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Hobart Handler 190 MIG welder Review 2021

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Are you in the welding business or weld occasionally, and you need to expand your tooling with the best equipment? Then you need to consider the Hobart Handler 190 MIG welder. Hobart is a well-known manufacturer of excellent welding equipment. This piece of welding equipment is made in Troy, Ohio, USA.

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The Hobart Handler 190 is a 230V wire feed MIG welder with an excellent price/performance ratio.

It is spool gun ready for Hobart’s SpoolRunner 100 spool gun. All required circuits for spool gun welding are already prebuilt inside the Hobart 190. This means true hassle-free welding spool gun welding.

Thus the Handler 190 and the SpoolRunner 100 spool gun are an excellent pair for professional welders. Let’s take a closer look at the product features:

Hobart Handler 190 review – advantages

Versatile for numerous applications

The Hobart Handler 190 is suited for MIG welding (GMAW) as well as flux cored welding (FCAW).

According to the manufacturer, the Hobart 190 gives you less spatter during welding, an excellent weld seam penetration and minimum post-weld cleanup.

Typical applications that can be done with the Handler 190 include:

  • Auto repair
  • Construction site
  • Farm/ranch applications
  • Unit rental
  • Personal home DIY use
  • Maintenance & repair
  • light industrial work

Simple set up of weld parameters

Moreover, the Handler 190 makes it easy to set up the correct weld parameters.

On the front control panel you will find a power switch, the 7-position voltage switch, the infinite wire speed control knob and the trigger lead connection.

The included welding guide assists you in choosing the right parameters for your welding job. Depending on the material you want to weld, it tells you which wire type, feed speeds, shielding gas and voltage settings you should choose.

Using the voltage switch and the infinite wire feed speed control the Handler 190 makes it comfortable to choose the right settings. No mater what wire size, which material and thickness you can set it up according your requirements.

Also read: Best MIG welders review

Advanced safety features

In addition, the unit is protected against short circuiting and will self-reset when thermally overloaded to avoid any damage. Additionally, the integrated motor protection stops the wire feed system to avoid overloads.

The “Quick Select” drive roll offers three different grooves for different wire sizes and flux-cored wire. The simple and robust drive system is long-lasting and also easy to maintain. In spoolgun mode, you can control the drive motor with the spool gun which makes control very easy.

Portable & lightweight welder

The Handler 190 is a portable and lightweight welder that can be used for multiple applications. Because of its low weight of 68 lb and the small package, the Handler 190 is a portable device that you can quickly move from one construction site to the next one. You can decide if you would like to carry it on the carrying handle or use Hobart’s cart.

The Handler 190 is a portable and lightweight welder that can be used for multiple applications

Additional weather resistant cover protects the unit during transportation.

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Hobart  Handler 190 video review

Now, please take a short look at the following video review of the Hobart Handler 190:

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Accessories – what comes with the Hobart Handler 190?

Our Package includes

  • Handler 190 with a built-in gas solenoid valve
  • Spool Runner 100 spool gun
  • MIG gun, dual gauge regulator with 10 ft. gas hose
  • 10 ft. work cable & clamp
  • 10 ft. power cord
  • .030″ contact tips
  • .030″ flux-cored wire sample spool
  • 8″ spool adapter
  • Manual
  • Set-Up guide
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Hobart Handler 190 specifications

Product features

The Hobert Handler 190 (Product #500554) has the following specifications:

  • Duty cycle 30% @ 130 A (21.5 VDC)
  • Input voltage: 230 VAC, 60 Hz
  • Min. input power (generator): 3.88 kW
  • Output welding current range: 25 A – 190 A
  • Wire feed speed control 40 – 700 IPM (50-740 IPM at no load)
  • Voltage control with 7 different positions
  • Weight: 68 lb (31 kg)

Source: https://www.hobartwelders.com/products/wirefeed/handler190/

Hobart’s 5/3/1 warranty gives you a five-year warranty on the transformer, three years on the electronics and one year on your MIG gun. This means if any of these components fail within the defined period, you will get a replacement at no cost to you.a

Hobart 500554001 Handler 190 with SpoolRunner 100

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If you need an excellent welder with less power at a lower price, please check out our review of the Hobart Handler 140.

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What materials can you weld with the Handler 190?

Because the welder is designed for light industrial performance, you will need a power input of 230 V. Thus it provides an output range of 25 up to 190 amps which means you can weld materials from 24 gauge up to 5/16 inch.

Besides aluminum, you can weld mild steel and also stainless steel with the Hobart Handler 190.

When welding aluminum it is essential that you have prepared you weld area very good. Brush off any dirt before welding.

Weldable materials:

  • Aluminum
  • Steel
  • Stainless steel

Recommended processes:

  • Flux cored welding: Steel & stainless steel
  • MIG welding: Aluminum, steel & stainless steel
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Compatible weld wire

MIG welder

MIG welder

The Handler 190 is compatible with the following weld wires:

  • Mild steel / stainless steel .024 – .035 in. (0.6 – 0.9 mm)
  • Flux cored .030 – .045 in. (0.8 – 1.2 mm)
  • Aluminum .030 – 0.35 in. (0.8 – 0.9 mm)
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Power requirements

Please be aware, this is a product with high power output and thus operates on 230 V.

Please make sure to use a welding generator with at least 3880 W power output to operate the MIG welder.

If you are unclear about the power requirements, you can check the Handler 190 manual or directly contact the manufacturer.

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Hobart Handler 190 additional equipment & replacement parts

The following items can be additionally ordered and will fit your Hobart Handler 190.

  • Weatherproof protective cover 195186
  • Small cart/cylinder rack 194776
  • H100S4-10 replacement MIG torch 245926
  • SpoolRunner 100 spool gun 300796
  • Contact tips (0.23 – 0.45 in.)
  • Tip adapter
  • MIG nozzle
  • gasless flux-cored nozzle
  • Liners
  • Power source drive rolls
  • SpoolRunner 100 drive and push rolls

 

Hobart 500554001 Handler 190 with SpoolRunner 100

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Last update was on: March 2, 2024 12:22 am PST
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Summary

9.5 Total Score
Good price performance ratio.

The Hobart Handler 190 is a portable high power welder for professional and home use. Thanks to the additional SpoolRunner 100 spool gun any wire feed problems are gone.

PROS
  • Made in USA
  • Easy set up for beginners
  • Simple feed control with Spoolrunner 100 spool gun
  • Good price/performance ratio
CONS
  • Requires 230 V outlet
  • Voltage selection is not infinite (7 preset settings)
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Image Credits: Hobart, Pixabay

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