Need adivce on buying a welder

[dneisler]

I am really considering one of three right now. I hope any of them can do what I need with 3/16th material.

1. Hobart Handler 180
2. Lincoln SP175T
3. MillerMatic 175

Any pro/cons on each? I need to get something pretty quick. I can get a the handler 180 at Harbor Freight, and I got one of those 20% coupons :-) Just need to check and see if they have one.

[loves80z]

Look at the controls on each when compairing. I have a hobart handler 130. Its 120v. I can weld good with .030" wire, but the .034" has too much draw and I can't get good welds. The unit gets overly hot. I like the welder. I can burn through 3/16 just need mig and multiple passes to fill and lots of time to let the welder cool between passes. Thinner stuff is hard to weld. The lowest setting is a bit much for car sheet metal. Floor and trunk are fine. The miller I was looking at at the time had a dial for the heat. The Hobart was a 4 position switch. One cool thing about the Hobart is the ability to flow just gas to set the running pressure without feeding wire. No advice, just info.

Kevin

[dneisler]

What is the difference in a Lincoln 175HD and a Lincoln SP175T?

[dneisler]

Well with my budget I found a good deal on a new Lincoln 175 HD(220v), so I grabbed it, hopefully it will be a nice welder that will do this one job for me.