MIG Welder decision
 

I've been doing the body work on my suburban and I'm not happy with my welding. My present welder is a "Silver Beauty" that has to be 30 years old. It has 4 heat settings which seem to be too cold, too cold, too cold and too hot. I"ve got the cash and I need recommentations on a new unit. A year or so ago I went to the local welding supply shop and the guy recommeded a Miller unit that could be plugged into 110 or 220. Cant remember what unit it was now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

You may be thinking of this one.http://store.cyberweld.com/mi211migw...Hw_wcB...there are several other brands that are good for less money. I have a hobart handler I like really well but its 220 only..around $550 when I bought it..millers are fine welders..but Hobart and esab are not to be overlooked..

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Thanks Mongo, this is one of the welders I'm looking at. Another is the Eastwood 135.

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I have a Hobart 190 its great. Absolutely love it. Only 220 though. You can get the 210 MVP which has both plugs. You can get the smaller 140 Hobart for a bit less but will limit how thick you can go.

Nice thing about Hobart is that they use all the same parts as miller and can be repaired by any weld shop.

Eastwood would probably be fine. I have a chinese tig and it works great but I am always wondering when it will go out. When it does I am going to get a Red/Blue/Hobart.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Went to the local welding supply store and checked out a couple welders. They had the Miller 211 for about 1100 out the door including tax. The guy said that although it is a really nice machine it is more than I need. He said most of the 211's he sells go to shops where they do a lot of welding. He recommended a welder that is a Lincoln design for about 300 bucks. Damned if I can't remember the brand now! 110v with a full range dial for both power and feed. He said it was a replica of a Lincoln 130 maybe?

Just finished a couple of big jobs so I have the cash for either. If I get the cheaper one I'll have the money left over for a better mask.

I have to stick with a 110 machine right now as that's the only power available in the shop right now.

Decisions decisions decisions!

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I'd get something that has the 220 option. You can always turn the welder down but you cant turn it up past its max setting. I know some people weld 3/16'' with a 110 but I wouldn't recommend it. You wont regret getting the bigger machine.

I have two helmets. I run a harbor freight one for my mig work. I have a Speedglas for my tig. Without a doubt the 3M helmet is nice but with the amount of out of position welding and slag I get from mig I don't want to mess up my view for my tig work.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I have the Miller 211 mvp, and it's awesome. I can weld thin sheet metal and exhaust, and crank it up and do truck frame repairs. I primarily use it on 220, but I have used it on 110.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

It really depends on your future in welding with said welder. If you are dead set never going to weld above say 1/4" thick metal then I'd go with the mm141 or equivalent from Lincoln but if you think you might start welding thicker stuff I'm telling you the mm211 will be a good buy a three reasons.

Miller - name sells itself
Mm211 - highly sought after welder = resale value
Good welder - I own one it's a good welder and that's coming from a mig welder by trade

You cannot go wrong with the mm211 your in a situation of like buying a chainsaw which i have a funny story coinciding with a welder when I bought my last stihl I was talking to the salesmen saying I wish I would've bought a bigger chainsaw the first time he replied "The chainsaws that are on sale which are supposed to be good deals are the ones you don't want, buy the next one up". I thought about it and he was right lol same goes for a welder you can't use what you don't have.

I just built a 28' flatbed with it and after counting it up there was over 400 welds that I welded up in a 10hr span it gave me no troubles in terms of duty cycle. Buy bigger you won't regret it especially if you got the extra cash.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Have you checked out the lincoln power mig 210? It would set you up to be able to do a lot more welding in the future if you decide to. I believe you can get it with everything you need to weld with SMAW, GMAW, and GTAW. They had a rebate on them for a while, not sure if it is still going on though.

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...incolnElectric)

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

If you like the 211 but don't think you'll be using it enough to justify the extra few hundred, look at the Hobart 210mvp. Its the same thing as the Miller 211 (literally), but lacks the auto-set and uses a few slightly cheaper accessories (torch and guide wheel)..both of which can be easily upgraded. Its usually around $850

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

It seems like a decent machine. I doubt you would use it for tig though. It's not a high frequency start and only DC. If you were in a pinch or only used it once in a while I'm sure you'd be fine but I would want AC and high frequency start on a tig.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I'm currently shopping for a welder as well. Thinking about the Hobart 210mvp. Tractor supply has them for $849. Sign up for their e-mail list and you occasionally get 10% off coupons.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Why you hate scratch start tig????;) Lol honestly I do lIke high frequency start but I could deal without it. One of my favorite features of the Lincoln Precision tig 275 with the advanced control panel added is the adjustable down slope which allows you to remove the fish eye with ease without having to flick it out at the end of the puddle.

This ash try project was all done with scratch start tig using a lincoln power wave 300

http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8wc4uznm.jpg

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Hobart 140. Great little welding machine....


Smitty

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I bought the millermatic 211 earlier this year. It's a great welder and has treated me well so far.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Even though the Hobart is a good deal, I decided to save a few more $ for the Miller 211 or 215 multiprocess.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Thanks for all the input guys. I'll let you know what I buy!

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Hobart and Miller are made in the same factory. The Miller is a little higher end machine, but many of the guts are the same.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I was browsing the parts catalog and it looks like from what I can tell, you can almost convert the Hobart to the Miller stuff for in the neighborhood of like $200. The Hobarts actually go on sale occasionally, so if you can find them during something like a ToolFetch or TPTools holiday sale, you could probably put an upgraded one together for only a few $$ more than the MSRP.

Basically the route I went, but was happy enough with the OE quality that I didn't bother on any of the upgrades (my poly guidewheel, Hobart torch/gun and pack of tips are 5+ years old, built my truck, got abused, and still work like new).

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

used millers all my life ! if they ever need service or parts -you can get there stuff anywhere /used lincolns in job shops -they always seemed to give you problems -i think there electric switching is junk /its the little problems that drive you nuts! i noticed the other day all miller dealers are recieving the "NEW MODELS " maybe a last yr model will be marked down ?? just remember all of the newer models even the last 4-5 yrs have some electronic -micro processor stuff inside that might give you a problem down the road ?? i had a one of the miller first wire welders -35s w/ spot -used it from 1982 - 2014 only thing i did to it was a new small gun assembly =paid $700-new got $650 in 2014 !` i just bought a new pulse welder -its the cats meow but if it gives me trouble /it will expensive to fix ! JUST STAY WITH A NAME BRAND -LOCAL TO YOU THAT HAS A REPAIR SHOP IN THE BACK ! YOU WILL BE HAPPIER ! AND DONT BUY A FANCY ONE W/ TRICK STUFF FOR A FIRST WELDER !! SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY !

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Buy the miller 211, you will not regret it. Like somebody else said, always buy more than you think you will need with a welder, they last so long its really hard to justify upgrading later. I bought my 211 almost 3 years ago and just love it, very high quality and easy to store, move around, etc. Welds fabulous and has power to spare, I like the idea that I can use it on 115v but haven't had to do so yet.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Thanks for all the input. I went with the Miller 211 and am really happy so far. It was just over a grand with the rebate.

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

This piece was cut then welded back together. Any comments or tips?

Thanks

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

whats you got for shielding gas ? you need 75-25 works great ! cant read your gauges ? whats the left one set on ? maybe not enough ?? just practice practice practice it will get better ! might go to"metal meet" .com lots of sheet metal -ie door skin -welds on there -- good luck -nice purchase

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Gas is the 75/25 and is set at 18. The welds shown are 100% better than I was getting before with my old machine. Can you give me a critique of what is wrong with my welds? Not being a smart a$$ I just want to get better at this.

Thanks

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I would get some gas lines for welding and get rid of that clear tubing. Something like this depending on what threads you need. http://www.usaweld.com/Gas-Hose-p/hose.htm

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

nice welder you got there...wish they had that inverter 211 when I bought mine. On your welds...the spots there in the middle right look real nice. The others look cold or maybe your gun was too far away from the metal. I have found that I use the autoset and it does work right, used it both manual and autoset and autoset was the best. When I bought it I thought the autoset was dumb because I have been mig welding for over 25 years but it does work!

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Cougar, here's my .02 on the weld I see:

It looks like your trying to go for the overlapped "bead" aka the Mig-like-tig weld. Totally fine to do, but on thin sheetmetal (like a truck repair) it doesn't really teach normal welding technique. As you overlap those little beads, your keeping a lot of heat in one area creating a higher chance of warpage.

Try spacing your tac's out an inch or so and keep your fitment tight. On a sheet repair you'd hammer and grind the seam, and then come back for another round of tac's and small welds, planish, repeat.

To improve your general welding, get yourself some thicker material to practice on. Thicker stuff can be a bit more forgiving on heat, and you can get a better (longer) time with the puddle to observe its patterns. As I mentioned above, the technique on the thin stuff is pretty different than "structural" welding for lack of a better term.

Pickup some scrap 1/16, 1/8, 1/4 flat and/or some sch40 and 80 black pipes. With that stuff, watching videos from Jody @ WeldingTipsAndTricks, and setting up your scrap in the basic 1g,2g etc etc positions, you can progress through most of the basic fitments and weldments, and it'll give you a really solid base for any fab you want to attempt in the future.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Right now I just want to get to the point where I'm comfortable welding in the patch panels on my Suburban. Continuous welding on heavier metal is something where I can lay down a respectable bead.

On this piece I cut it apart and welded it back together. Welds 1,2 & 3 are butt welds using Harbor Freight butt welding clamps. Welds 4 & 5 are lapped. I used a flanging tool to create the lap.

On all of the welds they were tacked at 4 points. I used single bursts to add to each of the tacks never doing more than two bursts in a row. If the metal felt hot I took a break for a few minutes. By weld 5 I thought I was starting to get the hang of it. On the two lapped welds I increased the heat setting a little bit from auto set.

Oh and my gas pressure is set at 18.

Thanks for the tips and comments.

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

The clear tubing is what came with the welder and looks reinforced. Is it something that should be replaced?

Thanks

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

id weld /blow air on weld /hammer and dolly spot if needed /grind with thin wheel 90 degree to weld /and or use a shrinking wheel if needed?? good luck

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

i woudlnt worry about the clear tubing /a lot of new welders come w/ that ???

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

If it came with the welder than it is probably fine and I would leave it go. Sorry for the confusion.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

The tube is fine. I dont like the clamps or flanging. The clamps are two wide of a gap for me and the flanging prevents you from being able to planish, makes bodywork harder, and leaves a place for moisture to accumulate.

I will use the clamps if my gap is bad and allows for it but I prefer a gap that is no wider than the wire thickness I am using. Here is what I shoot for. I tig most of my sheet metal work now but keep the fit up the same.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...6944758750.jpg
When using mig I will set the welder to somewhere between 1/8'' and 3/16''. I never do two tacks next to each other. This is done with mig. This was three rounds of tacks letting it cool in between. I would normally planish in between each set of tacks but I didnt have anyone to hold the dolly with this section.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...614_164959.jpg
Now for fit up I use clecos. They are really cheap and easier to work with.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...126_235533.jpg

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Great pictures. Thanks for all the tips. With the clecos you weld up the holes afterwards?

Paul

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

Yeah. For that I use a mig. It leaves an 1/8" hole. Just a quick pull of the trigger and you are done.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I would say they're still on the cold side as evident by the cold lap where one tack meets the next, crank it up to nuclear. Or not but just a little lol

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

I just bought the Miller 215. Tried it out last night for the first time. With the autoset, it piles a huge bead compared to the lincoln that I have been borrowing for the last few years. I hate grinding! I turned off the autoset, ran about 17-18 volts and 190 wire speed. Had great penetration on tight gaps, and not too much bead to grind. Don't take these settings for gospel, I'm still trying to dial it in to my technique. Using .023 er70s-2 wire.

Also, lap welds are not for "visible" sheet metal. Do a butt weld on the panels that are visible.

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

That Miller 211 is a nice unit.

I have a Lincoln Power Mig 140C and it suits me perfect for the body work I've been doing on my 1972 GMC. I can fine tune my heat and speed settings without preset "clicks" on the knobs. That's the main reason I bought it.

This is the first time I've done sheetmetal repair work as well. With my MIG I try to keep a gap far enough between panels for the weld to penetrate both panels, so when I grind away some of the weld, there will be strength in the weld. But I'm still learning as I go. So my welds are looking better since I started. :)

Gary

Re: MIG Welder decision
 

try between 20 and 25 on your gas.
Here is the best way to dial in your machine for a particular gauge sheet metal quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=P...&v=6eB9qnktmDI