New Welder

[SpecElim]

I just bought a brand new welding machine! Well alright it's new to me. It is a 1994 Miller Big Blue 400 CC DC with a Deutz Diesel. Came with a trailer, toolbox, welding leads and torch racks all for under $700.

She starts up and runs, welds, provides 3000 watts of power. Nothing wrong with it.

Just working on cleaning her up. I'm getting ready to put it to work as I am starting my own small business building small/large implements for garden tractors as well as larger tractors.

The only thing about it is it will not run a wire feeder for MIG nor will it do A/C for aluminum. It will do 500 amps D/C Stick/Tig @ 60% duty cycle and 400 amps @ 100% duty cycle.

I have had it for 2 weeks and have already painted the trailer, added my air compressor and hose, and added utility lights to the torch racks. I also put my torch/tanks on it and it balanced out pretty well. It is a little back heavy so I will need some stabilizer jacks for it. As long as it is hooked up to the truck it is just fine.

It also came with about 75 pounds of mixed steel. Along with 50 pounds of 7018 1/8 rods. It also had about 5 pounds of 6022 3/32 iron decking rods.

I am completely satisfied. I think I got a great deal!

I will post pics later as my camera is dead right now.

Thanks, Matt.

 

[yomax4]

Your machine will run a Voltage Sensing Wire feeder. Like a Lincoln LN25 or a Thermal Arc VS 212. You just Clamp your Stinger on the Input lead to the feeder and That is what powers it up. There is also another small lead that clamps to the work to complete the circuit. Very common application. You can get a Bare Bones Flux Core only Feeder or a Nicer one with Meters and and a Gas Solenoid. I would encourage you to get one. With the New Technology of the Thermal Arc VS212, You can not tell it is a Voltage Sensing Feeder.
Good Luck.

 

[yomax4]

Be careful of the Back Heavy Trailer. She may whip around a bit at high speeds..

 

[KWentling]

You can run a "suite-case" wire feed with that (or any other DC power source). We run Lincoln LN-25s with a Miller Air-Pack, a comparable Lincoln engine driven welder and an older Hobart. Works like a charm. Miller has a similar set up but don't know a model number and have never used one. They are fairly expensive new but you might find one used. We run 1/16th and .045 wire with them. They hold a 30 lb. roll of wire.

Kim

 

[Cami]

Miller Big Blue and all that for $700? I'm filled with a bitter, jealous rage. I hate you with a passion you can't begin to fathom...anyhow, that's my hang-up. Enjoy the new machine.

I have to throw my own endorsement for suitcase welders into the thread: If you're doing production work or doing big welds, then a good benchmark of your productivity is how many pounds of weld you can lay down in an hour and wire will lay it down the fastest for you.

Also: When I did a lot of bucket work, an arc air gouger was my best friend. You have the two things necessary to run it: a compressor and a skookum welder.

And...if you find yourself doing bigger work but don't get a suitcase welder, then consider bigger rods. My philosophy is to run wire if you can...as fat as you can. If you need to run stick, then run as fat as you can. It all comes down to pounds per hour.

....bitterly jealous....

 

[kevinj]

it and it balanced out pretty well. It is a little back heavy so I will need some stabilizer jacks for it. As long as it is hooked up to the truck it is just fine.

You need to move the axle back a bit. You should have about 15% of the weight on the tounge.

 

[patrick_g]

You need to move the axle back a bit. You should have about 15% of the weight on the tounge.

15% is fine. At least 10% to be stable.

Pat

 

[SpecElim]

You need to move the axle back a bit. You should have about 15% of the weight on the tounge.

If I do move anything it will be the machine towards the front a few more inches. That would be the easiest by far

Your machine will run a Voltage Sensing Wire feeder.

I was unaware of this. After 3 years of school for welding I was taught that only CV machines could run wire but you guys are right. I just checked the Miller website and read up a little bit more about the 12VS Extreme Suitcase and it says (at the far far bottom) that it has "Best low-end CC arc in the industry" and that it'll work "for all types and sizes of wires whether using CV or CC power supply."

This is great news to me! I can't wait to teach my instructor something!

Thanks, Matt.

 

[kevinj]

If I do move anything it will be the machine towards the front a few more inches. That would be the easiest by far
!

Thanks, Matt.

Thats great if you can move the welder. All of ours are on rails welded to the trailer frame!! Not an easy move for us but we only have welder and cables on them so once set up the loading never changes.

Just be careful with the weight, that machine can wag the truck in a hurry!!

 

[SpecElim]

The trailer pulls great. There is absolutely no wag or bouncing at all. The welder itself is mounted on 4" channel but the channel is bolted to the trailer with 6 bolts. It looks as though it was already moved once. Just in the wrong direction.