Welders: Lincoln/Century better than HF?

[Elkins45]

I’m interested in buying a small wire feed welder for the occasional job around the house. The patriotic part of me wants to buy a Century or a Lincoln because those are American companies, but if they come out of the same Chinese factories as the Harbor Freight welders, then that’s really not extra money worth spending. Is there a noticeable quality difference between a hobbyist welder you would buy at Lowe’s or Home Depot versus one you would buy from Harbor freight?

I have a small Elco brand (Italian) AC stick welder I bought from Northern Tool 30 years ago that still works for most of my needs, but wire feed sure looks handy for more precise work. I’ll probably pick up one of those fancy auto-darkening helmets too.

 

[Elkins45]

FWIW I’m looking at this one. It’s a few dollars more than the most basic unit but I like the option of gas shielding should I ever want it.

Lincoln Electric 88 Amp Handy MIG Wire Feed Welder with Gun, MIG and Flux-Cored Wire, Hand Shield, Gas Regulator and Hose, 115V K2185-1 - The Home Depot

The Lincoln Electric Handy MIG Welder is a user-friendly, compact portable and lightweight wire-feed welder that plugs into a 115-Volt, 20 Amp outlet. Four voltage settings and a continuous wire-feed speed adjustment allow you to weld mild steel from 24-Gauge to 1/8 in. thick. This handy welder...

www.homedepot.com

 

[joegreen]

For the money I think its very hard to beat the offerings from harbor freight.

 

[spasm3]

If it were me, i'd want the ability to adjust wire feed separate from amps. It looks like the wire feed is related to amps all in one knob.

I have an older lincolin mig. The wire feed is adjustable with a knob. Mine only has click ranges for the amps which also limits your fine tuning.

I think its a wise to get one with the gas option. At least the one you are looking has the option of non-flux gas wire use.

 

[joegreen]

FWIW I’m looking at this one. It’s a few dollars more than the most basic unit but I like the option of gas shielding should I ever want it.

Lincoln Electric 88 Amp Handy MIG Wire Feed Welder with Gun, MIG and Flux-Cored Wire, Hand Shield, Gas Regulator and Hose, 115V K2185-1 - The Home Depot

The Lincoln Electric Handy MIG Welder is a user-friendly, compact portable and lightweight wire-feed welder that plugs into a 115-Volt, 20 Amp outlet. Four voltage settings and a continuous wire-feed speed adjustment allow you to weld mild steel from 24-Gauge to 1/8 in. thick. This handy welder...

www.homedepot.com

I think thats a lot of money for 88 amps. What do you plan to weld? I personally dont think it matters but it looks like the lincoln has plastic drive mechanism where as most people are interested in all metal drive mechanisms.

 

[joegreen]

This one from harbor freight can do tig which is pretty nice if you want good looking welds on smaller items. plus its on sale right now. https://www.harborfreight.com/weldi...ultiprocess-welder-with-120v-input-58828.html

 

[RDY4WAR]

To any experienced welder, there is a noticeable difference between Lincoln and ITW (Hobart/Miller) and the cheaper Chinese brands. They're usually easier to start, have a more stable arc, and less issues with wire feed. However, these issues are really only an issue to someone welding every day in a production based environment where quality and reliability are necessary to ensure quality and consistent products. The duty cycle of the higher end welders also tends to be much better which further fits the careerist. For a hobbyist welder, it's not as big of a deal.

If looking for wire feed, get a MIG (GMAW) welder and not a flux-core (FCAW) welder. The flux-core machines don't use gas shielding, relying on the flux to protect the weld, which makes them cheaper. They can also be more difficult to get a steady arc, produce a lot more splatter, and can have shorter duty cycles. They also tend to be more difficult welding thinner material. Spend more for MIG, you'll be grateful that you did.

I personally haven't welded with MIG or FCAW in over 10 years. I worked as a pipe welder at a nuclear power plant for several years using TIG, on everything from 1/2" stainless pipe to 120" chromoly steel steam pipes, and the occasional stick welding for non-critical welds. We used Miller Dynasty and inverter welders there which spoiled me. I have a small Longevity (Chinese) brand stick/TIG welder at home that gets the job done for small jobs around the shop, but it makes me miss the Miller machines.

 

[Trav]

For the money this Esab is decent. I have a Miller mig and separate Miller Maxstar 161 stl tig welder either one is 3x the price of the Esab. The Esab is not in the same class as Miller but from what I have seen of them they are not crap.

ESAB Fabricator 141i Multi Process Welding System (W1003141)

The ESAB Fabricator 141i Multi Process Welding System (W1003141) continues the legacy that Thermal Arc has established in the industry.

www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com

 

[spasm3]

For the money this Esab is decent. I have a Miller mig and separate Miller Maxstar 161 stl tig welder either one is 3x the price of the Esab. The Esab is not in the same class as Miller but from what I have seen of them they are not crap.

ESAB Fabricator 141i Multi Process Welding System (W1003141)

The ESAB Fabricator 141i Multi Process Welding System (W1003141) continues the legacy that Thermal Arc has established in the industry.

www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com

Thats a lot of welder for the money! A very good deal! You can stick or mig, and it looks like you can tig for another $200 or so!

 

[spasm3]

This one from harbor freight can do tig which is pretty nice if you want good looking welds on smaller items. plus its on sale right now. https://www.harborfreight.com/weldi...ultiprocess-welder-with-120v-input-58828.html

That one looks interesting too. Similar capability to the one Trav posted. $450 vs the Esab and $625

 

[atikovi]

I bought a similar 110V Lincoln brand mig some 10 years ago for around that price including a bottle with regulator, just for brand name alone. There were $50 or $100 cheaper brands I've never heard of, so decided on Lincoln. Don't use it but maybe once a year for some simple repair, as I'm no welder. Two things to buy after purchase are a quick disconnect fitting for the gas line so you don't have to unscrew it every time you use it, and an auto-dimming helmet as you mentioned. And keep in mind, these things are HEAVY! I'd say at least 60 pounds. I store mine in the basement, so dragging in out to the driveway to weld something on a car is a real chore. And another surprise when you get the tank filled. They don't give your own brand new shiny tank back, but an old beat up one. That came as a shock.

 

[D60]

Those "handy" MIGs from Lincoln are the cheapest of the cheap. I wouldn't waste your money.

There are a lot of reviews on YT of HF's latest offerings (Vulcan?) and they seem decent. For a hobby guy, likely ok.

If you want to step out of the hobby realm parts availability and service becomes a consideration. Hobart is actually quite good with parts, schematics, and the last time I called tech support (which, granted, has been years) I got a real guy in the US speaking English i could understand. That can count for something.

I only mention Hobart because they're the "budget" line of ITW. Obviously the same mostly holds true for Miller (although their tech support lines are -- or were -- separate and distinct).

I now have a Lincoln 256 but have never needed to call Lincoln.

Finally, one key thing that differs with wire feed is MOVING PARTS. The wire feed mechanism is absolutely critical for a positive experience and the cheap welders at least used to come up short here. Shoving wire that's 23 to 30 thousandths in diameter down a liner that's ten to fifteen feet long is not as simple as it sounds.

Buy something reputable or just save your money

 

[oldcodger]

I am not a welder but have friends who are. From what i understand their opinion is as D60 says. Get one with metal, not plastic, wire feed mechanism. They tell me the plastic wire feed will be the first thing to go out. They seem to just hold together thru the warranty period.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

I got a metalman inverter mig/tig/stick welder from Tractor supply a few years back. Has worked well for the small projects around the house. Can't tell a difference when trying to repair beat up fences, lawn mower decks, truck beds and things like that. I wouldn't use it to build a race car.

 

[joegreen]

Those "handy" MIGs from Lincoln are the cheapest of the cheap. I wouldn't waste your money.

There are a lot of reviews on YT of HF's latest offerings (Vulcan?) and they seem decent. For a hobby guy, likely ok.

If you want to step out of the hobby realm parts availability and service becomes a consideration. Hobart is actually quite good with parts, schematics, and the last time I called tech support (which, granted, has been years) I got a real guy in the US speaking English i could understand. That can count for something.

I only mention Hobart because they're the "budget" line of ITW. Obviously the same mostly holds true for Miller (although their tech support lines are -- or were -- separate and distinct).

I now have a Lincoln 256 but have never needed to call Lincoln.

Finally, one key thing that differs with wire feed is MOVING PARTS. The wire feed mechanism is absolutely critical for a positive experience and the cheap welders at least used to come up short here. Shoving wire that's 23 to 30 thousandths in diameter down a liner that's ten to fifteen feet long is not as simple as it sounds.

Buy something reputable or just save your money

I can attest to Hobart's customer service. I have a Hobart handler 190 that I've had for about 10 years. I bought it refurbished. It looked brand new when I received it. I contacted Hobart and asked why it was refurbished and they were able to tell me exactly why. The power cord had come disconnected somehow. I don't know of many companies that would tell you why your refurbished item was returned/repaired for.

 

[Lenny5160]

About a year ago, I was looking for a 120 volt welder. I looked a lot at the 140 offerings from Lincoln and Hobart. I almost picked up a used Century, but I was reading a lot of stuff about bad control boards so crossed them off the list.

I didn’t have a particular use in mind, and hasn’t touched a welder in 25+ years. I just wanted to learn and play.

In the end, I couldn’t justify paying a bunch more and ended up with the Klutch 140i from Northern Tool which can be had for $229 if you catch it on sale. It’s an inverter unit so it’s very light. The ground and feed cables are only 6.5’ long, which does limit range but might be easier on the feed system. I’ve only run .035 flux core to this point, but I’ve been very happy with it. It does come with a gas regulator for MIG and the wire speed/voltage are both infinitely adjustable.

I looked at the HF machines too, and I’m sure the machines aren’t all that different but I’m more comfortable with the warranty from Northern.

 

[Chris142]

While HF has improved much of their products I don't think their welders would be in the same class as a Lincoln welder.

 

[Soft Cars]

I would recommend a machine that offers a stable arc plus infinite voltage adjustment. Also, parts availability is important.

Millermatic 211 would be perfect for the OP.

 

[Elkins45]

I would recommend a machine that offers a stable arc plus infinite voltage adjustment. Also, parts availability is important.

Millermatic 211 would be perfect for the OP.

That's a $2000 machine. I really wouldn't consider paying that much for a tool that only gets used 2-3 times a year. I'm sure it would be a great welder but I think that's overkill for my needs.

 

[D60]

That's a $2000 machine. I really wouldn't consider paying that much for a tool that only gets used 2-3 times a year. I'm sure it would be a great welder but I think that's overkill for my needs.

Unfortunately it was much cheaper pre-global panic. I agree current pricing puts it out of consideration for many hobbyists.

A Hobart 140 is a solid choice, but TTBOMK they're still transformer = heavy compared to inverter. Even so current pricing is $750. I remember ~10 years ago TSC would periodically be $400 and that included a Hobart auto dark hood of your choosing

Still, I have to wonder if you won't find a lot more use than anticipated for a nice wire feed. Something like a M211 is light (thus easily portable), runs on 110 or 220 and puts out enough voltage (on 220) to weld thicker stuff