Hobart IronMan 230 (500536) MIG Welder – Review 2021

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The Hobart IronMan 230 MIG welder is Hobart’s answer for all ambitious welders who are looking for high output currents, extended duty cycles and excellent arc quality.

With an amperage range from 30 up to 250 amps, the Ironman 230 is a heavy-duty welder suited for professionals and persons who want to weld like a professional.

Last updated on March 17, 2024 3:09 pm

Read on now and take a look at our in-depth, detailed review of the Hobart IronMan 230 MIG welder:

Table of Contents

Hobart Ironman 230 – unboxing & setup

Unboxing video

Please take a look at the following unboxing video for a first impression on the Hobart Ironman 230.

Accessories – what comes with the Hobart IronMan 230

A welding machine is nothing with the right accessories. The Hobart IronMan 230 package includes everything to start MIG welding of steel.

First, I noticed that the ground clamp has a really strong spring for good ground connection. Furthermore, the hinged door makes it easy to access the wire feed system. Thus, changing the wire or the reversible dual groove drive rolls require minimum changeover times.

Hobart Ironman 230

Hobart Ironman 230

Hobart’s 500536 package includes (list not complete):

  • Base welding machine Hobart Ironman 230 MIG
  • 250-amp MIG welding gun (15 ft.)
  • Regulator
  • Gas hose (5 ft.)
  • Input cable
  • Work cable with ground clamp (10 ft.)
  • Built-in wheel-kit and cylinder rack
  • Contact tips (0.030 and 0.035 in.) & nozzle
  • Reversible dual groove drive rolls (0.030/0.035 in.)
  • Cable hangers
  • Setup/weld/parts chart
  • Manual

Ironman 230 setup

Initial setup of the Ironman 230 is not too complicated. At first, mount your welding gun and your gas hose. Open the cabinet. On the inside of the housing, there is a wire, gas and control settings chart for correct setup of the machine according to your welding task.

Choose and feed your weld wire through the liner. After that, plug on your cable and feed through the wire. Attach you weld clamp. Adjust the regulator. Now you should be ready to go for your first weld task.

Thanks to the platform on the rear side of the welding cart, the gas tank will always move together with the machine.

See a demonstration of the welding performance in the following chapter:

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Welding demonstration video

If everything is setup correctly, the machine provides a stable welding arc that creates excellent weld seams with only very little spatter.

Please take a short look at the following demonstration video of the Hobart IronMan 230:

Let’s continue and take a look at the hard facts of the machine:

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Hobart IronMan 230 – technical specifications

Product features

The Hobart IronMan 230 (Product #500536) has the following specifications:

  • Duty cycle 60% @ 175 A (25.5 VDC) (= 6 minutes welding, 4 minutes resting at 175 A)
  • Input voltage: 230 VAC (6,3 kW)
  • Output welding current range: 30 A – 250 A
  • Wire feed speed control 0 – 700 IPM
  • Voltage control with 12 different positions
  • Weight: 185 lb (84 kg)

Source: https://www.hobartwelders.com/products/wirefeed/ironman230/

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.

Last updated on March 17, 2024 3:09 pm

If you need a rugged welder with less power at a lower price, you can take a look at IronMan 230’s little brother, the Hobart Handler 190.

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Weldable materials and possible processes

The Hobart IronMan 230 welds steel with a thickness of 24 gauge up to 1/2 inch in a single pass.

Weldable materials:

Possible processes:

  • Flux cored welding (FCAW): Steel & stainless steel
  • MIG welding (GMAW): Aluminum, steel & stainless steel
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Compatible weld wire

MIG welder

MIG welder

The IronMan 230 is compatible with the following weld wires:

  • Mild steel / stainless steel 24 gauge up to 1/2 inch thick steel 0.023 – 0.045 in. (0.6 – 1.2 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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Hobart IronMan 230 – pros and cons

Pros

The Hobart IronMan 230 is capable of MIG welding, flux-cored welding, shielding gas welding and gasless welding.

Use one single machine for MIG/flux-cored/gas and gasless welding
  • High output duty cycle for increased productivity
  • Weld up to 1/2 inch thick metal sheets
  • Active fan cooling avoids overheating (fan is active on demand)
  • Provides Infinite wire feed speed control
  • Integrated thermal overload system
  • Integrated spool hub for 2, 10, 33 or 45 lb wire spools
  • Mounted on wheels which makes the heavy machine easier to move around
  • The sloped front panel makes it easy to see the front control panel

Cons

On the downside, this welder can only be used with 230 V power and not with standard 110 V wall outlet. Because of the high weight of 185 lb, it is quite a heavy machine that you can only move around because it comes premounted on rollers.

  • Input power: 200/230 V required
  • Machine is quite heavy: 186 lb
  • Machine is bigger than entry-level machines
  • Price $$$
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Alternative MIG welders

If you are looking for a good alternative to the Hobart Ironman 230, don’t hesitate to take a look at our MIG welder comparison table here to find other MIG welders.

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IronMan 230 – Summary

The IronMan 230 is a real packhorse, because it is great for fabrication, construction, auto body work, home use and also tool rental services.

9 Total Score
Hobart IronMan 230 MIG

Excellent welder with high power for professionals. The Hobart IronMan 230 MIG welder is Hobarts answer for all ambitious welders who are looking for high output currents and long duty cycles.

PROS
  • High power: Weld steels up to 1/2 in
  • High work efficiency: Duty cycle of 60% @ 175 A
CONS
  • High weight: with 184 lb. rather heavy machine
  • Input power: 200 or 230 V outlet required
  • Price: $$$
Add your review
Last updated on March 17, 2024 3:09 pm

Please don’t hesitate and leave a comment below to share your experience with the IronMan 230.

Image Credits: Hobart, Pixabay

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