Hobart 140 has worked well for me on projects where I am using 1/8" or smaller material. Thicker stuff usually requires a trip to my buddy's shop and his big Miller. As someone mentioned earlier Hobart is Miller's economy line of product.
Hobart 140 has worked well for me on projects where I am using 1/8" or smaller material. Thicker stuff usually requires a trip to my buddy's shop and his big Miller. As someone mentioned earlier Hobart is Miller's economy line of product.
Oh yeah, Tuna is my hero. 
I have the Hobart handler 125 with the gas kit and it's a great machine. Pretty much anything too big for it to weld is big enough to tack together with it and finish weld with my stick welder.
I bought one of the Northern Tools MigPony Mig welders with an aluminum spool welder for under $350 last fall and so far it has been a surprisingly good unit. I've only done some light weight aluminum so far, but it was a good enough job that I bought enough aluminum scrap to build a new tire trailer with it.
I've been considering this one from Tractor Supply
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/jobsmartreg%3B-125-amp-mig-fluxcore-welder
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: I know two people with Hobarts, but neither of them welds anything with them I wouldn't do with my fluxcore, so I'm not sure if their use is any indication of anything. Copy that on Lincoln and Miller, I've heard nothing but good things. Evan, what have you welded with the Eastwood? My primary concern is getting something I can dial in for sheet metal, exhaust tubing, plate, etc and not run into limitations with the current and wire speed.
Pretty sure Ozgur did the whole cage in Alp's (now logbooked) rally car using a Hobart Handler 140 (with gas). That's what I have as well and it works great, though I've only done a few heavy-metal things so far with it (large D-rings on the trailer and a few other things).
It's out of the budget, but not by a huge amount. Could probably find one used for $500 or so.
wheelsmithy wrote: Hobart is basically Miller's off brand. Plastic wheels, maybe assembled in China, I've had excellent service from the Hobarts I have used.
My Hobart 140 has all metal wheels and guides. They upgraded them a few years ago from the old plastic stuff, so any new ones should have all the metal stuff.
Does not every responsible father teach their kids how to weld. Same kid who has no interest in cars was TIG welding on the bugeye when she was ten. Maybe if I had been a better father and bought Miller rather than Lincoln she would have turned out ok?
If you look behind the daughter unit, you can see my first MIG welder. The SIP seems to have had a UK following at one time, but things like tips and motor controler circuit boards were hard to source.
I have a Lincoln 140. I run flux core all the time just because it is convenient to be able to grab it and take it to what needs welding. I have all the stuff to run gas except the tank at the moment. When I moved I returned my tank and just have not got another. I can easily weld up to 3/16 with it. 1/4 usually needs a second pass or I will put some heat in to the metal with a torch and that will let me do it in a single pass. I have made everything from suspension control arms using 1x2 tube for my expedition to welding cadges to fixing log rollers. The last project I did was welding axle mounts on to a pair of axles for a tandem axle car trailer. It burned them in with ease.
The biggest thing I can say is with 110v units that prep and fitment become more important and you will also find your self shopping for a heavy duty extension cord.
I drank the blue Kool-Aid long ago, and am admittedly a Miller fanboy.
I own what I believe to be the best all around welder for a hobbyist/weekend fabricator, the Miller 211. It's well beyond the OP's price point, used (potential theft by receiving charge) you might find it within a couple hundred dollars. I almost bought several cheaper Mig welders before I got the 211, a lot that have been mentioned in this thread already. However, SWMBO was the voice of reason that got me to hold out for what I actually wanted instead of settling for a cheaper machine and likely upgrading in the future, cheaper in the long run to go ahead and get the 211.
Having said that, usually any welder is better than no welder, and I understand budget constraints.
All the "name brands," make decent equipment, though I'd avoid the Lowe's/Home Depot Lincolns, they're the same color red as your LWS carries, but the similarities aren't much deeper than that.
Miller's Auto-set feature will spoil you, and can make just about anyone look like they know what they're doing, almost reason enough to buy blue, just for it.
+1 for the Eastwood 135. I've welded a lot of stuff with it (20ga. up to 1/8") and I've been happy with the results. Their customer service was helpful when the first machine they sent did not work.
Someday I would like to upgrade to a high dollar TIG machine, but I see it as apples and oranges: I wouldn't cross shop the two.
I have a Hobart 140 with a Miller gun (nicer gun). I use it for everything without issue - roll cages, exhausts, sheet metal, tractor implements.
Thanks for the input guys. I'm leaning toward the Eastwood 135 due to price, but will shop the used market until I get fed up first
Anybody know who makes the Eastwood welders?
Research indicates that Eastwood is rather vocal about their welders being fully an "in-house" design and not a rebrand. Maybe too vocal... 
In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:
I wouldn't have expected that. Still rather suspicious, but I guess if they state that it must be true, eh? Being mainly a marketing company, I wonder how they became welding experts...
Say, you guys know that if you enter the Grassroots Motorsports $2015 Challenge, and win the Challenger's Choice award, you'll receive a brand spanking new Miller welder, AND a new welding mask?!!
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/events/2015-challenge/
Kudos to Miller Electric for being a sponsor of this year's Challenge!
I've had an Eastwood 135 for several years, bought because of the good recommendations on this very board. 5 lemons builds later, including roll cages, exhaust, some sheet metal work, lots of brackets and fab, and I am still very satisfied. I've also used a Hobart 220v model on a cage and it was only slightly better for that.
Recently picked up a Miller Autoset 140 for $275 included a huge spool of .030 after a few months of browsing Craigslist. Jacket, gloves, metal gauge, welding pliers from Amazon just came in, I believe I'm a Harbor Freight welding helmet, a cart and a bottle of gas away from being able to start. Craigslist has a full 80cf of c25 for $130, customer owned with current hydro test dates, just a bit of a drive to get it though.
Missed a couple barely (or never) used Hobart Handlers and Lincolns in the $350 range but the deals are out there if you want used.
Blue cool aid for me. That is what I was taught on and that is what I like to use. A cheap welder with a good set of hands behind it can do amazing thing. Same with a nice welder and not so great hands behind it. Bad hands and cheap equipment make for bad bedfellows.
I would save up some cash and buy bigger M 211 would be great all rounder.
Anybody know who makes the Eastwood welders?
I read somewhere they are mfg by Lotos
In reply to impulsive:
Yeah, I don't know any different, but I have a hard time believing Eastwood makes them in house. Anyone know for sure?
bravenrace wrote: In reply to impulsive: Yeah, I don't know any different, but I have a hard time believing Eastwood makes them in house. Anyone know for sure?
Eastwood doesn't represent that they are made in house, they are made in China, but supposedly to Eastwood's specifications. IOW, they claim they are not a rebranded Chinese welder, but one in which they have had a hand in designing. Go to the Eastwood site and view some of the videos-- they talk about them at length. Of course, you have to believe they aren't lying to you.
In reply to Basil Exposition:
Having worked in the tool industry for several years, I have to say that it's not hard to get your name put on a chinese product and call it your own, and much harder to get specific upgrades. The end product usually isn't any better than the chinese product its based on, only more expensive.
For what it's worth (about fifty bucks savings on the 135 model), Eastwood is running a sale on welders right now:
http://www.eastwood.com/promotions/welding-basics-showcase.html?SRCCODE=1EM3096&trk_msg=L1FU6PG2UEIKJE7SR9IC05VGT4&trk_contact=43S24TVOP1I61EGKJ4JKL0C3CS&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.eastwood.com%2fpromotions%2fwelding-basics-showcase.html%3fSRCCODE%3d1EM3096&utm_campaign=1EM3096&utm_content=1EM3096
Pretty good video too.
I suffered through a multi year welding-intensive restoration plus another few years on a 110V Daytona MIG 130. It was your basic Italian (rebranded Cerbora) machine and with much practice I learned to stick steel together reasonably well.
Then I scored an awesome deal on a 220V Millermatic 185, same time as my dreamy big-ass Speedaire 220V compressor. The welding end of the shop now has it, a Miller SD180 Syncrowave TIG and a small torch cooler and a Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38 plasma.
If you have the luxury of time, I'd recommend using searchtempest to trawl craigslists withing your driving range and look for a Miller or Lincoln 220V machine in the 180-210 amp range. You'll never regret it. Ever.
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