get a welder while you can

[corn chip]

since its impossible to know if welder machine prices will continue to rise many hundreds of dollars i decided to limit wallet damage and buy two new machines and might buy a third. first one (stick) arrived yesterday and the other should be here in a couple days. currently ive got the invertig watercooled ac/dc and miller 211. added a small easily portable stand alone dual voltage stick machine and another dual voltage mig for garage stuff ,although it would be fairly portable as well. probly get rid of the miller and put it toward the new ones.

 

[danski0224]

I've been eyeing one of those Fronius MIG welders for a while. Excellent reviews, but have not seen or used one in person.

There's a video where they spool out several hundred feet of 110V cord, loop the lead around and then MIG some aluminum.

 

[corn chip]

give me a few days and the transteel 2200 will be here then ill let you know what i think. fronius checked every box for me. top shelf stuff for sure , right down to the european made electrode holder and brass ground clamp. as i mentioned earlier , ill likely be dumping the miller for the transteel 2200.

 

[PugetDude]

ill likely be dumping the miller for the transteel 2200.

Is this a serious thread?

 

[Blueshound_GJ]

I don't know how to weld but that looks like a heck of a machine.

 

[corn chip]

Is this a serious thread?

i didnt say one bad thing about the miller. infact of all the common house hold brand names ,its the one i recomend. i just wanted a top qaulity machine that can do more than the miller i had. maybe you read my post wrong and thought i was knocking other brands.

 

[duneslider]

Fronius isn't a cheap chinese machine. I believe they are made in germany or austria or something like that. Pretty big deal in the EU, like the Miller of EU. I hear they are really good machines. I work with a lot of guys that come over from the EU and a few have brought fronius tig machines with them. I don't think they are super common in the USA, at least I haven't seen anyone with one.

 

[corn chip]

theyre made in austria. if you go to about 9:00 on this video it shows how the stick welder model is setup internally. its designed quite well.

 

[corn chip]

well im no professional certified welder but the machine seems to do good. the material was 1/2" thick mild steel in a t joint. top photo is one side of the joint with 1/8 lincoln excaliber 7018 at 130a if i recall. bottom photo is the piece sliced. right leg is the 1/8 excaliber at 130a. left leg is 3/16 7018 ,excaliber i think. i didnt think the machine had enough horsepower for the 3/16 but figure i would turn it up full blast to 180a just to see what happened. it motored along fine and didnt stall out but the left leg in the photo clearly shows 180a isnt enough. the 3/16 rod and 1/2" plate isnt something i normally mess with ,figured i just try it for fun.
my one complaint is they only include a small two sided post card looking thing to get you going as a quick set up guide. a full scale owners manual would of been nice instead. i was able to dload the full tilt owners manual from the fronius website easy enough but it would be nice to have a hard copy to keep on hand with the machine. oh well i guess

 

[danski0224]

give me a few days and the transteel 2200 will be here then ill let you know what i think. fronius checked every box for me. top shelf stuff for sure , right down to the european made electrode holder and brass ground clamp. as i mentioned earlier , ill likely be dumping the miller for the transteel 2200.

I'd be interested in the feedback.

Having used transformer Miller and Hobart 120V MIG welders on an extension cord, suffice it to say that doesn't work so well, even when the cord is 10 gauge.

The Fronius sure seemed to work like a champ with at least 200 feet of 12 gauge cord, IIRC.

I get that they are not the same class of machine, the Fronius is at least 2x if not 3x as expensive as the typical 120V MIG welder (name brand).

I'd guess that the Miller suitcase feeder would be the closest thing.

ESAB has a multiprocess machine that seems to be comparable to the Transsteel.

 

[Southern83]

I've used their battery powered machine. I thought it was a gimmick at first but was surprised at its performance. I think you can run 16 3/32 7018 on a single charge. You can run it with the charger hooked for continuous use. Best part it welds off the batteries so your not tripping breakers with the charger.

If money wasn't a worry I'd get rid of my Miller's but sadly it is.

 

[corn chip]

I'd be interested in the feedback.

Having used transformer Miller and Hobart 120V MIG welders on an extension cord, suffice it to say that doesn't work so well, even when the cord is 10 gauge.

The Fronius sure seemed to work like a champ with at least 200 feet of 12 gauge cord, IIRC.

I get that they are not the same class of machine, the Fronius is at least 2x if not 3x as expensive as the typical 120V MIG welder (name brand).

I'd guess that the Miller suitcase feeder would be the closest thing.

ESAB has a multiprocess machine that seems to be comparable to the Transsteel.

ya ill have atleast a short term review of the transteel by the end of the weekend.
as for the transpocket and transteel ,they both will easily run fine on 300' of cord. plenty of youtube videos demonstrating it.
esab , while ive no first hand experience ,there seems to be numerous youtubers having problems with them. atleast the rebel model if i recall. they dont look like a qaulity machine ,atleast thats my impression. ive seen them at the local welding store , nothing about them caught my interest in any way. again ive no experience with them , just observations

 

[BD1]

Millers have been around forever and customer support is outstanding. It's hard to beat Miller machines that have been the norm in the industry and have proven themselves for over my 50 years of use. I'll stick with my made in USA Millers.
It will be interesting when someone needs customer support, parts ,and service for that Fronius.

 

[gmcgeo]

you would be surprised how other brands have great customer service.

Technical support and repair

Your welding machine does not working properly? We are here for you: Fast and competent help on site or at the Fronius location nearby.

www.fronius.com

Miller is not the only machine in the game anymore

 

[mike93lx]

Millers have been around forever and customer support is outstanding. It's hard to beat Miller machines that have been the norm in the industry and have proven themselves for over my 50 years of use. I'll stick with my made in USA Millers.
It will be interesting when someone needs customer support, parts ,and service for that Fronius.

Apparently only companies in the US can provide customer service?

 

[corn chip]

nobodys saying miller isnt a good choice. i been using them for years at work (airpak ,trail blazer , xtreme suitcase). reliability has been excellent. far better than lincoln from my experience. but i feel theres other top choices out there as well , especially for us home users.
something to note about miller (and every other common brand) , they arent all made in usa. atleast the smaller millers are only assembled in usa ,says right on the back of the macine. some reports say the thunderbolt is made in china ,although i havent confirmed that for myself. lincoln says made in mexico on the back of their home user machines. cant remember where esab is made but its not usa , probly china , or some other country and assembled with china components.
call me crazy but i dont worry about the fronius breaking down. ive full confidence its using top qaulity components ,not chinese junk. ya nothing lasts forever but ive no worries of its longevity. maybe ill have a different view on fronius machines down the road but thats where im at right now

 

[speed bump]

Nice purchase, I've heard good things about the Fronius welders from the internet but the only people I know with them didn't find the migs to be anything special (we are taking job shops who run spools of wire per machine per week).

 

[corn chip]

heres all the info i have so far. everything showed up last night but all i had time for was basically opening the box. tonight i mainly just read the owners manual trying to get familiar with stuff as theres far more modes and adjustable paramaters than im accustomed to.
like the transpocket180 that showed up the other day , this one doesnt have a full scale owners manual either (only a quick start up guide). a bit disappointing , especially since the machine seems a bit complex when you start digging into all the features of it . once again i just dloaded the full manuall from fronius website easy enough but i wanted a hard copy with the machine. makes it much easier than trying to read it on my phone.

accesories are similar to the stick welder stuff. appears to be same brass ground clamp , made in italy. rod electrode holder is saci brand ,made in italy. 20a 110v plug. 15a 110v plug. 220a plug with two different style ends.
was a 10pk of .030 and 10pk of .035 contact tips. .030 and .035/.040 drive rollers for solid wire. in a seperate non fronius box was a cheapish made in china profax gas regulator. likely included by the welding store i suppose. it would work good enough i suppose but ive already got a decent regulator ill be using instead.
one thing that stood out right away is the gun. this sucker means business. its a beastfor sure. seems like something you would find on a industrial machine ,not a home owner setup. im used to the miller gun which is slimmer and smaller in size so may take some time to get used to it. also something worth mentioning, the transteel will mig weld aluminum with the included gun. most other machines ,atleast in this price class require an addition spool gun purchase which is nearly $600 on top of the welder price.
any ways ill try and get some welding photos tomorow

 

[danski0224]

Nice info.

The Fronius MIG gun and cable assembly is no ordinary setup. I also am familiar with their claims that it will do aluminum through their MIG cable without a spool gun.

I believe there is some sort of pivot joint between the rigid gun end and the cable.

Didn't read up on their cable liner. Not sure if it needs to be changed if you switch from steel to aluminum wire.

 

[Retroman]

I was going to upgrade from my Hobart 140 to the Miller 215 but I like the versatility of the Transteel 2200. But not sure if I even need that much machine as a home gamer the I think the 211 would be sufficient.

 

[banjopete]

Aren't they apples and oranges on price too? Definitely just a avg joe here but the fronius stuff looks great and sounds like they're really top end stuff but prices also correspond. It's very cool seeing the stuff though so thanks for sharing OP.

 

[boom_bap]

Miller is owned by ITW since 1993 and pretty much everything is Made In China now. Still quality products, but lets not lie to ourselves here.

 

[tarbellb]

Congrats nice machines

You realize how inflation works tho right... consumer fear feeds the machine

 

[hh76]

Millers have been around forever and customer support is outstanding. It's hard to beat Miller machines that have been the norm in the industry and have proven themselves for over my 50 years of use. I'll stick with my made in USA Millers.
It will be interesting when someone needs customer support, parts ,and service for that Fronius.

I've installed 100s of Fronius inverters over the years, and chose to install one at my house. Nothing but the best customer service.

 

[corn chip]

Aren't they apples and oranges on price too? Definitely just a avg joe here but the fronius stuff looks great and sounds like they're really top end stuff but prices also correspond. It's very cool seeing the stuff though so thanks for sharing OP.

if your asking specifically about the fronius transteel 2200 , actually its a bit cheaper than its direct competition from lincoln (power mig 210mp) and miller (multimatic 215). the lincoln aluminum package with spool gun is $2400. miller doesnt seem to have a alumin package but the spool gun is $650 , machine is $2000. fronius is $2178, plus about $100 for the necessary small parts to run aluminum wire , remember it welds aluminum with the supplied gun. when you really dig into every little detail about each machine , i feel fronius easily pulls out front of all other machines.
lincoln and miller give you 10' gun and ground leads . fronius is 13'.
fronius has ip23 protection. lincoln only ip21c. miller i couldnt determine if it has any ip protection.
duty cycle , fronius wins hands down against miller and lincoln. also i may add , lincoln is not very transparent in their duty cycle info but what little info they do publish , fronius easily wins.
the mig guns, i havent seen the lincoln so i cant speak to it . millers gun is fine. has a nice nimble feel. fronius gun is a beast. seems more industrial, rather than homeowner. perhaps that could be good or bad. might be tricky getting into tight spots , otherwise i see zero disadvantage.
ground clamp , fronius is cast brass. miller appears to be stamped steel ,albeit with a copper strap connecting the jaws. not a bad clamp , but still a step behind a solid brass clamp. lincolns clamp im not sure of , probly similat to millers.
wire feed rate , miller 60-600ipm. fronius 59-708ipm. lincoln 50-500ipm.
fronius has a synergic weld mode. neither miller or lincoln have this mode that i could find.
ill be honest , i simply dont have the time to go into and type every tiny detail / feature / function / parameter, between these machines , other wise i would be typing all night and half of tomorow

 

[nadogail]

well im no professional certified welder but the machine seems to do good. the material was 1/2" thick mild steel in a t joint. top photo is one side of the joint with 1/8 lincoln excaliber 7018 at 130a if i recall. bottom photo is the piece sliced. right leg is the 1/8 excaliber at 130a. left leg is 3/16 7018 ,excaliber i think. i didnt think the machine had enough horsepower for the 3/16 but figure i would turn it up full blast to 180a just to see what happened. it motored along fine and didnt stall out but the left leg in the photo clearly shows 180a isnt enough. the 3/16 rod and 1/2" plate isnt something i normally mess with ,figured i just try it for fun.
my one complaint is they only include a small two sided post card looking thing to get you going as a quick set up guide. a full scale owners manual would of been nice instead. i was able to dload the full tilt owners manual from the fronius website easy enough but it would be nice to have a hard copy to keep on hand with the machine. oh well i guess

If you can download the manual and want a personal copy; just send the downloaded file to a printer.

 

[corn chip]

If you can download the manual and want a personal copy; just send the downloaded file to a printer.

yes i know. heres the problem. the manual is 132pgs as its very detailed. it might kill my printer. although im thinking about giving it a try anyways lol

 

[corn chip]

Miller is owned by ITW since 1993 and pretty much everything is Made In China now. Still quality products, but lets not lie to ourselves here.

heres something on the thunderbolt. he claims its made in china ,as opposed to assembled in usa with chinese components like some of the other miller stuff. certainly it appears better than the bottom barrel chicom welders. still it doesnt sit well with me that its made in china. thats one of numerous reasons i went to fronius instead of staying with miller. i get it ,its millers entry level budget machine, intended for the newbie just getting started , and probly a great choice for the money.

 

[corn chip]

If you can download the manual and want a personal copy; just send the downloaded file to a printer.

just got a great idea. maybe ill go print it at a local library lol. they charge $.10 a page i think but that would be well worth $13 rather than using my printer

 

[danski0224]

Might be worth going to one of those shipping places or office supply places and have it printed and put into a binder.

 

[corn chip]

a good part of the day was spent getting the machine setup on the cart ( had to cut off some brackets and relocate) so i wasnt able to try out the machine for hours and hours but at the end of the day i managed to weld four tee joint coupons. 3/16 material anf 4" long so a total of 32" welding. not much but all i had time for. tomorow ill cut them in half and see what they look like.
anyways i did learn a few things. the fan is dead silent most of the time. im not even sure it idles when the machine is just sitting there. i think it was after the second coupon it kicked on for five or six seconds and went back off. other machines ive used ,the fan turns on when the gun trigger is pulled ,even if the machine is stone cold. that is some what annoying.
also i found a paper with each machine. from allitle research it appears to be a calibration and inspection document. i guess fronius tests every machine that goes out the door. pretty cool if you ask me.
since i do a fair bit of self sheilded fluxcore ,the next step is get set up to do that and aluminum mig. already i have dual shielded fluxcore wire so ill be trying that as well.

 

[Farrier]

Millers have been around forever and customer support is outstanding. It's hard to beat Miller machines that have been the norm in the industry and have proven themselves for over my 50 years of use. I'll stick with my made in USA Millers.
It will be interesting when someone needs customer support, parts ,and service for that Fronius.

Exactly

 

[corn chip]

miller ,lincoln and fronius each have 3yr warranty so theyre on level playing field in that regard. you can make the argument miller and lincoln have more repair facilities which probly is a fair assumption but not every town has red or blue repair facilities ,so you may have to ship it out regardless what brand you have.
heres how i see it. theres no question high end machines are built to much higher standards with much better components. buy a high end machine and worry little ,if at all , about when and where it will leave you stranded. if you have no confidence in your machine , i suppose youll have alot of sleepnless nights

 

[gmcgeo]

Thanks for showing this awesome set up.

 

[snakeeyes]

We have all miller machines in the shops at work. Lincoln welder/generators to take on big mobile jobs where there are no welding drops. However, we bought like 6 Accupocket battery operated welders after trialing one for a year. They cost a lot like almost $4k, but they are great for areas where you don't have welding drops and a diesel powered unit would require like 100+ feet of cable.

We did not jump on the Fronius bandwagon for mig and tig, because of their proprietary consumables are a lot harder to get when you have to go through larger welding supply houses that mainly cater to miller, esab, and lincoln.

That being said they have some great machines and I have been to their US location for a tour. Their machines are nice, tons of options(more if you hook up a computer), and the mig welders being able to compensate for stick-out changes to maintain a constant arc is crazy cool. The amount of setting you can change is probably wasted on the average shop, but if you are into mission critical, and robotic welding where you need every setting possible this is the company for you.

 

[corn chip]

We have all miller machines in the shops at work. Lincoln welder/generators to take on big mobile jobs where there are no welding drops. However, we bought like 6 Accupocket battery operated welders after trialing one for a year. They cost a lot like almost $4k, but they are great for areas where you don't have welding drops and a diesel powered unit would require like 100+ feet of cable.

We did not jump on the Fronius bandwagon for mig and tig, because of their proprietary consumables are a lot harder to get when you have to go through larger welding supply houses that mainly cater to miller, esab, and lincoln.

That being said they have some great machines and I have been to their US location for a tour. Their machines are nice, tons of options(more if you hook up a computer), and the mig welders being able to compensate for stick-out changes to maintain a constant arc is crazy cool. The amount of setting you can change is probably wasted on the average shop, but if you are into mission critical, and robotic welding where you need every setting possible this is the company for you.

hey thanks for chiming in. i to use millers at work. 302trail blazer powering a xtreme 12vs suit case. excellent equipment for sure. unfortunatly i have a bad taste for lincoln and refuse to have one at home. had a vantage on the work truck but it gave me electric problems in the front panel , despite being repaired once , and despite the machine being nearly new. a small sample size i know , but it just soured me toward lincoln , especially when my current millers have been flawless.

yes the fronius battery powered welders looks cool for sure and in certain situations im sure its priceless. ive read of mobile welding companies using them for times when its difficult or near impossible to get the leads to a particular location.

about fronius equipment being proprietary. the answer is actually yes and no. ive been eying their tig welder but i didnt like the thought of being stuck with only their torch, although some youtubers claim to really like it , i prefer the ck stuff myself. after a bit of research i found ck makes a fronius dinse connector so you can use common ck torches , plug and play , nothing proprietary about it. this discovery has repeaked my interest in the fronius tig. you could buy all the ck pieces individually and build the torch setup yourself , or this place has complete torch assemblies , ready to rock and roll https://weldmetalsonline.com/collec...lex-head-tig-torch-for-fronius-magicwave-230i

their migs could well be proprietary in the sense that no aftermarket companies make fronius guns. with the little bit of time ive had using the factory supplied transsteel gun , i really like it. contacts tips cant be bought at every local welding store but can be ordered online and to your house in just a couple days. and theyre nearly identical in price to millers contact tips at $20 for 10pk.

 

[corn chip]

the machine i use at work. has kubota 3cyl deisel. runs good. welds good. been stone cold reliable so far. has around 600hr i think

 

[03ranger]

LWS had an open house this past week, had Fronius, Harris and Metabo factory people there. After being able to run the Fronius welder, I’d love to sell my Lincoln MVP 210 and buy a Fronius welder, yes it’s that good! The setup is easy and you can set it for the exact material your welding. Fronius uses the same liner for both aluminum and steel wire. Changing between wire sizes is quick and easy and only one feed wheel and the feed tension is set using a indicator on the tension setup.​

 

[tester19]

Thanks for posting as I had not heard of that brand before.
In your pictures the MIG gun head is much larger than normal? Looks like that would be a limitation especially for guys like me welding on car bodies and in other restricted area's.

In fact I plan to get a flexible welding head someday to try just for that reason.
.
.
.

 

[corn chip]

yes the supplied outer nozzle is larger as the photo shows. perhaps theres some advantage with welding aluminum or stainless steel as it gives a larger gas coverage area. of course a disadvatage for tight areas. theres numerous nozzle sizes and styles that can interchanged however but i havent dig very far into that yet. just based on parts break down diagrams i see theres other nozzle configurations that can be used. while i havent tried it yet i picked up a smaller end nozzle. appears stainless while the other is copper so im not sure if it has a specific purpose but ill try it soon as i get the chance