Hobart Handler 190 is a genius release from Hobart Welders, and Lincoln 180 is yet another great release by Lincoln electric. Both products are launched in the market simultaneously, and they have some excellent features to make your wedding journey enjoyable. But Hobart Handler 190 vs lincoln 180 MIG welder: Which one should you choose? If you are stuck and confused about choosing one of them, you are in the right place as we will have a focused product review and compare both products.
Different people with different expertise levels will find one welder better than the other. This article will discuss both products and decide which one serves better for users. We hope our readers will find this insightful and make a knowledgeable decision that will allow them to fulfill their welding work purposes.
Overview of Hobart Handler 190 welding Unit
The Hobart Handler 190 is a multi-functional device that can perform MIG welding and core flux welding. In addition, this Hobart Welder device offers excellent control allowing the user to get more precise welding outputs and arc performance.
The MIG welder runs on 230V input voltage and produces power of 25-190A. The duty cycle of this little beast is 30% at 130A. The machine weighs 68 pounds; therefore, a carrying cart will ensure better portability.
This Handler has a 7-input voltage system giving the user access to set the settings according to their precision. The infinite wire feed speed and enhanced magnetism also allow the user to ensure accurate welding on materials including steel, mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Moreover, it can weld 24 gauges up to 5/16 inch steel in a single pass. The user can work on various projects such as home/shop repair, automotive work, autobody, farm/ranch work, and DIY projects. It can also handle occasional heavy-duty industrial work.
This sturdy device comes with some safety measures that allow the machine to work without issues for a long time. Safety mechanisms such as self-resetting thermal overload protection, short circuit protection, motor protection, and cold contactor ensure that the machine can withstand any internal damage and serve for a very long time. Also, there is Hobart’s 5/3/1 year warranty on the product, increasing user reliability.
Overview of Inner Shield Lincoln 180 MIG Welder
Lincoln electric is a renowned company operating their business in manufacturing for a long time. The Lincoln 180 is one of their significant MIG welders capable of MIG and flux core welding. This product has some manufacturer’s specification that makes the product outstanding for light metal fabrication, home/ shop works, DIY projects, farm/ranch work, and maintenance work.
This multi-purpose device can operate in 208V or 230V input voltage settings. In addition, it can produce 30-180A output power, and the duty cycle is 30% at 130 amperes. The product has a user-friendly interface that makes welding easy and fun, and even beginner users can take full advantage of this product.
This MIG welder can weld mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, and it can weld 24 gauges up to 3/16 inch sheet materials in a single pass and weld up to 1/2 inch. From hobbyists to professionals, all types of users can use this welder for versatile works.
The device comes with safety mechanisms ensuring longevity. Also, these measures allow the machine to run smoothly for longer.
Portable Hobart Handler 190 vs Lincoln 180 Wire Feed MIG Welder
This section will compare the two machines based on their design, usability, performance, safety measures, warranty, etc.
Package & Setting Up The Unit
First, look inside the box in which these products came for better use of the machine. The Hobart Handler 190 comes with a 10 feet HR-100 MIG gun, 10 feet work cable with clamps, power cord with plug, flux core wire, gas hose, dual gauge regulator, welding chart, and a user manual for installation, operation, and maintenance. This unit comes with everything you need to start welding right after unboxing,
On the other hand, Lincoln 180 comes with Magnum 100L 10 feet gun, cable assembly with brass gun connection and 4-pin, MS-type connection for trigger control, 10 feet work cable with clamp, contact tips. It also has inner shield welding, glassless nozzle for Spindle adapter for 8-inch diameter spool, Harris gas regulator, gas hose with gases, sample spool, and a learn to weld DVD.
We can see that the Lincoln 180 comes with some additional gears, including a few sample spools. Also, the Hobart comes with one flux core wire and 3-contact tips in the exact size, whereas the Lincoln comes with 2-spools of cables and 6-contact leads in two sizes.
In terms of machine setup, the Hobart Handler 190 comes with an owner’s manual that allows the user to set up the device quickly. Furthermore, as the manual described, the product’s installation, operation, and maintenance are user-friendly. The setting up process of the Lincoln 180 MIG welder is not that difficult either; it is just that Hobart’s machine takes less time.
Design in Comparison
The product design determines how well the product operation would be, and both of these mid-range welders have a compact design for better usability.
First, let’s take a look at the design of Hobart Handler 190. This MIG welder has a dimension of 12.3 x 10.6 x19.5 inches with a weight of 68 lbs. The exterior is a metal finish, and there is a grip rod on top of the machine. The minimalistic interface has a switch, trigger-led connectivity button, an infinite WFS control knob, and a 7-voltage control knob.
The Lincon 180 also has an impressive design for better use of their product. Its dimension is 14 x 10.5 x 18.2 with a weight of 56 lbs. The metal finish body with a grip rod on top of it. The user control panel have the following knobs and switches, including a 5-position dual voltage setting and a dual gauge regulator, and a rigid drive to
The product’s design shows that Lincoln 180 offers more portability than Hobart Handler 190. However, both of the products need a carrying cart for better portability.
The versatility of Both Product
The Hobart Handler 190 and the Lincoln easy MIG 180 can handle MIG welding and flux core welding and come with a spool gun. These versatile machines can weld steel, mild steel, and aluminum. The Hobart Handler welds 24 gauges up to 5/16 inches, and the easy MIG welds 24gauges up to 3/16 inches. The Lincoln 180, with its inner shield technology, can weld up to ½ inch thick material.
The Lincoln machine allows WFS settings ranging 50-500ipm, and the Hobart allows 40-740ipm. Also, the Hobart comes with three grove wire settings, and Lincoln offers a dual groove system.
Control of The Device
The better control of the welding device results in better bead and arc performance. In addition, both of the competing devices have excellent command over the instrument.
The Hobart Handler MIG welder has 7-input voltage settings and infinite WFS control with enhanced magnetism, allowing the user to have a smooth welding experience with no spatter. It will also reduce the machine’s post-cleanup.
The Lincoln 180 has five input voltage settings, a dual gauge regulator for quick conversion, a polarity change option without tools, and two-knob control allowing switching output levels based on the user’s worksheets. In addition, the brass to brass gun connection enhances the device’s conductivity, resulting in higher quality in welding.
In the matter of control of the unit, both of the device’s manufacturers have done a remarkable job. However, Hobart’s power allows the user for a little more than Lincoln’s to get stable arc performance,
Voltage & Power
The voltage and power settings of these machines determine the ability and quality of the welding machine. So, let us look at these two powerful products’ voltage settings, output amperage settings, and duty cycle.
Both of the MIG welders can operate on 230V input voltage settings. However, The easy MIG 180 has some advanced electrical technology allowing dual voltage settings; it can perform on 208V as well. However, none of the products is compatible with the household voltage setup.
The Lincoln 180 offers 30-180amp output, while the Hobart Handler offers 25-190A. So, Hobart’s range is slightly higher, allowing thin sheet metal and stock thick metal welding.
Both MIG welders offer a duty cycle of 30% at 130 amp, which means that the devices need 7minutes of cooldown time for every 3 minutes of welding session.
The Hobart machine offers 7-input voltage settings, and the Lincoln device offers 5-input voltage settings allowing more control to Hobart Handler 190.
Safety & Reliability
So Hobart Handler 190 VS Lincoln 180: which model offers better safety? Firstly let’s discuss the manufacturers of Hobart Handler 190 and Lincoln 180. The Hobart Welders is the company that manufactures Hobart products, and they have been in this business for a very long time. Over the time frame, they gathered experiences and customers that trusted their brand. On the other hand, Lincoln electric is another manufacturer that conducts its operation longer than Hobart Welders. As a result, they also have a customer base that trusts their brand. Therefore, both companies reached a level where people can put their trust in terms of reliability and brand value.
Now, for safety mechanisms applied on the products. Both products have thermal overload, motor, and short circuit protection integration protecting the device from overheating, current surge, and motor overload issues. The Hobart also has a cold contactor that keeps the wires electrically cold until the trigger increases longevity.
In Terms of Warranty
In terms of warranty, both products provide some range of assurance on their product to increase reliability.
The Lincoln easy MIG 180 offers a moderate warranty of 3 years of parts and labor. For the MIG gun, it provides 90 days of security.
The Hobart Handler has their standard 5/3/1 year warranty. It covers the transformers for 5-years, electronics for 3-years, and the MIG gun, contactors, and relays for 1-year.
Key Differences At A Glance
- The Hobart Handler 190 comes with an owner’s manual describing installation, operation, and maintenance making it easier for a user to operate the machine. The easy MIG 180 comes with a DVD for welding. Hobart’s manual provides more comfort for the user while setting up the device.
- The Lincoln offers more portability as it weighs less.
- The Hobart 190 has a 7-input voltage, where Lincoln has 5-input voltage settings.
- Hobart Handler provides output amperage ranging from 25-190A, and Lincoln provides 30-180A.
- The Lincoln has an advanced electrical option allowing dual voltage of 208V and 230V. On the other hand, Hobart Handler 190 can only operate in 230V.
- WFS of Hobart is 40-740ipm, and WFS of Lincoln is 50-500ipm.
- Lincoln can run on pure CO2 with the supplied regulator; Hobart can not.
- In the package, Lincoln easy MIG 180 comes with two-spool wires with six contact tips in two different sizes. The Hobart Handler 190 comes with one flux core wire and three contact tips in one size.
- For generator use, the Handler needs 7000watt where the easy MIG 180 needs 6900watt. However, there are scenarios where both of the machines can run on less wattage.
- The Lincoln uses a dual groove roll, and the Hobart 190 has a triple groove roller.
- The Hobart Handler 190 has an overload light on the control panel
Lincoln Easy MIG 180 vs Hobart Handler 190: Our Final Recommendation
After the detailed observation of both MIG welders, we agree that these two machines are excellent releases from their respective manufacturers. In addition, both of the products offer extraordinary arc performance on different surfaces. However, a customer can choose one over the other based on their requirement.
If the user needs more power range and control over their welding, the Hobart Handler 190 is perfect. On the other hand, the Lincoln 180 will allow the user for more commercialize welding works. In addition, the Hobart machine comes with an easy setup manual which will assist the user for quick and better setup of the device. Again, the Lincoln machine has beginner-friendly usability.
In terms of portability, Lincoln beats Hobart. In addition, Hobart beats Lincoln in WFS settings and three groove settings. Therefore, you can see that both of these similar products have some unique differences that will come in handy for the different user bases.
Finally, one can choose any of these incredible products according to their welding needs. Rest assured that none of the products will disappoint the user.
FAQ
Which one cost less, Hobart Handler 190 or The Lincoln easy MIG 180?
The price depends on the store from where you are getting the product. However, Hobart will cost slightly higher in most cases.
Can I run either of the devices in a 5000-watt generator?
The recommended wattage for Hobart Handler 190 is 7000-watt and 6900-watt for Lincoln 180. However, there are some cases where people run the machine on a 5000-watt generator.