I've got the Miller 211 here. Absolutely no regrets.

After more and more research and reviews and whatnot, the 211 is the least I’ll buy.

I would like a multiprocess, but I have a lot of research to do before I decide if I want to actually upgrade to that.

I considered a multi-process unit, but much of the feedback I saw stated that, while they did multiple things, they didn’t do any of them as well as a dedicated machine.

You’ll like the Millermatic 211. Don’t forget to build your own welding cart!

That’s the second thing I’ll build. Arch rebuild for the wife’s garden is first. Cart is second. I think I threw out some really good wheels and metal a year or so ago. Kind of pissed at myself now.

Obviously, you must buy them both.

Which one did Obi-wan use for his light sabre?

So, I was dead set on the Millermatic 211. The best price out the door was almost $2k with a $300 rebate.

Tractor Supply was willing to give 10% off the Hobart 210 MVP. Less than $1k out the door for a machine I trust because I have welded miles, yes, miles of iron fencing with 20 some years ago.

I still have to pick up a bottle, a hood, sleeves, and a hat.

I’m more excited than I can describe now.

Nice. Enjoy. There is a certain zen to welding. You flip the hat down and world focuses to one point. The bead. The mind empties and you think of nothing else. Its like a form of meditation. Good for the soul.

If you are going to put in a 240v plug, do yourself a favor and install a quality one. That would not be the $10 Leviton you get down at the Home Depot. Install a Hubbell or similar.

Tip: Bryant plugs are owned and made by Hubbell, look identical, and cost half as much. Sometimes they're cheaper on Zoro, and sometimes directly from Grainger. For example, the Bryant NEMA 14-50R is $44 on Grainger right now. (The Hubbell & Bryant 14-50R plugs have become expensive because that is what Tesla recommends).

I grew up with a stick welder but always wanted a wire feed/MIG, but never bought one because I didn't think I'd use it enough. A couple years ago I bought an old Jeep and of course immediately things started falling off of it. There was my excuse to buy a MIG. Now that I have it, I use it all the time and don't know what I did without it. (did a lot of things the hard way for one, and didn't do a lot of things at all) This month alone I've used it to get broken bolts out, did frame repair and made a "custom exhaust" (basically cutting a factory tail pipe in four places to change the geometry to make it work)


Now of course I really want to TIG, but there I think I'm right about not using it enough to justify it or get good at it. Plus again, I'm a "driveway welder", so not real conducive to good TIG work lol.

Cas look into Everlast. They're Chinese made and the price on some models are reasonable. Many car guys really like these machines. A word about TIG machines. If you want to weld aluminum you need an AC setting on the machine. Steel and stainless DC setting. If you use them on a vehicle put your ground as close to the work as possible. If current runs through a bearing assembly it will ruin it. For TIG there are three kinds of starts. Scratch, lift, and high frequency. High frequency allows the arc to start without touching the base metal. Scratch and lift touch the base metal to establish the arc. How this doesn't contaminate the tungsten electrode is beyond me. If you're working on a vehicle with or near any kind of computer do not use a high frequency start. It will damage the computer.

Beancooker try the 75/25 gas. Its 75% argon and 25% CO2. It runs smoother than straight CO2.

Thanks for the tip goose. I was planning on 100% argon, but when chatting with the guy from Vern Lewis Welding, he said mig with 100% argon won’t have good penetration. He uses 100% C02, but he knows his equipment and said his shit is dialed in. He also is a welding engineer, so I imagine it’s second nature to him.

I agree that the 75/25 makes a much cleaner weld.

Cool thing about Vern Lewis, if you buy a small bottle and want to upgrade to a bigger bottle, they will give you every dollar you paid toward a bigger bottle. You just pay the difference. I thought that was pretty badass. So I’ll probably start off with a small bottle to keep Mrs. Cooker happy, then upgrade the first time I go to fill it.

Too bad they won’t negotiate on prices if you’re not a professional welder. I would have preferred to buy from them instead of a chain like TSC.

Nice score! It should serve you well.

Now go get that damn thing dirty. It bothers me to see a welder that clean.

You can buy a full bottle online for a fraction of the cost of buying it locally, and you can have that brand new full bottle shipped right to your door. You can get a full 125cf in the $300ish range right to your door. Then just have that bottle refilled at your local supplier when you need it.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:
I’m more excited than I can describe now.

From that pic, it looks like you were so excited you just walked thru the door and set it on the floor...'Look what I got Honey'!

So I finally had a chance to get everything hooked up and weld a few beads. First time in quite some time.
First ones are pretty ugly. Last one of the day is okay. Welded with flux core so it’s pretty messy. Happy with the weld and penetration of the last one though. I just need to keep practicing.