Lincoln Miller Hobart or ESAB

[Flux Core joe]

out of all the 4 main brands of welders i can think of in the U.S which is the best one? Lincoln Hobart miller ESAB. I also heard lincoln has been on a downhill slide but i disagree with this cause i own a lincoln can anybody give me thier 2 cents?

[canoecruiser]

The welding field is very broad and IMO a blanket conclusion can't be made. Who makes the best four-wheeled highway vehicle? For what application? Mining trucks? Spare no expense supercars? Luxury limos for kings?

Some folks think Lincoln leads the pipeline field. I've heard it said that the Miller Dynasty line is tops for TIG welders. Hobart doesn't make anything above 250 amps due to their Federal agreement when purchased by ITW so where do they fit in?

For me the "best" are the ones that are in my home shop, are paid for, and I'm good enough with to make the welds that fit my needs. Given that, my buzzbox would qualify so it depends on your definition of "best".

[Flux Core joe]

reason i ask is i have hear the miller vs lincoln arguement for a long time and im just wondering if its just perferance or is thier a winner bewteen the two but its like for vs chevy

[canoecruiser]

reason i ask is i have hear the miller vs lincoln arguement for a long time and im just wondering if its just perferance or is thier a winner bewteen the two but its like for vs chevy

Read the thread "Picked up another 110 unit" in the "MIG/Wire Welders" section. It doesn't cover all processes but has in-depth discussions of various MIG welders including the larger 230 VAC types and what attributes are meaningful, and why. Sure, they are opinions but they are knowledgeable ones formed by experience and are fertile ground to mine for information. No single answer can cover the question you posed, but threads like the one referenced above will give you food for thought when you work with various machines and allow you to draw conclusions based on your observations.

[Flux Core joe]

thank you for the advice i will read that thread

[epjohnso]

The welding field is very broad and IMO a blanket conclusion can't be made. Who makes the best four-wheeled highway vehicle? For what application? Mining trucks? Spare no expense supercars? Luxury limos for kings?

Some folks think Lincoln leads the pipeline field. I've heard it said that the Miller Dynasty line is tops for TIG welders. Hobart doesn't make anything above 250 amps due to their Federal agreement when purchased by ITW so where do they fit in?

For me the "best" are the ones that are in my home shop, are paid for, and I'm good enough with to make the welds that fit my needs. Given that, my buzzbox would qualify so it depends on your definition of "best".

I agree, the best welder for any job is the one I have sitting in my shop. No matter how hard I try, what I don't have, doesn't work for me. What I bought is based on several years of consideration, and while it's not perfect, it was a choice I made based on use, price, and color ( not!)

[Flux Core joe]

The welding field is very broad and IMO a blanket conclusion can't be made. Who makes the best four-wheeled highway vehicle? For what application? Mining trucks? Spare no expense supercars? Luxury limos for kings?

Some folks think Lincoln leads the pipeline field. I've heard it said that the Miller Dynasty line is tops for TIG welders. Hobart doesn't make anything above 250 amps due to their Federal agreement when purchased by ITW so where do they fit in?

For me the "best" are the ones that are in my home shop, are paid for, and I'm good enough with to make the welds that fit my needs. Given that, my buzzbox would qualify so it depends on your definition of "best".

Question if hobart isnt allowed to make anything over 250 amps then why does the new stickmate have 300 amps ac and 200 dc?

[Sberry]

Good catch, wasn't aware they made that. I wonder if they come with supplied cord and plug?

[Scott V]

It was a monopoly deal on industrial machines over 300 amps. I can't remember exactly which company brought up the challenge, but I think it was Thermal-arc.

[Flux Core joe]

i noticed the stickmate when i looked at hobarts website 2 or 3 days ago

[Flux Core joe]

would it be possible to get a hobart rep in here to clarify are questions?

[Dan]

Question if hobart isnt allowed to make anything over 250 amps then why does the new stickmate have 300 amps ac and 200 dc?

It's been a while since this topic was discussed on here, and I haven't been able to locate the thread by doing a search. Anyway, if I am remembering correctly there was a certain number of years (I am thinking 15) were Hobart couldn't manufacture units over 250 amps, and this time frame passed a while back.

The new Stickmate has been on this site for at least a week or two now. The new MIG units seem to be the machines that create any excitement on this site

[Sberry]

The good thing about it is that it would burn a 5/32 lo-hi on occasion if a guy needed to as well as larger 6010's pretty steady. Only downside is that it will need a bit more poop from the electric service if a guy wants to crank it up,,, which is the main reason someone would buy one in the first place.

[Flux Core joe]

the stickmate ac dc the 235/150 was featured in a YouTube by a guy names chucke2900 or something like that he used that machine to weld at a junkyard with 7018s apparently he welded for hours and it never missed a beat but ive never tried a stickmate i want to though.

[canoecruiser]

Keep your eye on Craigslist. Used stick welders show up there all the time for good prices. If you want one, just do it. Can't "air weld" like playing "air guitar".