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Hobart Ironman 230 is a heavy-duty welder that can be used for light industrial applications or by people who want to weld like a professional. It’s a MIG welder combined with capabilities of flux-cored welding. It offers high output currents, a longer duty cycle and other great features. We’ll look into these features in more detail in our Hobart Ironman 230 review below.
This welding system can be used as either a MIG or flux-cored welder. It’s also a high power unit designed for welders that already have the skills. It offers features that allow the welding operator to customize the workflow with specifications as required.
For beginner welders, we would recommend starting out with a smaller machine. This system would work best in a workshop or a light industrial capacity.
It’s a tool for welding steel, stainless steel, and aluminum and it’s capable of welding thickness up to ½” in a single pass. However, to weld aluminum, you will need to purchase the optional spool gun. The thickness range for welding aluminum is 18 gauge to ½”.
Hobart Ironman 230 Features
System Setup
The Hobart Ironman 230 comes with everything included in the package for you to start welding right away. It also comes with a detailed user manual to navigate the user through the setup process. There’s also an inside door with a chart that you can reference for choosing specific settings for the material you’re welding.
Powerful Performance
This welder offers the highest power output in its class. It works in the range of 30A to 250A. This is enough power for most of the welding projects, except for industrial work. The power of the unit delivers superior arc quality, resulting in precise, spatter-free welds.
The Ironman 230 operates on 230V of input power. So keep in mind that it’s not suitable for household outlets and it’s better suited for jobs at industrial sites, large workshop, or garage.
The unit also offers a duty cycle of 60% at 170A, which is definitely a benefit when the time is of the essence. This means that operating at 170A you can weld for 6 minutes before you need to stop so that the machine can cool down.
Settings
One of the main advantages of Hobart Ironman 230 is the adjustability of its settings. This allows the user to fine tune the settings to fit the requirements of the specific welding project.
First of all, it offers a twelve tap voltage control, giving the user maximum voltage control. These simple adjustments allow setting the arc for easy and smooth control.
Also, there’s the infinite wire feed speed control, with a range 0-700 IPM. With control over your wire feed speed, you have better control over the weld bead shape, penetration, and spatter. Using this setting, you can choose the ideal parameters for the metal thickness and wire diameter.
The unit weighs 185 lbs, so it’s quite large and heavy. It’s not recommended for outdoor sites where you have to move the tool around a lot. However, the welder does come with a wheel kit, so you can easily move it around the shop.
Ironman 230 also has a few features to make welding with the unit easier and better. First, it’s the reversible drive roll system. Each drive roll features two wire grooves, so it can fit two different sizes of wire. This decreases the need for replacement parts and allows to save time on changing drive rolls.
Hobart also made it easier to access the wire drive system on this welder. You just need to lift the cover of the hinged wire feed panel and you’ll have instant access. This helps to increase productivity and operator convenience.
Safety Features
The built-in thermal overload feature protects the system by automatically shutting down if the unit is in danger of overheating.
There is also the fan-on-demand feature. It’s activated only when it’s necessary, reducing power load and preventing dust and other damaging particles from drawing into the machine, increasing its lifespan.
Compatible Weld Wire
The welder is compatible with the following wire sizes:
Mild steel and stainless steel: 0.023 – 0.045 in.
Flux-cored: 0.030 – 0.045 in.
Aluminum: 0.030 – 0.035 in.
Warranty
Hobart offers for this welder a 5/3/1 warranty. Here you can check out Hobart’s website for the full warranty overview.
Other Features
Integrated spool hub for easy changing of 2, 10, 33, or 45 lbs wires spools.
As you can see from the features mentioned in this Hobart Ironman 230 review, this unit is a great choice for welders looking for a full-sized, heavy-duty welder. It provides excellent power for professionals and is great for use in fabrication, auto body work, construction, as well as home use. It’s the best tool for MIG welding with high power and consistent, smooth delivery.
Remember, having proper safety equipment is very important when welding. Check out our reviews for auto-darkening welding helmets.
This welding system can be used as either a MIG or flux-cored welder. It’s also a high power unit designed for welders that already have the skills. It offers features that allow the welding operator to customize the workflow with specifications as required.
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