Im in a toss up, im buying a new 60 gallon compressor and a new welder. Im set on the campbell hausfeld compressor but I can't decide if I should get the hobart handler 187 or the Lincoln powermig 180c. Has anyone on here used either of these? Im kinda leaning toward the Lincoln because I can get parts for it right here in town, but I've heard some good things about the hobart... im gonna be using it for auto body/ chassis fab/ whatever side jobs come along.

I would also recommend you throw a Miller in the mix for comparison. In fact, I believe I read before I purchased my welder where at least some of the Hobart's if not all are Miller-made machines.

- EM

I run the millers at work and im not real impressed with them. They're quite a bit bigger and more expensive for the same features. Just my opinion

Miller is the way to go......

Miller and Hobart are made by the same company. My Hobart 140 has a miller wand.

Both are good. If there's a local dealer, that may tip the balance.

R.

I have a Lincoln PowerMig 255 and love it. It works great and is easy to use. Recently swung a craigslist deal and picked up a Spool Gun and accessory board for it, so I can eventually weld aluminum - just need a tank of argon gas. Great welder with good documentation and parts readily available via the Web through several sources. I found that unless its a very common part, local Lincoln dealers here don't stock the parts, so they must be ordered

I have a Lincoln 175 and like it a lot. I recommend a 220 unit no matter whose you buy. I had a 110 Miller and just never seemed to be able to get a nice weld. Probably operator error but I have no problems with the 220 unit.
Arno

i have a lincoln sp135 plus(i think thats the model) i like it a lot and its never let me down. they say its good to 5/16" thick metal. i`ve never even come close to finding metal that thick on a car to weld.

i have the hobart 210 and love it. couldnt touch anything comparable for the price, it had a great warranty, and good customer service. they are made here. the newer compact lincolns are made overseas if that matter to you. i own some lincoln stuff and prefer there engine driven machines over anything else, but id rather buy something made here if its an option. get the 187.

I prefer the Lincoln.

I'm a welder/fabricator at a speed shop and I have used both Millers and Lincolns. At work, we have a Miller 175 for sheet metal/small stuff and a Miller 212 for chassis/suspension work ect... and a Miller TIG machine. Both MIGs perform flawlessly and the 212 is pretty damn old and still works great. We run a Tweco torch on it and it's as if the thing can't make a bad bead if you tried.

I bought a Miller 211 for home use and I am very happy with it. It doesn't seem to be as nice as the 212 at work but it gets the the job done. I don't know if it not welding as nice is the welders fault or possibly just because I am using cheaper wire/welding outdoors in my front yard most of the time ect... Either way, it is a very nice machine.

I also have cheap 110 lincoln. Honestly, there are some things about the cheap lincoln that almost seem like it is made better than my $1000 211. The wire feed mechanism just seems sturdier.

One thing I like about the millers as opposed to just about every other MIG on the market is the infinite amperage adjustment range. You have a dial instead of just a few positions so fine adjustments of voltage can be obtained.


I'd strongly recommend the Miller 211, It is the most versatile machine in the price range able to handle some pretty heavy duty stuff and also has the ability to run on 110 OR 220 power.


Just for shits and giggles, here is an example of some work I did on the 212 at work


the machine produces such a smooth, clean bead.


Here is an exhaust piece I did with the 175, very precise, clean welds


Had a pic of some welds I did with my 211 somewhere but can't find em.

Bottom line, either Miller, Lincoln or Hobart and you will probably be very happy. I just think the miller has a few edges over the others but then again the Lincolns do have some plus sides too.