Need your help

By dee

Date 12-29-2003 09:00

Sammy,
The archives are filled with earlier discussions that can lend you some insight.

If MIG is how you want to go, see if your sales/supply house can show you how something comparable to a Miller250 will work with Argon85%/CO2 15% shield (additional CO2 WILL make a difference- this mix might be a bit of trouble finding for "testing" purposes) The standard mix is typically 25% CO2... it requires more arc energy and inputs more heat to the work (a little greater risk of burn-thru on thin steel) as well as limits the versitility of these larger "small" welders on heavy stock.
Lincoln has similar rigs, and testing just about any reputable brand's largest single phase offering might be what you want. Many come equipped with, or at least ready for a spool gun; some offer a 2-tank rack to handle 100% Ar and an Ar/CO2 mix on the same dolly... unfortunately any of 'em will probably be a bit over budget (I'm only aware of US prices in US$) by the time you add on the extras. You'll need a variety of filler wire sizes, drive wheels, contact tips and perhaps even liners so you may want to start out with just the spool gun at first... you'll possibly save on consumables, particularly for gauge material.
So much for unconventional thinking.

Why not TIG? One gas, easy to change filler, other advantages as well.

.Are you considering used?
.How thick is "heavy steel"?
.What sort of duty cycle do you need?

Good luck, and wellcome aboard!

By bmaas1

Date 12-31-2003 15:21

I would tend to agree with dee. I think that a Millermatic 250 would work well for you. It will handle the heavier material and should still be able to dial down for the liter gages. Probable the most bang for your buck here and also pretty durable.

Brian J. Maas

By echo Date 01-03-2004 08:45

For less than $1500.00 you can get a Miller 210 and it will do everything you want and more and you won't be going back later and buying another machine. Pretty soon they might have a promotion and you can maybe get some free stuff to go with it if you're not in a hurray to buy.I think a 210 is about $1100.00 then you can buy some wire,gas and a helmit with the $400. Will probably weld 3/8 steel ok. Have to get spoolgun for aluminum. David

By dee

Date 01-04-2004 00:11

Echo,
You raise a good point. Sammy may prefer your rationale in the end... "good enough" does indeed get the job done.

I am aware of various manufacturers' 210 Amp machines. I selected a 250 because its about the smallest standard power supply which can attain every [non-pulse or other electronics imposed] mode of transfer on steel, and it will give Sammy more heat input for any serious Al work he may decide to do. Sammy's never responded with answers to the thickness of the work he's planning to do, or the other questions, so you and I both remain at a disadvantage.

There's some psychological phenomena I'm trying to work around with the thinking behind my opinion. One is that blindly paying more means better equipment... it isn't true. Another is more amps is better... it can but isn't necessarily true. Perhaps the most important is that the buyer often has little concept of the implications of his choice (relating here to how expensive or convenient versitility might be) In this case those fourty or so extra Amps push the upper limit of the welder to the lower range of practical spray transfer; it can lead him where a 210 cannot go.

Although a 210 cannot match the process versitility, if he will never use it, and is disinclined to ever be able to with this rig, it's a waste.
Unless extra energy (and duty cycle) will come in handy on aluminum, and it well might, I would tend to agree with you that the money he'd spend would be better put toward consumables and accessories.

Frankly I'm not sure a semiautomatic weld process such as GMAW is appropriate for Sammy. It's real strength lies in it's ability to lay down weld bead efficiently... the high rate of deposition translates into production efficiency, lower product cost, and higher profit at the end of the day but it leaves a lot to be desired when you want to switch between one filler and another, swap gasses, guns, feed rollers (sometimes liners) and so-forth... the cost of a wide selection of GTAW filler rod and tungsten is negligaible by comparison and much easier to store without corrosion or deterioration. Should we presume Sam is aware of this?

It's hard to figure out how to give sound advice.
Anyway, Sam seems to have scramed... I guess all we can really do is wish him luck.

I hope you see I wasn't simply trying to steer him to the biggest box his bucks would buy.

Regards,
d