Welding Tips and Tricks

Why is Miller so stingy? I recently picked up a millermatic 211 not really paying attention to what was included. The lincoln 180 dual I was considering comes with solid and flux wire, gas and gasless nozzles, knurled and smooth drive rolls in various sizes and various size tips. The Miller only comes with solid wire and a few tips. I guess I'm just surprised that Miller isn't more competitive. The lincoln is out of the box ready for flux core or mig welding (minus tank) where as the Miller requires purchasing more to do flux core.

yamahablue wrote:Why is Miller so stingy? I recently picked up a millermatic 211 not really paying attention to what was included. The lincoln 180 dual I was considering comes with solid and flux wire, gas and gasless nozzles, knurled and smooth drive rolls in various sizes and various size tips. The Miller only comes with solid wire and a few tips. I guess I'm just surprised that Miller isn't more competitive. The lincoln is out of the box ready for flux core or mig welding (minus tank) where as the Miller requires purchasing more to do flux core.

Buy a Syncrowave 210 for some serious cash and then get ready o buy the Hz SD card up grade . Miller is just like everyone else trying to survive in this country.They can do it but its at your expense!

Mainly because they can. Those blue boxes have devoted religious zealots following them. In some of there followers minds blue does no wrong. When a company gets that devotion they can piece meal it anyway they want and the followers will accept it.

Salesman excuse for it is= our customers like to customize the machine for the task they need

Company does it to make more money and customers just deal with it

They do make some pretty good welders not gonna argue that, so make an educated decision on what you think will serve you best and meet your cost factor. Each company has little things I personally like or hate with the machines comes down to which one you like better too.

Dirtmidget.....if I wasn't all weldered up, I might rethink blue if I was to do it again. I really like the equipment I have but that SD card upgrade for my new 210 kinda pissed me off. I can't remember the price at the moment but I know its a couple hundred. I weld aluminum on the stock 100hz and I will just keep doing it that way...Miller can suck eggs!

exnailpounder wrote:Dirtmidget.....if I wasn't all weldered up, I might rethink blue if I was to do it again. I really like the equipment I have but that SD card upgrade for my new 210 kinda pissed me off. I can't remember the price at the moment but I know its a couple hundred. I weld aluminum on the stock 100hz and I will just keep doing it that way...Miller can suck eggs!

I don't blame you one bit for being upset. Miller nickels and dimes you for everything . I don't own a Miller. I have used a few of them. I know a lot of people that own them and would say it prolly the most popular welder you find at commercial shops. The price and upgrade cost keeps me away. I have heard horror stories on web about repairs, but don't know anyone personally that had to pay big bucks to fix one. I don't see foresee a blue welder at my place anytime soon just to expensive. That is part of their draw to I think is cost. Just cause it is expensive doesn't necessarily make it the best but people tend to think that way

The price wasn't really a factor on my 210 as my wife bought it for me for a gift but if I was buying a machine for myself I would have looked elsewhere. Granted the machine works great but it doesn't have a lot of features that others machines in the same price range have. I would have felt better if they would have just included the pulse and Hz upgrade and charged more money than to play the car salesman game.
My friend, who is an awesome weldor, and has been at it for over 30 years told me that all these features on welders is like lures at BassPro...they are designed to catch fisherman, not fish. He told me that those features are nice to use if the need arises but there is no substitute for technique and experience and I am starting to agree. Jody does amazing welds with a plain jane red machine. I think Miller knows that hobby welding is becoming very popular and they are aligning themselves to break it off in the unwittings behinds.

Well it looks like they're giving a little more now, at least with the 211. Starting may 1st their giving a free spool gun on top of the $200 rebate that's already in affect. Looks like I bought a couple weeks to soon.