| Author | Message | ||
     Johnc |
I'm about to purchase a new mig welder. I have been looking at 3 different ones, the Miller 210 the Lincoln 215 and the Esab 253. The Miller and Lincoln are familiar to me but I have no experience with the Esab brand. I think the Miller and Lincoln are about equal in value and performance for mild steel but the Miller has a better spool gun set-up for aluminum. Is anyone familiar enough with these moldels to give a comparative evauation of the Esab? | ||
| Lightningrob |
I have used Esab before, but it was 6 or 7 years ago. It performed fine, but didn't seem to be as heavy-duty as the Miller I was familiar with. One thing to consider before you purchase one is parts availability. I think the tips, electrodes, liners and other stuff would be more readily available on the Lincoln or Miller than the Esab. | ||
| Johnc |
I checked into the price and availability of consumables and they are about the same price as everybody elses and readily available. | ||
| Toona |
I have 2 Hobart 135's (current model is a 140 or 145) set up with the 3035 spool gun/SGA100 controller (IIRC). They get used every work day for the last 5 years without a single problem. Except for I did get the wire stuck in the tip ONCE and had to replace the tip. I couldn't tell you how many spools of wire have been thru them, I buy my wire by the case (24 spools 5356/.030). Even before switching to the spool gun, I only had one trigger switch fail, it was replaced the same day (parts on hand at welding supply shop) for $8 and about 10 minutes of repair time. You must be planning on welding some thick metal with that high of output. My 135 can handle 1/4" steel, but I never weld anything thicker than that with the 135-because I never needed to. I've never looked at an ESAB because the Miller/Hobarts have never "left me down". | ||
| Lightningrob |
Johnc, I would see which one fits you best. Some torch heads and triggers have a different feel than others. Looks at the leads of each welder and make sure they have a good protective cover on them and make sure they have a long enough reach. You may not want to drag the whole unit around the shop. There are lots of stuff to look for. Let us know what you decide to get. | ||
| Captnemo |
Most welding supplies will let you "Test Drive" a couple of units if you're serious about buying. The best thing to do is talk to the repair tech and find out what he works on the least, or has the least expensive repairs, i.e.: small parts vs. printed circuit boards, etc. I own Millers and like each of the units I have, my plasma cutter needed a circuit board that was covered under warranty. Other than that, my Mig, Tig & plasma have been flawless. | ||
| Johnc |
Thanks for the input guys, I think I have decided to buy the Miller 180. It is advertised as able to weld up to 5/16" steel and is spool gun compatible. I don't think I really need the bigger 210 model. | ||
| Etennuly |
I have a MillerMatic 250 with the spool gun for alum and stainless. I frequently weld stuff up to 1". I weld a lot of alum extrusions without a problem, I have separate bottles for argon/CO2 and argon. You are probably right about the 180 being big enough, but if it is close on the cost I'd go bigger for welding the alum, it takes more power. It is easier to turn it down than try to come up with more. | ||
| Johnc |
I bought the Miller 180 today and tried it out tonight on some 1/4" material. It has lots of power, I think I made the right choice. The 180 was $925.00 and the 210 is $1820.00, more of an industrial machine and much larger. For what I do the 180 should be plenty. I don't know if I'll ever get around to getting a spool gun for aluminum, maybe some day. Thanks again for all the input guys! |
