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Miller VS Lincoln, Other, Recommendations Please

WeldFab

Plastic
Joined
Jul 10, 2019
Help Please,

Expanding and need to buy two new welders. For in-shop use only, not out in the field.

Requirements:

Working with 1/2" and down metal.
Wire Feed (obviously)
1 Phase 220-250 Volt.
Sturdy card design.

Thanks,
 
Are you looking for high performance (e.g. pulsed) or price point? Also what kind of duty cycle do you need (arc-on percentage of time)?
 
Well I want high performance at the best price, we weld allot of 12" to 16" pipe, so longer arc on.......We have 2 older L-Tech welders, now owned by ESAB
 
We use all XMT 450 machines. They run about $4200 + $2200 for the MPa Plus wire feeder. If you want pulsed MIG you can either use the Invision ($5000 + feeder) or the Continuum ($10K for complete MigRunner package). The Continuum is Miller's top-level machine; we don't have any here, but one of our subcontractors does and he really likes the AccuPulse feature. It seems most of the shops in this area use Miller. The local gas supplier sells Miller, Lincoln, Fronius, and Esab; I have asked them about the other brands and they always recommend Miller....
 
Man for the cost you can't beat a big old 3 phase transformer machine on bang for the buck. I bought two with wirefeeders for $300.

Sure, if you don't care about production. We used to use old CP300s and other transformer machines, but once we got started on inverters, we never looked back. You can't beat digital parameter controls, pre-programmed settings, trigger program select, pulsed arc, ramped wire run-in, and pre-post flow control. The parameters also don't keep drifting around all day like the old machines.
 
Sure, if you don't care about production. We used to use old CP300s and other transformer machines, but once we got started on inverters, we never looked back. You can't beat digital parameter controls, pre-programmed settings, trigger program select, pulsed arc, ramped wire run-in, and pre-post flow control. The parameters also don't keep drifting around all day like the old machines.

I also recommended an XMT... now a person asking broad welder recommendations on a forum with no budget isn't going to get great advice. The Continuum is amazing, if you can afford it.
 
If you're gonna get a lincoln go for the 350 mp. Still single phase but can kick out 350 amps. + fancy pulse modes if one desires. It can also run as a DC tig and stick without much fuss
 
XMT with autoline. Pretty hard to beat and I can carry 350 for half of forever..
 
I have been using XMT 304 for 20 yrs or so and they are great machines. I have two right now. Best is they will go out in the field if needed and link to any 220-440volt, single or three phase. They will really put out the juice if plugged into 3 phase, I only have single phase at shop and it is no problem for me to run hours of 250-300 amp welding baseplates or stiffeners on I-beams. The good ones will run any wire feeder and simple tig. The newer ones xmt350? have built in pulser, I have the pendant but dont use it too often.
 
The Powerwave 300c is a much better machine then a PM-350..Way better pulse features, Had both.. Powermig 260 is still where I would go..Although none of those machines has a arc as nice as my current Sanrex Thermal-arc If you could find a older Miller Shop-mate 300DX those, and or a Esab 260/300 dx weld excellent.
 
I bought a new Lincoln 256 9 months ago. Complete pile of Chinese fuck. Feed system was misaligned, out of round plastic shit. Fixed that and still couldn't make it work right. Local rep came out and said it seemed OK. 6 months later I take on another big welding job. It still welds like shit. Unstable arc, eats lincolns proprietary contact tips every 10 minutes or so. Spatters like you wouldn't believe.

Bought an Airco CV250 from 1977 for $300 that works great. I forced them to acknowledge it's unacceptable, to take it and not bring it back until it's fixed.

It's been 2 months and Lincoln hasn't done a fucking thing yet. They never call with an update like they say they will and Every couple weeks when I call them they say they haven't touched it yet.

Fuck lincoln.

I will never own another Lincoln welder.
 








 
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