Picked up a project car a few weeks ago that needs some panels welded on. So now I'm looking at welders. Took some welding classes many years ago, but pretty inexperienced. Have a Harbor Freight (HF) bottom of the barrel MIG welder that I've used on and off for many years, but it isn't going to cut it anymore.

Now I'm looking at buying a new decent one. I've read, and watched, lots of reviews, but looking for some real work experience.

I'm OK with spending money, but within reason. Yea I understand the "buy once, cry once" philosophy, but that really only takes me so far.

I'm looking specifically for a 110/220V welder, not just a 220 (so there Lincoln 190 is out). Quality used ones are slim pickings.

Here's what I'm looking at:

HF Titanium 170 - Seems to check all my boxes, great reviews, cheapest (plus HF coupons), but their warranty just sucks, and no long term support. If it lasts 3-5 years though, might not be a bad trade off.

Hobart 210MVP - Solid brand, long term support, better warranty, but twice the cost of the Titanium (looking bout $1100 after taxes). Reviews are mostly solid, but some negatives about being a "big box store brand"

Miller 211 - Yea this would seem to be the best, but at $1500+ (with their current sale/discounts), I just can't justify the cost.

Lincoln - can't really find one comparable to what I want

Anyone go through the same decisions, and have any feedback? Or another brand to look at? Nothing is built today, like it was 15-20 years ago, so hoping to get some recent intel.

Appreciate any insight!

Hobby welder here. Got some advice from some ironworkers that worked for me.

I used a Miller 211 to restore a 66 Mustang. It was an excellent machine. Did aluminum with the optional spool gun. Excellent controls and very reliable.

Sold my business and bought the cheaper Hobart for hobby work. It works well but imo the controls are not as good as the Miller. It certainly works well for my purposes. Really wanted another Miller but couldn’t justify the price. And 220vac is a must if you get into thicker steel but it’s convenient to be able to run off 120vac especially if using away from garage.

The super cheap welders did not impress me. I’m more of a buy once cry once buyer.

Duty cycle is important if you're doing a lot of run time on it. The cycle is basically how long it will run before it shuts off. In general, to more you spend the better it is.

There are lots of welders available used. If it was me, I would look for a Miller 211 on Craigslist, ebay, etc. At one time I had five welders of various ages, and each one was 100% trouble free.

What about a TIG welder that will run on 120 or 240 volts. Any recommendations? Ideally would have HF, not not critical.

Does Harbor Freight not offer the extended warranty on welders?

Email inbound.

Even at $1500 the Miller is the best bargain for what you get. If you really are welding as a hobby (an activity to make you happy) you should strongly consider saving up a little longer and getting the nicer machine. Less than half the cost of a nice 1911, and abut 1.5 times what a decent revolver costs new. But either way you go, have fun!

quote:

Originally posted by xanth:


Hobart 210MVP

Only thing I can add is I've had one of these since 2020 with no complaints, other than it's heavy. lol Which doesn't matter if you have a shop/garage. I was humping it out of the house and into the driveway for the first 2 1/2 years and kept thinking "Why didn't I buy a small one? " I bought slightly larger (more powerful) so I could do some bigger thicker stuff. In reality I ended up doing far more THIN stuff than I ever would have imagined.

I over spent for as often as I THOUGHT I would use it. As it turned out I ended up using it a lot more than I thought so it was a good choice. But nowhere near often enough to justify a better machine. If I had, I'd just own a machine with more adjustability that I'd never learn to take advantage of.

I have an old stick welder that got used a lot in the 80's when the business was big and we had big trucks. I've used it once in the last 35+ years. I didn't want to drop a wad of cash on an expensive wire feed machine, use it on the one project, then have it sit for 20 years.

Not having a garage is the killer, where a tiny little machine would be better. Right now I have two little things I need to use it on. Neither of them mine. Neither of them worth the hassle of moving everything out of the way in the shed, to get the cart out, to do the work. It would be an hours worth of work for literally 5 seconds worth of tack welding. (things like this keep me thinking "Can I tig in my basement?")

I like having and using quality tools, so I save for a better machine or a used one.

Either way, get something that can have a gas bottle and regulator hooked to it. I have never heard of someone being satisfied with flux core wire. It works, but is real hard to compare the quality to a gas weld.

As far as immediate needs, find a friend so equipped. Don’t rush a purchase for an immediate fix. Doing that you have to make space for a compromise welder, use it a little, flip it at a loss and finally get what you really want.

My MIG is a Miler, My TIG is a Miller, My stick welder is the old reliable Lincoln tombstone.

I shopped around and asked a lot of questions from a few welders I know before I bought my setup.
In my research the Hobart 210 MVP was the best bang for the buck. It’s dual voltage and easily swappable.
You can use solid or flux core. The gas delivery is good. Regulator that comes with it works well.
I have zero complaints from owning it. You can usually find them at Tractor Supply, and when on sale they are quite affordable.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
It works, but is real hard to compare the quality to a gas weld.

If you're like me and 100% of your work is outside, while it may not be best, it's always the same.