Miller trailblazer 302

[Steamynachos]

Hi I want to get a generator for the acreage that also does welding I am looking at a miller trailblazer 302 and wanted to know if anyone has any experience or knowledge of this unit.

Thanks

[2smallbotas]

I have no experience with the Miller Trailblazer 302, it looks good though. I had a Lincoln Ranger 10,000, and used it as a generator for 14 days during and after Katrina, I spent 6 hours each day waiting in a long line to get gas to keep it running, it loved its gas and had the same motor as the Miller you're speaking of.

I have since purchased a 17kw Generac running on LP to do the poweroutages with, and haven't yet replaced the Lincoln welder. I guess in my opinion you need a generator to do the generating, and a welder to do the welding.

[oldhippy]

I am going to get a 17kw Generac and was wondering what you power with yours. I have a small house with two freezers and fridge. Will 17kw run 3 1/2 ton AC? I had though about a welder generator but decided to go with natural gas generator. We have been without power for 20 days and are about a month from having power still. This is a retirement home (still got a year) but want to be ready. big dan

[JESSE1]

I've had a Trailblazer 302 for nearly 4 years now. It's an excellent welder. Much quieter than the Miller Bobcat I had before I bought the Trailblazer.

[BobG_in_VA]

I've got a Trailblazer 251 NT ('99 model). The Trailblazer is one of the only welders/generators that have two generators....one for welding and and a separate generator for AC. My 251 can weld at 100 AMPs and still put out 4000 watts of AC at the same time for grinders/drills, etc. I put an additional Ford tractor muffler on the top (replaced the "r" shaped exhaust outlet with it) so you can hear yourself think...cuts the decibels by half...I have it mounted on a 5 x 8 trailer with a good air compressor on it as well, ie. mobile welding/impact wrenching, etc. BobG in VA

[patrick_g]

It is my experience that the generator welders (Lincoln, Hobart, Miller etc... the good brands) Are really good welders and mostly sorta OK generators. They are optimized for welding, not as standby generators. Great for powering lights and a grinder or drill for support of welding tasks via power tools but NOT what I would choose for emergency stand by power for a residence.

I have recently bought two Generac gensets. The first is a 17,500 Watt continuous rated gasoline fueled electric start (only, no manual start) I have it mounted on a small trailer (4x8 feet with 3500 lb rating) along with an air compressor, plasma cutter, ac/dc stick welder, MIG, and oxygen/acetylene bottles and attendant stuff. It is a terrific generator and would be well suited to power a home. It came with a manual transfer switch (same price with or without switch at the discount source I used) so it can be plugged into a building wired with that switch to replace utility power during outages. I do not anticipate needing it for that.

The second unit is a Generac Guardian genset, a fully automatic propane fueled 17KW unit. It is in a sound enclosure and came with a 16 circuit automatic transfer switch. As it is propane fueled I plumbed it to my domestic propane tanks (pair of 1000 gal tanks which are filled to 800 gal each and used one at a time.) With propane there is no issue of stored fuel going bad. There is no issue of getting out in bad weather to fill the empty gas tank or having the genny run out of gas at a critical time. Manual is OK for me but not the best idea for my wife and what about if power goes down for a few days when you aren't home? Freezer warms up, frige warms up, pipes freeze and burst???

I am very pleased with the generator on the trailer. I have recently used it to support my stick welding while a helper was using it for plasma cutting. It ran the plasma, air compressor, and stick welder at the same time just fine.

I have not fired up the standby propane unit yet (real soon now) but I have user reports from trusted sources that it is a good unit. I am very impressed with the visual quality. Well and ruggedly built. Oil drain, filters and such easy to access. Nice 1000 cc V twin engine built expressly for generator service.

The trailer mounted unit also has easy to access filters and is well built with good layout. I have only one small nit with it. The 240VAC socket is positioned horizontally and is accessed from under a panel so the plug is pushed into place vertically upward. The unit came with a wire bail to hold the plug in the socket against vibration. The bail does not fit my plug so every few hours I reseat the plug. NO big deal and I will make a little retainer to solve the problem. Not really a design defect, just the luck of the draw buying a plug at a big box store and not getting exactly same size and shape as the retainer was built to fit.

Pat

[2smallbotas]

Originally Posted by oldhippy

I am going to get a 17kw Generac and was wondering what you power with yours. I have a small house with two freezers and fridge. Will 17kw run 3 1/2 ton AC? I had though about a welder generator but decided to go with natural gas generator. We have been without power for 20 days and are about a month from having power still. This is a retirement home (still got a year) but want to be ready. big dan

I power the whole house, with my 17kw, It will start up to and including a 5ton ac, but I opted not to go that route, and run a couple of small window units for cooling LR,Kitchen, and Bedroom, and saved that breaker to run the dryer or stove. To answer your question though, it will run a 3-1/2 ton AC and not even breath hard, plus the rest of your house.

[4shorts]

I purchased a new 2008 Miller 302 Trailblazer last summer. Great machine. A lot quietier than my buddies Miller Bobcat welding machine. The Trailblazer welds as good as anything else I've ever used or owned and has plenty of generator power to run lights and other tooling while your welding. The Miller trailblazer has two-generator system which perform like no other welding machine. I'm very happy with mine. I also built a custom trailer for mine. Here's a few pics and video's. Good luck

Check out it's specs. That's what I did before I bought one. http://store.weldersource.com/907216.html


YouTube - welding trailer

YouTube - Miller 302 Trailblazer

YouTube - Trailblazer lights

[Stampeder]

Trailblazer 302 is a bit of overkill on an acreage. Try the Bobcat 250. The Trailblazer is a pipelining machine really. While the bobcat is a really universal machine. The great thing about the Bobcat is the generator portion is rated at a full 10k. The rest will only allow 10k peak. Also, the Bobcat will run the full 10K while you're welding a full amperage. They actually have two separate windings, one for the generator and one for the welder. The Lincoln doesn't have this and so is limited in it's generator output when you are welding.

My two cents anyway. BTW I used to live in Calgary just near the Crowfoot mall.

[4shorts]

Originally Posted by Stampeder

Trailblazer 302 is a bit of overkill on an acreage. Try the Bobcat 250. They actually have two separate windings, one for the generator and one for the welder.

The Bobcat don't have two seperate windings!The 302 Trailblazer has the two separate windings meaning it's the same as having two seperate generators. I've owned the Bobcat and I'm a believer that you buy a little lager than you need that way you can handle anything. As for the Trailblazer being just for pipe work. Read the specs again. Check the application list

Industrial Applications

Fabrication
Maintenance and Repair
Structural Steel Work
Pipe Welding
Sheet Metal

Now check the comparison list: http://www.millerwelds.com/products/enginedriven/selectorguide.html