Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Anybody can weld with this little guy. This is about the most MIG you can get with a 110V plug, meaning you can bring this over to your friend's house when he/she needs your welding services. And, you know, once everyone finds out you can weld, you'll have lots of new friends!
Hobart makes a nice cart for this welder as well, and it easily accomodates a small argon cylinder. The cart is sold separately, but sometimes one can find it on sale with the welder.
There is some assembly required for this product. It's very easy, but one will have to take the side panel off the welder, install the wire for the wirefeed, hook up the welding cable and trigger, and connect the gas lines (if needed). Takes about ~20 minutes and is very straight forward.
I found the limits of this machine on about 1/4" steel bar stock, which required welding on two sides to complete the weld using the highest setting. As of right now I am a novice, so I have had trouble with the more sensitive welds with sheet metal, though with each try I find that it is easier. I have more difficulty with my helmet than the welder, and I am guessing that an investment in an auto-darkening helmet will help tremendously. So far, it seems that one can successfully weld about ~1/8" steel with ease, ~1/4" if the mating services are beveled. Tacks are a cinch with this trigger, and with careful adjustment of the wire feed, it's easy to make quick, repeated tacks when doing a mock-up.
I have been having a blast with this new toy.
Edit (2/28/07):
1. I recently experimented with welding stainless steel. I was getting very poor results until I realized I needed to switch the polarization on the machine. With the right gas flow, I was able to make very nice welds on stainless.
2. So far, I am finding that this machine is not the best selection for thin metals, though I am improving my technique to get reasonable results. TIG would probably be better.
3. I did acquire an auto-darkening helmet and noticed an immediate improvement because I can finally see what I'm doing. But now the inherent difficulty with MIG welding, i.e. the nozzle blocks your view of the weld, is much more apparent.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Hobart 500505 Handler 140 115-Volt 25-to-140 Amp Gas/Metal/Arc Single-Phase Wire Welding Package with Cart
Hobart's MIG welder handles a variety of solid, mild steel or stainless, flux cored and aluminum wires; with or without shielding gas. Operates from 115V standard household current. Includes Hobart Cart. Hobart 5/3/1 limited warranty. U.S.A.
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