Lincoln Power Mig 180 Dual purchased

[Happy Gilmore]

Today I bit the bullet and purchased a new Lincoln Power Mig 180 Dual. I was looking at a Miller 211 as well. I think either one would suit me just fine. New to welding, even newer to MIG. I have a Lincoln 225AC/125DC stick machine and really wanted a wire feed welder as well. The LWS is what brought me to my decision. There are two shops close by to me, one deals in Lincoln and the other in Miller. I went with the shop I am most comfortable with. The supervisor at the LWS lives a few miles from me. He gave me his cell phone number after making the purchase, telling me if I have any questions over the weekend to just give him a call anytime and he'd help me out. Sounded like a nice gesture to me. I also picked up a cart and an 80 cu ft bottle of Argon/ CO2. I got everything set up today and will hopefully get some time on it in the next few days.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I have one, but just the 240 version. I also have the tombstone as well. It has been a great purchase. My only real dislike is that the front panel settings blow. I hate the a through f amp settings and the wire feed speed setting being as moronic as well. When u ask people for advice, they tend to say " put it at 90 Amos and run it at 4 inches" which leaves me to respond " do yOu mean f or g and is the speed 4 or 5 or 10. Other than that it is a great machine.

 

[CNC Dan]

I have one, but just the 240 version. I also have the tombstone as well. It has been a great purchase. My only real dislike is that the front panel settings blow. I hate the a through f amp settings and the wire feed speed setting being as moronic as well. When u ask people for advice, they tend to say " put it at 90 Amos and run it at 4 inches" which leaves me to respond " do yOu mean f or g and is the speed 4 or 5 or 10. Other than that it is a great machine.

One thing you can do is to measure the wire feed speed an wright it on the panel.

Pull the trigger for six seconds, and measure how much comes out, multiply by ten (10 x6 = 60 seconds = 1 min). Do this for half of the marked positions, then you can fill in the rest by averaging.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Just figured out, the tips for the Magnum Pro 100L gun it comes with are a different thread than the tips for the Magnum 100L. The correct tips begin with pn# K2744.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

What do you guys think, decent first MIG machine? I kept looking for a decent used bigger MIG locally on CL and LWS, not much luck. I couldn't justify the additional cost of a bigger machine right now, if the need arises down the road, I'll upgrade when my situation is better. Lincoln has a rebate I need to end in, $100, gear package or extended 2 years on warranty. Package comes with bag, auto helmet, gloves, light welding jacket etc. I have a auto helmet and gloves. Which rebate?

 

[woodlandfarms]

It is better than a decent first machine. Its a terrific long lasting machine you could take to a pro shop and be accepted in a heartbeat.

 

[Big Barn]

What do you guys think, decent first MIG machine? I kept looking for a decent used bigger MIG locally on CL and LWS, not much luck. I couldn't justify the additional cost of a bigger machine right now, if the need arises down the road, I'll upgrade when my situation is better. Lincoln has a rebate I need to end in, $100, gear package or extended 2 years on warranty. Package comes with bag, auto helmet, gloves, light welding jacket etc. I have a auto helmet and gloves. Which rebate?

Happy, you can always use the extra gear, but personally I would take the cash and use it to purchase something you need now. I'd forgo the extended warranty, but that's just me. Happy welding.

Terry

 

[Arc weld]

The Lincoln is a good machine. I think a 211 Miller has a little more amps but for some strange reason Lincoln changed their consumables so if you have an older machine, those consumables won't fit the new one. They come with a 3 year warranty so I'd probably take the money and buy extra consumables and maybe a roll or 2 of wire. Write down the numbers for all the consumables so you get the proper ones when you go to the welding supply.

 

[dragoneggs]

Happy welding... I too would skip the extended warranty. These are money makers for the company. My feeling is to never buy the extended warranty on any appliance and use the money you saved on all to buy a new appliance if one craps out. That way you have a new one instead of a repair for basically the same outlay in the end. :2cents:

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Thanks guys, I'm excited about the new toy.