I am new to posting here but have been reading for a while now. My question concerns miller vs. lincoln on cross country pipeline jobs. for years if you had a miller you were lucky if you could even test for a job .Has that changed now I want to get a diesel machine and have come across a miller big 40 priced reasonable in my opinion, but if i cant pipeline with it then i may pass. any experienced cross country guys want to give me their personal experiences on this matter? any and all info is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance. I'd also like to say how good it is to have a proffesionally conducted website. Their is more quality info on here its amazing. If i could retain just a small portion of this useful info I know it will make me a better welder.
hotrodtodd,
I am not a commited pipeliner per se but I do some pipe work out here in the oilfields. Flow-lines, etc.
I would strongly recomend the Miller Pro 300. I have one and absolutely love it. The arc adjust control and smooth arc are just about unbeatable (in my humble opinion!) I have worked with guys who thought Lincoln was the only name in welders but had to grudgingly admit that this is one incredible machine.
You may run into some resistance from some of the old gaurd pipe hands but I think that mentality is fading fast. The sa200s were and are great machines no doubt, but I think the smoothness and consistancy of the pro 300s is every bit as good. Plus the fuel economy and auxillary power of the pro300 makes it my machine of choice. I predict we will see a lot more of these on pipelines in the next 5-10 yrs.
By the way, if anyone else has or has used a pro 300 please let me know what you think. Not a lot of these in my area yet!
To take the Miller vs Lincoln question 1 step further,does anyone use ,or know anyone that does, a Lincoln Vantage for cross country pipelines. Per the Lincoln info the Vantage 300 should be able to weld pipe as good or better than either a pipeliner 200 or even a 300d . I've only heard of 1 used on pipeline , but I also know for a fact the 798 union has , and I believe still is , using a Vantage 300 in their school. I'm in the market for a new machine and I prefer the Vantage for several reasons like more aux. pwer, MIG capability,size etc.. I dont want to buy the Vantage and then find out it wont stand up, or not get a job because of it ,then have to turn around and buy a different machine. I've alredy been that route once, was building drilling rigs bought a new 305g and we ran out of work a week later,so now have a new machine with only 30 hours on it with a 100' remote that i will have to take a loss on and get yet another new machine. Any and all replies will be appreciated.
By reddoggoose 
Date 11-14-2007 18:19
Edited 11-14-2007 18:21
I am not a pipeliner by trade, but I do know several guys who are. One Miller machine that gets big votes for cross country pipe is the Miller Pipe Pro 304. I know people who run them and absolutely love them, but they aint cheap. That being said a common complaint I hear from the old Lincoln guys is that the Pipe Pro has too many fancy electronics to go out. Personally I have never had a problem with the Pipe Pro that I own and my response to the old Linconln hands is "my machine may have some fancy electronics in it, but so does that new 2007 Ford dually your driving. That truck breaks down and you'll be shut down anyway, unless you have some dang long leads."
Another good Miller machine that was previoulsy mentioned is the Miller Pro 300. It has adjustable dig, digital amperage displays so there is no guessing about your amperages, and they are the quietest running diesels I have ever seen. On top of all that the wire welding performance is top flight and they are very reasonably priced.
Stay clear of the "PIG" 40 for downhill welding unless it has the arc force or dig feature. The older ones didn't have it and to run root beads the amps had to be run hotter then normal (or it would stick) which inturn would cause internal under cut. Also they didn't stack very well on the sides. I put my Classic II in moth balls last spring and have been using a TRAILBLAZER 302 doing API1104 and B31.1 all 6010. It welds as GOOD or BETTER then the Classic plus I use a finger tip control tapped on the stinger so I can change the amps as I'm welding. I haven't used a Pipepro but I have used an XMT304 (that's what in a Pipepro) in the shop with 6010 on pipe and it welds great. Take a closer look at the Vantage. The 300 only has like 23 or 24 hp where the 400 has 32.7. I'm getting ready to order a 400 and use the 17KW to power my Aerowave or Die-nasty 300 in the field doing 4" scd 80 aluminium. I haven't been able to find anyone who has a 400 to find out how it does DH. Ted
thanks for the input. I've just about talked myself into a Lincoln 300D.Got my eye on a used unit. If you are interested there are 2 Lincoln 400's on ebay in Alabama ,I think the buy it now price was $7000. Theres also a 400amp miller, a 500 amp miller, and a Vantage 500. I plan on buying a machine within the next day or two and I was hoping to have alot more replies than this to help me make an informed deceison . I dont have a problem running a Miller, I've done it before building rigs , but as stated earlier I dont want to buy a machine that I cant use on the pipeline. If I dont get some more posts real soon I'll probably have to go with a Lincoln, even if it may not be the best machine for the job , it is a safe bet ,you know it can do the job . What made me bring this question up in the first place is an old story here in Ok. years ago a welder took and passed a pipeline test , got the job, then he told the tester take a good look at his machine ,he had painted a Miller Lincoln grey. Long story short even though he had passed the test , was given the job , they didnt let him work because it was a Miller . I dont want to buy a Miller , best macine or not , then not get a job because of it . Thats why I'm asking about Millers on the pipeline. As always all info appreciated .
