Keeping Welding Machine Clean

[OverkillYJ]

How much do I need to worry about my new Miller 211 getting dirty? Its not filthy, but my garage is a workshop, and all the metal grinding and cutting I have been doing lately has gotten metal dust everywhere. I use it constantly and do not have a cover because I am thinking it would mainly be a waste of money since I would not want to deal with the hassle of taking it off and putting it on constantly. If not covering it means it might **** out on me though I will go buy one and use it.

 

[Farmall450]

Maybe take it apart and blow it out once in a while.

 

[zkling]

Maybe take it apart and blow it out once in a while.

That is the best thing you can do with clean dry air. If it gets really nasty you can actually wash them out with water. Yea keep it covered when not in use, but in use the cooling fan will **** the grit and other stuff in the air allowing it to deposit and possibly short out the machine. I've seen high $ tig machines killed because people grind right in front of them in the weld booth. You really don't want to put a filter on the intake as it will cut down on the cooling air. If you would bother to read the manual it will say to blow it out on a specific service interval dependent on how dusty the shop is.

 

[2mJps]

Some guys from miller put on a deal at the place i worked. They said that the higher up off the floor your welder was the better to keep dust out.

 

[Richard Cranium]

that is really good to know, I have an old Millermatic 35...Thanks for the info

 

[lotsoftools]

I'm thankful that I put a cover on my welder. I was getting ready to paint one time and dropped the gallon bucket on the floor. Paint shot up into the air and onto everything, including the welder cover.

 

[T VETTE]

My Lincoln has a factory cover and easy on and off, clean now. Found cheap on ebay!

 

[premierplayer]

I throw an old T-shirt over the welder at work, it helps.
I also keep a T-shirt over my welding helmet and full face safety mask.
A cover for the welder would be nice, I'd use it.

 

[A_Pmech]

Don't spray sparks at it off your grinders and you'll be fine.

Blow it out once in a blue moon when you're bored and want to know what's inside.

 

[sberry]

Agree, don't blow dust at it, in a home garage it takes forever to **** up any real dirt. Had one 25 yrs, used near daily and took a look, was a waste of time to blow it out.

 

[OverkillYJ]

Good responses. I will be blowing it out then and buying a cover. For me it is like, weld, grind, weld, repeat. So the welder is next to me half the time. @ $1200 I would rather not kill it within the first 5 years.

 

[sberry]

It doesn't hurt to take care of it but I seen them in filthy shops and plugged. As AP said, don't blow grinding dust at it and after a while you learn to stage some work so it isn't sitting there running in a dust storm. You wont kill it in 5 years though no matter what you do.

 

[sberry]

It doesn't hurt to take care of it but I seen them in filthy shops and plugged. As AP said, don't blow grinding dust at it and after a while you learn to stage some work so it isn't sitting there running in a dust storm. You wont kill it in 5 years though no matter what you do.

Most of the dirt gets in while its running.
The stick was blown out once since I owned it, not much in it then and only few hrs since and the feeder once during a repair and its got 1000"s of hrs run time.
A cover protects the paint.

 

[OverkillYJ]

Are these new ones really as durable as the old ones though? The older ones are like tanks. My father in law has a Miller 210 made about 20 years ago and it is twice the size as this 211. If I had one of the older ones I would actually be less worried about it.

 

[sberry]

The older one is a different model. Its made as a 212 now. The companies have put a lot of work in the new compacts, a hobby/diy guy couldn't wear one out.

 

[zkling]

Are these new ones really as durable as the old ones though? The older ones are like tanks. My father in law has a Miller 210 made about 20 years ago and it is twice the size as this 211. If I had one of the older ones I would actually be less worried about it.

I'm not sure if I would say they are less durable now. But more so they are much more complex and when ever you add complexity and parts to a product the probability for failure goes up. Particularly tig and high feature mig welders. Metal components have been replaced with plastic. Copper windings have been swapped for aluminum. Complex circuits have replaced large diodes, caps, transitstors etc. The Miller 210 was one of the best mig machines they ever made. It was a light industrial, full size mig machine. A different class of machine than the compact 211. The wire spool capacity, duty cycle, build structure are quite a bit different. As sberry said, comparing the old MM210 to the current 212 would be more accurate. I didn't know the 210 is that old, are you sure the one he has is the 210 and not the old 200? I think my 210 is from the late 90's. It's a work horse.

Quite honestly if someone gave me the opportunity to "upgrade" to a new dynasty runner from my early 90's 250 syncrowave. I don't think I would take the offer as if something went out on the dynasty after warranty I doubt I could afford the repair. At work we have mostly dynasty 300 and 350 runners. I've seen the repair bills. No thanks.

 

[silverdot1211]

That is the best thing you can do with clean dry air. If it gets really nasty you can actually wash them out with water. Yea keep it covered when not in use, but in use the cooling fan will **** the grit and other stuff in the air allowing it to deposit and possibly short out the machine. I've seen high $ tig machines killed because people grind right in front of them in the weld booth. You really don't want to put a filter on the intake as it will cut down on the cooling air. If you would bother to read the manual it will say to blow it out on a specific service interval dependent on how dusty the shop is.

Try and keep water out of the machines. Plain and simple don't do it. Also filters are used Deltawelds, Goldstars, and other 3 phase equipment
https://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/spec_sheets/DC16-2.pdf‎ (Top of page 6)

 

[silverdot1211]

sorry try this
http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/spec_sheets/DC16-2.pdf

 

[zkling]

Try and keep water out of the machines. Plain and simple don't do it. Also filters are used Deltawelds, Goldstars, and other 3 phase equipment
https://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/spec_sheets/DC16-2.pdf‎ (Top of page 6)

Nah, you can easily wash out a welder with water. Many of the big industrial rental shops do just that as well as many places that rebuild and sell welders. Obviously a bit of sense is needed when doing such.

The problem with additional filters is if the machine was not designed for a filter, the added filter may cause a flow restriction.

 

[theknurl]

way less reliable......

its always the circuit boards.....as my salesman said "a new machine lasts 6 months....you got a good one"

just blow the dirt out every year or so......worked for me on the same machine for 39 years, Lincoln 300/300 its still on its 1st set of points and it used to get run 5-6 hours a day 5 days a week doing aluminum

 

[BMB]

So what does everyone think about vacuuming a welder out instead of blowing it out?

What's the possibility of blowing something "bad" onto the circuit board?

 

[zkling]

Both have their inherent risks. I usually use the leaf blower and blow gun at a distance. I know many a shops that wash with water on the nastiest machines that air blowing or sucking just won't remove.

 

[Tejaas]

So what does everyone think about vacuuming a welder out instead of blowing it out?



What's the possibility of blowing something "bad" onto the circuit board?

I do both, and vacuum and blow out my welders often... Never had a problem with a little bit of care taken to protect the electronics. Once a year or so I crack them open and isopropyl everything that's collected in the hard to reach spots.

My XMT 350 has that "Wind Tunnel Technology" louvered cover that directs airflow. That thing stays spotlessly clean inside.


~Tejaas~

WTB: Snap-On Orange Hard Handle SDD6 & SSDP63 in Very Good Condition!

 

[OverkillYJ]

Those are some good responses. I guess I am not worried anymore. My father in laws machine is about 20 years old BTW. That would put it around 1994. Everyone feel old yet?

It is quite a bit bigger, and I did tell him I thought it was the 212 now because of the duty cycle, but he told me he thought it was the 211. Either way, the 211 is more machine than I need as an offroad hobbyist. I love it and believe it will last a long time now.

I should also mention I am a field technician for all types of technology. That is exactly why I was worried since I see these printed circuit boards failed every day, but it sounds like this is made much better that the servers and network equipment running websites like this one.

 

[MarkG]

I'm probably just fussy about my stuff, but after buying a new Hobart Handler and making a pretty nice cart for it, it didn't bother me to spend a little extra on a Hobart cover too. Nothing probably ever crapped out from being too clean!

 

[padronanniversary]

Water it down with caps discharge and unplugged, the blow with compressed air, then let it dry good for a few days