- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I've had pretty poor luck with my MIG welders in the last couple years. I bought a Lincoln SP175 back when I was 18 yrs old from Humphreys Welding in American Fork and it served me for damn near 30 years and I built a LOT of stuff with it. I decided to upgrade to something 'better', bought a used ESAB Rebel and had issues not long after putting it to work. Had to pay $400 to get it repaired after it shut off on me, I was frustrated so I bought a new Hobart Multi-Handler 200 and it worked great for just over a year, then it shut down on me while attempting to TIG with it.
Another trip to a welder repair shop and this time it needs a new Card, but Hobart doesn't have one available (supply issues).... so they're sending me a new-in-box Multi-Handler 200 and the old one will be for parts.
I've been feeling pretty upset about my welder issues, getting real tired of them dieing in the middle of big projects, I shouldn't have sold my old Lincoln SP175 because it was working fine!
IMO, multi-process machines just aren't reliable long term, as they have too much going on. I knew I wanted my next machine to be a new, quality unit that was in my price range ($2k or less), with an excellent warranty.
I did a lot of reading & research and ended up pulling the trigger (lol) on a Miller Multimatic 211. My neighbor has one and I've used his and was quite impressed. It's rated to a max of 3/8" and is dual voltage, plus you can add an optional aluminum spool guy and weld up to 1/4" AL if desired. It also has a light on the front of the machine if you hit the duty cycle, you don't have to guess when you're good to get back to laying beads, which is handy.
The 211 also has an on-demand fan, so it's not constantly running, pulling dust and dirt into the machine like a full-time fan would. Best of all and what made me feel good about buying was the 3 year warranty. Pricing was $1935, but Miller has a $400 rebate so really $1535, plus tax. That seems like a bargain for a quality machine!
I have some pretty big projects ahead of me and can't wait to break in the 211. Unfortunately it'll be a couple of weeks, as I'm headed to TX for Advanced Welding classes ( for work).
Another trip to a welder repair shop and this time it needs a new Card, but Hobart doesn't have one available (supply issues).... so they're sending me a new-in-box Multi-Handler 200 and the old one will be for parts.
I've been feeling pretty upset about my welder issues, getting real tired of them dieing in the middle of big projects, I shouldn't have sold my old Lincoln SP175 because it was working fine!
IMO, multi-process machines just aren't reliable long term, as they have too much going on. I knew I wanted my next machine to be a new, quality unit that was in my price range ($2k or less), with an excellent warranty.
I did a lot of reading & research and ended up pulling the trigger (lol) on a Miller Multimatic 211. My neighbor has one and I've used his and was quite impressed. It's rated to a max of 3/8" and is dual voltage, plus you can add an optional aluminum spool guy and weld up to 1/4" AL if desired. It also has a light on the front of the machine if you hit the duty cycle, you don't have to guess when you're good to get back to laying beads, which is handy.
The 211 also has an on-demand fan, so it's not constantly running, pulling dust and dirt into the machine like a full-time fan would. Best of all and what made me feel good about buying was the 3 year warranty. Pricing was $1935, but Miller has a $400 rebate so really $1535, plus tax. That seems like a bargain for a quality machine!
I have some pretty big projects ahead of me and can't wait to break in the 211. Unfortunately it'll be a couple of weeks, as I'm headed to TX for Advanced Welding classes ( for work).
