Thinking About A Small Welding Machine

[Hawkeye]

ihkorea79,

I have the same welder. It will do everything I've asked of it. Good quality.

Mike

 

[pjf134]

I have had my stick welder for 40 years and it does the job. I have welded cast with it along with the ox/acl torch and there is different kinds of rods machinable and non-machinable, just have to pick the right one. I pre heat the cast and use the welder and it works good. I am not sure that wire welders have different grades of wire for use on cast, but would be nice to know.
Paul

 

[ScrapMetal]

Here is a resource you should really check out from Miller. Lot's of info on wire and usage as well as links to online (free) training (look for the Basic MIG link near the bottom of the page).

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/tech_tips/MIG_tips/

I've got a couple of Miller welders and can't say enough good things about them.

-Ron

 

[Larry42]

I've got a little Millermatic 130 wire feed, gas shield. Tag says CV-DC amp range 30 to 130. I suspect the duty cycle at 130 is very short. I can burn holes in sheet steel up to around 1/8". A grinder and Bondo won't even make me a decent welder but I manage to get things stuck together.

 

[tq60]

When we got our Miller 180 mig unit many years ago we Kew nor much of wire welding and self thought on stick, high school shop on gas so not much in brain.

In field service so lots of driving so stopped by welding stores to learn stuff and each place has favorite and trashes others.

So we wrote email to both Lincoln and Miller with what we learned about their products, only shared what we could confirm in handouts.

Example, Lincoln had plastic wire feed wheels vs Miller having metal.

Miller suggested the model we got, no surprise there.

Lincoln suggested same! Buy the Miller.

We picked up a polish made Lincoln, dealer denied they existed until I showed it to him.

Got it for 5 bucks at yard sale, repaired the power switch and it works fine for 120 vac box.

You are limited by the 120 vac but for small stuff fine.

The thing is old, nothing fancy for controls and we bought replacement switch.

Point being, buy a known brand that supports product.

This Lincoln was a low end product made in Poland, but you still can get parts.

Unknown brand is not likely supported in a year

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[7milesup]

You guys realize that the last reply to this thread was a decade ago? LOL.
Not that there is anything wrong with reviving old threads. Been there done that.

 

[tq60]

Duh...

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[Aaron_W]

You guys realize that the last reply to this thread was a decade ago? LOL.
Not that there is anything wrong with reviving old threads. Been there done that.

It also appears that much of the thread has been deleted, there doesn't seem to be an original post just Tony responding to somebody. Very odd.

 

[matthewsx]

And the subject, hasn’t inverter technology changed the whole discussion about small welders?

 

[7milesup]

And the subject, hasn’t inverter technology changed the whole discussion about small welders?

Pretty much.