[Tau44]

Has anyone had any experience with a Craftsman Mig Welder? Is a Lincoln, Hobart, Miller that much better then other brands. Just looking for a mig welder to work on my tractors with. Won't be using it alot.

Any recommendations?

THanks,

Tau

 

[jodyand]

I'm sure the Craftsman is as good if not better the the Campbell Hausefield. My neighbor has the CH which he bought at WalMart for $200. He has use the hell out of it for the past 4 years and it still works great. I don't know who make them for Sears but it should be good for what you will use it for.

 

[Ingersoll444]

I have a Sears, and wile not bad, not as good as the name brands. What I dont like is the the tip is always hot when you turn it on. Wether you hold the trigger, or not, you will arc. I like the other setup beter where you dont have power to it, till you pull the trigger.

 

[Live Oak]

Originally posted by Tau44
Has anyone had any experience with a Craftsman Mig Welder? Is a Lincoln, Hobart, Miller that much better then other brands. Just looking for a mig welder to work on my tractors with. Won't be using it alot.

Any recommendations?

THanks,

Tau

I would recommend the Miller or Hobart line. Hobart is owned by Miller and their models are very similar. VERY good quality. For all around use, the Hobart Iron Man 250 comes to mind but may be a bit much for occasional use. If you are not welding thicker than 1/4 inch steel; the Hobart 175 is a more economical option.

 

[slipshod]

Love It

Miller makes it right!

 

[aguysmiley]

A friend of mine bought a Craftsman mig welder a while back. The liner was ate up within two months. It was under warranty so Sears gave him a new one. I haven't heard how that one is doing. Maybe he just got a defect.

I trust Hobart and Miller. Both are nice. My dad has a nice Lincoln that was less expensive than the other two. He does a lot of welding with it. He's had it for about five years now and it's held up great.

 

[guest2]

Lincoln, Hobart, and Miller are all good brands. Just be sure to find the model that's right for your needs. Each line will have a model comparable to the others.

 

[Archdean]

Many years ago I bought a Lincoln, liked it but didn't love it, moving from Alaska most things went to friends, daughters and etc. On Relocating in Green Country OK. , had to re outfit damn near everything and Went with Miller, not only like it but love it!! How's that for a recommendation:question:

 

[Tau44]

Miller 210

Slipshod what is the price of that Miller 210 roughly? I was looking at maybe a Miller 175? I don't know if I would use the 210 enough to invest that much money in it? What kind of welding would a 175 Miller do? Could you weld a race car frame with it or a dunne buggy frame with it?

THanks,

Tau

 

[slipshod]

Re: Miller 210

Originally posted by Tau44
Slipshod what is the price of that Miller 210 roughly? I was looking at maybe a Miller 175? I don't know if I would use the 210 enough to invest that much money in it? What kind of welding would a 175 Miller do? Could you weld a race car frame with it or a dunne buggy frame with it?

THanks,

Tau

It has been a while since I bought mine but I believe I paid around $1,000 for mine. The reason I can't remember is that I lie to my wife about the price of toys and tools so much I actually forget the real prices. A 175 will weld all of the above.

 

[itsgottobegreen]

I had a craftsman welder. Then I got smart and bought a miller.

I have a miller 210 w/3035 spoolgun. Worth every penny. And for your married guys, worth ever bit of "honey I really need it" begging.

I have had mine for a year. I have welded the $#!+ out of it. I love it. But If I did it again. I would get the Miller 251. I like over killer. When buying welders always buy something you will grow into. Everyone will out grow their first welder.

Miller is the only way to go when it comes to welders. Nothing comes close. They have the best customer support. I had a bad gas valve in mine when I got it. They next day guaranteed air mailed me the new one. Along with 20 contact tips as a sorry present. They didn't ask any questions.

I plan on getting a Miller Maxstar 150 DC TIG welder this year.

Own a tractor, must own welder. (trust me)

 

[Chipmaker]

If you were to take a Miller, Lincoln, HObart, ESAB, Thermal Dynamic, and any of the other brands like Crapsman etc, cover em all up and let a pro welder run a few beads, odds are he will be able to pick out the Lincolns and Millers and Hobarts from the others, just the way they initiate the arc, and lay a bead........
While they all may weld, there is a lot of differences in the shape of the beads and how they are put down with the various machines all due to their open voltage circuit and control.........

I view a welder as a one time purchase, and If I was intent enough to need and learn how to use a welder and have a need, I would go with a decent welder, that would leave All but the HObart, Miller and Lincolns out of the picture.

Lincoln IMHO is better than a MIller in ne respect especially if your dealing with the 175 amp range models. Miller machines automatically increase wire feed for you when you increase the heat setting........is this good.......yes and no.......When I want to increase feed, I want to be able to do it and ot have a machine decide it needs increasing.....as a lot of times you may need a bit more heat without any additional feed...........other than that they are basically the same. I do think the Lincoln is better at the lower range and getting a consistent running and looking bead over the miller machines.......HObart is on par with the Miller, but does not quite lay a bead as nice as a MIller, but its still a certainly nice machine......

The biggest complaint I have with a Lincoln is the gun itself, as the triggers are extremely sensitive.......

What ever machine you get make sure its not hot until you pull the trigger......one that is hot all the time is a pain in the backside to use and can get you in trouble sometimes,

I would definately stay with a machine that is a 220 machine in regards to input voltage...........and also get one that is both flux core and gas capable.
While the machines that operate of 115 may work, and they do work good, they leave a lot to be desired, and sooner or later you will wish you wnet the extra $$ for more amperage. Stay with a Lincoln or Miller and you won't regret it further down the road.

You can weld 10 inch thick with a 130 amp machine if you put your mind to it, it would just take a heap of passes, so any machine will just about weld anything it just boils dopwn to how easy and how long it will take, but the 175 class machine is more than capable of welding up most items on a race car with ease............I would go with a machine like Lincolns 175+ or Millers equivalent, as the infinite control is better overall once youy learn the machine than presets are......

 

[slipshod]

Chip

The wire feed speed on the Miller 210 is fully independent. May have been that way on the older ones but not now.

 

[Chipmaker]

Re: Chip

Originally posted by slipshod
The wire feed speed on the Miller 210 is fully independent. May have been that way on the older ones but not now.

Yes, the 210 is a totally different animal than the 170-180 amp machines. It has always been independant and was always adjusted by the users needs and not what the machine "thinks" it should be. Its really the only draw back I have found on the small miller models......and was the main factor in my buying a lincoln.......since there was no way to dissable this assinine feature....Miller is well aware of it though, as quite a fwew folks in a welding form on the HObart site has voiced their opinions on the auto increase of feed with higher heat settings...