Hobart 130 VS 140; Which Is The Underdog?

Put together Hobart, Miller, Lotus, Lincoln, and there you have a list of the best welder brands on the market. These 3 manufacturers continue to lead the industry with the latest technological innovation of plasma cutters and welders alike. And if you happen to be a big fan of Hobart, you’d notice that many of their MIG welders share a lot of features in common.

The Hobart 130 and 140 are an example of such a pair. So it begs the question, which should you go for in a league of Hobart 130 vs 140? In truth, there’s a lot of factors to consider when choosing one from the two.

This is because there’s no general best MIG system. But I guess you’ll be able to make the right decision if you could get a clear comparison between the model 130 and model 140 of Hobart MIG systems. Right? In this article, I help you to do just that. Right here, I highlight the main features of these MIG welders to compare the two models. I also show you a complete table of features of each model as an overview so you can know what to expect for your money. Great, right? Let’s drill straight in.

Welding Capacity

Each of these models varies largely in its welding capacity. The 130-model will weld a maximum of 3/16 inches thick metal and a 24 gauge thin material. On the other hand, the 140-model will glue up to ¼ inches thick sheet while sharing the same 24 gauge minimum with its competitor. So, which is the best when judging by this? Really, it depends on you. If you fry a lot of thick metals together and you want to get a clean weld at a single pass, the 140-model is for you. On the other side, the 130-model will help you prevent Burnthroughs and warping when working with thin sheets. Also, be aware that the welding capacity of your machine determines how often you’ll need to spend money on consumables. A good rule of thumb is, the higher systems burn a lot of consumables compared to the lower systems. And as you know, the 140-model is the big guy here.

Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder 115V

Welding Duration

According to the duty cycle test graph of the two units, there’s a huge variation in the welding duration you can bounce off of each. For instance, when operating at 70 amperages on Hobart 140, you will have a downtime of 4 minutes during every 10 minutes of operation. On the flip side, you can only operate at a lower amperage of 60amps to have the same downtime of 4 minutes when working with Hobart 130. Also, there’s a difference in the duty cycle when operating at 90 volts on each with the 140-model boasting less downtime and the 130-model claiming more.

This does not, however, make either of the two the best. The whole thing is decided by your MIG skills level and experience. If you need more time to make the best penetration as a beginner, Hobart 130 would be the best for you. Likewise, for an expert who needs more working speed, the 140 design would be recommended. Another thing to consider is the thickness of your material and the nature of it.

Aluminum requires more time to cool to avoid splatter and other welding defects. Steel, on the other hand, gets cooled faster and in that case, and you’ll need less duty cycle. Therefore, Hobart 130 could be considered the best for Aluminum while your steel welding operations would be best justified with model 140.

Workability

Judging by this factor, there’s no brainer that Hobart 140 takes the lead. While our other guy features an 8ft long torch gun, the model 140 adds an additional 2ft to that, boasting a 10ft long welding gun. With a long gun, you can weld out of position without having to move your power source with you. This is especially for anyone looking to weld under the chassis of a truck or under some low CG vehicles.

Also, the more extended grounding cable of the higher model allows for even more movements especially for when working on a job site. But if all you want is a little unit for light-duty operations, then why spend more? Hobart 130 is a few bucks lesser than its counterpart and you can just avoid splashing out on the 140-model for its extended gun cable which you won’t be needing.

Right? Another thing is that Hobart 130 is quite easy to set up and work with for beginners when compared to the higher model. The control panel on the 130 power inverter is quite intuitive and you won’t really need the user’s guide as you would before setting up Hobart 140. This doesn’t, however, mean that the 140 design is difficult to set up and use.

Output Range

This is where Hobart 140 beats its competitor, hands down. You can get the minimum and maximum welding amperage from Hobart 140. The 130 design, on the other hand, delivers within some of the spectra of its counterpart. If you are looking for the maximum versatility in your MIG system, Hobart 140 delivers a consistent 25amps for your low-frequency operations whilst delivering a stable 140 amps for your high-frequency tasks.

On the other side, Hobart 130 offers a stable 30amps as its lowest current and a stable 130amps as its highest. But again, this may just be about the ideal output range you want from your MIG machine. By this, I mean that Hobart 140 can be considered as the heavy-duty version of the model 130.

Welding Feed Speed Range

How fast you can go with your operation is what determines the ideal welding feed speed range that is best for you. With Hobart 140, you can switch between a wider range of wire feed speeds between 40RPM to 700RPM. For me, this buys you enough speed range to grow your welding skills as a beginner.

The 130 design offers less range of wire feed speed of 50RPM and 400RPM, and may not offer you more range of speeds to learn with. That aside, the more the speed range a unit offer, the versatile that system ultimately becomes. Therefore, it’s sensible to say that Hobart 140 takes the lead based on an extended welding feed speed range.

Portability

How portable your welder is, this determines how easy that unit will be to transport and store away. And speaking of portability, it can only be judged by the weight and size of your welder. So when deciding the most portable out of the two, model 130 wins. While it represents a lighter weight of 50.5lbs, Hobart 140, on the other hand, packs an additional weight of 6.5lbs, making it a total of 7lbs in weight.

Comparing the size, Hobart 140 is bulkier and will take a space of 19.5inch by 10.625inch at the back of your truck when transported while measuring 12.375in in height. On the flip side, the model-130 is 12.125in by 9.875in in size while measuring 16.875in in height. My verdict is that if you’re looking to travel more with your MIG welder and want a unit you can travel with easily without it adding weight to your load or taking up the space needed to store other things, go for Hobart 130.

So, before highlighting what the two welders share in common, here is a list each for the features of each Hobart model.

Hobart 140 Features

  • Maximum welding capacity; 1/4inch
  • Minimum welding capacity; 24-gauge
  • Input voltages; 110/115/120V
  • Input phase-type; 1-phase
  • Input frequency; 60Hz
  • Amperage range; 25amps to 140amps
  • Wire feed speed; 40RPM to 700RPM
  • Mig torch gun length; 10ft
  • Ground cable length; 10ft
  • Contact tips; 0.030inch
  • Spool hub capacity; 4 to 8 inches spool
  • Built-in gas valve with hose
  • 5 position voltage control
  • Weight 57lbs
  • Duty cycle; 20% @ 90amps

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Pros
  • Extended working cables
  • Allows for more movements away from the power source
  • It has a QuickSelect drive roll
  • Great for gasless operation
  • Best for high-frequency operations
  • Packs a lot of power
  • Highly versatile
  • Convenient polarity changeover
  • A lot of output
  • Flexible spool gun capacity
  • Ideal for heavy-duty tasks
  • A wide range of welding capacity
  • Welds thicker steel in one pass

Cons

  • A bulky unit

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Hobart 130 Features

  • Maximum welding capacity; 3/16inch
  • Minimum welding capacity; 24-gauge
  • Welding amp range; 30amps to 130amps
  • Duty cycle; 20% @ 85amps
  • MIG torch length; 8ft
  • Ground cable length; 8ft
  • Wire feed speed range; 50RPM to 400RPM
  • Spool hub assembly accommodation; 4 to 8 inches spool
  • Maximum spool hub capacity; 0.035inch
  • Minimum spool hub capacity; 0.030inch
  • Drive roll and nozzle
  • Tip adapter and liner
  • Operation voltage; 115 voltage
  • Weight; 50.5lbs
  • Positive pole
Hobart 500559 Handler 140 MIG Welder 115V
Pros
  • Best MIG for beginners
  • Easy to set up and operate
  • Lightweight unit for the traveling welder operator
  • Has an overheating indicator
  • Low price system

Cons

  • Limited cable length

What They Share In Common

Though the two Hobart designs vary in a lot of ways, they quite share some features in common.

  • Powering Voltage; the two units operate on a common household voltage of 115V. In other words, they are both less power-consuming and are a great way to weld without blowing a hole in your power bill.
  • Application; the two systems find application in the same area. Though the Hobart 140 packs more power and can be used for heavy-duty operations, they are both usable for home repairs, auto repairs, farm/ranch, DIY, metal art, installations, and maintenance.
  • Spool hub assembly accommodation; if you have a 130 and you’re looking to buy a 140, you can easily share consumables and spools between the two welders since they share the same spool hub assembly accommodation capacity.
  • Gas and Gasless; either of the two models will offer the power you need for your self-shielded tasks and your gas-shielded MIG welding. Another thing is that they share the same size of gas-compressor.
  • Warranty; these units boast the same number of years in their warranty policies.
  • Durability; it’s hard to differentiate between the two from a distance due to the contrast of their body design and color. Also, the two are both engineered with solid steel for maximum durability so you can expect to get the same years from each if used properly.

Conclusion

Hobart has always taken a big stride into the market with high-quality welders and cutters alike. While most of their series vary in performance, it is hard to make out the difference between the like of Hobart 130 vs 140. That is why I have taken the pain to show you the differences between the two models. I hope you’ll be able to choose the best for your welding needs at long.