miller 252 for 700$ ?!? What do I need to check before I buy??

disney · Sep 4, 2013

Good evening all! I just saw this posting on C/l but it is actually several weeks old. I would love to get it, but don't want to get burned with something that does not work. You know the saying if its too good to be true is usually is. The guy said its only three years old with maybe about 100 hours on it (how does one know how many hours are on a welder, if there is no hour meter on them) At first he wanted me to get it tonight (he is 2 hours away), with a story about someone else trying to buy it tonight, but when I said I would have to withdraw the cash from the bank (unless he wanted a check...no), suddenly tomorrow would be fine. He also said he paid over 3500$ for it and has no paper work? What are the odds it might be stolen? Anyway if the unit powers up, both displays work, and it lays a good bead, I am set, or is there more to check? Should I get a signed bill of sale for a welder?

Thank you to everyone who has any helpful responses.

Buckgnarly · Sep 4, 2013

Man, that is a GREAT price, but the fact that no one grabbed it in several weeks is really odd. Is he letting you try it first? If not, I would consider passing.

Shield Arc · Sep 4, 2013

I've never used the 252, but have only heard good things about them. Maybe dig around on this site for the manual. I know my Miller Dynasty 300 has a hidden menu that tells how many hours are on it. Not sure the 252 has that option though. Take everything you can, and take it for a test drive before buying.

Millermatic 252 - MIG Wire Welder - Miller Welding

CNC Dan · Sep 4, 2013

get the serial number, and check with miller. They can tell you if it was reported stolen.

See if you can see it weld, if possible.
Look arround the gun to see if any rubber/plastic is melted.
Not much else you can inspect.

Scooby074 · Sep 4, 2013

That is a heck of a price/

Take it for a testdrive. Maybe pop the side cover off if he'll let you and look at the insides. If its filthy or rusty, it could have lots of hours or have been flooded.

Heck, at $700, Id already be there cash in hand. A test bead and Id be gone ASAP.

BukitCase · Sep 4, 2013

I looked it up, pic looks like it went thru a sand storm. There's another even worse looking one in the pic (background) - personally, I'd look REAL close, take at least two LARGE friends and a Glock. That's just my impression, YMMV... Steve

Oh, and unless you take some flux core wire you won't be able to try it - says in the ad, "no gas". Good luck...

Jim in ICT · Sep 4, 2013

Ask to weld with it and bring a few different sizes of test strips. If he wants to meet somewhere other than his home, forget it. Get a bill of sale before money changes hands. Take seven $100.00 bills and put six in one pocket and one in the other. Try to buy it for less and offer him $600.00 before you dig for the seventh. Let us know how you come out.

disney · Sep 5, 2013

1st I would like to thank everyone for their replies. I am sure I will have more questions in the future, and it is always nice to know that there are people willing to share their knowledge and advice. This became an almost all day ordeal, and a very, very long story, but here is the good news. It has a 25ft Bernard gun on it, and I got it for 650$ The bad news is as follows, the gun is shot, it has no grounding clamp& cable, and the ?mount? (plastic bracket) for the feed roller drive is broken. My initial budge was 1K$. I knew after seeing it I would be spending some money, but I think I will some come in below budget, and get a brand new gun out of it (not buying a replacement 25' Bernard gun). I have already dropped it off at a very higly respected (honest, fair, and very reasonable) welding service shop (that's all they do), and should be good as new in a few weeks. Oh, and the service tech said its a mid year 2007 model if anyone needs to know.

Shield Arc · Sep 5, 2013

I have had one of these guns for about 10 or 11-years now. Not one problem with it. When I first got it for my Linde VI-206 Mig welder I had trouble feeding .023 wire when I built this little lumber rack. I had to keep the gun as straight as possible at all times.

Miller Tweco 250 Amp MIG Gun 15' New Other Back Ends Available | eBay

Agent Blue · Sep 5, 2013

Started with a 180 Miller,used. Then a used Lincoln 255. Seemed like the voltage varied due to the looks of the bead. Had it three years. Found a 252 Miller. One year old with paperwork and 90% of a large roll of wire plus a forty foot cable extension. It has a 15' Benard gun which works very well. The owner was in the process of rebuilding an older semi tractor and was not a welder. I paid fifteen hundred for it which may have been a little high but there isn't a scratch on it and the gun looks new. It welds like a cadillac. Much better than the Lincoln in my estimation.
A 252 in my area would not last a day on CL. I posted an ad for one and he had just decided to sell so it worked out great. Best new price was $2100 plus tax.

Arc weld · Sep 6, 2013

There were some 252's that had electronics problems. Plastic bracket for the feed roller drive? A 25' gun would be a special order. Just go with a 15' gun. Bernard is a good gun. Hopefully the machine is still good internally although it sounds like it has been abused some. I wouldn't believe the only 100 hours story for a second.:confused2: $650 is still a good price as long as it doesn't need anything major replaced.

weldermike · Sep 7, 2013

Arc weld said:
There were some 252's that had electronics problems. Plastic bracket for the feed roller drive? A 25' gun would be a special order. Just go with a 15' gun. Bernard is a good gun. Hopefully the machine is still good internally although it sounds like it has been abused some. I wouldn't believe the only 100 hours story for a second.:confused2: $650 is still a good price as long as it doesn't need anything major replaced.

I got a new 252 at work last year and soon as I turned it on I got a loud hum and poof dead after that. Blew a board first time the switch was turned on. So yes I was one of the lucky ones that got one with electrical problems. And honestly I think the machine runs like junk. Unless I just got a dud. I personally own a older tapped millermatic 185 and a newer 211 they will run circles around that 252. Like said tho, I think we just got a dud. I do here great things about it.

Thats Hot · Sep 7, 2013

The price was good, fix your drive roll, get a new 15' gun and a good cleaning and you should be good to go. I have a new 252 I got in June, list was 2300.00 I went out the door at 1950.00 at Air Gas. So you still did good. I also have MM211 and I am on the same page with weldermike, the 211 welds much better than my 252.......not sure Y but it does..

Arc weld · Sep 7, 2013

252 not 352.

ericher69 · Sep 7, 2013

Thats Hot said:
The price was good, fix your drive roll, get a new 15' gun and a good cleaning and you should be good to go. I have a new 252 I got in June, list was 2300.00 I went out the door at 1950.00 at Air Gas. So you still did good. I also have MM211 and I am on the same page with weldermike, the 211 welds much better than my 252.......not sure Y but it does..

Have used both...own a new 252.

Gotta say there is no comparison in weld quality and appearance. 252 hands down. Now on thin stuff the MM211 may take it;don't know haven't tried .023 with 252 yet.

disney · Sep 22, 2013

Well after I somehow accidently deleted my intended response instead of posting it, here is the short version. repair center only found a messed up spring besides the known gun/ drive motor bracket/mount issue. they will due a 'full load test' after the above is replaced. current estimate right around 300$, so I don't feel too bad. I would like to thank everyone again, and do have a question regarding welding wire thickness. most of my welding should be 1/8 to 1/4, but I have a project planned with up to about 10 ft of bead (total...not one single bead) on 1/2 steel plate. I know .045 would be best for really thick stuff, but is it worth buying new drive rolls and liner for 80-100$ for that project, manual said .035 is ok, just with a higher feed speed.

Shield Arc · Sep 22, 2013

Personally I wouldn't weld 1/2-inch material with .035 wire.

Here bookmark this calculator from Miller, it is very helpful.
Miller - MIG Welding Calculator

yomax4 · Sep 22, 2013

Pretty sure the liner in the new gun is .035/.045. If you need to use .045 you can buy a 2# or 10# spool. Also check your drive roll it may be 35 on one side and 45 on the other.

disney · Sep 22, 2013

the drive rollers are .030 and .035, I wish it were .035&.045. as for the gun/ liners, it is my understanding from the owners manual and replacement miller parts that the liners are 030/035 and that the 045 is its owner liner, but I am not an expert, so there is a good chance I am misunderstanding something.
but it appears I can weld some down to 1/8" with 045 so I that case I should be ok just sticking with .045.

Shield Arc · Sep 22, 2013

I've had good luck with pricing with weldingsupply.com, I bought all my drive rolls for my Lincoln LF-72 wire feeder from them. But I always double check with Google Product Search.

https://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/browsecatalogs.pl?UNDEF

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