The 4-position heat selector on the Hobart Handler 135 that I use, isn't an
issue for me, or for a friend who has primarily used a basic Lincoln model
for years.

If I feel that the selected range is hot for sheetmetal, allowing a little
more wire stick-out, or moving a little faster keeps everything working
well.
The wire feed speed is infinitely adjustable, so that allows the user to
dial-in the speed of movement too.

Last fall, a friend and I tackled a windshield opening repair job on his big
motorcoach. The Hobart worked fine with new sheetmetal fitted into openings
where the rusty old steel had been cut away.
The welding was done with C25 gas and .025" wire at the Heat 2 setting with
essentially no problems.
There was a lot of rust damage that resulted in numerous water leaks, but
the more serious problem was that the 2 huge, very expensive windshield
sections are nearly vertical, and they're glued in place.
I wanted to do more experimenting with the Heat 1 range and new sheetmetal,
but got sidetracked onto something else.

I tend to push weld in most cases, instead of the drag technique, for better
visibility and more predictable/desired results.

I also have another MIG welder that I haven't used yet. It has several
additional weld features that aren't usually found on basic units, since it
was marketed to autoody shops, but the extra features may not be very
significant.
It's an older Solar/Century 120VAC model with an integral wheeled
cart/storage cabinet.
There were a number of accessories and methods described in the manual that
I hadn't heard of before.
There is an adapter for holding a carbon rod, which can be used for heating
(bending or shrinking), but also for brazing with common brazing rod used in
conjunction with the attached carbon rod.

--
WB
..........


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...

Thanks for all the good information! The Hobart welders are what they
carry in all the farm supply type of stores around here. The Hobart 140 I
looked at today at Rural-King had only 4 steps for heat settings, the 180
and 210 version each had 7 steps. Have you ever had any problem with
having steps instead of continuously variable heat control?

Later I may get a bottle of Argon and see what damage I can do with my TIG
welder.

RogerN