Hobart Handler 140 is a dedicated MIG welder for beginners, hobbyists, and small fabricators.
Hobart (One of the top names in the welding industry) has made this low-cost and affordable MIG welder that you can purchase and use in your garage and for small fabrications.
The welder is a highly versatile and perfect home welder for working on auto body, household repairs, projects of the farm, and art projects.
Hobart Handler 140 is suitable for MIG (GMAW) and flux-cored (FCAW) welding processes.
The welder is easy to set and adjust for different materials, including mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, and can weld a wide range of thicknesses.
In general, users’ feedback is positive and encouraging, and Hobart’s 5/3/1 industrial warranty ensures quality and reliable welders that do not disappoint. Besides, this welder is made in the United States, ensuring it is built with prime quality components.
Consider the following before you decide on your purchase
What do you propose to do?
You have to consider how you want to use your MIG welder. Do you want to pursue MIG welding as a home welder or hobbyist, or are you planning to use it in your current profession? A straightforward thought on this will help your decision-making.
What is your budget?
Either you can go for low-cost MIG machines that cost around USD 250 or go for a middle-level MIG machine that can cost you around USD 600. Another option is going for moderately high-end branded MIG machines (more than USD 1500).
Hobart Handler 140 is in the middle range of prices; you get a good quality machine at a reasonable price.
The advantage of cheap welders is you can afford to make some mistakes as a beginner, and you may not worry much if something happens to the welder. One negative fact about low-cost MIG machines is they may not be built to last longer.
Also, you need to remember that you cannot start MIG welding the moment you receive the machine. You have to spend on the shielding gas, other accessories, or consumables.
However, Hobart Handler 140 MIG welder’s advantage is that it is built to do MIG and Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW or gasless MIG as it is popularly known). You can start doing flux core welding with the sample wire received in the box.
Power specification
Hobart Handler 140 works on the input power of 115 volts with a welding amperage range of 25A to 140A, making it appropriate for garages, home workshops, small fabrication projects, and minor repair works.
Duty cycle
Duty cycle means the percentage of 10 minutes that the unit can weld at rated load without overheating. Hobart Handler 140 has a 20% Duty Cycle at 90 amperes.
The thickness of the metal
Clarity on the thickness of the metals to be welded is essential to select the correct welder. Both minimum and maximum output current are crucial.
Minimum current indicates the minimum thickness you can weld, and maximum current indicates the maximum thickness you can weld. The thickness to current relation also depends on the material and joint configuration.
Hobart Handler 140 welding current range is 25 – 140 amperes with rated welding capabilities (single-pass) as follow:
- Flux-core steel: 18 gauge to 1/4 inch.
- MIG steel: 24 gauge to 1/4 inch.
- MIG stainless steel: 18 gauge to 10 gauge.
- MIG aluminum: 16 gauge to 12 gauge.
So consider this when you make your selection. For welding thicker metals, a 240V welder is a better choice. You may consider Hobart IronMan 240 MIG welder (Read the full review).
Aluminum welding
With Hobart Handler 140, you can weld aluminum but limited to thin 16- to 12-gauge material. Besides, this welder is not spool gun-ready. Therefore, if you work with different aluminum thicknesses or heavier aluminum work, you may consider another alternative. You recommend you check Hobart IronMan 240 MIG welder (Read the full review).
Wire Feed Mechanism
The wire feed system is one of the most exciting features of this welder. The wire feed is all-metal construction and easy to adjust. Changing the roller size can be done quickly without using any tools.
The wire feed speed range from 50-700 inches per minute and can infinitely adjust with a control selector.
Protection circuits
The welder is built with various protection systems to avoid components damage and machine’s electrical components and mechanisms from overheat or overload.
Hobart Handler 140 features a self-resetting thermal overload system that protects the power transformer during heavy uses and provides you maximum reliability. Besides, the short circuit protection avoids current overload.
The welder includes self-resetting motor protection to eliminate wire feed overload.
Weight and portability
Portability becomes vital if you plan to use it in more than one place (like home and workshop).
Hobart Handler 140 is a moderate-weight portable welder weighing 57 pounds.
The size of the machine is 12-3/8 in x 10-5/8 in x 19-1/2 in (315 mm x 270 mm x 495 mm), which makes it suitable for moving it anywhere.
Warranty
Warranty is another critical factor to consider. Hobart offers a 5/3/1 industrial warranty, a Five-year warranty on transformers, stabilizers, and main rectifiers, three years on generators, PC boards, and drive systems, and one year on guns.
Key features of the product
• This welder plugs into domestic power 115 volts.
• Wire feed speed 40-700 inches per minute and 50-740 inches per minute at no load.
• You can use this welder to weld 24 gauge to 1/4ʺ thick mild steel.
• Suitable for MIG (GMAW) and flux-cored (FCAW) welding processes.
• Easy to set and adjust for different materials, including mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.
• Welding amperage range 25-140 amperes and the rated duty cycle is 20% at 90 amperes and 19 volts.
• This welder is built with an industrial cast aluminum drive system and a heavy-duty work clamp. Its performance is comparable with an industrial MIG welder.
• Spool hub assembly accommodates 4 or 8-inch spools.
• Easy, quick, and convenient polarity changeover between the solid and flux-cored wire.
• Self-resetting thermal overload protection (protects power transformer from thermal overload to provide you maximum reliability).
• Ten position wire feed speed selector knob.
• Five output voltage settings with wire feed tracking make the unit easy to set and adjust for different materials and thicknesses.
• The welding guide included the owner’s manual to help the beginner welder setting the machine according to the metal thickness to be welded.
• Designed, assembled, and supported in Troy, Ohio, USA.
• Hobart’s 5/3/1 industrial warranty.
Pros
• Quality and reliable product, Hobart Handler 140 is one of the most durable, reliable, and high-performing welders.
• The welder is designed, assembled, and supported in Troy, Ohio, USA.
• Hobart 5/3/1 industrial warranty, the welder is designed to last for an extended period, maintaining its high-performing level and with minimal maintenance or repair.
• The welder is suitable for MIG (GMAW) and flux-cored (FCAW) Welding processes.
• The machine is built with self-resetting thermal overload protection, protecting the unit from overheating damage.
• The machine comes with all necessary accessories and is ready to use.
• Easy to set and adjust for different materials and thicknesses.
Cons
• The welder is not spool gun ready.
• This is not a multi-process welder.
• Limited welding thickness range for aluminum.
What should you receive with the welder?
• 1× HR-100 MIG gun with 10 feet work cable with clamp.
• 1× Work clamp with 10 feet cable.
• 1× Built-in gas solenoid valve.
• 1× Dual gauge regulator with gas hose.
• 1× Quick select drive roll.
• 0.03-inch contact tips.
• Power cord with plug.
• Spool hub assembly accommodates 4 or 8 in spools.
• Sample spool of 0.03ʺ (0.8 mm) self-shielding flux-cored wire.
• Welding guide and material thickness gauge.
• Owner’s manual with installation, operation, and maintenance guidelines.
Hobart Handler 140 Welder Specification
| Make | Hobart |
| Have sales and service in the USA | Yes. |
| Model | Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder |
| Input voltage (V) | 110 V/115 V/120 V |
| Process type | MIG/flux-cored welder |
| Rated output | 90 amperes at 20% duty cycle. |
| Amperage range | 25 – 140 amperes. |
| Wire feed speed | 40-700 inches per minute. |
| The capability of running the wires | 0.023ʺ-0.035ʺ (0.6-0.9 mm) mild steel or stainless steel, 0.03ʺ-0.035ʺ (0.8-0.9 mm) flux cored, and 0.03ʺ (0.8 mm) aluminum. |
| Material thickness | Mild steel 24 gauge -1/4 inch. |
| Weldable metals | Aluminum, stainless steel, and steel. |
| Size and Weight | 10.63ʺ×19.5ʺ×12.38ʺ and 57 pounds. |
Frequently asked questions about Hobart Handler 140 Welder
What are the metals that can be welded using a Hobart Handler 140 welder?
Typically, you can use your Hobart Handler 140 welder for welding steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, and the thickness can be 24 gauge to the 1/4 inch thickness for mild steel.
Can I use Hobart Handler 140 for outdoor work?
No, it is not advisable to use any MIG welder for outdoor work. The turbulence in the surrounding air disturbs the shielding gas, and welding quality will be bad.
However, you can use the welder with flux-cored wire (without shielding gas), which can be used for outdoor work.
What is the current type used in Hobart Handler 140?
Usually, the current used in MIG welding is DC (direct current), as AC (alternating current) is not generally preferred for MIG welding.
Direct Current Electrode Positive (DCEP) is used for solid steel, stainless steel, aluminum, or flux core with gas wires (GMAW). Direct Current Electrode Negative (DCEN) is used for gasless flux core wires (FCAW).
Is Hobart Handler 140 a multi-process welder or only MIG?
Hobart Handler 140 is a dedicated MIG/ flux core welder.
Generally, multi-process welders are strong in one primary welding process with more features, followed by a secondary welding process with comparatively fewer features. However, still, the multi-process welder will not be as reliable as the dedicated machines.
Recommended Alternative
Lincoln Power MIG 140 MP MIG Welder Review
The 140 MP power MIG is from the trusted and reliable brand “Lincoln Electric” made in the USA. The welder is designed and built for beginners and hobbyists at a low-cost and affordable price for home projects and repair, auto bodywork, sheet metal work.
Power MIG 140 MP, MIG welder, is versatile and multi-process, capable of MIG, MAG, Flux Core welding, DC TIG welding, and stick welding.
The welder features brass to brass MIG gun connection boosts conductivity. A rigid, fast-changing, and simple spool drive helps the alignment of wires. A dual-track drive roll ensures positive flux-cored wire feeding with standard wire diameters.
Besides, the machine built with a cast aluminum body and an enclosed multistage gearbox ensures improved torque and quiet working.
Separate knobs for controlling voltage and wire feed speed. You can control the wire feed speed and voltage by operating the two knobs.
Additionally, the welder is highly compact and portable (34.5 pounds).
Lincoln Power 140 MP Pros
• Reliable brand and made in the USA.
• Multi-process welder MIG/Flux-cored/DC TIG/stick.
• Easy control for the wire feed speed and voltage.
• Simple to use for beginners and hobbyists.
• Plugs into 120 V domestic power.
• Lightweight and portable (34.5 pounds).
• 3-years limited warranty.
Lincoln Power 140 MP Cons
• Cannot be used on 220 V.
• TIG torch and the foot pedal are not included in the supply.
• Aluminum welding requires an optional spool gun.
Our final verdict
Though we looked at several low-cost and affordable MIG welders that give quality welds, reliable, and branded, we found Hobart Handler 140 the best choice.
Hobart has made this low-cost and affordable MIG welder that you can purchase and use for projects and small fabrications.
We recommend Hobart Handler 140 welder for beginners and unexperienced welders looking to start their welding career or even people with zero knowledge.
We have reviewed this welder and provided sufficient details, tips, and tricks to help you make a wise decision.
So, if you are looking for a low-cost and reliable MIG welder that features many options, making it compete with professional welders. You may need to consider Hobart Handler 140.
