Hobart Handler 140 Review

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This welding machine is manufactured in the U. S. It is a perfect machine for household repairs and use, and for repairs on farm equipment or lawn equipment. It makes a great machine for auto enthusiasts, hobbyist, and anyone who has welding jobs to do.

It is powerful and can be used by experienced welders, and it is easy to set up, easy to control, and easy to handle so it makes the perfect learning machine for beginners.

This is a MIG welder, and it is capable of welding on thinner metals and on thicker metals. It can be used inside a shop or enclosed garage or outside on large farm equipment and projects.

Hobart Handler 140 Reviews

MIG Welder

MIG welding allows you to weld thicker pieces of metal then JIG or stick welding do. When you use the MIG process you can usually bond together two pieces of metal in one single pass. That means that the welds are made faster, they are smoother, they are stronger, and they have less cleanup issues.

MIG welding is perfect for beginners because it is one of the simplest welding processes to learn how to do. MIG welding allows you to create a weld without getting any alloy elements inside the weld. That means you get a stronger weld that holds longer and looks better.

115 Volt Power Input

You do not have to worry about having the right electrical current, or whether you need three phase wiring, or special outlets to plug your Hobart welding machine into. This machine operates off of the standard 115 volt electrical current that is in every house and business.

All you need to have is an outlet available to plug your machine into. The manufacturer does recommend that you have a 20 Amp breaker in place on the circuit that you plug the machine into.

If you are plugging the welding machine into an outlet make sure that the outlet is not on the same circuit with high amperage items like your microwave oven.

Voltage Control

This welding machine provides you with a five position voltage control selector so you can always have a stable arc, and the perfect voltage for the materials you are welding. No matter what thickness you are working with the selector will allow you to create the perfect weld process for your needs.

You can fine tune your arc so that your welds start out, and finish off, just like you want them to.

Detailed Weld Set Up Guide

This welding machine comes with a detailed weld set up guide. The weld set up guide will help you to make the right adjustments according to what type of welding you will be doing.

This guide makes it easier for a beginning welder to learn their craft while using this MIG welder.

Lightweight

This MIG welding machine is a light weight item that can perform like the big boys do. It weighs only 85 pounds and measures 19 inches x 11 inches x 13 inches. It is easy to store, easy to pick up, and easy to transport from one job location to another.

A lot of heavier machines cannot produce the same amount of output as this small unit can. It is a reliable method of making welding repairs on farm equipment, lawnmowers, automobile parts like exhaust systems, doing new fabrications, working on metal furniture and metal ornamentation you might have around your home or business.

It works well on aluminum, steel, steel alloy, copper, brass, cast, sheet metal, and most other metals. It can easily weld a 24 gauge piece of sheet metal that is 3/16 inches thick in one single pass.

What is in the Box

Duty Cycle

This welding machine has a 20% duty cycle at 90 Amps. This is a fairly common duty cycle for welding machines that are powered by 110 volt or 115 volt electrical currents.

To understand a 20% duty cycle, think about a 10 minute segment of welding. 20% of 10 is 2, so when you weld for 10 minutes at 90 Amps your machine will need to cool down for about 8 minutes before it can resume at the same speed and amperage you were welding.

The duty cycle will change when you are welding at lower amperages or using different dimensions of wire. You will learn to judge how fast and furious you can weld for any given amount of time as you practice using the machine.

Another popular welding machine from Hobart: Handler 190

Wire Drive and Wire feed

The machine has an industrial cast aluminum wire drive system. The cast aluminum is strong, reliable, it does not corrode, and it dampens vibrations to reduce the noise the machine makes when in operation.

It also has a durable feed head that has a quick release drive roll lever. Changing spools and making adjustments are easy and quick when using this machine.

Pros

Cons

Final Notes

This is a great welding system that will benefit anyone who has some occasional welding activities to perform. The detailed set up guide takes all of the guess work out of what settings are best for what metals so the beginner will feel confident that they are doing things right.

The set up guide can even help some experienced welders to choose the right settings and get started working quicker. Creating the perfect arc and reducing splatter are the main goal of most welders, and with this machine those goals are easy to obtain.