Hobart's new Portable Co2 Kit - w/pics

[noahrexion]

First off I will start with a nice link that describes the kit a bit better than I could.
http://www.autocarepronews.com/defau...=art&id=91535&

Chris Croatt, Hobart Product Mgr., was kind enough to send a complementary kit in exchange for some feedback. Well, here is my feedback upon this neat little kit.




One for reference in case you aren't sure of the actual size of a paintball tank


I am a very new user to MIG welding. I've had my HH140 for about a month and I just about burned through the whole roll of 030 Flux Weld-It wire that came with it. I was very excited to entertain this kit for its portability as I've quite a few projects that absolutely require me to transport my setup. Not only is this kit ultra-portable (barely even notice its installed) but this little 20oz tank "should" last 30-40 minutes of welding time and it only cost me $3.50 to fill it at my local Sports Authority (anywhere they've paintball supply/bicycle equip).

Here is my HH140 atop my homebrew/junk cart that I made up with garbage and parts lying on the side of the house.

The kit installs on the right-most side vents so as to not block all of them when its all bolted up. These two simple brackets slip right into the upmost vent and the 3rd from the bottom on the right side. This is all that is required as backing and support for the bracket to hold the extremely light tank.


Two screws and the two brackets and you are good to go.


Remove your caps.

[noahrexion]

The kit also comes with 3 spare o-rings for the tank, lovely!

Hand tighten the tank and slide it into the premounted bracket, stretch the rubber hold down around the tank and secure it.

Change your polarity on your machine (gasless shown), make sure your tip/wire/roller all match diameters and you are ready to go.


This kit is obviously designed for portability and ease of travel WITH gas. I, however, intend to keep this as my sole kit for a while and see how much I actually go through. I have a feeling that this may be all I need which would be great because when I'm ready to take it somewhere I just lift it off of my stand and it is ready to go, plain and simple. This added about 3-4 lbs to the welder.

For anyone interested, this is my cart. Made from: old barbeque, center console from a old cargo van, kindling wood, Home Depot scrap wood that I got for free from the trash pile, a rusty old dolly that just needed a cleaning and re-lube to the casters, some screws and electrical tape (though its mostly welded). Cost was nil.




Room on the side of the dolly was/is for a 80cu.ft. tank when I find one (for c25); though I think I will stick with this co2 for a while and get acquainted.
I will be sure to update the thread with some new MIG welded projects. Thanks Chris and enjoy everyone; I'd be glad to take any additional pictures on request.

[smyrna5]

Way cool! Sort of a poor man's Passport Plus. Except when I am running fluxcore, I use CO2 exlusively on my HH140. Thanks to Dan's testing, I know it runs better on CO2 on the higher taps than it does on C25, but it ain't as portable as that sweet adapter. This would be great for when you want to travel with the 140-210. How much is it and can you refill it from your larger CO2 cylinder?


I guess this and a few other threads answers my refill question.

http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtal...fill+paintball

[TozziWelding]

All that is, is a paint ball can, Wal Mart, Richard's(won't let me write D I C K 's), Bass Pro, etc... have them full or will fill them cheap.

[mccutter]

I smell something burning...

My CO2 tank I bought to fill the paintball cans says "valve with dip tube".

Informative post--thanks!

I like your welding cart: Wood, the OTHER white metal! My rule with welding carts and tank fixtures is that the welder they are for must be the welder to fabricate them.

PS: one of my local ACE Hardware stores fills paintball cans...

[noahrexion]

TozziWelding: You are exactly right! That is part of what is so cool about it IMO because it costs $3 to fill it AND you can even get yourself a spare or two for $20-25; really not a bad deal considering.

mccutter: Thanks, this is probably going to be a temporary cart. I don't have any scrap to play with right now so once that changes I will certainly try to produce something a bit more "elegant" (for fun of course). But, this one is certainly functional, it keeps the welder and cords off the ground and has storage (the basics).

[smyrna5]

There is no question you can build your own with a paintball cylinder and the regulator, but where do you buy those spiffy little regulators cheap? I notice Lowes has one with a guage for $99, but for this application I think I like the one on the simpler Hobart better.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...100&lpage=none

and of course there is the cheap version from HF

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=99901

Here is a little FROG from WeldWarehouse for $28

https://weldwarehouse.securesites.co...G.%20REGULATOR

If the price of the Hobart kit is good you may as well buy it from the sponsor, but google doesn't turn up any retailers with it yet. If you are not a paintballer, by the time you buy all the stuff, if the Hobart kit is $99 its a definite winner, and maybe at $99-$149 it may be a hit.

[TozziWelding]

That little regulator is nothing more than a remote kit for your paint ball gun.
http://www.amazon.com/Rap4-Paintball.../dp/B0000B37VJ

[smyrna5]

So Tozzi, at those prices you show on Amazon, we are down to about $22 for the remote, plus $13 for the 20 oz cylinder, plus a few screws and a bracket. I may have to lower my Hobart good deal price to $50 lol. Or, you could just be cool and wear it on your belt Ghostbusters style. Is that remote set to about 22 CFH, like the FROGs I see on the net?

BTW - if anyone does buy one of those remotes made by Rap4 be careful. There have been several recalls on them because some exploded injuring the users.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08320.html

[mendoje1]

About the Rap-4 remote setup from Amazon, can someone confirm that it provides pressure regulation? I used to play paintball, with a remote setup almost identical, as I recall the remote setup was only that, just a remote. On my Airgun Designs 68 Automag the CO2 regulator was bult into the gun's receiver, not on the bottle or the fittings.

Thanks, Jeff

[BigD]

Obviously, Hobart has taken the time to completely package everything that's needed to weld with a CO2 paintball cylinder into a complete, fully tested and functional, and ready to use kit.

I'm sure that all of the engineers that subscribe to this forum can rig something together, given several months of trial and error, and a few hundred dollars; but why not benefit from someone who's already recognized the benefit and has put forth the effort, time, and expense to provide the solution.

If you're bound and determined to engineer your own solutions, why not take the effort to the next level and build your own welders?

You can find some magnet wire here:

http://www.superioressex.com/

You can find some lamination steel here:

http://www.tempel.com/home.asp

[crawler]

Obviously, Hobart has taken the time to completely package everything that's needed to weld with a CO2 paintball cylinder into a complete, fully tested and functional, and ready to use kit.

I'm sure that all of the engineers that subscribe to this forum can rig something together, given several months of trial and error, and a few hundred dollars; but why not benefit from someone who's already recognized the benefit and has put forth the effort, time, and expense to provide the solution.

If you're bound and determined to engineer your own solutions, why not take the effort to the next level and build your own welders?

You can find some magnet wire here:

http://www.superioressex.com/

You can find some lamination steel here:

http://www.tempel.com/home.asp

I think it will take considerable more time, knowledge, and cost to build and engineer your own welder. Would you expect a single person to be able engineer, design, build parts and circuits, test, and retest a welder? That person would have to be very smart, rich, and not like to sleep much at all. Too bad we can't all be that person.

I would mainly be interested in buying the CO2 regulator since the tank is a regular paint ball tank.

[smyrna5]

I think we have definitely established that there is an interest in the kit. Now, if Chris, or someone else from Hobart, would only tell us how much it is going to list for and where and when we can buy it, we can go from there. Northern Tool, who mistakenly broke the news on the 187 says they never heard of it.

[Roger]

Buy the FROG flow regulator and change CgA320 inlet fitting fitting for paint ball inlet fitting then install outlet hose with fitting for your welder. Easy with parts from welder supply and paint ball supply stores.

I could do about same thing with other regulator links posted by smyrna5 if the have pressure adjustment and not just valves. But would use flow gage outlet fitting with metering orifice.

Would be easy but guessing would not save money.

[noahrexion]

It would certainly behoove everyone to hang just a bit to see what the pricing on this kit is going to be. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity to play with this kit; I am hoping that this will be something Hobart reveals here pretty quickly (which I've been told is the case).

The fixed-flow regulator seems like a real simple way of keeping cost down (as opposed to offering an adjustable unit with a gauge) so hopefully it will be that way. It'd be great if Hobart's 140, 187 and 210 starting coming with this as a bundle!

In any case, the kit is working flawlessly for me. My welds are definitely looking sharper!