Hello all, I'm lookin for a new welder. Not to sure a miller or maybe lincoln or hobart. I want it for some sheet metal and to weld some 1/4 to 3/8 steel. a mig-tig combo would be awesome but I dont want to go broke. Any one have good luck with what they bought any info would be Great Thanks, BB
at school i always use the millermatic 251 (mig welder). digital displays and everything. welds really nicely. we also have a lincoln tig welder im getting pretty good at, but i cant think of the model. only thing about tig welders is theyre gonna cost you quite a bit, and if you get one a tig machine, make sure it has ac dc positive and dc straight so you can do every metal you could possibly want.
I have a Millermatic 150 that I bought about 15 years ago. Never a bit of problem. Perfect size for this hobby. Great for sheetmetal work and up to 3/8" steel. I think the new version is a Millermatic 180.
I have a millermatic 210, i love it! bought it from Cyberweld.com great price and fast shipping i dont think they make the 210 anymore its called' a 212 heres a link http://store.cyberweld.com/millermatic210.html
I now own my first miller 251 mig i dont use it much but when i do it performs verry well. I mostly use tig welders i use to own a lincon idealarc 300 for 15 years and it worked well also but when i needed a part that was specific just for the power source dealing with lincon was a little difficult to say the least. i now own a sincrowave 300 and i love it for it alluminum i needed a switch for it and miller customer service was second to none .something you may not think about when buying a new welder but sometimes they do break and if a few bucks is all the differance my money would go to the one who could service it and quicklyand you know they never break at a good time,almost always on a sunday 10pm halfway through a weld.
I've been learning to weld with a new Lincoln 140-C that I got for Fathers Day. It works great for 24 ga. up to ~1/4" (3/8" of you bevel the edges and make a couple of passes). I highly recommend it.
I'm another 251 owner/user. Love it! I can TIG but dont own one, too much $'s but its on the list. 251 does everything I need now. but of course the MIG welds aren't as sexy as the TIG. If you got the dough get a TIG, if not I recommend the 251 big time.
I started with a Lincoln 125 and changed to a Millermatic 175 about 6 years ago. I love mine, I wouldn't go back. I think the guns and feed systems are better built than the Lincolns. Even though you can change to a Tweco, I haven't needed to yet....
I beat a buddy out of a new Miller 135 amp, 115 volt machine this summer. I have every confidence in it to 3/16, as it is advertised, but no way it is up to 1/4 or better on a regular basis. I think I'll aim for a 22v, 250 amp machine down the road so that I'll be ready for anything. Might even move up to a TIG.
Check out the Hobart Handler 187. It's a 230v unit with 7 taps. Fantastic welder and, if you hit either Tractor Supply Co. (TSC) or Northern Tools at the right time, they can be had for under $600.00. I've had mine for about 8-months and have done a crap load of welding with it and I love it !!
I have a Hobart Handler 140 - Nice machine, essentially a Miller - (the gun even says "Miller" on it. Nice and cheap but I wouldn't buy it again. Step up to a 220 machine. Buy the biggest welder you can afford - I ignored this because I was broke at the time but I will be stepping up soon and when I do, it will be a Tig. But Hobart is less expensive and seems to have decent quality. I too got mine at Tractor Supply and they can have some good deals if you catch them at the right time.
i have a millermatic 175 and love it. two of my boy's use it too (5&9). Easy to use and works really well.
My preference is always a Miller,... Hobart is built identically but it seems not built as well, and I was told with cheaper parts ( I don't know this for a fact, could be the same machine, Hobart is owned by Miller),.... I have never had any luck with Lincoln. I have never had a combination machine.
I have a Lincoln that I bought at a home improvemeant store( a 110 machine). It does fine on light guage but I wouldn't weld anything heavier 1/8" with it. I want to upgrade to the Miller 180. I have a 220 outlet for my dryer in the garage, it is 30A. Have any of you used your dryer outlet to run your welder?
The Miller 252 is the latest and greatest. Better features than the 251. The price is about the same.
To do both MIG and TIG on the same machine you'll need one capable of both constant voltage and constant current. Those are expensive (by my standards) and usually required a separate wire feeder for MIG. Here's a Miller: http://www.millerwelds.com/products/multiprocess/shopmate_dx/ Bob
Thanks your right. Thats a lot of cash. maybe I will just run with one and not both. Ok if you had to pick just one to buy mig or tig for doing floor replacement and general light fab stuff what do you think....
And by the time you add a wire feed, tig torch, cooler, two bottles of gas (tig likes straight argon while mig likes a mix) etc. you're probably looking at 4 to 5 large. On top of that, its a d/c only power source.
Stick with a name brand, makes consumables and parts much easier to get. As mentioned earlier spend the extra $ and get a 220 volt machine. Personally I prefer Miller, my old Millermatic 35 is probably older than a lot of guys who post on here, [I bought it used 20 years ago] it has had miles of wire run through it. 3/8 plate fabrication can be to much for some of the smaller machines, there is a little thing called cold lap, [lack of fusion] that can bite you! joint preparation and design will help. I still go back to stick welding on heavier stuff, and with a little practice stick can be pretty to! Just my two cents worth. Good luck John
No problem. In the event that you hear of someone locally that might be a buyer for a used Millermatic 35, please let me know. Stu
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