Advice on MIG purchase

[Solid LT1]

I once owned a Miller 200 MIG welder but sold it to a freind when he opened his shop thinking I could downsize to a smaller footprint welder like the Hobart 220V 175amp Handler unit. I'm selling my Hobart I've never been happy with its performance and the drive system is pretty light duty. I need advice on some of the current offerings on the market.....Miller "auto set" series welders, current model 220V Hobart or Lincon products set up for spool gun use. I have specific needs for spool gun capability ( welding aluminum bumpers for off road vehicles.) Please those of you who have MIG welders with spool guns give me some feedback on what you like/hate about your machines. I don't need a TIG....already have a Dynasty 300 amp machine just need MIG platform feedback. Thanks for your help.

[toddoky]

Originally Posted by Solid LT1

I once owned a Miller 200 MIG welder but sold it to a freind when he opened his shop thinking I could downsize to a smaller footprint welder like the Hobart 220V 175amp Handler unit. I'm selling my Hobart I've never been happy with its performance and the drive system is pretty light duty. I need advice on some of the current offerings on the market.....Miller "auto set" series welders, current model 220V Hobart or Lincon products set up for spool gun use. I have specific needs for spool gun capability ( welding aluminum bumpers for off road vehicles.) Please those of you who have MIG welders with spool guns give me some feedback on what you like/hate about your machines. I don't need a TIG....already have a Dynasty 300 amp machine just need MIG platform feedback. Thanks for your help.

The Miller 211 is a great machine for the money, especially for building one-off stuff. If you are going to be doing any production-based assembly welding however, you will discover it limitations.

[66fury]

I use miller 252's all day long for aluminum with spool guns. I personally own a 252 also.great machine but expensive. Havent seen any limitations from thismachine as of yet. Been using millers for 20 yrs.

[Revved]

I've been using a Lincoln 180HD on a regular basis (2-3 times a week for minor fab work) for the last several years without issue. Before I could afford a TIG I bought a spool gun for aluminum but it was just too much "bull in a china shop" for what I was doing so it sits on a shelf.

I'll sell it to you if you buy a Lincoln. I might have used it 5 times.

[Solid LT1]

Now I'm stuck between a Thermal Arc 211i and Miller Multinatic. Might just go with the TA......need to call Victor next week and confirm where they are built....I don't want any Chicom built box for the money they are charging. Read on the Web where TA shut down New Hampshire factory....not happy about that factiod.

[Sieg]

I'm betting you'll get better support from Miller. I'd consider HTP over Thermal if you're thrifty like me. My HTP MIG200 has done well and the aftersale service has been good. If I upgraded it would be to Miller.

[Solid LT1]

Went to my local Welding Supply, Madco Welding in Mtn View, CA. Just so happens they had a 211i in inventory for a customer, I'm going to demo it later in the week if the guy who ordered it doesn't buy it. They also usually have Miller Multimatic 200 but just sold them. One is comming in, I think I'm going with Miller as I found the Thermal Arc is a Chicom box really pisses me off but, other deal breaker on 211i is no way to put a gas solenoid on it for DC TIG not that it would be used much around the shop over the Dynasty but, would have liked the opportunity to have field use of DC TIG.

[Build-It-Break-it]

The thermal arc is 100% made in China. I just got my TA 186 and right on the box it said made in China,I can post pics if needed. From what I've read on welding Web the internals of the blue and red units are made in China to but assembled here in the USA to avoid having to put made in China on the boxes as well. I believe it. But if your going to be upset over a welder being made in China why not be mad over your car parts, car, cell phone, iPad, iPod, TV, shoes, microwave, kids toys, gaming systems, computers etc. there's no way to get a 100% American made product anymore. Even if they built it here in the USA I guarantee they used some type of Chinese product/machine to do it.

[Solid LT1]

Originally Posted by Build-It-Break-it

The thermal arc is 100% made in China. I just got my TA 186 and right on the box it said made in China,I can post pics if needed. From what I've read on welding Web the internals of the blue and red units are made in China to but assembled here in the USA to avoid having to put made in China on the boxes as well. I believe it. But if your going to be upset over a welder being made in China why not be mad over your car parts, car, cell phone, iPad, iPod, TV, shoes, microwave, kids toys, gaming systems, computers etc. there's no way to get a 100% American made product anymore. Even if they built it here in the USA I guarantee they used some type of Chinese product/machine to do it.

I do get quite mad at the POS parts the industry supplies to us restorers. Anyone need a 1970 Corvette drivers side dash pad, it's still kicking around my garage, total unusable POS! While trying to install it I gave up went into the house did an Ebay search and paid more $$ for a used original part.

I was already well aware that the smaller " toy " TAs were made in China but, at one time the 252i was USA built. I just finished trying out the TA211i at my friendly local family owned welding supply store, didn't really like it. I could buy this machine on line for about $175 less than my LWS wants for it but, I won't! If the new welder has problems I want someone to take it to and get it fixed that is local, none of the big corporate welding supply houses in my area will let you demo units but Madco in Mtn View will. I talked with the Miller repair guy at Atlas Welding who did work on my Dynasty, he said all circuit boards are made in Appleton, Wisconsin. I realize the IGBTs in the Multimatic are probably sourced in China like a lot of the other components but, that's not anything I can control.
Just like my not patronizing the Internet or big corporate entities I'll spend my hard earned dollars where I think they will give me the best returns on my investments of my tools. Next week I'm trying the Miller Multimatic 200 but, already just about sold, the Thermal Arc lacking a gas soleniod for the TIG is a deal breaker in my book WTF were they thinking about? The TA 252i has dual soleniods who is the idiot that decided to save $50 on the TA 211i obviously someone who has never welded with TIG just counted beans since business school.