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Lincoln Electric AC225S Stick Welder Review

The Lincoln Electric AC-225 is what you need if you’re looking to do heavy duty welding jobs. It can weld steel thicker than 16 gauge including very thick steel if doing multiple passes. This welder is great for use on the farm or at home, and also a very good general purpose welder in your fabrication shop. The welder also includes a 40-225 Amp selector switch which allows the user to tune the welder to work with the material being welded.

Related article: Welding helmet review (2019). Learn More

This welder is currently on sale on Amazon through this link here.

This welder is also very flexible, having the ability to weld a variety of metals including cast iron, mild steel, low alloy and stainless. Installation is also a breeze with the cords already attached to the welder. This is Lincoln Electric’s best selling welder ever, and for good reason. If you’re not completely convinced the welder also includes a 3 year warranty on parts and labor.

Let’s take a look at some of the main features below:

Welds metals 16 gauge and thicker

Welds steel, alloy cast iron, and stainless steel

3 year parts and labor warranty

225 Amp

If you want to know more about this welder, you can see it on Amazon through this link.

The good

Comes ready to stick weld, no additional purchases required

Able to weld a variety of metals

You can weld very thick steel with this welder

The bad

If you’re primarily looking to weld 1/8” steel or thinner you might want to look at the Campbell Hausfeld 115V stick welder welder here

This welder is great for:

People that need the ability to weld thick steel

People that need a welder that can weld a variety of metals

Take a look at the review below from a current owner:

Adrianus,

I am just starting to weld with thin metal and this welder is great. I bought this welder based on its reputation of being a quality and proven welder and that’s what I received. I was also impressed by Amazon’s prompt shipping, after 5 days I received this welder.

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Hobart 500550 Auto Arc 130 Wire Feed MIG Welding Kit

This review focuses on the Hobart 500550 Auto Arc 130 Wire Feed MIG Welding Kit. This welder is manufactured by Miller/Hobart, and is made in the U.S.A. It is high-powered for a 130 amp model.

Related: Learn more about welding project

This seems to be one of the better welding products out there for the price and is recommended for those learning how to weld.

This welding kit is a fantastic deal and works well for light-duty welding projects and/or occasional use. One user reported that their neighbor has a Lincoln welder the same size and this one blows it away.

Initial setup takes about 15 to 20 minutes from taking it out of the box until it’s ready to use. Reports are that this unit creates beautiful welds, with one reviewer claiming that it’s better than their friend’s Handler 140.

The bigest complaint regarding this welding machine was that the cart was poorly designed. Complaints are that there is no tilt from front to rear and the wheels on the front are too small.

The plus side of this is that you have a welding machine you can use to fix the cart if needed. Some also say that the hood is too dark, making it hard to see to weld. An inexpensive auto-darkening hood works much better.

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Hobart Handler 187 Mig Welder Review

The Hobart Handler 187 Mig Welder is heavy duty enough to handle almost any job but also light and compact enough to be easily maneuvered around your shop or property. This welder will handle mild steel from as thin as 24 gauge and steel up to 5/16” thick resulting in very flexible welder. The Handler also comes ready to weld either flux cored or with mig so you won’t have to purchase extra accessories to weld with gas.

This welder is currently on sale on Amazon through this link here.

While the Hobart is heavy duty enough to tackle many issues that serious users have to fix, it is also suitable for users that will mainly be welding thinner metals but want the ability to weld thicker steels in one package.

Lastly the Handler 187 will weld a variety of metals including mild steel, stainless and aluminum, meaning that the Handler will handle almost all tasks that you throw at it. And it also has 7 different voltage output settings which means you are less likely to annoying burn holes through the material you’re welding, reducing welding time.

Let’s take a look at some of the other features of the Hobart Handler 187:

Handles mild steel or stainless steel, flux cored and aluminum wires

Comes ready to use out the box

Operates from 230-V current

Includes a built-in contactor to make wire electrically cold when not welding

Welds steel up to 5/16” in one pass

If you want to know more about this welder, you can see it on Amazon through this link.

The good

Comes ready to mig weld, no additional purchases required

Customizable to user’s needs

Great for a welder that needs to weld thick steel but also wants portability

The bad

If you don’t have a 220v outlet in your shop you might want to look at the Hobart Handler 140 here

This welder is great for:

People that need a welder that can weld thick steel but also needs to be portable

People that need a welder to do heavier duty jobs that a 125v welder could not easily do

Look below to see a review from a current owner of the Hobart 187 welder:

Don,

This is a great welder! I’ve been using a stick welder for decades but the mig capability of this welder means that I can now weld sheet steel and aluminum. I am glad that I purchased the welder through Amazon as I received it in just a few days  and I didn’t have to worry about any shipping issues. I’d recommend purchasing this welder though Amazon if you’re in the market for a mig welder.