About a year ago I got a Miller 135 and I love it. It treats you right, the welds look great, I get a kick out of using it, and it's all paid for. The problem is that I haven't used it that much and now I need something to heat/cut with. I got my MIG before I'd heard much about the Henrob setup, but have been really impressed with what I've seen and heard. I've been thinking a lot about getting one but my budget is tight. The REALITY is that I can't afford to A: keep my MIG, B: buy a Henrob while C: building my car. So should I sell my MIG and use that money to get a good O/A setup, or buy a cheap heating torch and keep buring through cut-off wheels. Or should I keep my mig and use some of my car build money to buy one of those cheap Victor, portable setups? Another concern I have is that I'll be doing frame work and my MIG doesn't penetrate quite as well as I'd like so I'll probably end up paying someone to finnish-weld my frame. Maybe that'll off-set some of the O/A cost? What would you geniuses do?
Keep the Mig. The mig is an all around workhorse. I have seen the henrobs at swap meets for half of the retail price.
I have the 135 too... and the only way I'd get rid of it is if I found a killer deal on a 175 with cash in my pocket, which would be like getting struck by lightning while winning the lottery. Either way, I would say not to get rid of that Miller unless you are getting a bigger, more powerful Miller. Anyways, I'm sving up for a regular Victor o/a setup to add to the shop. After that, my sights are set on a TIG!!! My 135 does surprisingly well on stuff up to about 1/4" if I run 0.30 solid wire and slow the wire speed and my travel speed way down. It burns in pretty good on that. It's very rare that I ever see anything thicker than 1/4" on a car, unless you are welding in one of those Fatman MII crossmembers that are 5/16" thick.
It would be crippling to have had a MIG and later find yourself in the situation of being without it.Just My Opinion........
I agree with the others,keep the mig,if you take your time V out you joints you can get good results on heavier metal.
Please slap yourself upside the head for even thinking that. Rio Roach is still kicking himself for selling me his Hobart Handler 120... heh, heh, heh.
Keep the MIG. Sell off some extra junk to raise the $450 to buy a Henrob. You know darn well you have $450 worth of stuff laying around that you can do without.
Thanks, for talking me down! I never felt right about the idea of selling the MIG. The problem is that I got a bunch of stuff to do right now, that requires HEAT. Is there something I can use to get by while I save up for the O/A setup? Unfortunately, I pretty much sold everything that I had lying around to raise cash for the Hot Rod. Unless someone wants to buy my 38 Olds engine for a rediculous price?
Life without a MIG is no life at all. Unless of course your friend has one. My MIG is like my right arm. It opens up a world of fabrication options. Im with the other guys.
If all you need is to heat something it is pretty easy to build a burner tube to do that. I have a small knife forge that I built a while back. I take the burner off of it to heat stuff that want fit inside. This web site tell how to build a burner, cheap. http://www.reil1.net/design.shtml Thanks WVaughan
[ QUOTE ] Get a better paying job so you can buy more toys. [/ QUOTE ] A stay at home wife, a 3yo in private preschool, and millions of illegal aliens to support... Not much money left over to play with.
Keep the MIG. I got a new Lincoln 135, but I use my 15 year old Sears way more. The Sear's got a dead torch which I really like a lot more than a live one. You'll regret selling the MIG, MIGs are what made expert metalcrafters out of us stupid morons, yeah right!
i have a Miller 185. LOVE it!! i started with a little Miller 110volt "cricket" then traded up once i saved some green. well it has taken me a while but i finaly saved and was able to buy an O/A setup. actually i am using Oxygen and Propane. works EXCELENT for heating and cutting. i'm still getting the hang of welding with it. you have to modify the welding tips slightly to work with the LP but it's easy to do. it is easier to weld with O/A than O/LP, thats for sure. but LP is WAY cheaper and last WAAAAAAY longer than Acetylene. anyway. i got a nice American made setup with gauges, regulators, cutting torch and welding torch for $165 at my local welding shop. the setup is made by SMITH. it is nickel plated brass. looks good and has worked great so far. i've done alot of sheetmetal work with the MIG but i'm learning to use the torch cause the welds are easier to grind and you can hammer and dolly on the weld without it cracking, unlike a MIG. one day i hope to get a TIG. the point is. keep the MIG (unless you get a bigger one) and save up for that O/A setup. good luck.
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