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Question About Maxstar 140 Welder

I came across a decent looking Miller Maxstar 140 at auction. I know the 150s and 200s surpass it in features and controls which would make a good used 150 more desirable (and therefore more valuable/expensive).

So I searched this group and found that later model 140s apparently gained thumb wheel control of current on the torch and if I read the comments correctly one of the identifiers is whether or not the machine has a 6 pin connector.

Looking at the pics of the 140 at auction, it appears that the torch has a thumbwheel on it. Is that for current control? Or something else? I haven't learned to TIG yet, bu tam looking at this machine as a possible cheap way to get into it. But given the usefulness of having current control at hand, I need to decide how much this older machine is worth to me compared to waiting for a 150 or some other machine with more features. So identifying the use of the thumbwheel on the torch is helpful in this regard. I thought I'd ask the group while I wait for a reply from the seller who may or may not know. TIA.

Reply to
Mark J
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I think the thumb wheel is a gas adjustment.

Reply to
Diamond Jim

Mark, We have two older 140's that we just sold to update to Dynasty DX200's The 140 is a DC workhorse for smaller jobs. Just the fact you can interchange the input voltage really easy and flip over the lift-arc switch makes ramp up really easy. The six-pin connector will interchange with foot pedals and rollers if you opt not to like having the handle cluttered. The big issue with a hand controller with a gas valve on the torch handle is it can be very cluttery for you to concentrate on especially when learning. Now I have taken longer pieces of Velcro from the remote control and made a "Watch band" for it. As stupid as it sounds you can reach over with your rod hand and valve down the juice when needed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the 140 series and we beat the hell out of them. The only problem being a DC inverter is duty cycle cool-down and you can not weld aluminum. You can run stick with it very, very well. and it runs great off of a medium sized home generator for field use. Now that I have a Dynasty DX200 I need to go back to NASA to learn how to program it! For what the 140 offers you can't beat it. Just don't spend more than 20% to get you into a 150 or an SD180 if weight is not a concern as that will run AC all day and not get grumpy.

Respects and happy hunting!

Rob

Fraser Competition Engines Chicago, IL.

Reply to
RDF

All the 140's were made by Fronius in Austria. Good machines, I owned one for a year before upgrading to a 200DX.

The first models had no remote contactor control at all. The later versions gained a torch handle based controller that allowed you to turn the arc on and off, but I don't think it gave you amperage control.

That is the gas valve that turns on and off the shielding gas. The 140 has no gas solenoid. The torch is connected directly to a gas flow gauge on a tank of argon. Open valve, strike arc, weld............., break arc, let tungsten cool, the close valve.

140's are great little machines. Lots of oomph, and they weigh nothing.

I wish I still had one, just for tiny quick jobs. Plus with a 140 you can do DCEP aluminum TIG, which is very dificult to do on a 150, because the 150 passes the gas through the negative power connector.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Rob

Reply to
RDF

Thanks everyone! A second identical machine has popped up on the auction block. Both are clean and show/claim very little use. Studying the pics closely shows that neither has the 6 pin connector for the remote. And both are hanging right at $400 as of this post. I'll have to see how much the prices climb over the remaining 2-3 days of the auctions. I did do a quick check on prices for Econotigs and a couple other AC/DC stick & TIG machines to help pick a price point where it makes more sense to go to a bigger machine right from the start.

I just picked up a new 6 KW generator this morning under the 12 day FL sales tax moratorium for hurricane supplies. If I end up winning a Maxstar 140 for a decent price I'll be set for small jobs jsut about anywhere as I already have a Handler 120.

It's killing me that I also have the bug really bad for getting a mini lathe and there are always a few tempting ones on the market. Plus lately I seem to keep coming up with simple little things I could turn on a mini lathe to help out some of my other hobbies.

Too many toys out there and not enough $$$.

Reply to
Mark J

Ernie, I have only done a little TIG, and I'm not quite sure if understand this last comment. Why would passing the gas through the negative power connector prevent DCEP aluminum TIG -- is it because you can only hook the torch up DCEN? Would it be possible to rig up some other sort of connection to allow the connections to be reversed?

Thanks,

Andy

Reply to
Andrew H. Wakefield

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