The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest What do you guys think! Miller 211???

I'm ready to pull the trigger and buy me my first welder. it's most likely going to be a miller 211, if anyone has any feed back that would be great good or bad. I'm planning to weld my IFS on from jaminez brothers...

Excellent choice for a home restoration project welder, go for it.
No more to be said!

dg

Excellent choice for a home restoration project welder, go for it.
No need to say more!

dg

In my search for the "right" MIG welder for me I considered many and decided on the Miller 252. Have been very pleased with it thus far and expect to be for many many years.

Can't speak to the 211..
But if you had considered the 252 I'm sure you'd find it real handy.

Grigg

You're absolutely right enough said!
I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Grigg,

Would the Millermatic 211 with cart (at about $1,200 after rebates, plus gas tank) be a bad choice for someone who:

- will not be welding often
- will not be welding anything bigger than 1/4 steel (and, no other types of metals)
- wants easy portability
- wants 230 and 110 volt operation (110/115/120 V & 220/230/240 V)

I/we have an older version of the 211 (only 120v) and it has not limited what we have needed to weld. I will be looking for a new welder next year (my "old" one will stay with my friend, Dave, here in NY).

211 with cart, before rebates

Well, I just gotta say a tad more for the concern of anyone
else looking for a machine. I'll show some numbers one would
use in choosing a welder for home use. Listing the max duty
cycles of each machine, here's how they stack up. Like
stepping up a ladder, all depends on how high you want to
climb. All of these would be fine for the average home
fab/restoration shop and how deep your pockets are at
the time is the determining factor.

Specs:
211 @ 220v, output is 150a 40% duty cycle. $1138
FREE Miller Classic VS auto-darkening welding helmet special
($100 value). A plus is it's only 38lbs. A negative is you
have to stand the bottle in the corner or make a cart for it.

The machine I'm using.
212 @ 220v, output is 160a 60% duty cycle $1900

Also an excellent choice. Having made my living welding for
many years, had I been able to scrape up an extra $500 at
the time I would have gone with this machine also.
254 @ 220v, output is 200a 60% duty cycle $2500

I got a new 211 about a year and a half ago.
Tim describes my type of welding.
It's been a perfect fit and easy to use.
It was cheaper to buy the cart than, to make one myself.
Bought it from a local welding supply store. With cart, full tank and a couple small spools of different wire. Total price was 1400$.
\
Don

My 252 came in at $1,800 after 40% discount from Zoro and $100 rebate from Miller. Could have got another $100 worth of rebate/free Miller stuff had I realized it and ordered something costing that much at the same time.

The 211 looks like a pretty nice machine and ought to do anything you'd need for these old trucks.

Grigg

I got a 211 earlier this year and Tim's description also fits my usage.

The dual voltage was a significant selling point because the shop that I currently rent only has 110 V power, but I want the greater capability of 220 V in the future.

The portability is also convenient. Just this weekend I used it for some "remote" welding.

The infinitely variable voltage is a substantial upgrade from my old welder, which only had four voltage settings.

The cost delivered was $878 after rebates.

Thanks, everyone, for the clear and helpful information.

211 plus accessories - $1295 no tax, free shipping, after $400 rebate
• Miller Spoolmate 150 Spoolgun (301272)
• Miller Running Gear/Cart (301239)
• Miller 211 Cover (301262)

http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.c...der-spoolmate-150-and-accessories-907614

I'll check this out after I move to NC.

Sput - nice price - for future reference, from whom did buy your unit?

Can't go wrong with Miller....see tons of 'em on the back of welding trucks. After going back and forth I ended up getting the Lincoln 180HD at less the 1/2 the price of the 211. It's my first MIG so don't have anything to compare to, but beats the heck out of what I can remember from high school shop stick welding. I'm on my 5th 10 kg roll of wire and love it. It's a 220 and I made a heavy duty 20 ft extension cord to get more of the shop covered. Have not welded body panels yet though, just lot's of 1/4 and 3/8.

I'm dragging this zombie thread out of the graveyard to ask one more question- - - -Northern Tools has a "Hobart Handler" dual voltage (115/230 volt) MIG unit on sale for $895.00, capable of using flux-core wire or bare wire with a gas pack, and can weld up to 3/8" thick mild steel in one pass. It's about half the price of similar-capacity Miller machines. Does anyone have any experience with this brand of welder?

Filled Argon and CO2 gas cylinders are going to run close to $250.00 apiece, after which I can swap them for refilled ones at a fraction of the cost. That beats leasing cylinders- - - -buying privately-owned ones catches up with leasing costs in about 2 years' time.
Jerry

Jerry,

I've not used that specific one, but I'm leaning towards the Lincoln 210 MP . Does stick, MIG, and TIG. Comes in around $1200, but recently saw it on Lincoln's site for $899 or $999.

Eastwood 175 with spool gun included and three year warranty for $500 is an alternative.


http://www.eastwood.com/mig-welders...4JHpVNZKpiKhWUA6HxWVi5yUaDCVsaAiZp8P8HAQ

Spool gun looks like it would get to be a pain to use.
Large and heavy.
What are the advantages of having one?

Don

They are for aluminum welding.

Thanks SS, that makes sense.
Aluminum wire would not be stiff enough to push thru the hose lead.
I may have to check into one, just to play with.

Don

Spool guns can be a pain, but they're about the only way to MIG aluminum. When I was a pipefitter/welder for Gallo Winery in Livingston California, we built most of the platforms and stairways around the plant and the storage tanks from aluminum, and we burned a LOT of wire through spool guns. Doing all of that with TIG would have taken far too long!
Jerry