Miller Pipe Pro 304?

Date 12-02-2008 04:13

Ya the dual power set up would be nice but I heard that at low idle there around 1800 and weld idol is over 3600. That seems kind of high and just wondering what kind of wear that would put on those motors?

By pipehead (***)

Date 12-02-2008 05:01

Man I had one..... and for what your looking at doing it would probably be okay other than if your running alot of high amp stuff anything over 200amps they duty cycle sucks...
also if you stretch them out on alot of lead the could push the juice.... as far as enginge performance it was great

and if you think about it the classic 300 welds at 1800rpm think about the differnce in wear in tear and fuell consumtion at 3600....

By Jake331 (**)

Date 12-02-2008 05:19

everyone that I have talked to that has had one or welded with one has liked them....but I don't know of anybody that has one with alot of hours. I don't think it it gonna weld for 30 years like a lincoln...but its a good machine

By Douglas Main (*)

Date 12-02-2008 05:58

Yeah I kinda already have one hooked up just want to know what to expect down the road. It was pulling teeth to get one in the U.S. right now, there were one or two in Canada. But this is all good info. Ive been running a Trailblazer 302G but it wasnt keeping up with goughing, and fuel efficiency wasnt worth a damn. Really believe Im gonna like having diesel for both rig and welder. That will make the simple task of dropping some coin at the pump easy. Now this welder will weld at idle though. I can run up to about 275 amps then it will kick up automatically. I think its 275 ive been burning 7/64 7024 for the past week and havent gotten off high idle(Break-in). And wondering if anyone has run a spool gun (30A) off of theres yet I just got my voltage box to plug into the 14-pin plug but havent had the heart to lace into some alum. Kinda like being strictly a DC welder now. Haha sometimes alum cant wreck your day, in the field!

By sbcmweb (****)

Date 12-02-2008 13:35

Yeah, your Trailblazer isn't really cut out for CAC. Likely, you would burn it up if you kept pushing it maxed out like that. I have welded with the big Miller inverter based engine drives & I'm not crazy about them. There's been lots of reported electronic problems with the 304 & I knew a dude with a Du OP & he had a ton of engine trouble with it. From what I have heard, the Vantage is a much better machine & I'm a Miller guy. Lots & lots of them on pipe jobs & I've yet to hear anything bad about them. But, if you already have a lot of Miller stuff like remotes, HF box, feeder, then stick with a Blue machine.

To answer your question about the 30A, yes, it does a fantastic job running off a Miller engine drive. I use mine for field repairs often (running a TB 302) & It's always welded super. I don't do the big stuff working for myself, so the toy machine I have is more than adequate for what I do.

Good luck! S.W.

By william seering (*)

Date 12-03-2008 00:40

I own one it runs at idle to 170 amps I get some over 2 hours to a gallon not bad Ilove the way it welds down up sideways stick or tig and plenty of power 400 plus amp havent used a mig or flux core yet but im confident it will perform well

By ablake32 (*)

Date 12-03-2008 01:50

Well have you checked out the pro 300 from miller? I'm a lincoln man but I wound up buying the pro 300 (based on a reccomendation from a guy I hold in high esteem) with the Perkins and i'm really happy with it. I burn a lot of 7/64 jet rod as well as carbon arcing and a lot of heavy flux cored wire as well. I think I have around 3200 hours on it and i havent had any problems, except some of those salty old dogs calling me a mechanic when they see Im running a miller. But I fixed that problem. I got it in stainless so I pulled the decals off it and put on a Lincoln sticker and now most people think its a Vantage ha ha.

By 1mancrew (**)

Date 12-03-2008 02:20

I get the same remarks for my Pro 300 as well. I suppose my Auto-Crane doesen't do a lot to dispell that image! You should see the looks I get on a pipeline job!

I've got close to 3500 hrs on mine and I've absolutely loved it. When I started out I was repairing heavy equipment; now I'm welding pipe in a gas plant (B31.3) and this machine does it all! In my opinion the best bang for the buck on the market today.

By Douglas Main (*)

Date 12-03-2008 02:51

Yeah always get the mechanic bit. But thats all ive ran. My father handed me down an 1956 SA200 man I loved that welder, but just when it came down to outfittin my own truck, cause of were Im at true blue is about all you can buy the same day. But I did look at that Pro 300 and really like the engine set up very dependable. I just was vaery sold on the dual power. But when I bought my 304 the store owner got in that Trailblazer 350D the same day damn near slide in to that. I like the stainless package kinda looking for stainless skins now. I just got it but there wasnt one availiable with stainless let alone stainless and dual power. I have yet to see a Pro 300 with stainless. This is all greatly appreciated. For some reason I just cant get this kind of info outta the old lady. Until I get to the color part! Ha! She just likes it to shine!

By 1mancrew (**)

Date 12-03-2008 02:59

My next machine will be a Pro 300; stainless package and with the new 24 horse Deutz. I've loved the Cat but a couple extra ponies can't hurt.

This is a ways off though. There's a lot of life left in the one I have now.

BTW, where are you located?

GH Weidman

By Douglas Main (*)

Date 12-03-2008 03:56

West central Arizona (Lake Havasu City) man there are no "welders" out here now up in Kingman which isnt far off there are quite a few mobile welders. I think miller is all the local guy sells cause of service trucks small contractors and what not. I do a lot of traveling around here but when it came down to making a pretty hefty purchase of a welder I wanted to keep it local. He actually sells a lot of heavy industrial welders used. I almost ended up with a Big Blue Air Pak, or a Big 400, 500. But I was pretty sure if all I did was CAC and huge skin buring rod all day id be okay not going for them. Besides an air compressor I only need that for CAC and when a job that needs that task usually just rent a compressor or pull mine outta my garage. But yeah thats were Im from. Im actually putting another truck together after I get done building my bed hopefully for the last time this decade, for my father, and he was looking heavy at that 300 when i bought my 304 the deutz set up sounds good. But would that not be air cooled? I didnt hear about that setup yet.

By ablake32 (*)

Date 12-03-2008 04:15

Ia that Deutz air cooled? I was working with a guy who was running a Lincoln (Commander?) with the Deutz (air cooled) and man, the thing was practically rattling the review mirrors off the truck.

By sbcmweb (****)

Date 12-03-2008 04:13

There's some guys that say you'll go straight to hell for doing that! :-)

I haven't ran one, but I have heard of problems with the electronics. That said, I'm blue all the way on shop machines. That Vantage is one great machine from what I've been told.

FWIW S.W.

By ablake32 (*)

Date 12-03-2008 04:23

I might be goin to hell but i'd be surprised if it was just because of that sticker! lol

By Pat Thurman Date 12-03-2008 04:42

I had a miller pipe pro 304. I started welding water lines with dual shield. That is where we parted ways. It was a fuel hog for one. I had the kobota engine. The biggest problem was it didn`t have the power to my ln-25. However i loved the way it ran stick.

By tnhnt

Date 12-03-2008 15:24

Hey Pat save me a place on that reline..... Troy...

By sbcmweb (****)

Date 12-03-2008 05:27

LOL!!!! :-)

S.W.