I'm gonna spend $700 on a welder:

Choices:
Millermatic 175: $740 shipped from ebay
Lincoln Pro mig 175: 599 - 10% discount from manager = $530
Hobart from northern: $689

Hobart seems to be higher quality than the lincoln, miller about the same as hobart. If I get the lincoln I can afford to get gas at the same time. None have infinately adjustable voltage. Whatcha think?

3/16/2006 11:07:54 PM

Be damned. I thought the Miller had infinitely adjustable voltage.

Anyway, Jeepman has a Millermatic 175. Axt him about it.

The Miller has a better wirefeed assembly...all metal.

3/16/2006 11:15:06 PM

miller 175 does have the infinite voltage

# New infinite voltage control with wire feed speed tracking
# Durable cast aluminum feedhead
# Miller's exclusive "Tip Saver" short circuit protection
# Self-resetting motor protection circuit
# Thermal overload protection
# Input power- 230V, 19.5 Amps, 60 hz, Single Phase
# Amperage range- 30 - 175 Amps

also, the hobart is basically the same as the miller, just more plastic as [user]zxapeal[/user] said. i think they're made by the same company?

[Edited on March 16, 2006 at 11:16 PM. Reason : ^ you soooo fast ]


[Edited on March 16, 2006 at 11:17 PM. Reason : .]

3/16/2006 11:15:48 PM

yeah jeepman did some work for me the other day, and now that I think about it does have infinately adjustable voltage

3/16/2006 11:16:22 PM

mig for big tig for pretty

i shall have both one day

stick is basically useless cept for shitty/unprepped metal

(if you have a mig)



[Edited on March 16, 2006 at 11:35 PM. Reason : .]

3/16/2006 11:34:53 PM

I LOVE welding with stick. Old school, baby. You can't weld if you can't weld stick.

Though tig can be equally challenging, maybe more so.

3/16/2006 11:57:11 PM

^ i learned on a lincoln buzzbox, if you can make stick look decent you can make mig look beautiful

3/17/2006 12:07:06 AM

ohh man... i learned on a stick... if you can make stick look pretty... a mig is like a friggin glue gun... nothin to it.

tig though.... so much more control over the weld shape i friggin love it


mig gets on my nerves sometimes i wish the trigger was like a wire feed throttle

3/17/2006 12:14:43 AM

i just wish my damn mig would work right. wire jams up and starts either feeding slow or not at all. maybe I should play with the tensioner knob

[Edited on March 17, 2006 at 1:04 AM. Reason : .]

3/17/2006 1:03:56 AM

There's gotta be a reason for that. If you play with the tensioner knob and the problem lies elsewhere, then you end up with a fucking birdsnest of wire at the feed rollers.

Is your tip in good condition? They do erode over time, and sometimes pit or develop burrs that interfere with proper feed. Another issue: is your gun conduit straight (or relatively so)? Any kinks or sharp bends?

Flux core wire ain't the most flexible stuff (not as much as solid wire), and sometimes replacing your consumables (tips) helps make sure it doesn't bind or catch.

3/17/2006 1:24:40 AM

hobart is made by miller, mostly the same but a few less features.

ive put hundreds of hours on the lincoln at the shop and am pretty pleased

id say lincoln or miller.

[Edited on March 17, 2006 at 8:23 AM. Reason : looking @ prices, lincoln.]

3/17/2006 8:22:39 AM

NSMC did a nice comparison on this in street thunder

millermatic won

3/17/2006 9:53:28 AM

^^^could be the tip. haven't replaced it in a while and I know it gets nasty. might just need to wipe it off. no bird nest is developing, it just won't roll at all or rolls rediculously slow. I will check it out after my test and classes today. I am just stupid and forgot to examine the tip, thanks for the reminder.

3/17/2006 10:42:09 AM

^ could also be the wire tube, clean the tip well and make sure it is the right size, then push some wire through with some lube on it and it should move easily, if not then you may have a burr inside the tube or gunk. i had to clean out my dad's 175 with alchohol and use a sponge with the wire lube right after the feed wheel, havent had any problems since. also, if you pull the gas sheild out about 1/4" past the tip, you wont have as much problems with slag splattring on the tip and making it stick. also, cheap wire isnt always made to close tolerances, and it can bind and jump easily, even in a good welder.

back to the topic, the miller 175 is a great welder, but it takes a lot of maintenence in the feed system if you use it a lot.

3/17/2006 11:11:26 AM

alot of people kink that hoes and still expect the thing to work right...

i hope you're not one of those people.

3/17/2006 5:35:45 PM

what sort of wire are you using? i've used an off brand spool before that didn't work worth a shit.

as for welder, i've been very pleased with my miller 175. it's ~3 years old now, no issues what so ever. you can't go wrong with any of the ones you listed though.

3/17/2006 5:43:26 PM

how about this guy

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/142719210.html

100% duty cycle

3/17/2006 5:53:17 PM

^^^nope not one of them

^^ whatever lowes sells as their main brand. not sure off the top of my head

3/18/2006 10:42:16 AM

^^^ lincoln wire, miller tips

3/18/2006 10:48:39 AM

I bought the lincoln, $550 out the door. My gf's dad is going to come out and wire it up today.

3/18/2006 2:36:43 PM

shit they have an arc welder at walmart for $35!

SOUNDS GOOD EH?

3/18/2006 5:37:54 PM

^^ u gonna run gas on it? jw

3/18/2006 11:22:17 PM