Miiler Machine

[murphy1244]

Sorry I thought no one would be offended if I mentioned a different Miiler Machine

No, you go ahead just wanted to let you know.

 

[mikehaugen]

Machine sold for 575.00$

So did you get it?

Or was it Muddstopper? :laughing:

 

[murphy1244]

So did you get it?

Or was it Muddstopper? :laughing:

Wasn't me I don't know who. I stopped bidding at 150

 

[Arc weld]

You didn't actually think you'd get it for $150 did you?

 

[IslandTractor]

Have a chance to buy a Miller Welder and I need to know what its worth and even if I should buy it as being I never Welded before. Thanks for any and all.

Miller Dialarc HF Tig/Arc Welder

I know that welder is gone but IMO it was not a good deal for a newbie anyways. The older welders were massive and relatively inefficient which meant lots of power needed to run them. No possibility of portable use or even conveniently moving it from one place to another without a truck and lifting device. If you are going to set up a commercial shop then those welders are fine but for non professional use they are overkill. Like buying a surplus Army truck as your first car.

I would suggest taking a welding class before making any decision on equipment if possible. If you cannot do that then buy a used set of oxyacetylene equipment for a few hundred bucks and teach yourself with a book. Advantage of oxyfuel is that the process is much slower so much easier to learn while at the same time it teaches all the basics about puddle control and heat etc. Besides, having an oxyfuel set up available, even after you move on to an electric welder, is very useful for brazing, cutting and welding small items. I honestly like oxyfuel welding best even though other types are far more efficient.

After a real welding class you will know enough to decide whether you want a stick or stick plus tig or a mig machine. Hard to make that decision without experiencing the different welding processes and without knowing what you are going to do with your new skill.

 

[murphy1244]

You didn't actually think you'd get it for $150 did you?

Didn't care. I stopped at scrap value.

 

[mikehaugen]

You didn't actually think you'd get it for $150 did you?

I wouldn't expect it, but would definitely not have been surprised. I see a lot of things go at auction for extreme prices... both high and low.

 

[Arc weld]

Not sure why you even asked about the machine if all you were willing to pay was scrap value? A Dial-Arc 250 HF would be an excellent machine for a newbie to welding and $575 was a great price. It's not a heavy production welder and runs on single phase. It's not as efficient to run as an inverter but unless you're doing some heavy welding, the power shouldn't be a big problem. Most of the shops here charge over $100 an hour. If you looked after it and weren't burning a lot of big rods at the top end, it would last a few lifetimes. Look at the 76 yr. old machine Shield Arc just bought. Looks like it welds as good now as it did when new.

I've seen some good welding equipment sell for peanuts at a Ritchie Bros. auction and I f I would have had somewhere to put it, would have bought it. Tilting, rotating welding positioners for $100 to $350 that would be well over $10,000 new. Miller SRH 444 3 phase welders for $20 a piece. Dimension 452's for $300. Gullco 10lb rod ovens for $10 a piece.

 

[murphy1244]

Well Thanks any way. I don't even know if the dam things works let alone if its all there. Its a coulda woulda shoulda. My friends here said to bow out at 200.00$

 

[Arc weld]

What do your friends weld with?