Hobart Hefty

[smokke]

will a hobart hefty run off my bobcat 225g. i can pickup the hobart for around 500 bucks. is this a good deal for the hobart? will it hook up and run about like the millers will, or do i have to buy special attachments? i do not plan on being a professional welder, but i would like to have the mig capabilities. so in yalls professonal opinion should i save up (way up) for the miller or should i jump on this hobart? thanks, smokke

[spuddown]

We have a Hefty, its powered across the arc so you only have to hook up the welding lead and the ground and pull the trigger. We have several LN 25s set up for 5/64th wire but use the hefty for lighter stuff. Its set up with .045. Ours doesn't have a voltage meter on it so it's kind of a pain, other than that it welds good. I don't think 500.00 is to much to pay if its in decent shape.

[smithboy]

I paid about $450 for one on ebay (shipped) that was in rough shape but had all the goodies (meters, gas valve, contactor, pre and post flow timers and a nice 400 amp gun)...which all worked fine. The case is not as "hefty" as I would have liked, but i have had mine for a while now and I really like it. I also have a smaller unit called a port-a-wire, by hobart, that is a more basic version that I got for under $200 used (not many goodies on that one), but in better physical shape than my hefty. Both are more than adequate for anything I ever use them for. The hobart, I think, is 100% duty at 400 amps...with an air cooled 400 amp gun, of course. I mostly use mine with a powcon 300sm, but it has also been used with a dialarc (CC) machine, and a couple of different gas driven welders (one a bobcat, but I dont remember which one...I loaned it to a friend).