Which miller Tig to get?

Welding Techniques, Theory, Machines and Questions.

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APozzi
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:30 am

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by APozzi »

I have a Miller Dynasty and love it. A friend of mine has a China made tig and I hate to say, but it works well at a whole lot less in cost. Both mine and his are a/c units for welding aluminum and they are both 200 amp machines.

The problem with most of the import machines is service and parts when they break. Getting parts such as circuit boards etc.

What is the life expectency....who knows. Some last for years others last minutes. Most of the import machines do not handle overloading well at all.

I agree with the above post: Pre-heat works wonders. I've welded 3/8" aluminum with no trouble.

Good luck,
Andy
stevec
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Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 12:40 pm
Location: N.S. Canada

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by stevec »

My old, and I mean OLD, "premier" 200 amp buzzbox (which I believe was built by Miller) is like a rock! I don't weld a lot, like in a "business", but I can always count on the old machine.
I've discussed rod maintenance with others and can't understand why so many people have to to treat their rods with kid gloves and heaters etc.. My rods lie in the box they came in until I use them , the last in the box arcs and flows just like the first one out. NO Way will I pay big bucks to buy some new fangled overpriced device.
I did buy a low price Asian mig machine and by the time I got half way through the first roll pretty well got the hang of it. I was pleased with the fact that I could handle much thinner material with it but I just don't do enough.
I guess it's all in what you need and what works for you.
redneckalbertan
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Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:39 am
Location: South Central Alberta

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by redneckalbertan »

stevec wrote:
Michael_Moore wrote: I had the main board go out in my 250 -- after the warranty period. I don't weld much so it had maybe 20-30 hours on it. If that had gone out during the warranty period it would have saved me a good portion of $1400 (I had onsite service done plus the replacement board). The board itself was nearly $1000.
cheers,
Michael
That would scare me away from paying the extra bucks for a Miller right there, thanks for the heads up!
Everyone have their lemons. Miller is not immune just like lincoln or anyother brand out there.
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Harold_V
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Location: Onalaska, WA USA

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by Harold_V »

stevec wrote:I've discussed rod maintenance with others and can't understand why so many people have to to treat their rods with kid gloves and heaters etc.. My rods lie in the box they came in until I use them , the last in the box arcs and flows just like the first one out. NO Way will I pay big bucks to buy some new fangled overpriced device.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't treat all rod that way and achieve success. The low hydrogen rods are required to be kept heated once opened, and can't be out of the warm environment for more than four hours, assuming one is attempting certified work. It's not that it won't run---it will. It's that it tends to include hydrogen (porosity), which defeats the purpose of the rod.

Harold
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
stevec
Posts: 1949
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 12:40 pm
Location: N.S. Canada

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by stevec »

I use only 7014 rod so far be it for me to correct anyone. I have never been told that 7014 is immune to moisture, although it may be, so I wondered if some machines performed better with "moist" rod than others?
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warmstrong1955
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Location: Northern Nevada

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by warmstrong1955 »

None are immune to moisture, but mild steel rods like 7014.....moisture doesn't bother so much.
The low hydrogen rods do not work well after becoming moist, like Harold said, water in the flux will cause porosity. 7018 and other low-hy rods have a propensity to suck humidity out of the air like a sponge.

I have plastic 5 pound containers, with a seal, that I store all my low-hy electrodes in. Open the metal box, and in they go. I use regular old plastic boxes for the mild steel rods I have....no fancy o-ring.
Helps to live in a dry area too.

Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
Michael_Moore
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2004 1:13 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by Michael_Moore »

redneckalbertan wrote:Everyone have their lemons. Miller is not immune just like lincoln or anyother brand out there.
I'm happy with the 250DX, my post was to illustrate how expensive it can be if one of the new "computerized" welders breaks down (and the 250DX is still a transformer machine and has less electronics than a Dynasty).

cheers,
Michael
Scott
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Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 10:49 am
Location: Portland,OR

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by Scott »

Main board is over $1000 in a syncro 250, so can't get away from electronics in any new unit. Lincoln's transformer machine runs even more.. They do fail once, and a while too.
TomB
Posts: 495
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: Southern VT

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by TomB »

My Miller 200DX has served me very well. I use it for TIG in my shop but have put on most of its use hours outside, stick welding Snowmaking pipes. The outside of the unit looks like it was run over by a snowcat but that is because we have to put it into the back of a tracked truck along with a generator, plasma cutter, compressor, etc. They get tied in but it s rough ride in the back of a dump truck with no springs, up and down very rough mountainous terrain. To date the various electronic parts are holding up perfectly.

Tom
redneckalbertan
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Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:39 am
Location: South Central Alberta

Re: Which miller Tig to get?

Post by redneckalbertan »

Just came accross this thought it may be helpful if a person is concidering lincoln:

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/co ... vents.aspx
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