Often, there is a thread about what welder people use, or what is a good suggestion, arc versus mig, etc. I thought that I would share my experiences for the everyday joe, looking to buy a user-friendly mig welder.
I started out with a worn out Lincoln SP135 mig welder, and a Lincoln tombstone AC/DC arc welder. I stll have that Lincoln today, but I have slowly stepped up in mig welders.
From that Lincoln, I moved to a Hobart Handler 190. I used that welder daily for about 2 years, with no issues. I had done my internet homework, and determined that Hobart made a no-frills, value-based welder. I wasn't disappointed. They don't have bells and whistles, but they do have reliability, value, and they weld nicely. I didn't need another welder, but I wanted to move up- I had my eye on the Hobart Ironman 230. But, my budget agreed more with the Handler 210 MVP. I have been running it for about a year now, and it has been flawless. Versatility, reliability, value, and it welds beautifully. It has the option of welding from 110 or 230, but my work has always required 230- I never tried it on 110. But, the option is always nice to have, for lighter work.
Fast forward- I still have had a desire for more power, and I still wanted the Ironman 230. But, as much as the extra power capacity would be nice, I came to two conclusions- the extra power wasn't worth forfeiting the advantage or portability, and if I need to weld material that thick, I was better off using the arc welder.
During my searches, I came across a deal offered by Miller- if I bought the 211 (on sale), I could get a spoolgun for free. I've wanted to dabble in aluminum welding, so I decided to make the change. On paper, the Miller is the same basic machine as the Hobart (both Hobart and Miller are owned by the same parent company, and share similarities. Think Chevrolet and Cadillac- both owned by GM, but one has more frills than the other, even if they have the same engine and transmission), with similar capacities and duty cycles. With the addition of the spoolgun, I would have about the same money in the Miller as the Hobart. So, I would be trading one apple for another, but gain the spoolgun and infinite control.
A couple of observations, now that I've run some welds with the Miller. It is not quite the same machine- the Miller welds hotter at any given setting than the Hobart. That is sort on an abstract observation, but I had read that the Miller welded hot, and it does.
The Hobart has a softer arc than the Miller. Both have the same wire drive, and both set up the same. The Hobart has the power switch on the front of the case, and the Miller has it on the back. Both have the same 110/230 power cord. Both come with a crappy stamped steel ground clamp- the first thing I did on both machines was to replace them with a quality brass clamp. Both guns have the same feel, but the Miller uses a slightly bigger nozzle, and the tips are a little longer. Both come with a top carry handle, but the Miller also has a Velcro strap to keep the cord, clamp, and gun together on top. Both doors open on the same side, both use the same size spools, and both cases are similar enough in size that they will fit on the same cart. The Miller is the same width, but shorter and taller (marginally) than the Hobart. Both are portable, but still they are heavy to lug around. Better, though, than the Ironman- it is almost 200 pounds. As I mention before, portability is important to me. I work in a dirty barn, with one wood floor in my workshop, and the rest on dirt floor or gravel driveway. I built an offroad welding cart with 10" air tires, and that rolls great. The Ironman 230 would have had to be adapted with larger air tires to work for me, and it still would have been heavier than I wanted to deal with. So, the largest portable Hobart or Miller mig machine is where I have settled.
The Miller is still very new to me, but I like it. If things were different and I would have had to stick with the Hobart, my feelings wouldn't be hurt. They are fine machines, and well worth the money. I have a lot of confidence in Hobart, and would own their machines again, without a second thought. The Miller is everything the Hobart is plus a few extras, but it also cost more- which brings me to my last point. When I decided on the Miller, the free spoolgun was a big factor. Once I got the welder and was going through the paperwork, I realized that I also would be getting a $200 rebate. So, a $249 spoolgun and a $200 rebate put the Miller price lower than the cost of a new Hobart 210 MVP. THAT is a real value, and I am glad that I made the move.
This post is for the man or woman who is looking at either of these two, and trying to decide. It isn't about mig vs. arc, Miller vs. any other brand, American company versus Chinese welders, etc. It is about the real world comparison between a Hobart 210 and a Miller 211, based on my own experiences. I am not a professional welder, although I use mine almost every day of the week. My welds are being tested all over the world, and they are holding. So, I know that the Hobart will get the job done. I have no doubt that the Miller will perform, as long as I keep performing.
Blessings,
Mark
I started out with a worn out Lincoln SP135 mig welder, and a Lincoln tombstone AC/DC arc welder. I stll have that Lincoln today, but I have slowly stepped up in mig welders.
From that Lincoln, I moved to a Hobart Handler 190. I used that welder daily for about 2 years, with no issues. I had done my internet homework, and determined that Hobart made a no-frills, value-based welder. I wasn't disappointed. They don't have bells and whistles, but they do have reliability, value, and they weld nicely. I didn't need another welder, but I wanted to move up- I had my eye on the Hobart Ironman 230. But, my budget agreed more with the Handler 210 MVP. I have been running it for about a year now, and it has been flawless. Versatility, reliability, value, and it welds beautifully. It has the option of welding from 110 or 230, but my work has always required 230- I never tried it on 110. But, the option is always nice to have, for lighter work.
Fast forward- I still have had a desire for more power, and I still wanted the Ironman 230. But, as much as the extra power capacity would be nice, I came to two conclusions- the extra power wasn't worth forfeiting the advantage or portability, and if I need to weld material that thick, I was better off using the arc welder.
During my searches, I came across a deal offered by Miller- if I bought the 211 (on sale), I could get a spoolgun for free. I've wanted to dabble in aluminum welding, so I decided to make the change. On paper, the Miller is the same basic machine as the Hobart (both Hobart and Miller are owned by the same parent company, and share similarities. Think Chevrolet and Cadillac- both owned by GM, but one has more frills than the other, even if they have the same engine and transmission), with similar capacities and duty cycles. With the addition of the spoolgun, I would have about the same money in the Miller as the Hobart. So, I would be trading one apple for another, but gain the spoolgun and infinite control.
A couple of observations, now that I've run some welds with the Miller. It is not quite the same machine- the Miller welds hotter at any given setting than the Hobart. That is sort on an abstract observation, but I had read that the Miller welded hot, and it does.
The Hobart has a softer arc than the Miller. Both have the same wire drive, and both set up the same. The Hobart has the power switch on the front of the case, and the Miller has it on the back. Both have the same 110/230 power cord. Both come with a crappy stamped steel ground clamp- the first thing I did on both machines was to replace them with a quality brass clamp. Both guns have the same feel, but the Miller uses a slightly bigger nozzle, and the tips are a little longer. Both come with a top carry handle, but the Miller also has a Velcro strap to keep the cord, clamp, and gun together on top. Both doors open on the same side, both use the same size spools, and both cases are similar enough in size that they will fit on the same cart. The Miller is the same width, but shorter and taller (marginally) than the Hobart. Both are portable, but still they are heavy to lug around. Better, though, than the Ironman- it is almost 200 pounds. As I mention before, portability is important to me. I work in a dirty barn, with one wood floor in my workshop, and the rest on dirt floor or gravel driveway. I built an offroad welding cart with 10" air tires, and that rolls great. The Ironman 230 would have had to be adapted with larger air tires to work for me, and it still would have been heavier than I wanted to deal with. So, the largest portable Hobart or Miller mig machine is where I have settled.
The Miller is still very new to me, but I like it. If things were different and I would have had to stick with the Hobart, my feelings wouldn't be hurt. They are fine machines, and well worth the money. I have a lot of confidence in Hobart, and would own their machines again, without a second thought. The Miller is everything the Hobart is plus a few extras, but it also cost more- which brings me to my last point. When I decided on the Miller, the free spoolgun was a big factor. Once I got the welder and was going through the paperwork, I realized that I also would be getting a $200 rebate. So, a $249 spoolgun and a $200 rebate put the Miller price lower than the cost of a new Hobart 210 MVP. THAT is a real value, and I am glad that I made the move.
This post is for the man or woman who is looking at either of these two, and trying to decide. It isn't about mig vs. arc, Miller vs. any other brand, American company versus Chinese welders, etc. It is about the real world comparison between a Hobart 210 and a Miller 211, based on my own experiences. I am not a professional welder, although I use mine almost every day of the week. My welds are being tested all over the world, and they are holding. So, I know that the Hobart will get the job done. I have no doubt that the Miller will perform, as long as I keep performing.
Blessings,
Mark
