Buying guidance for a 220V MIG

Ernie,

I appreciate the feedback. This is exactly what I was looking for. If it's as cut and dry as industry pros suggesting that stabbing my eyes out would be better than buying the ESAB, I will go for the Miller. Is there any difference in terms of switching between flux and gas on either machine? If that's a stupid question I'm sorry but I had a tech at Prax tell me that it's something to consider when looking. Perhaps the tech was also a paperboy...

Thanks again, Andrew.

I am not an experienced weldor, but I never heard anything bad about Miller welding machines, or their support, parts availability, manuals etc. A welding machine pays itself off after just a few welding jobs, it is a quick payback situation, so it makes sense to not cut too many corners.

My experience:

Millermatic 200 - I owned it for 13 years and only changed guns

Lincoln 175SP+ wirefeed - have it now and really like it.

I'd buy blue or red. I'm partial to red.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for the feedback. As to your preference, why are you partial to the red? Does it relate to performance, manuf support/parts avail, or just that it's red...?

Thanks,

Andrew.

It was actually the supplier. When I bought the Miller 200, a friend of mine started a welding supply business, and it was the first one he ever sold. He continued on until retirement, and did good. The next time, I was at my steel supplier, and I had bought a Lincoln 225 WeldanPower with an Onan that ran and ran and ran. I trusted him (the same salesman that sold me that machine 15 years previously) to steer me to a good machine.

Yesterday, I asked my local dealer here in So. Utah who they used for Lincoln repairs. My MIG has been acting up, but I think it's a simple trigger problem. He said they sent them to North Las Vegas, as no one in this whole end of the state does repairs. Sheesh.

That said, I have always been a person who suggests buying either a blue or red as you can get them serviced, they have generous warranty programs, and you can buy consumables at the Borg. When your welder takes a crap or you need consumables, the main question is, "How fast can I get this thing working?"

I will buy cheap tools at HF, yard sales, and other places. But when you're going to buy something that you depend on to make you money, or that you want to work first time every time, quality is the way to go.

Steve

Most machines have a standard gas connection in the back, and changing wire is changing wire. I think the guy who told you there is a big difference in changing from fluxcore to solid wire is either ignorant or working his own agenda. I wouldn't worry about that.

A good thing to worry about is how good the wire feeding mechanism is. Read the manual closely to see how to align the drive rolls and adjust them, and then look closely at the machine to see if it is as described in the manual. The only thing I was disappointed in about my MM250 was that the manual describes an adjustment which was no longer available by the time my machine was made. And those adjustments/alignments are a big big deal.

Personally, I very highly recommend the current Millermatic model, whatever that is. Or buy any late model MM with one gigantic exception - do NOT under any circumstances buy a 250X, those were lemons and should have been recalled.

The MM251s were awesome machines and the 252s look even better to me.

Grant

Well said. When I bought a TIG it was a Miller SD180. I use it all the time and mostly in stick mode but I have to use TIG mode for targets about the size of my thumb. Yea - they are tiny! Air targets. When I needed a plasma cutter for the targets and yard art and the like - make large letters and figures for fences and Signs. I went with Hypertherm. So did my local dealer in his custom bike shop. He is pushing me towards a blue MIG and some day I'll go.

When buying stuff for my lathe or mill - it is generally high grade stuff. High grade so if I trade in the medium grade mill I'll be in duck soup! Buy low on stuff that can handle it.

Martin

Mart>> Steve,

Grant,

Thanks for the valued insight. I really appreciate it. As stated, I'm looking at the MM180. I hope this is a decent machine.

Andrew.

All self contained MIG machines have the capability to run gas-shielded flux-core wires, self-shielded flux-core wires or solid steel wires. The only change in the machine is polarity. Solid wire MIG and gas-shielded flux-core wires use DC Electrode Positive. Self-shielded flux-core uses DC Electrode negative. This polarity swap is usually achieved by swapping the power leads on the appropriate studs in the wire spool compartment. Takes about 5 minutes on any machine I have seen. Sales guys will try to sell the machines they are told to sell. ESAB makes some good large machines, but I have no love for their smaller ones. Bad guns, underpowered wire feed motors, and unstable arcs. Plus they insist on routing the gas shield for a spool-gun through the machine.

Ernie,

Once again I appreciate the response and the detail. I think I will either go with the MM180 or the Lincoln 175 Plus. Thanks again. I wasn't aware of the need to reverse polarity to switch from flux core to solid wire. The interesting thing is that the rep who told me the story of some machines being harder to swap than others was actually 'selling' me on the less expensive machine. As I recall, he was comparing Deca to Lincoln (both were 220V machines with similar ratings). He swore up and down that the Deca was easier to switch between wire types (he did mention some BS though about once the Lincoln had been converted, it was tricky to undo without mucking about - I truly wonder if he meant installing an aluminum spool kit rather than swapping wire). Anyway, it seemed like something I'd run by the local fleet of gurus first to be sure. Thanks again!

Andrew.