Millermatic 252 for FCAW

[Aaron_W]

They need to create a "We're not worthy" emoji for this post!

They are all small, I can carry 3 of them without help. It took me a couple years to decide on a lathe, now I think I'm trying to ensure myself that bought the right one. I may be a little touched in the head, but it keeps me out of trouble so my wife just goes along with it.

One thing with FCAW, hope you have a fume extractor. If you have a small shop, you'll be choking on the smoke pretty quick.

If you want penetration, get a bottle of 90/10 mix and my 251 will go into spray transfer mode around 29 volts and 450 to 500 on wire speed with 0.035" wire. Only for flat but will look like your pouring mercury on the weld. Full 1/2" penetration. You'll quickly set your gloves on fire unless you wear a shield over it.

Smoke and fumes worse than SMAW?

 

[xr650rRider]

Smoke and fumes worse than SMAW?

It's all relative. What size rod you running. Flux core wire or flux coated rods, generate an oxygen shield that appears as smoke. Wire's smaller diameter but your feeding as same rate as a rod, if you have the same sized bead. But yes, it smokes a lot, would make you want to invent a weld process that didn't do that in an enclosed shop......................like GMAW or GTAW.

 

[General Zod]

The smoke isn't as bad as SMAW or FCAW-S, but it comes in a close 2nd place. For 045 'dual shield' to go into spray , you need to be running minimum 200A IIRC. Sweet spot is around 250A.

 

[General Zod]

the Millermatic 255 can do GMAW-P (which I have never even tried).

Please have a look at this: https://forum.millerwelds.com/forum/welding-discussions/612648-how-to-setup-pulse-on-mm255

Miller has published a video showing proper pulse operation, but some people are still having problems, as you can see from that thread on the Miller forum. Hopefully they ironed out any issues.

 

[erikmannie]

Please have a look at this: https://forum.millerwelds.com/forum/welding-discussions/612648-how-to-setup-pulse-on-mm255

Miller has published a video showing proper pulse operation, but some people are still having problems, as you can see from that thread on the Miller forum. Hopefully they ironed out any issues.

That link cast some very serious shade on the Millermatic 255, especially if somebody wants to use it for pulse.

One wonders if this machine is able to execute all the tasks for which it is advertised.

 

[General Zod]

That link cast some very serious shade on the Millermatic 255, especially if somebody wants to use it for pulse.

One wonders if this machine is able to execute all the tasks for which it is advertised.

The Miller video does show evidence, but that post, along with the Baker's Gas video does cast shade. I've owned Miller and have given them my hard-earned money when I bought a brand new Millermatic 211 back in 2016, so I'm not hating on them as they obviously make awesome gear. But I've yet to see anyone other than Miller show proper pulse-MIG operation. I'm 99% sure the Miller people have it setup correctly, so really what I'm wondering is where are all the 255 users showing pulse MIG? All the online users I've seen seem to only be using short circuit. Don't get me wrong, I don't want it to fail either; pulse-MIG is a wonderful thing to have and be able to use, from any MIG welder. Guess I just expected to see more if coming from that machine. If you do buy it, please do try to obtain 90/10 Ar/CO₂ to show how it does on the Auto-Set settings for pulse.