110 volt wire feed welder

Tom Dunlap

Tom Dunlap

Here from the beginning
Administrator
Location
Retired in Minneapolis
There are a couple of projects coming along that need welding. My 220v Lincoln Buzz Box has served me well over the years and glued many odd bits of steel into working tools. In order to wire the Buzz Box I'm faced with a huge expense for the heavy wire from the panel to the shop. The option that comes to mind is to buy a 110v wirefeed. A few years ago I had a Century unit on permanent loan from a friend. The power of the unit is amazing. The wirefeed was used much more than the stick welder.

Can anyone give me some feedback on buying a 110 unit? Just like any purchase the industry leaders do make the best unit of course, but is the extra money worth it? The Century unit that I used worked just fine and was much cheaper than a Lincoln, etc.

What specs should I look for in a unit? What is a reasonable duty cycle?

Thanks!
 
We have a Hobart Handler 135 and it is one of my favorites I have due to portability. For a small welder, it will weld most of the stuff I have. I have found Miller, Hobart, and Lincoln to be great choices. Between my neighbor and I we have a couple of each brand and they all seem to be great welders. The 120v welders are very handy, but they will make your lights dim when turned up.

If money is a big issue, it probably wouldn't be to hard to run a 240v circuit to your welder as long as your panel isn't to far.
 
we love our little Hobart as well. it will weld up to 1/4 inch thickness steel, and is gasless (you have to buy special wire). I don't really notice my lights dimming when I use it, but I think all my shop outlets are on a dedicated circuit. Probably an adequate tool for most small welding projects you would come across for repairing tree tools and trucks.
 
Hey I have two hobarts the 110 v and the 220. Dollar for dollar and quality of the machine I would buy a hobart. We had to have the circuit board in our big hobart replaced 2 years after we bought it and hobart sent us one free. They have great PR. The 135 is only good for up too 1/4 inch steel though. Make sure you buy one with gas capabilites, then you don't have to use flux wire and in my opinion you get a much better weld plus with argon gas you can weld aluminium and stainless. I'm not a pro but we have a dairy farm and I welded stuff just to see if I could make it break, or at least it seemed like sometimes.
 
The one I 'borrowed' was set up for gas. The quality of the weld is so nice that I'll tolerate having to setup wind screens for outside welding to keep the gas from dispersing.

I can't wait to hear the snap and crackle of a good bead! It'll be like Homer and a donut...mmmm!
 
If you like the sound of a good weld then you should really try welding aluminium with argon gas it sounds better then eggs in a frying pan!!!!!
 
Tom I have a Century-it has the gas shielding option but I have never used anything but fluxcore wire. The Lincolns and Hobarts may be better.....but the Century has been well worth its price.
 
I haven't found a major price difference in the hobart and century of the same caliber. I mean its only about 80 dollars and you get what you pay for. If you buy a good one once you'll probably never have to worry about it again. Additionally the hobart parts can be found at any TSC in case you don't have a welding shop. You pay for convenience I guess, but sometimes its well worth it.
 
My search is narrowing. Yesterday I went to a couple of vendors and asked about the big three. Then I asked them why I would pay more for one of them vrs. the B or C grade machines. Getting repair parts is key. The low grade machines turn into junk when service parts aren't available. It is a gamble to take. If the less expensive machine never needs repair it is a good value. If not, then the first time it needs a fix it can be worthless to repair.

The Hobart line is showing up as a good value. Miller seems to make the nicest with great features. Features cost money and pushes the cost up.

Like I said, the Century unit worked flawlessly for me for three plus years.
 
another vote for hobart. i have the 135 and use it alot. i bought an el cheapo and burned it up, couldnt get parts. miller is my favorite machine to run, and they own hobart or are the same company or some such
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom