Advice on buying a Mig

jeepfun · Tue Jun 17, 2014 1:12 am

Want to buy my 1st welder (still need to learn to weld)
this will be for fab work on my jeep.
Mostly 3/16" axle/suspension tabs, possible body,a frame stretch ( 10" added to length) etc
i was thinking of something like the eastwood 200 mig due to THE PRICE, a tight budget, 200 amps,and Infinitely adjustable.
the other one i am considering but more than i am wanting to spend is the hobart handler 210 mvp on sale.
Question is will the 210 mvp for $850 work for my application? not being Infinitely adjustable be a problem?
Actually thinking of ordering soon so input would be great.
btw i wont spend over 850.

Louie1961 · Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:43 am

I would go with the Thermal Arc/TWECO fabricator...either the 181i or the 211i. As I mentioned to you on another forum, MIG may not be the best choice for what you want to do. The fabricator (either one) will do MIG, stick and TIG. I think stick or TIG would be a better choice for that task. it is way too easy to make what seem to be good looking welds with MIG that really are not (and are not properly fused).

Zach_T · Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:52 am

I have the 181i I wish I had the 211i but I got it for free but it's a great little welder and actually impressed me I'm happy with it and its very easy to move its easy to use and it has a door chart but now most mig welders do now.

Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:12 pm

I have a Hobart 210mvp. The tap settings for voltage don't bother me a bit. It also does very well on 115 v power. Maybe for thin autobody panels the click settings might not do quite as well at super low voltage but I don't think infinite settings are needed for most jobs.
The 210 does have a plastic wire feed housing and could use a better ground clamp but still performs well

Best

Jody

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Zach_T · Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:28 am

admin wrote:I have a Hobart 210mvp. The tap settings for voltage don't bother me a bit. It also does very well on 115 v power. Maybe for thin autobody panels the click settings might not do quite as well at super low voltage but I don't think infinite settings are needed for most jobs.
The 210 does have a plastic wire feed housing and could use a better ground clamp but still performs well

Best

Jody

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If Jody says it, the machine can't be bad! I use the tweco 181i and I love it the its easy adjusting the current or wire speed and it actually has pretty good range but that's just my opinion of that welder

Louie1961 · Sun Jun 22, 2014 11:16 am

that is indeed a fine machine. I own the Hobart 190. But the fact is that MIG welding on a vehicle frame is not the best choice for a beginner. You will more than likely be better served with stick welding on a frame. the victor/tweco multi process units get you in the door for the same price and you can MIG, TIG or Stick weld with them.

mcoe · Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:20 pm

I recommend any of the small Hobart welders. My first personal welder was a Hobart Handler 140 and I got it after I had been welding for 5 years and I still use the machine a lot. They are simple machines to operate and great running. Highly recommend them.

jeepfun · Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:20 pm

just picked up a Hobart 210 mvp it was on sale.
Time to run the electrical
thanks Everyone

Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:39 pm

I have the 210 MVP and I think you will be very happy with it. I have experimented with 115 volt power and it is impressive even on 115 as long as you have a good 20 amp circuit.

Jody

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AnvilJack · Mon Jul 28, 2014 9:14 pm

Please do a couple of months of welding on "anything" before you start work on your Jeep.

The Hobart welders have a great rep, and you will be amazed what yours will teach you in the next little while.

The stress and strain that an off-road vehicle could experience could absolutely surprise you.

gamble · Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:32 pm

I have the tweco 141i. I like it for it's multipurpose but I don't care very much for the mig portion. The soft start sucks. The other tweco machines have the same so it starts out cold then gets hot. I would vote for the hobart 210MVP as it's a transformer machine and has more balls especially at the start of the weld

IMO of course.

Bill Beauregard · Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:57 pm

Louie1961 wrote:that is indeed a fine machine. I own the Hobart 190. But the fact is that MIG welding on a vehicle frame is not the best choice for a beginner. You will more than likely be better served with stick welding on a frame. the victor/tweco multi process units get you in the door for the same price and you can MIG, TIG or Stick weld with them.

I respectfully disagree. My first experience with MIG was astounding. Without practice, I welded a unibody BMW front from one car to rear from a different one. My friend drove the car another 12 years. Stick requires a lot of skill. TIG requires very much more skill. With guidance, in this case from an enthusiastic salesman, you can MIG weld. It isn't idiot proof, but no where near as challenging as TIG or even stick.

MinnesotaDave · Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:40 pm

gamble wrote:I have the tweco 141i. I like it for it's multipurpose but I don't care very much for the mig portion. The soft start sucks. The other tweco machines have the same so it starts out cold then gets hot. I would vote for the hobart 210MVP as it's a transformer machine and has more balls especially at the start of the weld

IMO of course.

Soft start on a mig? I would hate that...

danielbuck · Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:16 pm

MinnesotaDave wrote:Soft start on a mig? I would hate that...

Agreed, I think you would want the opposite!

soutthpaw · Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:16 am

PickWelder wrote:
jeepfun wrote:Want to buy my 1st welder (still need to learn to weld)
this will be for fab work on my jeep.
Mostly 3/16" axle/suspension tabs, possible body,a frame stretch ( 10" added to length) etc
i was thinking of something like the eastwood 200 mig due to THE PRICE, a tight budget, 200 amps,and Infinitely adjustable.
the other one i am considering but more than i am wanting to spend is the hobart handler 210 mvp on sale.
Question is will the 210 mvp for $850 work for my application? not being Infinitely adjustable be a problem?
Actually thinking of ordering soon so input would be great.
btw i wont spend over 850.
I highly recommend Hobart 210.
Although, Infinitely not be adjusted.
But, This is best mig welder for the money and worthy.

I thought you just go banned for posting "advertising" of your pass through site?

Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:41 am

Banned him but didn't wipe his posts

soutthpaw · Fri Jan 23, 2015 8:56 pm

weldin mike 27 wrote:Banned him but didn't wipe his posts

Ok cool....

CowboysFanatic · Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:30 am

I am a beginner, which basically means that I have watched about 6+hours of Jody's mig videos (with many more to go) and I had already started researching Migs to buy. I am a native Texan so I will be mainly be building my own hunting stands, ladders, feeders, and basic to intermediate (someday) welding projects. Do I go right out and spend the money on a Millermatic 211 or do I go with a more inexpensive but just as useful brand/model? I'd like to be able to do most jobs on a 115 outlet but want the ability to go to a 230 for larger jobs in the future. I'd also like to not need to have to replace it or send it in for repair and get a lot of years of use out of it. Don't assume that I know all the verbiage or info, don't be shy on spelling it out for me if you feel the need.
Thanks in advance

Sam

Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:20 pm

While PickWelder's posts are now gone...

Any post that quoted him still stands. We won't delete legitimate posts because they happen to quote a banned/deleted post.

That's why you still see his "residue".

Steve S

Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:24 pm

CowboysFanatic wrote:...I am a native Texan so I will be mainly be building my own hunting stands, ladders, feeders, and basic to intermediate (someday) welding projects....
Thanks in advance

Sam

Welcome aboard, Sam,

You've found the perfect spot. The calmest place on the web for welding talk.

If you don't have a helpful response before I'm done with my "moderator" duties, I'll return to this post.

Steve S

Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:26 pm

If you have time to save money, you won't regret buying a better quality bigger machine. New welders often outgrown their small cheap welders quickly.

CowboysFanatic · Sun Feb 15, 2015 9:29 pm

Fair enough. Get a machine that will last through my learning stages and spend less money now rather than more money later. Good advice. I have researched a few models but I always come back to the Millermatic 211. It's not the biggest or baddest but it appears to be one that should last me a long time. Are there other comparable mugs out there of any brand? Cost is a variable but not the biggest one. I'd love to save money but I'd rather spend a few more dollars now than a whole lot more later. Any input would be appreciated.

Sam

Bill Beauregard · Tue Feb 17, 2015 8:39 am

I bought a Millermatic 252 I doubt I could ever find a reason to upgrade.

show · Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:19 am

I just recently picked up a Lincoln 210 MP for what it can do and at its price point, I consider it one of the best deals around.

soutthpaw · Fri Feb 20, 2015 8:24 am

I wouldn't bother with a multi process MIG like the 210mp unless really to use the other modes, usually you sacrifice something in the process. Check the duty cycles on the machines you are looking at.