resentment. As dirt poor and destitute as I am, I'm just not an HF kind of guy. :o

Besides, I don't think you can buy that welder in their stores. I believe that's an "Internet-Only" deal meaning it would have to be shipped. Based on past experience with UPS and with welder shipping charges... I'd go broke (even at a huge discount) and it would arrive beat to smithereens. :(

Dougster
 
OK now I get it. I've developed a pretty good relationship with the local HF store manager here. You can order online and have it drop shipped to the local store. Check this link:

Ship to Store

You local manager can probably arrange it for you. 20% would make the price $839.99. No shipping charges.

Ted...
...Just trying to Save you money!...
...as Mattress Mack would say...
...(Brandi will understand)
 
xPosTech said:
OK now I get it. I've developed a pretty good relationship with the local HF store manager here. You can order online and have it drop shipped to the local store. Check this link:

Ship to Store

You local manager can probably arrange it for you. 20% would make the price $839.99. No shipping charges.

Ted...
...Just trying to Save you money!...
...as Mattress Mack would say...
...(Brandi will understand)
Click to expand...
Mama Mia!!! :eek: I admit it Ted - You've really got this HF thing down to an exact science! :) You must be a serious disciple! :D A true believer! ;)

Now if you can just tell me how to beat that 7% Little Rhody sales tax (vs. zero at TSC in NH), I'll be all set! :mrgreen: You'll have an HF convert on your hands!!! :tiphat:

Dougster
 
Dougster,

Unless you see yourself welding alot of Aluminum, you do not need a spool gun. You can get a teflon liner for your tweeco if you need to do occasional Aluminium, but I would stick to steel for a while if I were you.

That welder should do you well and $800 is a decent price. I think Hobart is owned by Miller now and you can get that unit serviced if you have troubs. Do spring for the gas kit though and I bet thet is in the $150 range.

Do you have 220 service in your garage?

PS is there a HF near you?
 
shinnlinger said:
Dougster,

Unless you see yourself welding alot of Aluminum, you do not need a spool gun. You can get a teflon liner for your tweeco if you need to do occasional Aluminium, but I would stick to steel for a while if I were you.

That welder should do you well and $800 is a decent price. I think Hobart is owned by Miller now and you can get that unit serviced if you have troubs. Do spring for the gas kit though and I bet thet is in the $150 range.

Do you have 220 service in your garage?

PS is there a HF near you?
Click to expand...
HF near me is in Warwick, Rhode Island... about 45 minutes away.

I pulled (but never connected) a 50-amp 220v line into my garage years ago for a monster air compressor that I never bought. It was also supposed to serve as a way of backfeeding the house through a portable gasoline generator located outside the rear door and behind the garage... so it is not exactly in a great location for where most of my welding would take place (i.e., in the front of the garage and in the driveway).

I have been trying to figure out the advantages of the spool gun. If it is strictly for aluminum, I probably don't need it. For some reason I thought there were other advantages... such as more precise wire feed control and easier changing/swapping of wire spools... no? :confused:

I blew it on the $800 price. Best I can find now is just under $1K. :(

Dougster
 
DOugster,

You can spend $500 bucks on a spool gun if you want to, but for steel wire you dont need it. I would say start without it and upgrade later if you have to.

The spool gun pulls the wire which is good for aluminum. The machine will push the steel wire to you just fine and the gun is smaller and easier to work in a tight space.

Changing wire speed/amperage while welding isn't ussually necesary for most jobs as you set it depending on the thickness of the steel you are working. You may need to fiddle with it to get started, but once set you are good to go. If you stick with say 1/4-3/4 " steel you wont need to change wire but if you have to I dont think it makes any difference what end of the gun you pull it out of.

If you go to Rhoad Island with an out of state ID do you still have to pay sales tax on a major purchase? If I buy a car in Vermont I dont have to pay their sales tax.
 
shinnlinger said:
DOugster,

You can spend $500 bucks on a spool gun if you want to, but for steel wire you dont need it. I would say start without it and upgrade later if you have to.

The spool gun pulls the wire which is good for aluminum. The machine will push the steel wire to you just fine and the gun is smaller and easier to work in a tight space.

Changing wire speed/amperage while welding isn't ussually necesary for most jobs as you set it depending on the thickness of the steel you are working. You may need to fiddle with it to get started, but once set you are good to go. If you stick with say 1/4-3/4 " steel you wont need to change wire but if you have to I dont think it makes any difference what end of the gun you pull it out of.

If you go to Rhoad Island with an out of state ID do you still have to pay sales tax on a major purchase? If I buy a car in Vermont I dont have to pay their sales tax.
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Thanks for the explanation Shinn! :wave: Makes good sense. :thumb:

Oh yes... Little Rhody gets every cent they can out of you. No breaks for out-of-staters. Maybe on cars and trucks where you pay the sales tax to your own state upon vehicle registration... but no way on regular store purchases. :o

Dougster :starbucks:
 
Dougster,

I will throw in one final plug for this. Rather than spend $1000 plus on that welder (and proably another couple hundred at least on a helmet, grinder, torch, metal saw etc) and then mess with figuring it out, Why not spend $275 and 10 mondays learning how to use the welder you already own?

The $$$ saved will more than cover that couple of hundred for the hemet grinder etc and you can spend the rest on Starbucks or a snowshovel or something

I only say this because it seems like the obvious choice for a cash starved individual, but also you will learn how to properly join metal in that class which is essential regardless of welder used. Literally someones life (probably yours) can be endangered if you lay a nice looking over amped hot blob from that mig on a bucket hook only to have it pull loose because you didn't bevel grind the hook before attaching and build up the weld on the proper settings. As they say "It aint the wand it is the magiacian"

3 months from now you could be that magician.
 
Dougster,

Back to your original post about opinions…I have the Miller 210 and believe it to be the exact same model as the Hobart you’ve pictured above. In fact it looks the same other than the Logo and the color. I’m at the end of my third year, use an average of 90 pounds of .023 and .035 wire per year, use 75/25 argon-CO2 gas and the welder has performed flawlessly. I seldom endorse any product or tool using that term (flawless) but after 20 years and using and owning a Lincoln, Marquette and two Solar welders the Miller is just superior in performance and durability.

Shinnlinger’s suggestion to attend a class (welding 101) is an excellent idea. Having gone through an I-CAR class which is similar to the ones most JC’s offer…led me to discover all the tricks, tips and techniques that only enhances the equipment and operators performance. Even though I thought I knew it all and was taught by masters in the trade, I was so wrong concerning controlled deformation, structural strengths and weaknesses and setup. It’s well worth the money spent and should be budgeted along with the initial price of your welder.

Mark
 
MArk,

How thick can you do in a pass? I use .035 almost exclusivly in mine (which is a size down), but I really can only do south of 1/2 inch, maybe 3/8's in one pass. Sure, I have been known to bevel and grind and build up my weld, but can you stick it to 3/4 stock and be done in one pass w/ your machine?
 
When I 'test' weld on pieces of like scrap of equal thickness I'm confident with nearly all materials from 1/2" and under (one pass). Since most of us don’t weld in a controlled environment with pyrometers and a facility to do x-rays, destructive and nondestructive testing, the fastest and simplest method to check for good penetration is to keep your mask down, flip over your test piece and look for the soft, orange glow at least twice the width of your weld bead. I am NOT so confident with materials thicker than 0.625”-0.750” (¾) without heavy chamfering and testing a minimum of four heavy spot welds (at the corners)…destructive testing the test piece in a vice and utilizing the BFH method. I would have to say that material thickness at ¾” and larger is the jumping off point from GMAW (MIG) to SMAW (Stick).

Realistically speaking, how often do we weld anything over 3/8” ?? The new metals are HSS and HSLA, thinner and much stronger than their early counterparts.

Mark
 
Dougster said:
I have been trying to figure out the advantages of the spool gun. If it is strictly for aluminum, I probably don't need it. For some reason I thought there were other advantages... such as more precise wire feed control and easier changing/swapping of wire spools... no? :confused:

I blew it on the $800 price. Best I can find now is just under $1K. :(

Dougster
Click to expand...

Doug does that H210 have a two stage trigger? I mean, will it kick on the gas before you start the arc/wire feed? I'm wrong a lot lately, but I believe the spool gun will allow you to do that.

It's like a 'purge' to insure you have gas at the tip when you strike the arc. You can do it manually and cut off the wire that spews out until gas fills the line. Most migs turn on juice, wire feed and gas at the same time.

You might only need to purge for the first weld if you are organized more than moi. Weld, weld, weld rather than weld, stop, align, clamp, light cig, weld, etc.:rolleyes:

The only other advantage I can think (heh) of is if you're gonna use long cables. If I had to weld overhead, I would need to raise the welder to almost the same height. With a spool gun you get the 'push - pull' effect which helps using long cables.

Shinn the ads show gauges for the gas. Do you rent or own your bottles? Is there any advantage today to buy the cylinders?

Ted

Ted
 
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