There are more than a dozen brands selling metal cutting and welding machines. But when you are all for value for money, the choice comes down to a few among which Hobart and Lincoln ooze a strong appeal to anyone with at least a few months of experience under their belts.
Today, I’ve chosen two very similar MIG welders from those reputable manufacturers to review. The reason behind this particular comparison (Hobart handler 140 vs Lincoln 140) is that I’ve seen a lot of potential customers get confused while choosing one of the machines. Not only do I seek to inform you, I would like you to be able to get the one that satisfies all your MIG welding needs.
Table could not be displayed.Hobart 140 Vs Lincoln 140: Quick Comparison
Both MIG welders fit into the mid-range category with some positive sides as well as limitations. When one is compared to another, you need some clues that set them apart from each other.
First off, here is a comparison table that presents the key specifications of Hobart Handler 140 vs Lincoln 140 mig welders, just to help you get useful information without digging very deep into either of them.
| Features and Specs | Hobart Handler 140 | Lincoln 140 |
| Input Power | 115/120 V | 120/1/60 V |
| Input Current at Rated Output | 20 A | 20 A |
| Output Current Range | 25-140 A | 30-140 A |
| Output Current, Voltage, Duty Cycle | 90 A, 18.5 V at 20% | 90 A, 19.5 V at 20% |
| Open-Circuit Voltage (OCV) (Max.) | 28 V | 33 V |
| Wire Feed Speed (WFS) Range | 40 – 700/ 50 – 740 IPM @ Zero Load | 50-500 IPM @ Zero Load |
| Thermal Overload Protection | Yes | Yes |
| Processes | GMAW and FCAW | GMAW and FCAW |
| Materials | Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminum | Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminum |
| Metal Thickness | 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, 24 Gauge; 3/16 and 1/4 Inch | 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 Gauge; 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2 Inch |
| Applications | Home, farm, and fabrication shop | Home, farm, and fabrication shop |
| Weight and Dimensions (H x W x D) | 57 lbs., (315 x 270 x 495 mm) | 50 lbs., (357 x 258 x 472 mm) |
| Warranty | 5 Years (Limited) | 2 Years (Extended) |
As you see the table only gives you so much as an introduction to these MIG welders, I’ll discuss them in detail to help you pick the one that suits you most. I’ll start with Hobart 140 and let you know everything I’ve managed to learn about it. Moving forward, I’ll focus on Lincoln 140, and finally tell you where one beats the other.
Check this article to know more about the best 110v MIG welders.
Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder
As you unbox a complete package, you’ll see a handful of essential components and accessories, all built to meet the “CSA Certificate of Compliance”. The portable unit is equipped to help hobbyists and DIY workers with their typical fabrication needs through Flux-Cored and MIG processes.
You can take both the H100S2-10 gun and the work cable as far as 10 feet or 3 meters. That combination makes it suitable for standard jobsite requirements. The spool hub can accommodate spool pieces that measure 4 or 8 inches.
Let’s see the different features and systems of the model that account for its build quality, usability, and worth as your daily MIG welding companion.
Build, Ease of Use, and Safety
The weight of the unit shouldn’t surprise those who have worked with a few models before. Again, the 26-kg/57-lb. unit is not too heavy for welders that just finished their learning and are ready to start at a regular workshop.
Wire Drive and Drive Roll
The wire drive system is made with industrial-grade aluminum alloy casting that enables it to withstand virtually any intensity of operating temperatures due to its higher level of electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, RFI and EMI shielding characteristics compared to all other cast alloys.
The drive roll includes three groves to make the setup process easy for the operator. Two groves accept different sizes of solid wire. Another grove accepts flux-cored wire. You can choose any of them quickly, so they call it ‘Quick Select Drive Roll’. It works with solid wire (.024 inch/0.6 mm, .030 inch/0.8 mm, and .035 inch/0.9 mm) and flux-cored wire (.030 inch/0.8 mm and .035 inch/0.9 mm).
Voltage Control
The output voltage can be controlled with five variable ranges (settings). It means you always have a range to fine-tune your arc while keeping it stable and smooth as you perform welds on different thicknesses.
Polarity Changeover
Setting the polarity is something you need to get right during your preparations for a MIG welding process. This machine allows the use of both flux-cored or tubular and solid wire, you’ll have two different polarity settings such as Direct Current Electrode Positive (DCEP) and Direct Current Electrode Negative (DCEN). The Handler 140 model gives you easy access to DCEP for solid and DCEN for flux-cored wire.
Control Panel
This model comes with a control panel designed to be sloped, so the operator can see and access the user interface without getting too close to it. Even, you can make the adjustments while being sideways.
Thermal Overload
You cannot always monitor how much current the motor draws, can you? In fact, you don’t have to because the unit uses a thermal overload relay that cuts the power when the motor draws more current than it should. The self-resetting system protects the power transformer reliably from any occurrence of thermal overload.
Gas Regulator System
The built-in solenoid valve manages the distribution of gases. The regulator features two gauges, one of which indicates the cylinder or tank pressure with an opened valve, and the other shows the gas pressure as it comes out of the gas regulator.
Power and Performance
The Handler 140 operates on any standard home circuit that says 115/120 V and 20 A. The current output ranges from 25 amps to 140 amps. The maximum voltage at zero current or open-circuit voltage (OCV) is 28. The duty cycle you can expect from it is 20% at 90 A, 18.5 VDC with a maximum of 100% at 40 A.
Avoid switching the voltage once you’ve started welding. You should avoid any contact with the Voltage Control Switch just beneath the ‘Wire Speed Control’ knob.
Material Thickness
Hobart 140 allows MIG welding buddies to work on both thin (10 to 24 gauge) and thick (3/16 to 1/4 inch) pieces of mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. But there is a catch as you want to switch from one type of metal to another.
If you’re going to weld mild steel using flux-cored wire, you can do up to 18 gauge (thin) and 1/4 inch (thick). You can go welding on thinner or thicker mild steel pieces using solid wire and a mix of argon and CO2 or pure CO2. Again, you can weld aluminum that is either 12 or 16 gauge, and pure argon is the only gas you should use. With stainless steel, your options are limited to only 10, 16, and 18 gauge.
Applications
Expert MIG welders wouldn’t expect anything fancy other than small home or farm welding projects where they might construct some mower brackets, decks, smokers, grills, gates, fences, kennels, firewood racks, metal signs and furniture, and auto repair parts. Small fabrication projects where you have to build some light-duty machinery can also be handled efficiently.
Warranty
Hobart offers 5 years of limited warranty coverage. The company provides a thoroughly documented warranty statement where some components (drive systems, switches, controls, etc.) have 3 years, and a few such as MIG guns, Flowgauge regulators, spoolguns, etc. have only 1-year warranty.
Based on the majority of users who have contacted Hobart at least once for their warranty support, the company didn’t disappoint them.
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LINCOLN ELECTRIC CO K2697-1 Easy MIG 140
Labeled as EasyMIG® 140 Welder, this MIG unit comes in a pretty decent package that includes a full set of industry-standard accessories including the MIG gun, work clamp, gas nozzle, regulator, spool, instruction manual, training materials, and so on.
Although the manufacturer highlights its rugged construction, that is neither an understatement nor an exaggeration. I would say it is an example of typical construction for a unit at this price.
Build, Ease of Use, and Safety
The unit uses cast aluminum and has an enclosed gear box that features multi-stage mechanisms to improve the torque and deliver quiet operation. Moreover, this one feels lighter (only 50 lbs.) than its Hobart counterpart. The gun that you’ll use boasts a brass-to-brass connection that helps increase conductivity and penetration to optimal levels. Look at the following discussion to know more about its functional features and main components.
Wire Drive and Drive Roll
You need to press the gun trigger to activate the unit’s wire drive that adds to its output. Wire is fed from a wirespool right through the wire drive and the MIG gun to your work piece. The drive tension is easy to turn and adjust, thanks to the ‘numeric tension indicators’.
The drive is adjustable and rigid enough to ensure proper wire alignment without the risk of wire crushing or tangling. The switch is compatible with a spool gun and lets the operator choose between standard push and spool gun operations.
The dual-track drive roll features grooves that work well with your specific type of wire and standard diameters. It requires no tools for changeovers. There are incoming and outgoing guides to let the wire be fed through.
The drive roll works together with the tension arm and pivot arm assemblies to keep the wire under pressure. A clockwise turn of the tension arm puts increased forward force to the wire and a counterclockwise turn does the opposite.
Voltage Control
Using the Arc Voltage Control knob, you can set the machine’s output voltage. The Wire Feed Speed Control or the WFS knob allows the operator to set the wire feeding speed of the machine. Both voltage control and WFS control knobs let the user set a particular weld procedure.
Polarity
Connections to the output terminals help you determine the correct welding polarity according to the specific process you’re running, such as MIG or flux-cored welding. It is recommended that you choose the right electrode polarity based on the process.
Thermal Protection
Like any professional welding machine, the 140 model comes with a rated duty cycle which might exceed and necessitate the use of a thermal protector that shuts and keeps the output off as long as the machine takes to cool and reach a recommended operating temperature. You don’t have to bother about any intervention as the fan starts and keeps running on its own as long as required.
Regulator
You can attach the gas flow regulator to your cylinder valve tightening the union nut using a wrench. Be sure to get a CO2 regulator adaptor if you’re going to connect the regulator to a pure CO2 cylinder. Welding professionals who use a lot of CO2 would want to have the adaptor included, but the absence of that only adds another $15 to the overall cost.
You should avoid standing very close or directly behind or in front of the regulator as you open the valve. Try to stand on either side for your own safety.
Power and Performance
Lincoln 140 uses 120 V input power and 20 A input current providing a current output ranging from 30 amps to 140 amps. Rated duty cycle delivered by the machine is 20% at 90 A, 19.5 V. The maximum OCV at zero current is 33.
Material Thickness
Whether you want to weld pieces of steel as thin as 24 gauge or even some pieces as thick as 1/2 inch, this MIG welder makes it possible. If you are serious about the weld quality, choose 3/16, 1/4, and 3/8-inch steel plates. You’ll have no difficulties undertaking both flux-cored and MIG processes while the metal is steel. However, for aluminum, you’ll have to purchase a special spool gun called K2532-1 Magnum.
Applications
As in Lincoln’s product brochure, this welder serves the purposes of fabrication shops, households, and farms. Seeing this much of usability, you might come to believe that the unit is equally great in industrial applications.
Truth be told, it packs the power of a professional MIG welder, but you cannot necessarily take it as your go-to tool for performance-driven applications. You should only think about the requirements of small metal workshops or hobbyists who would be happy to make some acceptable welds.
Warranty
Lincoln offers 2 years extended warranty for the customers of Canada and the United States although the warranty statement from the company says customers will enjoy a warranty period of three years for wirefeeders, plasma cutting, and welding machines. No doubt, Lincoln is an esteemed manufacturer, but somehow, customers expect more favorable support, especially when it comes to the warranty coverage.
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Final Verdict: Hobart Handler 140 Vs Lincoln 140
At this end, you could use a little more specific idea about which one to choose for your own MIG welding projects. In my opinion, there is not much to distinguish one from another except the materials and prices.
Lincoln 140 provides more convenient support than Hobart 140 when you really want to focus on a range of thicknesses. Again, the former one comes at a significantly higher price than the latter. One who is set to tackle a MIG project on the weekends only couldn’t easily ignore this difference.
If welding aluminum is what you do often, Lincoln’s welder serves well but only at the cost of an additional spool gun. Hobart’s welder might save you some bucks, but you would have to limit your choices within 12 and 16 gauge aluminum. For most MIG workers, the rest of the debate doesn’t make much sense.
Hopefully, you’ve been able to form your own opinion by this time. If not, you can always write to me, so I can assist you further. Happy shopping!
