I am setting up a small fab shop for personal projects and one of the items I was looking at was a Millermatic® 252 to take care of my Alloy work. It is supposed to: "Welds material from 22 gauge to 1/2 in thick in a single pass. Highest output in its class."
Highest output in its class (250 A at 28 VDC). Weld longer on high end applications.
New! Large, digital front panel with built-in digital timers menu enables operator to preset voltage and wire feed speed. Standard run-in, pre/postflow, burnback, spot/delay (stitch) timer menu.
New! Auto Gun Detect™ allows operator to simply pull trigger on MIG gun, spool gun, or push/pull gun. Automatically detects and recalls the voltage, wire feed speed, and timer of the active gun.
New! Push-Pull Gun Direct Connect - now directly connects your push-pull gun, no extra module required.
New! Angled, dual-gear driven, cast aluminum drive system features no-tool, quick-change reversible drive rolls and an easy-to-set, scaled tension knob.
New! Patent-pending EZ-Change™ Low Cylinder Rack allows operators to easily roll cylinders on and off of rack - no need to lift cylinders.
New! EZ-Access™ Consumable Compartment and Parameter Chart - set weld parameters right the first time with convenient new flip-down compartment that provides fast access to parameter chart and consumables.
New! Larger work area - now with longer 15-ft M-25 gun.
Less weld cleanup with Active Arc Stabilizer™ pateneted Miller design provides excellent starts proven superior to the competition.
Fan-On-Demand™ coooling system operates only when needed reducing power consumption and contaminants drawn into the machine.
Line voltage compensation keeps power constant even if input voltages varies by ±10%.
From what I can tell it will accomplish everything I need it to. Short list: Fab some items for my boat; Fuel tank, bait tank, rod holders, Davit, along with building a 15' Alum skiff for duck hunting.
Any thoughts on this machine?
Best way to buy/get a good deal on one-new or used (in good condition)?
-Roger
Welding machines...............
Welding machines...............
28' MAXWELD MAXCAT (Twin 225 Hondas)
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goatram
- Donator 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
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- Your location: Stanwood, Wa
- Location: Stanwood WA
Re: Welding machines...............
Roger I have the Miller 250 I bought used. I got the Spool gun in 2008. In November I bought the Syncrowave 200 Tig. Still need the Water Cooled Torch that is required to allow you to not have wait while the torch cools. The Machine to have is the Miller 350P. The P stands for pulse and it allows the real purty look where the weld bead looks like a row of dimes laid over lapping. The tig welds with the dime look too but it is a lot slower and more work to master. It also will allow you to weld stainless. You will end up buying two tanks for the machine One Argon for Aluminum and the other is a mixture of CO2 and Argon to weld the steel. You could ask your local Miller Rep if he has any demo machines he wants to off load. The other thing is ask him when the Truck sale is coming to town. Watch CL or go to the Auctions.
John Risser aka goatram
33' RBW with twin 250 Hondas (Aliens)
2015 Ford F350 Dually
Master of R&D aka Ripoff and Duplicate
33' RBW with twin 250 Hondas (Aliens)
2015 Ford F350 Dually
Master of R&D aka Ripoff and Duplicate
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welderbob
- Donator ,15
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 8:14 am
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- Your location: Holbrook, NY
- Location: Holbrook,NY
- Contact:
Re: Welding machines...............
John is right about the pulse aluminum welding. You could look for a used Miller xmt and add a optima pulse pendent and spool gun. Your really going to want a TIG machine for the small stuff and the fuel tanks. New inverter technology is the way to go but expense when the wife is looking at the tool bills. .The favorite gun in the shop is a Miller MPA 350 with a aluma pro gun for most of the Mig welding.We also have a couple of MK prince XL spool guns . One is hooked to a xmt w/ a pulse pendent, the other to a milller invision (pulse). The pulse machines produce a cleaner , smoother,weld with less smoke in the shop. For Tig we have a Miller dynasaty 300. and a 350 scyrowave. I cringe when heard the syncro wave fire up. It wants to wear out the bearings in the electric meter. The Miller 350 P is a great machine.
Bob
Bob
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kmorin
- Donator 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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- Your location: Kenai, AK
- Location: Kenai, Alaska
Re: Welding machines...............
Nighthawk,
I'll vote with welderbob as regards the need to TIG if you're going to do brackets, tanks and small size projects with irregular joints of different thicknesses. And, I agree the Miller 300 Dynasty is about as good as it gets for a TIG power supply. The main features that set it apart from the Lincoln AC TIG machines are the controls; Miller's TIG controls are 'better' - I think their company made a great move acquiring Hobart some years ago. I think that purchase got them the CyberTIG technology and it is that set of controls in digital form in the Dynasty series.
As for MIG, I would vote for the Lincoln 350MP because is has so many 'modes' of wire welding aluminum. Not only does it have a Power Mode that makes heavier plate welds well- it has both the Pulse and Pulse with Pulse modes. I'm not going to explain these modes except to say the second is a step ahead of Miller; at this time. The Miller machines are all good/great/excellent quality and have fine reliability but I prefer this Lincoln series MIG to the comparable Miller.
I stared with pulsed DC in the early '80's with the PowCon 300 and find it most helpful increasing weld quality over convention short arc or spray without pulse DC. One caution about the Lincoln versus Miller CV machine choices- the Lincoln needs a dozen times the learning to run compared to the Miller approach -point and shoot. I was not buying my first, or tenth, new MIG welding power supply when I bought the 350MP so my learning curve, while higher than I'd have guessed, was not as steep as some friends who had rough times getting their 350MP Lincoln machine 'dialed in'.
Still, the same power supply will weld 0.040" and 3/4" plate and has all the features in the list you provided except it will not do much for cylinder handling- I keep the bottles separate from the cart in our shop anyway. Some of the other descriptions are not as clear and I think what is being said is that these features are available in this smaller wattage machine for the first time?
On thing I wanted to have was an open serial port protocol so I could program or configure my own wave forms for the pulse on pulse profile- so I called a welding engineer at Lincoln to snivel. He informed me that for "just a little more money" I could buy just such a power supply- the "just a little more" was five times the 5K$ that the Lincoln 350P cost with the 30' stretch-out and the MK Python push-pull wire feeder. I didn't want to experiment with my own wave forms that bad?
Another feature that is handy on the MILLER TIG Dynasty 300 DX is four memory locations that will take a snap shot of a given group of weld settings. That machine will remember and recall those settings. I sure would like to have that feature on the 350MP - as you have to fat finger in the parameters for every different weld- that is a group of about 10 to 15 settings per change in weld. I'd like to have a settings retention to avoid the otherwise necessary clip board full of hand written settings.
Anyway, the difference between building the skiff and a tank are vast, mainly because of the scale of seam lengths. I think the 250 has enough power (250A/28V) for general light wt work 1/4" and below and while I prefer Lincoln MIG to Miller- the "blue box" will do all of what you've described.
Cheers,
I'll vote with welderbob as regards the need to TIG if you're going to do brackets, tanks and small size projects with irregular joints of different thicknesses. And, I agree the Miller 300 Dynasty is about as good as it gets for a TIG power supply. The main features that set it apart from the Lincoln AC TIG machines are the controls; Miller's TIG controls are 'better' - I think their company made a great move acquiring Hobart some years ago. I think that purchase got them the CyberTIG technology and it is that set of controls in digital form in the Dynasty series.
As for MIG, I would vote for the Lincoln 350MP because is has so many 'modes' of wire welding aluminum. Not only does it have a Power Mode that makes heavier plate welds well- it has both the Pulse and Pulse with Pulse modes. I'm not going to explain these modes except to say the second is a step ahead of Miller; at this time. The Miller machines are all good/great/excellent quality and have fine reliability but I prefer this Lincoln series MIG to the comparable Miller.
I stared with pulsed DC in the early '80's with the PowCon 300 and find it most helpful increasing weld quality over convention short arc or spray without pulse DC. One caution about the Lincoln versus Miller CV machine choices- the Lincoln needs a dozen times the learning to run compared to the Miller approach -point and shoot. I was not buying my first, or tenth, new MIG welding power supply when I bought the 350MP so my learning curve, while higher than I'd have guessed, was not as steep as some friends who had rough times getting their 350MP Lincoln machine 'dialed in'.
Still, the same power supply will weld 0.040" and 3/4" plate and has all the features in the list you provided except it will not do much for cylinder handling- I keep the bottles separate from the cart in our shop anyway. Some of the other descriptions are not as clear and I think what is being said is that these features are available in this smaller wattage machine for the first time?
On thing I wanted to have was an open serial port protocol so I could program or configure my own wave forms for the pulse on pulse profile- so I called a welding engineer at Lincoln to snivel. He informed me that for "just a little more money" I could buy just such a power supply- the "just a little more" was five times the 5K$ that the Lincoln 350P cost with the 30' stretch-out and the MK Python push-pull wire feeder. I didn't want to experiment with my own wave forms that bad?
Another feature that is handy on the MILLER TIG Dynasty 300 DX is four memory locations that will take a snap shot of a given group of weld settings. That machine will remember and recall those settings. I sure would like to have that feature on the 350MP - as you have to fat finger in the parameters for every different weld- that is a group of about 10 to 15 settings per change in weld. I'd like to have a settings retention to avoid the otherwise necessary clip board full of hand written settings.
Anyway, the difference between building the skiff and a tank are vast, mainly because of the scale of seam lengths. I think the 250 has enough power (250A/28V) for general light wt work 1/4" and below and while I prefer Lincoln MIG to Miller- the "blue box" will do all of what you've described.
Cheers,
kmorin
Re: Welding machines...............
Are the CIG machines not big over there? I have the CIG 320SP and it is amazing to say the least, probably out of the price bracket that we are talking of here, it has full programed synergic setting for everything from steel, ally, SS, to brass. Got pulse, an twin pulse and you can input your own programed settings into the hard drive. Sound like a salesman don't I.........
I use mine for pretty much everything down to 2mm sheet. the only thing the TIG gets draged out for nowdays is fuel tanks.
http://www.thermadyne.com/cigweld/content/view/75/239/
Cheers
I use mine for pretty much everything down to 2mm sheet. the only thing the TIG gets draged out for nowdays is fuel tanks.
http://www.thermadyne.com/cigweld/content/view/75/239/
Cheers
[url]www.ntunique.com.au[url]
Custom Plate Boats
Boat Modifications and Repairs
Custom Plate Boats
Boat Modifications and Repairs
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Chaps
- Donator '09
- Posts: 2246
- Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:19 am
- 16
- Your location: Seattle, WA
- Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Welding machines...............
I've not seen those here but I'm a casual fabricator so I don't stay up to speed on the latest stuff. Noticed a nice euro built machine at the last work boat show in Seattle. Can't remember the name but it was sweet, terrific welds. I have a Lincoln synergistic 350 that is fairly advanced but probably is a bit behind the latest stuff.
Re: Welding machines...............
Actually, I have some of those machines already.
Miller, Lincoln, and Esab all make multi process welding machines in an attempt to please customers who want a "one size fits all" welding machine. There are even Chinese made machines that add in a plasma cutter to the mix.
Rather than try to buy on machine that does it all, why not buy 2 or 3 used welding machines that are not only a good value but also tried and true machines.
Here are some recommendations:
* for Tig and stick, A Miller Synrowave 250 or 300
* for Mig, a Millermatic 250 or 200amp mig welder
You can find a Syncrowave 250 on Craigslist for less than $2000 and a Millermatic 250 can be had for less than $750.
Miller, Lincoln, and Esab all make multi process welding machines in an attempt to please customers who want a "one size fits all" welding machine. There are even Chinese made machines that add in a plasma cutter to the mix.
Rather than try to buy on machine that does it all, why not buy 2 or 3 used welding machines that are not only a good value but also tried and true machines.
Here are some recommendations:
* for Tig and stick, A Miller Synrowave 250 or 300
* for Mig, a Millermatic 250 or 200amp mig welder
You can find a Syncrowave 250 on Craigslist for less than $2000 and a Millermatic 250 can be had for less than $750.