The Hobart Trek 180 is the jack-of-all-trades welder. At $1,200 it's not inexpensive, but it can be plugged in at home or taken on the trail as a rechargeable MIG welder. This makes it superior to the rest if you could only have one. The Trek is packed into a small 51-pound suitcase, and although it can take up valuable cargo space it's also a lifesaver when you need to patch up your busted 4x4. This portable welder runs either flux core welding wire, or solid core wire and a shield gas, but the flux core is more convenient for trail welding since you don't need to lug along a tank. The welder also uses the small 2-pound wire spools so you need to buy a few extra for a big project. The biggest downfall of the Trek is that when you use up the charge you're done welding until you can get to a 110V outlet for a recharge. One 90-minute charge will weld 3 to 6 feet of bead depending on material thickness, which is pretty good for your basic repair, though we would like to see an integrated 12-to-110 voltage inverter for recharging off your vehicle. SPECS HOBART TREK 180 Price $1,100-$1,400 depending on retailer Output (amps) 25-180 Duty Cycle 20% at 120 amps Thickness 24 gauge to 1/4-inch steel Weight (lb) 51 Dimensions (in) 135/16 x 17 x 77/8 Pros •Great welder for home or trail •MIG welding is easy to learn •Simple setup •Great heat control Cons •Must be charged with 110V •Only welds for 2-3 minutes (3-6 feet) on full charge The Hobart Trek 180 is a true rechargeable welder using two sealed internal lead acid batteries. It can be fully charged in 90 minutes or 80 percent in 20 minutes. It is rated from 24-guage up to 1/4-inch steel and houses a small spool of welding wire.The Hobart Trek 180 is a true rechargeable welder using two sealed internal lead acid batt The Hobart is about as easy as trail welders get. Just check the material thickness, set the welder to the prescribed settings listed inside, and mate metal.The Hobart is about as easy as trail welders get. Just check the material thickness, set t We did have some wire mess when the wrong roller was installed for .030 wire and had to replace the welding tips, but for the most part the Trek worked great-until the batteries died, requiring a hike back to the house to recharge. But once there you could plug the welder in and build your next rollcage, tube bumper, or fencepost art project all with the same machine.We did have some wire mess when the wrong roller was installed for .030 wire and had to re SOURCES Hobart Welders N/A AK 800-626-9420 www.hobartwelders.com By Fred Williams, Ali Mansour, Rick Péwé, Kevin McNulty Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
