ive got a miller 251 at home and use red ones at work.both work just fine.what color do you like best?
I have blue myself, though I am sure either would serve you well. I ended up with a Miller 210, and I really love it. I debated long and hard about stepping up to the 251 before I bought my 210, since the 251 has infinite voltage controls. I find the 210's preset voltage taps are just fine, I have zero regrets in that machine. I have used the crap out of that thing, and it has been flawless. I have used it on anything from sheetmetal to 3/8", and it really has done great. Good luck in your new purchase!
I've got the Linc 215, and love the thing. Never so much as farted with the fab work I've done, from frame brackets to door re-skins. No Inf var voltage, but the inf var wire speed is pretty tits. Good luck!!
lincoln...dont ask why...just lincoln...original and employee far more people in the u.s. then miller
Just got a suitcase mig in at work today. We did not have the gas hooked up but used a roll of flux core wire and this machine impressed the heck out of me. By the way it is a Miller. Me thinks I am going to get one for the house. they are a bit pricey, but Miller ranks them in the top three of their machines.
I have a 13 yo miller 251 and a 3 yo miller 210 with the spool gun attachment. I use them for everything from 22 G sheetmetal to 1/2 plate. I really dislike the 210. I do not like the presettings. Seems most stuff I do needs to be done midway between the 2 & 3 settings. Maybe the infinate settings on the 251 just spoiled me? Also had a switch in the whip go bad shortly after it was new, replaced under waranty, but still was down with it for a couple days. 2 days is forever when you make your living with the welder. I got by with the 251. Gene
I own 2 red BUT, I make a ton of parts for almost all the Miller migs, tigs and plazmas. ALL Miller products are made in the USA and most are made in Appleton Wisconsin area. They have almost 1 million feet under roof in Wisconsin so they employ a lot of people. I use them both and actually favor the blue better. The new suitcase units are tits. By the way, I see many Hobart units going down the production lines at Miller. Same exact unit as Miller on some models, just a different color cover and logos. The Miller tigs are the cats ass. I think Miller is leaving Lincoln behind as they are continually making new products. Their training schools are great, and their engineers are excellent people. Besides, Miller is heavily into cars and bikes. Kermit
I use a Miller 175 and I have an old Lincoln stick welder. In school I used a Miller and Lincoln, but I always liked the Miller better. And what is this talk of blue vs red both of mine are blue.
I've had the miller 210 since it was brand new to the market and is my favorite machine. Only been through the consumables and not had to replace the liner or any of the other parts at all yet. I've had this one in service for years now and we all know if you've picked up a fresh machine compared to a used one the ability in voltage consistancy. Currently my machine is still operating at 95% of its original capacity based on meter readings when compared to a new one. I've a buddy with a red equivilent and he's got the same age machine running the same type and load work but is operating at 85-80% of the original ammeter readings. I'm a blue guy.
guess im pro-lincoln cause they pay my bills...but i have to say that their presence in motor-sports is very high(IRL, offroad series,nhra,nascar,monstertrucks,champ car, ihra, usac) education wise they are rated top for welding school by hot rod mag...(wilson welding and machine was there this week) Just cause you see guys building theme bikes using millers dosent mean there superior to lincolns or esab or the cheap ones from harbor freight, they all burn wire right?
They both will do the job , but if the Lincoln breaks look out there replacement parts are extremely over priced. $900.00 for 1 circit board. the machine had 3 in it . i scraped it and went blue. latter dave
I have a millermatic 175 and love it I use a mix gas and .030 wire, have used it from filling trim holes to suspension work works great.
I have a Miller DVI and it works great on 115v or 230v. I use it with 220 but if I had no other choice I can use a regular outlet in a pinch.
I have a 15 yo Miller 200 (pre 210 same machine more or less) in those 15 years I think I have spent less than $200.00 on repair parts. ......True blue is the only way to go ....
I have been using my lincon Migpack for 11 years and it works awesome, and have never broken down. Only consumables get replaced. I also have the real big 220v lincoln for about 6 years and it gets used constantly. I don't remember the model number, but it has been dead reliable - never had an issue and it gets used for everything from sheetmetal to 3/8" plate.
I'm a blue guy all day long. These are the ONLY machines we use at work....powerhouse work and refinery work. I've used plenty of Lincolns, but I'm still partial to Miller. I just think all around they're better machines and they hold up longer. I even use a Miller hood!
Count me on that list. We have two Miller TIGs, and a Millermatic 200 (I think it's a 200) that's likely 20 years old. All of them work perfectly. The one Lincoln I've owned was worn out after a year of daily light duty use.
I bought a Miller 251 about 5 years ago and it still works great. The leads on the 210 were shorter than the 251, sometimes 2 or 3 extra feet will come in handy. I would also keep that in mind when comparing all the different welders.
I have a "many year old" Miller 35 and in the last 20 years have bought a liner and some tips. Don't use it a ton, but have run probably 6-8 spools of wire through it in that time. Great machine, btw my tig is red. The Miller I can get locally, but the red stuff I have to run about 100 miles away to get anything for it, (havent' had to yet). my $.02 worth Doug
You done good...I love my blues, took a hurricane tidal surge to kill my old miller mig, and it was 15 years old then.
Really the only difference i've noticed was my miller never throws a breaker and doesnt overheat! Had a red and it ran beads ok... my 1964 miller shipyard machine from Tacoma Boat is my workhorse... never an issue, can run 1/4 rod if i wanted to... and i can scarf with it! my little hobart 140 wirefeed is perfect for stuff 1/4 and under... homemade scratcharc for thin stuff.... it's kinda just what ya wanna spend and how far ya wanna go when ya need parts... im a fan of older technology... easier to fix!
You wont be sorry with the 210, I`ve had mine for about 3 years, I`ve run a ton of wire through it with no problems and it make me look like a good welder!!
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