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(More customer reviews)Two weldors in my family encouraged me to get a Miller Auto Set welder because they are so easy to use. Just set the thickness of the metal and the welder does the rest. But, the Miller they suggested is much more welder than I need. The Handler 125 EZ is somewhat similar to that Miller because the user sets one knob for the thickness of the metal and the machine does the rest. This Hobart costs much less than the Miller Auto Set welders. (Miller and Hobart are now the same company.) Most of my welding is on materials approximately 1/8 inch in thickness, so the Handler's 125 amp maximum output at 115 volts and 20 amps AC input is adequate for most of my needs. Reviewers elsewhere on the Internet say the Handler really does weld steel 3/16 inch thick in a single pass, and thicker still with multiple passes. I did weld some 5/8" x 5/8" bar stock end-to-end by grinding a chamfer on each end and making a root weld. Then I built up the "V" openings with repeated alternating passes. I used a home workshop MAPP gas torch to preheat the parent metal and got a very good weld. The 115 volt input will enable me to do jobs anywhere. It weighs only 50 pounds and can easily be carried with one hand. A nice touch is that the spring loaded handle lays down on the case automatically.
Some hooks on the welder's case for coiling up the power cord, ground cable, and gun sheath would make carrying it to a job site much easier. Still, the machine is small enough that it can sit on the lower shelf of my workbench very easily and always be ready for use.
The Handler comes with one pound of .030 flux core wire and three .030 gun tips. The night before it was delivered I watched some short YouTube videos about using a wire feed welder. I also downloaded the Handler's manual from Hobart's site and read quite a bit of it. Those things together with some prior experience using a 230 volt stick welder gave me good welds right out of the box. The Handler is easy to set up and to begin using. Instructions about setting the tension on the spool and the feed roller were not very detailed or precise, but I got close enough on the first try for the machine to work very well. I thought I might need to beef up the ground clamp for better contact, but it works much better than I expected. It is only stamped steel coated in copper like an automobile jumper cable.
I read somewhere that an extra kit is available for welding with bottled gas shielding. But, Hobart's site says this welder uses flux core wire only. My flux core welds produce so little slag, though, that I checked the wire spool label to be certain it was not actually solid wire for use with gas shield welding. So far my welds are very smooth in appearance, too. Tack welds are so much easier than with a stick welder. It would be very much worth the extra effort to prepare joints with a "V" opening for the best weld penetration.
If I set the selector dial too low for the steel I am welding, the wire simply sticks on the steel. Just move the knob to a higher setting. When welding pieces of two different thicknesses together, set the dial for the thicker of the two pieces and favor the thicker piece with the arc.
The gun's trigger is very sensitive and it is easy to apply a little pressure before you are ready to begin welding, especially while wearing leather gloves. Then too much wire suddenly sticks out of the gun and you must stop to trim the wire before beginning to weld. But, that is just a "newbie" problem and it will go away with more experience.
When I weld a ¼ inch nut to something with my stick welder, the threads distort from heat and I must run a tap through the nut before use. With the Handler 125 EZ I can tack weld a nut to a piece of steel and the threads do not distort.
The Handler is a solidly built machine made in the USA, not overseas. I want to keep my stick welder, if only for heating steel to bend or occasionally to braze using my homemade carbon arc torch. But, the Handler works so well that I expect my stick welder to gather a lot of dust. I have looked at wire feed welders over the last few years and I would have expected the Handler 125 EZ to cost considerably more, considering its features. If you want to weld mild steel 3/16 inch thick and less, you will not be sorry you bought this welder.
No helmet or face mask is included. A self-darkening hood makes a nice compliment to this welder. If you will be welding with one hand only, you can buy a replacement lens for two dollars and mount it in a piece of cardboard with an attached wooden handle.
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Hobart 500521A Factory Reconditioned Handler 125EZ Welder - A Stock
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