Another rugged yet portable MIG welder is Hobart 500568 Handler 130 Wire Feed Welder. As the name suggests it is a little less potent than the previous units-210 and 140 Hobart models, but it is one user-friendly unit in a sense that it works on 115 household current. Also, it is good enough t easily penetrate ¼ ‘steel. It takes only phased DC power and works on iron and stainless steel. One can do both MIG welding and flux core welding with it. If you are looking for a welder to weld light to medium thick metal, then this one is sure to impress you. so please continue reading Hobart 130 Welder Review.
Patented EZ-Mode
Hobart 500568 Handler 130 Welding Equipment has a patented EZ-Mode which means it has a knob with which you can select settings suitable based on the material thickness. It saves constant adjustment and balancing act of gas.
Built-in the Gas valve-
Like any other valve, a gas valve allows for releasing gas input to the desired level of output. Again this is a feature that gives better control while using gas mixes of two or three in MIG welding. A perfect blend also results in less spatter.
4 to 8 spool option with built-in wire feeder with -
The small details that Hobart has to look into gives a better edge like the spool shaft that accommodates four spools and an Optional hub kit that will let the user store eight spools. It has a built-in wire feeder with a quick-release for drive roll tension lever, This feature will allow for no interruption in between ending of a spool reel and refilling it again.
Portability
With 13 x 10 x 17 inches dimensions and 51 pounds, this welder is easy to carry around manually. Thus it will emancipate you from the hurdle of using a cart.
Pros
- It welds up to 3/16 in steel
- 5/3/1 warranty. It has Hobart 5 Years limited warranty on Parts and Labor, 3 Years limited warranty on Parts and Labor and 1 Year limited warranty on Parts and Labor Unless Specified and 90 days for industrial use.
- Built-in contactor makes it safe by making the wire electrically "cold" when not welding.
- It has self-resetting thermal overload control and motor protection
Cons
Low duty cycle-20% duty cycle of 85 volts is more moderate than market
Solution - 20% duty cycle means in 10 minute welding time you need to keep it off for 2 minutes at a stretch, but if you are welding with short breaks than this duty cycle will never break.
FAQ-
Q- What gauge and what gas mix is required for this?
Ans- Using 75% argon/25% CO2 with 24 gauge is enough to penetrate 1/8 in steel with a cleaner weld and less spatter. If you use Tri-Mix gas than you can use it on the stainless wire and do welding on stainless steel with a 16-12 gauge of stainless steel.
Q- Do I need a 20 amp circuit breaker for this?
Ans- Yes a 20 amp will work.
Q- What is self-resetting thermal overload do?
Ans- I know such technical words used to give me creeps, this is just a function that works like a fuse. When one is using the welder without turning it off overlooking the duty cycle than it may get too hot and the motor inside can burn, to avoid this thermal overload system automatically shut the system off and save the machine.
Conclusion
All the features like built-in the gas valve, edge mode for natural knob settings and wire feeder makes Hobart 500568 Handler 130 Welding Equipment very easy to use and cherry on top is the easy setup. The dual groove drive rolls have an easy way for the user to switch between .023/.025 into .030 - .035 in. Wire. Bottom line is going for it if you are in need of a welder for DYIs and motor projects.