best Mig welder for the money

WDP

WDP

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Ok guys my mig welder has crapped out on me old lincoln, so i am in the market for a new one, i know there are alot of welders, and fabricators on here and i would get my best advice on here so lets hear what you have to say.
 
I dont know what all you weld and how much you want to spend, but the lincoln power mig 350mp is an amazing machine. Comes with a push pull gun for alumimum. Can do mig stick and dc tig. Ive even used one to air arc with 1/4" carbons
 
110 or 220? How many amp machine you looking for? I picked up Lincoln 255c for $500 used at a pawn shop. It is a dream to run.
 
Millermatic 251 here for home use. I've used Lincolns, Millers, ESAB's, ect and I've always come right back to Miller. Helps they're made 20 minutes up the road from me ;)
 
I really like my Miller 210. It is a great machine and I have NEVER overstepped the duty cycle while welding any of the projects I have built with it. I can add a spool gun if I ever get to needing one for aluminum...
 
252 miller is tough to beat in my opinion.

We have one, my cousin who has a small jig welding shop has one and would like to have a second one.
 
Lincoln if you do heavy duty work, and Miller for light duty stuff. Heavy industries use Lincoln for a reason.
 
WDP said:
Ok guys my mig welder has crapped out on me old lincoln, so i am in the market for a new one, i know there are alot of welders, and fabricators on here and i would get my best advice on here so lets hear what you have to say.
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What welder were you using? Need to know the materials you work with their thickness, and what voltage you are going to supply it with.
 
Schrowang said:
Lincoln if you do heavy duty work, and Miller for light duty stuff. Heavy industries use Lincoln for a reason.
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I'm not sure what industry you're talking about, but every heavy fabrication shop/weld shop uses nothing but Miller. Someone sold you bad crack.
 
All lincoln at work, between manual and "auto" (sub arc) welders, there's well into triple digits of machines. Weld from 3/16 up. Mostly spray, a few short circuit for open roots.
 
Lincoln runs the pipeline. I mostly see miller in facility's for tank and structural, fab shops as well.

If you're in the market for blue, zoro.com seems to have the best price when they have their "flash sale". I caught a 30% off sale and worked out great for me. The red machines had better pricing at local places at the time, so even with 30% off it wasn't much better than what I could pick up local.
 
Miller all day every day. I don't get along with our lincoln machines AT ALL. We have a diesel lincoln portable and it welds like complete chit. Our 10 year old miller bobcat kicks its azz. Same story with our 220 powered lincoln machine. Our millermatic 200 kicks its azz as well. Millernatics and I have always gotten along.
 
whitneyj said:
I'm not sure what industry you're talking about, but every heavy fabrication shop/weld shop uses nothing but Miller. Someone sold you bad crack.
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Whoops! I meant the shops I've been in, worked in, or lived around (several different states from the Mississippi to the East coast)
 
I have a Miller 212 and love it. Its a good hobby,pro unit with out a big dollar price tag. I will say if you can swing it get the 252 you have much better control over wire speed and voltage. Makes it easier for switching back and fourth to different thickness metals.

I dont care much for a smaller welder then a 212 as it alawys seems that you need to weld something thicker the next day after you buy a welder.
 
awesome thanks for all of the great info, the welder i used was a old lincoln 180 just worn out, and it was used for such a wide varity of projects,i dont have a set thickness i weld consistantly.i am looking at the millers now would really like to have a spool gun option.
 
Personally I wouldn't buy a machine smaller than 250amps unless it was deciated to a purpose. If dont mind tapped settings look at htp 2400 or hobarts 230.
 
Every fab shop I've ever worked at bled Miller blue.

I've got a 15+yr old Miller that's been cranked to the moon and run wide open countless times.

Next welder I buy will be another Miller
 
whitneyj said:
I'm not sure what industry you're talking about, but every heavy fabrication shop/weld shop uses nothing but Miller. Someone sold you bad crack.
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I've built anything from cat dozers to ore hauling ships for the lakes. They were all built with Lincoln machines. Look at any pipe welding truck, Lincoln.
 
Schrowang said:
I've built anything from cat dozers to ore hauling ships for the lakes. They were all built with Lincoln machines. Look at any pipe welding truck, Lincoln.
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Most. Been seeing Pipe Pros pop up more often lately.

Edit: let me clarify more often... Lincoln still dominates, but there's a growing number that are jumping ship for blue (actually stainless) machines and liking them.
 
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Lincoln and Miller are both good. Personally I only buy Miller, they are constantly upping their game with some pretty cool technology, I got in the habit of saving all of my non ferris pulse settings on an sd card. Pretty damn handy. Between the two it really comes down to preference.
 
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