Opinion on welder

[theonlybull]

i thought you could get the alum. gun for the MM210's as well? our 200 has the gun, that can stay connected (except one wire)all the time, and it has plenty of power for welding anything i've come across.

one advantage of the old 200, is that it has a set of contacts, unsted of eletronics, that control the current, so you get almost intantanious starts. our miller rep mentioned that the newer machines sometimes have cold start problems.

 

[johnbilt]

Hi

I have done Aluminum welding mainly for boat projects.

I haven't seen any AL tractor stuff. There may be an application for storage boxes and such ( No Rust !!). Most implements are intended to be heavy and strong, which calls for steel. You could use strong AL alloys, but the expense may be prohibitive.

I had some concerns about the newer "electronic control" welders. My Miller 251 has worked perfectly in the two years I have owned it. I suppose that most of the new MIG welders, even the tapped transformer variety, have electronic controls to regulate the arc and wire speed. I rely on the mfr warranty and service support in case of trouble. My hobby uses are fairly light duty for this machine, so I continue to hope for no troubles.

I haven't experienced any welding troubles described in an earlier post with the Miller machine. It welds smoothly and consistently for me. Make sure you prep the surface and supply a good ground connection. One complaint: The ground lead could have been made longer to match the torch lead.

A simple buzz-box welder will probably last forever with little maintenance, but lacks the features of a great MIG machine.

I hope you are able to find a welder for the right deal that works for you. Watch for special sales and combos !!

John

 

[welder]

I have been a pipe and strutual welder for 35 years be carful what you weld with a mig welder( depending on skill level) the old DC reverce polairity Stick is still the best for stuff you want to hold, what ever you use multiple pass is the best method, flux core is better pentrating than bare wire, bare wire is subject to cold lap when you try to carry to much metal this can get you hurt if you have to depend on that weld the best method is E 6010 root pass with a E 7018 cover, remember dont bet your life on a bad weld, Everbody buys a small mig welder and overestimates there ability if you use one please pritace a lot and get your skill level up. I could tell you a lot of horror storrys I am a welding Inspector now and know the value of good welding habits.

 

[MMM]

Did they teach you to cut? Back when I went to Tech, we learned gas then stick. MIG and TIG were under "other types welding". What'll you do when the wind blows or you're in a spot where you have to bend a rod? My MIG collects dust.

 

[Yankee]

"local welder ... has recommended Lincoln ... better than Miller"

Lincoln and Miller each have their brand following. That carries over to the dealers, which tend to emphasize one or the other, if they even carry both. The big dealerships have an open house event or two every year where several manufacturers come in and you can demo all kinds of equipment for yourself as well as see what an expert can make it do. The individual manufacturers also travel around to the dealers for brand-specific open houses. It's worth traveling a ways to go to one of the multi-brand events.

 

[TBAR]

Here are a couple of pictures I took this morning of some pretty welds.

Weld Pic 1

Weld Pic 2


TBAR

 

[RICHARDG]

Looks like a sub arc weld from here,Been noticing people giving advice on welding machine amps and how thick material can be welded,,,this is true to a point,but,,,,you normally just use multipal passes with thicker material,,,in other words,you don't say,well,I'm going to weld 1 inch thick steel,so I want a machine that will weld inch steel in one pass,,you bevel it and make multiple passes,man, if you was trying to get a good weld on 1 inch steel by making one pass,you are good,,,1/2 inch as well,,,I don't know who came up with this,,welding machine salesmen,I'd say.Couldn't resist. thingy

 

[horseman1]

TBAR,

That is a fine looking weld! Man, I wish I could make mine look like that. You arent a robot by any chance are you /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Kurt

 

[RICHARDG]

submerged arc weld,,,,we believe,,,,automatic process,,,,not robot,,but simular,,,,,thingy

 

[RICHARDG]

Well,where are all those people who said you should get a machine that will enable you to weld 1/2 steel in one pass,,,?????would like to exchange ideas with them,,,???? thingy