Hobart Handler 140 Review

Is a Hobart Just a Cheap Miller?

Both Hobart and Miller are owned by Illinois Tool Brands, but that doesn’t mean they make the same welders and paint them white or blue depending on the name on the box. While the brands share technology, they’re built in separate facilities and aim at different markets. Miller builds products for the industrial users, while Hobart makes products for hobbyists, DIYers and professionals who don’t focus entirely on welding.
 
That doesn’t mean there’s a vast difference in quality. Instead, Miller gives professional users more flexibility, while Hobart aims for simplicity and affordability. When you buy a Hobart, you won’t find some top end features, like automatic feed adjustment. You also don’t get Miller’s precision controls. However, this keeps the price down without cutting quality, and having fewer settings makes these machines easier to use for novice welders.

What Do I Get with the Hobart Handler 140?

This welder has a transformer than generates between 24 and 140 amps. A transformer isn’t as efficient as an inverter power supply, and it requires more skill to get a clean weld. However, transformers are known for being cheap and reliable.
 
This model has a 10 foot cable for the MIG gun, and a matching 10 foot cable for the grounding clamp.  That’s long enough to handle most welding jobs without moving the unit. A dual gauge regulator and hose are included to hook up a gas bottle.
 
The Hobart Handler 140 weighs 57 lbs. and measures 19 x 11 x 13 inches, making it reasonably portable. Hobart makes a cart/cylinder rack with casters for this welder, as well as a protective cover.
 
The welder also includes a material thickness gauge, a sample roll of flux core wire and a couple spare 0.030 inch contact tips.

What Do I Get with the Hobart Handler 140?

This welder has a transformer than generates between 24 and 140 amps. A transformer isn’t as efficient as an inverter power supply, and it requires more skill to get a clean weld. However, transformers are known for being cheap and reliable.
 
This model has a 10 foot cable for the MIG gun, and a matching 10 foot cable for the grounding clamp.  That’s long enough to handle most welding jobs without moving the unit. A dual gauge regulator and hose are included to hook up a gas bottle.
 
The Hobart Handler 140 weighs 57 lbs. and measures 19 x 11 x 13 inches, making it reasonably portable. Hobart makes a cart/cylinder rack with casters for this welder, as well as a protective cover.
 
The welder also includes a material thickness gauge, a sample roll of flux core wire and a couple spare 0.030 inch contact tips.

What Can I Weld with the Handler 140?

The 140 can handle metal with thicknesses ranging from 24 gauge to ¼ inch mild steel. That’s enough power for most repairs, aside from major structural components. If you need something for general repairs, boats, cars or motorcycles, this welder will do the job.
 
The Handler is compatible with both flux core and MIG wire. With the right gas and wire combination, you can use the 140 to weld steel, stainless steel or aluminum.
 
The 140 has 5 voltage settings ranging from 25 to 140 amps. It has a 20% duty cycle at 90 amps and 19 volts. In other words, if you use the welder at these settings, it can run for two minutes out of every 10. While this sounds low, that’s more than enough time when you take into account setup and repositioning. For low amp tasks, like welding sheet metal, you can use this welder almost continually.  Wire speed ranges from 40-700 inches per minute under load, or 50-740 RPM with no load. The wire speed knob can be adjusted infinitely, so you can get the perfect speed for your current welding job.
 
The 140 can use wire ranging from 0.024 inches (0.6 mm) to 0.035 inches (0.9 mm) in diameter, and it supports both four and 8 inch reels. A quick release makes it easy to swap wire reels for different welding jobs. Next to the spool, you’ll find the polarity connection. This lets you use negative polarity for flux core and positive for MIG wire. Users have reported inconsistent connections from the factory. While you’d think it would always be connected to the negative terminal to use the included flux core wire, it’s sometimes connected to the positive terminal. This detail is easy to overlook, making new users think their new welder is faulty out of the box.
 
No gas is required when using flux core wire on steel. This is great for welding outdoors, since there’s no gas to blow away from the wind. Flux core wire also works better on dirty surfaces, making it great for quick field repairs. Attach the included regulator, and you can hook up welding gas for MIG welding. Different blends of carbon dioxide, argon and helium are recommended for different metals. The welding setup chart printed on the door lists recommended gas blends, wire sizes, amps and wire speeds.
 
Hobart says welding ¼ inch steel requires multiple passes. The first bead heats the surrounding metal, helping successive beads make a stronger bond. However, owners report that they can get decent single pass welds with some practice. It definitely doesn’t have the power of a 220 volt welder, but if you limit your expectations, this is a good all-around performer. The Handler does not support TIG welding, a feature available in some competitors.

Hobart Handler 140 Warranty

Hobart advertises a 5 year warranty for this welder. However, that’s only for a few components. Parts and labor for the entire welder are covered for one year of residential use, or 90 days of industrial use. Controls and welder transformers are covered for three years, while transformers and rectifiers are covered for the full 5 years.
 
Since Hobart is a major brand, it isn’t too hard to find a service center that can work on these welders.