Miller Expo cost me money!!!

[Srubrn]

Miller had their big 18 wheeler in town today showing off their machines. It happened to be on a day when my new HH135 was causing me aggrevation. I took the big plunge and bought the MM210 for $1072.29 plus tax. It looks like a great deal. Can't find it cheaper anywhere. Haven't got mine out of the box yet, I only got to weld with the demo machine. I see now how you guys run those great looking beads. Mine looked great with the MM210. I am going to keep my little HH135 for when my brother in law needs a welder the same time I do.

[Scott V]

Miller 210

Seems to me out of all the posts on the 210,there has not been one negative comment.

So I guess it's my turn to add one.I wish Miller would ditch the cheezy front plastic cover.It just make the thing look cheap,and ugly.Ok thats my two cent's.That said,everything else about it seems top notch.

That is the only Miller all in one mig machine,I would buy!It's very nice.

[atucker]

Re: Miller 210

Originally posted by Scott V
Seems to me out of all the posts on the 210,there has not been one negative comment.

Scott,

I'm new here, so at the risk of seeming "tacky" - what's the point?? We all realize you are not a Miller/Hobart fan, but I don't see the point with all the negatives about them. At least Miller/Hobart provides a User Forum for intersested users, which is more than Lincoln does. I recently purchased a MM210 - two things guided the Miller decision - 1) Until I recently retired (actually "bought out" after 36 years) from a large national corporation that was running itself into the ground, I worked next door to the local Lincoln District Sales office. The Dist Mgr. said it was sad to see corporations lose sight of the customer and "run themselves into the ground" the way Lincoln and my now former employer were doing. He was planning early retirement himself. He did guide me to what he considered the best distributor. 2) The local distributor where I purchased my MM210 was in the process of ending their relationship with Lincoln, due to "too many customer issues". Lincoln obviously sells some darned good products, but there is more to a company than it's products. Some corporations seem to forget that point.

All corporations have problems - some fix them, some don't. At least it is great to see that Miller/Hobart shows a STRONG customer awareness by making this forum possible.

Enough said.

Allen T.

[Srubrn]

I was advised by one of the guys at the expo to use .023 wire in my HH135 and it should cut way down on the feeding problems. I presently run .030 wire.

I think I will buy a roll of .023 wire and swap it out with my MM210.

Can't wait to fire it up. I just got thru with framing a very complicated trailer to carry people behind my John Deere Gator and it would have been nice to have for that.

[Scott V]

Atucker-

My point is I don't like the plastic cover!It makes the machine look cheap.It has nothing to do with anything but the cover.I like miller stuff just not every piece made.I don't like what happens to plastic when the sun hits it,no matter what uv stuff they say it's got.No matter how great a web site,and company is,will not change the fact that the front cover looks cheap to me.kind of like the new cars running around that people thinks looks good.If you like the front cover thats fine by me.My point was I like the machine,not the cover,Get it?I just like to point out things I don't like in welding machines,every brand,even Lincoln if you read my posts,and not just seeing blue you might get it.

Why don't you ask me about my Thermalarc 300 gtsw $4000.00 inverter thats plastic.The only reason for plastic stuff if for portable things that get beat up in a welding truck,or ship yard type work place.Then only the softer type plastic used in feeders,or the stuff Esab uses in their new plasma cutters.In a home unit it sucks.

[Dan]

Originally posted by Srubrn
I was advised by one of the guys at the expo to use .023 wire in my HH135 and it should cut way down on the feeding problems. I presently run .030 wire.

I think I will buy a roll of .023 wire and swap it out with my MM210.

Can't wait to fire it up. I just got thru with framing a very complicated trailer to carry people behind my John Deere Gator and it would have been nice to have for that.

Todd

On your MM 210 or on any machine for that matter that can run it, your going to receive your best results on 16ga. - 1/4" by using an .035 E70S-6. .030 solid wires material thickness range that it runs best on is 18ga- 1/8". The performance characteristics of each wire diameter is based on the fact that each diameter of wire has an upper current limit were it goes from producing a stable short circuit metal transfer to were it wants to transition over to a spray transfer. However, with out the proper shielding gas and voltage setting spray transfer will not occur, but instead the wire will pinch off in larger molten *****. Which will result in a less stable transfer. Resulting in increased spatter.

By the way, in my opinion you just purchased a very good welding machine for the home hobbiest weldor.

[Srubrn]

Dan,

What would be the disadvantage to using .023 wire in my HH135? It's rated capacity is just 1/8" using solid core wire.

[Scott V]

I'm not Dan,but having owned two miller 130 welders I try to answer.Nothing,That machine output is a the top of the current for .023.Both my MM130,and the 130xp welded with .023 best.Seems like the auto tracking was messing up the .030 welding.The first thing I did when I got my second 130xp is to see if it welded with .030.It did better than the first one,but not really very good.I knew what to do to fix it,Just run .023 solid wire at all times.It welded great with it,one of the best .023 welders made.

I didn't mean to put down your machine,just the front cover.I was talking to another guy about the exact same thing yesterday.Thats why I brought it up.He has sold Millers for years,and he didn't like them ether.Like I said it's the best Machine in it's class of welders.Sometimes people take major offence to anything bad you say about what they own.Besides The guys at Miller like to hear the good,and the bad opinions.I Know this because they told me so.Plus at this point in time you still can say what you want to,so I do.

[Dan]

Originally posted by Srubrn
Dan,

What would be the disadvantage to using .023 wire in my HH135? It's rated capacity is just 1/8" using solid core wire.

Todd

I ve never ran a HH 135, but I ve ran a MM 130 and 3 other 120volt 130 amp machines, and all four of these machines liked the .023 solid wire much better then an .030 solid at the top end (1/8") of the machine. On this size of machine you have to factor in the output load voltage. In my limited experience with this size of machine when you push them close to there maximum amperage output they fall a little short on the output load voltage to produce a stable metal transfer with an .030 solid wire. They seem to perform best on 14 and 16 ga. with an .030 solid wire.


In the end though most of these smaller units seem to be designed to run a self shielded fluxcore wire first and solid wire second at the upper end of there current output.

[Hobart Expert Rock]

HI SCOTT V...........WELL WHEN I WAS WORKING AT GENERAL MOTORS IN 1968........I WORKED ON THE PONTIAC GTO FRONT PLASTIC BUMPER THE ENDURO BUMPER DO YOU REMEMBER THEM. THE JUDGE.......THEY WERE HOLDING UP ON CARS EXCEDINGLY WELL. I WAS WORKING IN THE CONTROL LAB IN DAYTON OHIO......... YOU SHOULD OF SEEN THE ONES WE DESTROYED........ IT WAS A 2 YEAR PROCESS TO GET THE BUMPER ACCEPTED BY THE SAFETY PEOPLE OF THE TIME..................... BUT PLASTIC HAS BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME........... POWCON, ESAB, YES I'M SURE EVEN LINCOLN...............SORRY IT IS HERE TO STAY...........I DO NOT SEE IT GOING AWAY IN THE NEAR FUTURE..............................BE SAFE NOW
SRUBURN...........WELL WERE THERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE, GLAD YOU COULD TALK THE OLD TIMERS INTO LETTING YOU GO TO THE SHOW. ...SORRY IT COST YOU MONEY THOUGH.BUT YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR PURCHASE........ WELL LAST QUESTION DID YOU HAVE FUN AND WHAT ALL DID YOU WELD WITH........................

..........................................ROCK
[email protected]

[Dan]

Hey Rock

If Scott V keeps pitching other companies product will this be enough incentive to bring the Hobart or Miller road show into the state of Oregon? If so keep it up Scott Portland is only about 65 miles away from me and Im off work on Friday and Saturday so I would be there.

[Srubrn]

Rock,

When I went there were only a couple of guys there. Maybe it was the time of day. I only welded with the MM210 and only on steel. I wish now I would have try the aluminum with the spool gun.

[Scott V]

I would like that!

Dan,as you know this is as big of blue country as anywhere else in the world.Look at all the welding trucks.I think I need to put my Lincoln engine drive in the back of my truck when they come to town for free chopper welding lessons.I would like to see,and hear,and weld with their new Legend though.

Dan,that should ether get them here or keep them out for a while.

[Dan]

Originally posted by Srubrn
Rock,

When I went there were only a couple of guys there. Maybe it was the time of day. I only welded with the MM210 and only on steel. I wish now I would have try the aluminum with the spool gun.

I got my MM 210 when it was being offered with the free Spoolmate 3035. It is a nice set up, but I have to admit trying to weld 1/8" aluminum with it isn t any fun. The travel speed is way to fast. MIG welding 1/8" aluminum with a standard mig machine becomes work instead of enjoyment. Scott V PM 300 probably turns this back into fun though.

[Dan]

Re: I would like that!

Originally posted by Scott V
Dan,as you know this is as big of blue country as anywhere else in the world.Look at all the welding trucks.I think I need to put my Lincoln engine drive in the back of my truck when they come to town for free chopper welding lessons.I would like to see,and hear,and weld with their new Legend though.

Dan,that should ether get them here or keep them out for a while.

Actually, you would be suprised how many red machines that you would see down here. I would say that it is probably almost 50/50 between blue and red .

In the Miller line there are 3 machines that I would like to try. They are the MM 251, MM Pulser, and the MM 175. If the MM 251 is better then then the MM 250 that I use at work my new boss would probably trade it off on the MM 251.

The one drawback to my MM 210 is that it is no fun to weld 1/8" aluminum with, even with my Spoolmate 3035, and your PM 300 is way beyond my budget. So, I would at least like to give the Pulser a try for myself to see how it performs. On the MM 175 I have been obsessed with trying it because Miller brought it onto the market a week after I purchased my HH 175. I just have to see if I m missing anything. Don t worry about mentioning your SP 175 , because you know I have issues with Lincoln on this machine.

I would also like to try the Dynasty 200, but there is no sense in that until the price comes down. For now it looks like a new TIG to replace my Econotig would be eitheryellow or burgandy .

By the way in the Hobart line I d like to give the Ironman 210 a try, because I ve been a little hard on it without actually ever trying it.