# New Welder-----------gloat



## Gary Max (Aug 15, 2012)

She's here------------ Miller 180 Auto-set with spool gun. Now to learn how to run her.

Of course

Here's the pic


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## Charley Davidson (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm jealous


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## Gary Max (Aug 15, 2012)

Charley---- I could let you pay the CC bill for the next 6 months----- would that make you feel a better?
Oh---- I also bought two tanks and a new helmet.


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## Rbeckett (Aug 15, 2012)

Miller 180 Auto is a fine home hobby machine.  Enough power to do meaningfull work without buying a monster machine to pay for too long and pay too much.  I have a MM210 with a 3035 SG and it is just about perfect for a small to medium size shop like mine.  I also have a Miller Econotig for pure AC on Alli and a hypertherm PM 1000 for chopping big stuff into smaller stuff with dust.  Does the 180 have dual solenoids for your sheilding gas or do you just have to swap tanks when you change processes?  Either way thats a minor inconvenience at worst.  Good luck on the new machine and of course don't forget them pics... Congrats on the new stuff, it's a great day when the shop gets a new inhabitant that you have neem considering for a whie.  
Bob


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## Gary Max (Aug 15, 2012)

You have to swap the tanks to change over to Alum from steel, Not a real big deal since I wont be swapping them often.


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## Rbeckett (Aug 15, 2012)

So, was your experience with IOC as good as I led you to believe?  I have bought a few welders and a ton of consumables from them and they are always spot on on price and have a no hassle approach to doing business.  All told on two machines I saved nearly enough for the third, so I am very happy with them and their service so far.  Hope you have a ton and a half of fun getting to know the machine and it's capabilities.  They will actually do a pretty amazing amount of work for such a compact and lower priced machine.  Good ole Miller value, I love it.
Bob


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## November X-ray (Aug 16, 2012)

Gary - We expect some pictures of stacked dimes by this weekend!!!! Perhaps Charley will drop by and give you some pointers.


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## bcall2043 (Aug 16, 2012)

Gary,

Congrats, I'm jealous too! 

I have a good MIG welder but want a spool gun for it. If I really needed a spool gun then maybe I could convince the wife. Maybe I should just get one and tell her that I always had it and she had just not noticed. :lmao::lmao:

Benny


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## Rbeckett (Aug 17, 2012)

bcall2043 said:


> Gary,
> 
> Congrats, I'm jealous too!
> 
> ...


Hey, what works for the goose will work for the gander too.  I'm sure my wife has done that in the past to me, so turn about is fair play.   Just hook it up to the machine, and if she asks, just give her the puzzled look and say something about included option, and stuff like "since it was new" and you'll be OK.  "If you can't dazzle em with wit, baffle em with bull sh1t"  approach seems to work for me.  But my wife does ornamental iron work, so she is pretty good at sniffing out the BS too.  Good luck.
Bob


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## Gary Max (Aug 17, 2012)

bcall2043 said:


> Gary,
> 
> Congrats, I'm jealous too!
> 
> ...




Benny don't forget that when you buy the spool gun you are going to want to weld Alum---- that takes a different gas. Between buying the welder---new helmet---two tanks---spool gun--- welding cart---- this little welder comes with a big price tag. "jawdrop:


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## Old Iron (Aug 17, 2012)

Gary doesn't look like anyone gave you any hints on the use of a spool gun with AL. Hold it about 15 degrees and push it never pull a spool gun with Al. in it.

Nice welder I have a MM251 with a spool gun, I haven't used my tig with high freak sense I got the gun.

Paul


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## xalky (Aug 19, 2012)

Old Iron said:


> Nice welder I have a MM251 with a spool gun, I haven't used my tig with high freak sense I got the gun.
> 
> Paul


 Absolutely, I should have bought a spool gun years ago. Tig is like juggling, Mig is more like "point and shoot". Migging aluminum is no different than migging steel except the cleaning part is a little fussier with aluminum.

If you have an android phone, miller has an app for weld settings... I love it. Gives a very good starting point for initial settings.


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