What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Bigger welders!

Fubeca

Fubeca

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Posts
2,100
Reaction score
2
Location
Denver Area
Okay, so I've read a bunch of posts on smaller welders (100 - 175 amp MIG). I've decided to get a 200+ model and want some feedback from those in the know. I'm looking at Miller 210 or 251 and Lincoln 215 or 255. Does anyone have any horror stories with Red vs. Blue or are they about the same. I doubt I'll ever be using a spool gun so that isn't very important to me. Right now I'm leaning toward the Lincoln 255.
 
We use a Miller 250x at work, works great all the time. Converted it over to a Tweco heavy duty extended hose and gun. The Tweco consumables seem to last longer for us.

Just my .02 worth.
Byron
 
Trailers, Crossmembers, Diff covers, sliders, bumpers, and whatever else I can come up with. Eventually a truggy or a full tube buggy.
SC -- That is one thing I like about the Lincoln - it comes with a Tweco gun instead of the proprietary Miller unit.
 
We have a lincoln 2 something but I have never used it though. My dad says it is a really nice welder. I have used a big miller 220 wire feed back in my high school days and it kicked but compared to my dinky 110 miller. I would say you can't go wrong with either a miller or lincoln. I have heard better things about Lincolns' though.
 
6 of one, half dozen of the other. Go with the best deal (but I do favor Miller in a draw). If the miller gun ever goes out, I'll be switching to Tweaco.
 
[ QUOTE ]
(but I do favor Miller in a draw)

[/ QUOTE ]

It is actually getting close to a draw, why to you prefer Miller?
 
I have to say I prefer my lincoln 255 over a similar miller... I used Millers in school and we just seemed to have problems with them often... Liners, guns, drive rolls, etc... Never a problem with my lincoln, and the digial readout is sexy /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Never a problem with my lincoln, and the digial readout is sexy /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Those are sweet! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Just a preference mostly. Always had good luck with them, over all build quality seems beter in some areas, but it's just a preference, nothing I can really put a finger on off the top of my head... All I can say for sure is I've had several different units of both lines and no complaints about any of them.
 
GO BLUE !!!! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

i love my miller 210 and so do the dozen other friends of mine who use the hell out of it /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

if you got the $$$ the 250 is sweet and sometimes i've seen holox throw in a spool gun. but for our use the 210 is all we need. i've gone thorugh 100+ pounds of wire and not a singlr problem /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I have the miller 250X. Excellent machine and it's digital. Compared to the 210 it's about the same. I'd step up to the 210 if you intend on doing a lot of welding or if you intend on welding thick material.

Miller and Lincon are like Chevy and Ford. Why would you drive a ford if you could have a Chevy? Seriously, it's a preference thing. After having a Miller though, I'd never get anything but...
 
I have a Lincoln 255, Lincoln Procut 55 and a Miller Dynasty 200 DX TIG. Both are high quality, but I tend towards Miller for some reason. You won't go wrong with either one you decide on.
 
Okay, that's kind of what I thought - no huge difference. I also looked at the Lincoln Power MIG 300 that also supports TIG and Stick processes. It is quite a bit more but not as much as buying all three machine separately. Does anyone know how well it would work with TIG. Would I be better off with a separate TIG machine?
 
You're leaning in the right direction. I've had two Lincoln WireMatic 255 welders, they've been the best welder I've had by far. And I've had Hobart, Linde, Airco, Esab, Miller, and others. Why have I had two of them? One was bought for me by my boss at a company I worked at before I opened my own shop. The other I own now.
 
I prefer Miller. I have used the 250, 210, and I own a 175. Never had problems with any of them and the 210 and 250 were used daily in heavy duty fab. My local weld supply does not even sell Lincolns anymore because for every 1 Miller he would get in for warrenty work he would get half a dozen Lincolns.
 
[ QUOTE ]
SC -- That is one thing I like about the Lincoln - it comes with a Tweco gun instead of the proprietary Miller unit.

[/ QUOTE ]

Our only Miller problem was with the Miller gun. We were always having problems with the trigger switch in the gun handle. The Tweco gun we have now is super heavy duty, has a big trigger pad, the extended snout nozzle, and the hose is 15" long! I run .035 wire, varying metal thickness from 1/8-3/16" industrial fab work. Ours is tapped for 480v, so we can run it all day long.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
SC -- That is one thing I like about the Lincoln - it comes with a Tweco gun instead of the proprietary Miller unit.

[/ QUOTE ]

our only Miller problem was with the Miller gun. We were always having problems with the trigger switch in the gun handle. The Tweco gun we have now is super heavy duty, has a big trigger pad, the extended snout nozzle, and the hose is 15" long! I run .035 wire, varying metal thickness from 1/8-3/16" industrial fab work. Ours is tapped for 480v, so we can run it all day long.

[/ QUOTE ]
Must be hard to get to the work with only a 15" lead. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
[/ QUOTE ]
Must be hard to get to the work with only a 15" lead. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifDamn shift key got me again /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
[Note:] That was feet, not inches! [Note:]

/forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom