Hobart MultiHandler 200 MIG/TIG/stick.

[wapitimud]

I'm excited to see Hobart's new multifunction welder on their website. It looks excellent, and has only a few reviews. It's affordable, at $1100 US. That puts it not much more than the HF Vulcan with a fistful of coupons. My buddy sells used Miller welders and says that the Miller is better in performance and weld results. But he hasn't bought this Hobart, so how could he know?

I would mainly use this welder for MIG on sheet metal, and the stick welding, as I haven't learned TIG yet.

While I can accept that the duty cycle of the Miller is probably higher than the Hobart, Miller owns Hobart, and the MPA 220 and this new Multihander 200 look very close to me.

Lincoln own Century as their entry level as well.

I'm thinking if you were making a living doing welding in a shop, Miller/Lincoln might be the way to go. if you were a farmer or hobbiest, the Hobart/Century might be a valid pick? Or is it less clear than that?

 

[e9999]

I have a little Hobart. I like it a lot and it's plenty good for me, but I would not say it's the same as a similar but significantly costlier Miller. I don't know about any difference in the quality of the inside parts, of course, but there are lesser features on the Hobart, as obviously they need to keep the Millers having better features to justify some price differential. My gut feeling with that general issue, though, is that the difference in quality is not commensurate with the difference in price, in part because of likely common parts to avoid additional logistics costs (good for the Hobart), because they can take advantage of name recognition for the Miller which is important to some folks with money, because cost is less critical for businesses thanks to tax advantages, and also because of the need to target folks with more extreme pro needs addressed with costly features in the Millers which may not matter to DIYers. IOW, I like you also think that generally speaking (and not necessarily for this specific model), for the typical DIYer the Hobart is likely a better cost/capabilities ratio deal than the equivalent Miller. OTOH, for a pro or business, the Miller is probably a better investment, thanks to hopefully better longevity, more advanced features, and better duty cycle / performance. Which, of course, is as it should be. And as you suggested.

Oddly, I've developed this notion that Hobart is closer to Miller than Century is to Lincoln, but that may be wishful thinking due to unreasonable emotional attachment to my Hobart (even though I have a Century welder too).

 

[cruisermatt]

I used the new Miller AC/DC multiprocess machine, (multimatic 220 I think?), and it was pretty s***ty as a TIG machine. My $700 AHP 200 works way better.

 

[firestopper]

Illinois Tool works (ITW) is an American fortune 200 company, Miller and Hobart are two notable brands they own from a looong list. That said, both brands offer entry level (hobby) machines. I can't personally vouch for multi-process welding machines, but I have a hunch they won't preform to the same level as a dedicated process machine.
I like the fact you now have an option to purchase an American based product.

What I can say about Miller and Hobart is of you take care of them, you can sell them for good money when you decide to upgrade. I generally use machines (Miller's) for 25 years and sell them for top dollar and buy a new replacement. Not uncommon for me to pull the skins to clean internals with shop air 3 X year. I also wax the skins during this process. It sounds ridiculous, but I get top dollar for taking care of my equipment.

 

[e9999]

I think it's indeed fair to say that a dedicated machine for one process will likely work/perform better than a multiprocess one at the same task. However, realistically, it seems to me that a multiprocess machine is often a better way to go for the DIYer, primarily for cost and space usage reasons. At the same time, as a DIYer I also expect a long life out of a significant expense, so long-term parts availability becomes critical to ensure the usability longevity of the device, which is where generic chinese brands will likely fail miserably. That, together with their significantly better resale value, pushes me to consider US manufacturers first. I think Hobart, Miller, and Lincoln are all good potential choices. If I could not find/get one of those, I'd then look at ESAB.

 

[Comet]

I have the ubiquitous Hobart Handler 140. 1/4” steel with a few passes is OK with me for now. I learned arc welding back in the late 80’s and this mig welding is hilariously fun. Clean metal is a blast with a gas bottle and a little tweaking of the knobs (on the machine). A multi-purpose machine in this price range definitely sounds like a great DIY option.