Bought a Hobart Handler 210

[Steve W]

Went to Tractor Supply yeasterday a picked up a HH 210 for $899.48. It came with a Hobart cover, mig pliers, gloves, regulator and hose, and a mail in rebate for a $100.00 gift card. I've been thinking of buying one anyways so I went ahead and did it. So far I really like it. The things I liked best was the power and duty cycle for a small mig and the 7 taps. It seems to weld really great. I've only tried it with .030 solid wire and C-25 gas. The chart settings seem to be right on the mark, except tap 5 called for 50, but I seemed to get a better arc at speed 60. I doubt I will ever purchase a spoolgun for it. Wish my 3035 spoolgun for my MM 210 would work on it. This is the first Hobart I've ever owned and glad I bought this one. Hobart did a great job on this welder, and I feel pretty sure I will get alot of use out of it.
Thanks and keep up the good work.

[Brand X]

Hobart did a nice job with that unit. It shines with aluminum using a spool-gun. It runs .035 MS wire really well too.:)

[Some Creep]

That's quite a pretty fleet of sparkers you have there! You are one lucky b@stard!

What's the advantage of having a MM210 AND the HH210? To keep one set up w/ a spool gun and the other set up 'standard'? Just curious....

[dda52]

Yup, Hobart outdid themselves with that one. All mine ever see's is .030 or .023 solid. Runs a pretty mean .035 and .045 flux core, too.:cool: Every wire I tried but one ran like a top. My favorite Pinnacle runs the best in it.:cool:

[Steve W]

Thanks Some Creep. It's taking me a lifetime to accumulate all the tools I have for metal working to wood working. I had times when I needed a smaller portable unit. I have the Lincoln stick machine, but I still needed a mig. I really could have gotten by with the HH 187, but the HH 210 just seemed to stick with me. I don't make a living out of all of this, but I do make a little money on the side and I just love welding and fabricating. My dad was a professional welder all his life with his own truck. I guess it's just in my blood.
Thanks and Take care

[Hotfoot]

Yup, Hobart outdid themselves with that one. All mine ever see's is .030 or .023 solid. Runs a pretty mean .035 and .045 flux core, too.:cool: Every wire I tried but one ran like a top. My favorite Pinnacle runs the best in it.:cool:

I'll just have to toss in that I picked up a couple spools of Pinnacle after seeing how pleased Don was with it, and now, about 3 pounds into the first one, I'll have to say I'm very pleased with it, too! Nice wire! Thanks for the tip, Don!:)

[dda52]

Yer velcome, Evapfoot.:D


Steve, where are you located? Might could steer you onto some to try.

[Steve W]

Don, I'am up here in Fredericksburg. I'am thinking Bulverde is kinda North of S.A.. Probally about 70 miles northwest of you.

[dda52]

Yup, 15 miles north of SA on 281 and 46. We aren't that far away from each other. I hit Fritztown now and again. Haven't been in a few years, but the wifey is bugging me to go one day.:rolleyes: It has lost its appeal since that BBQ place closed up....what was it called.....Birks or something like that? Loved getting stuffed on their chicken and sausage.......good stuff.:cool:

I get my wire in Boerne at 3D Welding Supply. They are on the NW side of town off the main street. If you ever get that way, you could easily pop in and say hey to Bill.:D

[Hotfoot]

Hey, Steve: Just mosey down the trail to Johnson City, and see some of my stuff at The Kirchman Gallery on Nugent Street, right across from the courthouse. They have a number of my gongs there in their outdoor garden, as well as two or three of my birds, but will probably rotate them out in another week or so. (Galleries are constantly changing what's there, so folks keep coming back to see what's new).:)
They are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

[crawler]

Yer velcome, Evapfoot.:D


Steve, where are you located? Might could steer you onto some to try.

Hey Don,

If you don't mind me asking..... What is the price of Pinnacle wire .030 wire?
I might need to swing by there next time I drive through Austin....

Thanks,
Charles

[Sully2]

Yup, Hobart outdid themselves with that one. All mine ever see's is .030 or .023 solid. Runs a pretty mean .035 and .045 flux core, too.:cool: Every wire I tried but one ran like a top. My favorite Pinnacle runs the best in it.:cool:

.045 fluxcore...very interesting!

[openboater]

Please clear up something.

You said the HH210 won't work with your 3035 spoolgun, yet the HH210 brochure says it works with a DP-3035.

Whats the difference between the spoolguns ?

[Steve W]

hello openboater, The guns to me look identical except that the ends to the 3035 are different. The dp from what I can tell has a end like the mig gun for the gas flow and power. You just simply pull you mig end out and put the spool gun end in and connect the trigger plug on front. The MM 210 spool gun has a power lead that connects to the postive terminal were you can change the polarity and the gas hose connects to a barbed fitting mounted by the drive motor housing, and the MM210 has an extra trigger plug on the front panel. On the MM210 the argon has it own gas jack on back for the spoolgun. This way you can just grap the mig gun or the spoolgun and start welding and not have to change guns out.

[dda52]

Yup, that is it. The DP 3035 just has the Hobart Power pin on it. It also has a monocable instead of a two piece power lead and gas hose like my 3035 has. Neat and easy to use.:cool: I suppose it would be possible to get a power pin and cobble something to make them work. Would take some head scratching, though. Having never even seen a power pin off of a gun, I don't know if it is even possible. Maybe that is something Hobart could look into one day.

[Steve W]

Hotfoot, Next time I go thru J.C. I will would like that very much to see your work.

dda52, it was Birks. We would go there for lunch and pick some up. It was good stuff.

[dda52]

Hey Don,

If you don't mind me asking..... What is the price of Pinnacle wire .030 wire?
I might need to swing by there next time I drive through Austin....

Thanks,
Charles


Charles, I haven't gotten any in a couple of months, but I was paying about 23 bucks for a 11# roll for the HH210's and around $1.05 to 1.25 for 44# and 33# rolls.:cool: They have the main location in San Marcos off 123 somewhere. Never been there, but I might go there if I go see Barry again this week.;):D You might also want to check around up there. The stuff is distributed by Sowesco in Houston. Someone up there may already know aboutit. The wire is Korean and all the small spools I have seen so far are precision wound.:cool: The bigger ones are available in precision and random wind versions. I try to get precision wind rolls.

[dda52]

dda52, it was Birks. We would go there for lunch and pick some up. It was good stuff.


That's what I thought. I bet it has been 24-25 years since I had that stuff, but I can still remember it well. What ever happened to them? I always used to go there when we were visiting my dad's side of the family there. Grandparents used to live not to far from Cross Mtn. They were Birks regulars.:cool:

[crawler]

Charles, I haven't gotten any in a couple of months, but I was paying about 23 bucks for a 11# roll for the HH210's and around $1.05 to 1.25 for 44# and 33# rolls.:cool: They have the main location in San Marcos off 123 somewhere. Never been there, but I might go there if I go see Barry again this week.;):D You might also want to check around up there. The stuff is distributed by Sowesco in Houston. Someone up there may already know aboutit. The wire is Korean and all the small spools I have seen so far are precision wound.:cool: The bigger ones are available in precision and random wind versions. I try to get precision wind rolls.

Thanks for the info Don.. I hope you get better deals from Barry this time around... :D

Charles

[dda52]

Thanks for the info Don.. I hope you get better deals from Barry this time around... :D

Charles
No worries if I don't. I am happy with everything to date.:cool: Who knows, it may all be gone by now.:rolleyes:

[Steve W]

That's what I thought. I bet it has been 24-25 years since I had that stuff, but I can still remember it well. What ever happened to them? I always used to go there when we were visiting my dad's side of the family there. Grandparents used to live not to far from Cross Mtn. They were Birks regulars.:cool:

dda52, I don't know what happened to Birks. I was just coming home one day and noticed them shout down. I think they just sold it and went out of bussiness. It's now called doudle jade and has been completely remodeled. It's a buffet style now with seafood, asian and mexican food.

[Hobart Expert Darrell]

Went to Tractor Supply yeasterday a picked up a HH 210 for $899.48. It came with a Hobart cover, mig pliers, gloves, regulator and hose, and a mail in rebate for a $100.00 gift card. I've been thinking of buying one anyways so I went ahead and did it. So far I really like it. The things I liked best was the power and duty cycle for a small mig and the 7 taps. It seems to weld really great. I've only tried it with .030 solid wire and C-25 gas. The chart settings seem to be right on the mark, except tap 5 called for 50, but I seemed to get a better arc at speed 60. I doubt I will ever purchase a spoolgun for it. Wish my 3035 spoolgun for my MM 210 would work on it. This is the first Hobart I've ever owned and glad I bought this one. Hobart did a great job on this welder, and I feel pretty sure I will get alot of use out of it.
Thanks and keep up the good work.

Go ahead and connect your 3035 spoolgun to your Handler 210. Just connect the weld leads to the output polarity change-over and the gun motor /trigger connector to the 4 pin receptacle on the front panel. Switch the "Spool gun / MIG gun" switch to "Spool gun". It should work. You may just need to make a short adapter for the weld leads if they don't fit over the studs on the polarity change-over.

Give it a quick dry run first by connecting the trigger connector and making sure that the motor runs in the spool gun.

Darrell

[dda52]

Go ahead and connect your 3035 spoolgun to your Handler 210. Just connect the weld leads to the output polarity change-over and the gun motor /trigger connector to the 4 pin receptacle on the front panel. Switch the "Spool gun / MIG gun" switch to "Spool gun". It should work. You may just need to make a short adapter for the weld leads if they don't fit over the studs on the polarity change-over.

Give it a quick dry run first by connecting the trigger connector and making sure that the motor runs in the spool gun.

Darrell

That is good to know, Darrell. How about the gas connection?

[Hobart Expert Darrell]

That is good to know, Darrell. How about the gas connection?

Sorry, I didn't think to add that. You would need a splice (diverter) in the gas line that connects to the gas barb on top of the feedhead. Our tech service guys could probably hook you up with a part number. We use them on our IronMan 210 spoolgun kits. Otherwise, you would have to devise a gas pickup that would simulate the powerpin of the MIG gun in the same manner as the direct connect spoolgun (DP 3035) to get the gas from the feedhead.

I designed the system to work with the direct-connect spoolgun, but with a little ingenuity, the old style of spoolgun could potentially be used. All of the drive circuitry is there, it's just the interface that needs tweeked.

Darrell

[Steve W]

Thanks Darrell. I was thinking the same thing. The lead on the spool gun could be connected to the terminal block for power and that I could probally splice into the gas line for argon. I was kinda hoping that I could just buy the power pin like on the end of the mig gun and plug my hose from my spoolgun to it for gas flow. Then all I'd would have to do is connect the spoolgun lead to the polarity terminal. The diverter would work great also. Thanks

[Hobart Expert Darrell]

Thanks Darrell. I was thinking the same thing. The lead on the spool gun could be connected to the terminal block for power and that I could probally splice into the gas line for argon. I was kinda hoping that I could just buy the power pin like on the end of the mig gun and plug my hose from my spoolgun to it for gas flow. Then all I'd would have to do is connect the spoolgun lead to the polarity terminal. The diverter would work great also. Thanks

If you could get the power pin, that would be ideal. It would really clean up your gas connection.

[Dan]

Becareful Steve, if the HH 210 performs as similar to the HH 187 as I suspect, you won't want to weld with the HH 210 and the MM 210 back to back on a steel project, because you'll probably end up realizing, that your $900 unit ( HH 210) is a slightly better performing unit then your $1300+ unit (MM 210)

I was using the HH 187 on a project for the wife's rabbits this past weekend, and decided on the second day to give the MM 210 a little arc time. Keep in mind, I like the MM 210. I should have remembered though, that I like the HH 187 even better yet. I ran a couple weld beads with the MM 210, then I put it away, and went back to using the HH 187, due to it being the nicer run unit out of the two.

[dda52]

I can vouch for that one. My MM210 hardly gets used due to this fact....esp on aloominumumnim.:D The HH is so much better, I got spoiled. I used my MM yesterday to blast on some trailer brackets for a customer. It was ok. Main reason I used it was it has a 15' gun on it and we couldn't get the trailer in the shop.:rolleyes:

[Sully2]

Becareful Steve, if the HH 210 performs as similar to the HH 187 as I suspect, you won't want to weld with the HH 210 and the MM 210 back to back on a steel project, because you'll probably end up realizing, that your $900 unit ( HH 210) is a slightly better performing unit then your $1300+ unit (MM 210)

I was using the HH 187 on a project for the wife's rabbits this past weekend, and decided on the second day to give the MM 210 a little arc time. Keep in mind, I like the MM 210. I should have remembered though, that I like the HH 187 even better yet. I ran a couple weld beads with the MM 210, then I put it away, and went back to using the HH 187, due to it being the nicer run unit out of the two.

No kidding?????

[hankj]

No kidding?????

Actually, Sully, he's not! The HH210 is sweet.

Still, the MM210 is a butt kicker at high end on thicker stock where duty cycle come into play. I'll be keeping mine!

Still, I'll be keeping the Handler 210, too!:o

Hank

[Steve W]

[QUOTE=Dan;297106]Becareful Steve, if the HH 210 performs as similar to the HH 187 as I suspect, you won't want to weld with the HH 210 and the MM 210 back to back on a steel project, because you'll probably end up realizing, that your $900 unit ( HH 210) is a slightly better performing unit then your $1300+ unit (MM 210)

High Dan. You're right about how nice it welds. I started to build my cart tonight for it. I don't have a spool gun for it, but I can use the spool gun switch to set my gas flow and not run my wire out. This unit reminds me of the MM 172 I used to own but with no wire speed tracking and more voltage taps. I absolutely love it. I may end up just buying a spoolgun for it later next year. Take care, Steve