Hobart 500553 Handler 210 MVP MIG Welder - Empower Your Welding with Precision and Power Small

I frequently have need of a welder around my 10 acres. I was using a 30-year-old Lincoln 110 volt MIG unit until I ran it over with my tractor. It was getting a little long in the tooth anyway. So read everything I could about different manufacturers with my final decision being being cemented with a pleasant conversation with the Hobart tech support guys back at the factory in Wisconsin where Hobart comes off the line apparently along side the Miller MIG machines. I've never used a Miller MIG welder but I sure do like welding with my new Hobart. I got the dual voltage version for a few hundred bucks more but have only used it on 220 setting so far. Just did some 1/4" to 3/16" today and it was a breeze. Settings are very easy to adjust....just follow the chart they give you. And even as a "hobby" welder, my beads with this thing are looking pretty dang good. I have not tried the flux core yet since I am used to welding with the argon mix for a clean weld so can't comment on that. I got the dual voltage package for those rare occasions when I might have to weld something away from the shop with only 110 available. 110 volts limits your thickness probably down to around 3/16" steel. Yes, you can get a welder that claims to have similar performance numbers but is made in China, but I prefer to buy USA when I can and I really like the pleasure of getting right to a factory tech rep who speaks excellent English and is a welder themselves.Side note: I like to use Amazon Prime because it is so easy...and easy to return if damaged. This was a big ticket item for me so I watched its shipping progress with the tracking number they give you. It bounced around a couple of UPS locations and then made it to the UPS Sacramento warehouse....where it disappeared. (Amazon shipped my welder UPS in the box that Hobart packs it in...with lots of beautiful color pictures on the box of what is on the inside). So gee, what a surprise that someone in that warehouse might have decided they could use a nice welder like that! How they got that 80-pound package out of the warehouse in a lunchbox is beyond me. You would think they might have cameras in those warehouses. No problem, a phone call to Amazon, and another welder was on the way....absolutely no hassle. My only gripe is that ultimately the consumer pays for that kind of thing in higher prices.

This is a nice "concentrated" type of compact welder..... that is a good thing for most folks. It is not a light weight unit with little going on inside of it.The one question that I personally wondered about was if the dual voltage would be worth the extra money over just buying the lighter single voltage unit. Now that I am using it, I think that I will indeed get some use out of the convenience of the 120VAC input. But do be aware, and know, that when using the 120VAC input you will NOT be able to do any heavier welding or aluminum welding unless it is paper thin materials. Aluminum sucks all the heat away so fast that much higher currents and voltages are required than with steel. I put it up on voltage levels 6 & 7 and ran two beads of about 1.5 inches long at 30% wire feed speed..... it tripped a 20 amp single pole Square D breaker immediately. Biut, that is exactly what one should expect to happen, right? Also, Square D is one of the best made and most sensitive breakers on the market so if you have an old GE panel or a Cuttler you may get away with more. (Just a not from a Journeyman Electrician for over 30 years now: the breaker protects the wiring within your walls.... prevents fires, so if it trips there is a reason and do not merely reset and go on. These are thermally triggered so need time to cool down or a wiring fire might result.)This machine has some great engineering in merely the packaging, let alone the rest of the machine! It is well packed and should get to you without any problem. The assembly of it is easier than many and should present ZERO trouble for anyone..... the instructions are excellent.... but what else would one expect from a USA made machine?? To say it is "Made in USA" at least the majority of the unit must be assembled from USA made parts as well as labor - I was glad to buy USA and support my fellow workers.This machine has a novel way of swapping the wire drive wheels too! Just push it in, turn 90* and slip it out, turn it over and slip it back in and it is ready to go: no screws or tools needed at all. The stinger is quite good for the size and price of the machine..... oh yeh, like some commented, the trigger is pretty easily tripped, but most of us do not use the big heavy leather guanlets with a buz box because they are not as hot and do not present such problems to require such heavy gloves. I just used some good medium duty leather gloves and the switch was ZERO problems at all.... at least it was zero for me.Would I buy this again? Yes I would, and I think that if you want a slightly larger/heavier unit with greater capacity than the smaller units, this might be just what you are looking for. Hobart has a very good warrantee, and that too is a bonus. Buy with confidence. Enjoy.

Was damaged from shipping. Got in touch with Hobart and they are fixing it under warranty. Haven’t got to use it yet.

I've had this for years now and I've spent literally 1000's of hours welding with it.I've done tons of little projects, two restorations [74 Duster & 72 Camaro] currently working on a 68 Nova that's had every panel replaced except the roof and the rocker panel rails.I've built a rotisserie for 68 Nova using this welderIt was 3/16" steel, and welded with absolutely no issues.Best $$$ I've spent on a tool.Can't go wrong with the Hobart MVP 210.

The box had a hole on top from delivery. The welding guide is upside down on the door, the face of the welder is plastic and easily disconnects causing the side panel to fall off. Never got the welder to feed wire, just lets off a burning smell.Edit: I took the unit apart and found that there is absolutely no slack from the power switch to the power cord, so during delivery the front panel which holds the switch easily disconnects because it’s not mounted with any hardware and disconnected completely.I unscrewed the power cord at the rear and fed more wire into the unit, reconnected everything and now it works. The guide on the panel is still annoying that it’s upside down and would be nice to get a replacement sticker.