Ordered A Miller 211 MIG Welder

[pirana]

I ordered a Miller 211 over the weekend & it should be here sometime this week. Also ordered a Spoolmate 100 spoolgun so I can weld aluminum. Unfortunately, I have to wait until I can afford to buy some gas bottles to use it. Anyway, anybody bought this welder or any of the small Millermatic line of MIG welders & your thoughts on them?

 

[Zrexxer]

I have owned a dozen Miller machines over the years, and currently have a 212 with a 3035 Spoolmate. If you weren't absolutely thrilled with yours I'd be very surprised.

The Spoolmate 100 is pretty light duty, but if you're using it as your personal machine and taking care of it rather than in a production environment, it should last just fine.

 

[Jack Olsen]

It's a solid little machine. Love the portability -- including the fact that you can run on 110v when that's the only option.

I haven't welded aluminum with mine. Figured if I ever had much of a call for that I'd use it as an excuse to finally get a TIG machine.

 

[mjb]

If I was buying my first welder, the 211 would be my choice.

I use the Spoolmate 100 with my passport plus and it works great on 1/8th aluminum. As stated above, not really for production, but a great accessory to have.

Have fun with it.

 

[CamarosRus]

I bought a 220V 180 Auto Start MILLER...............

Dont have any plans to weld Aluminum..........Will I be OK for all things steel with regard to autos and trailers ???

FYI, I also have 250 AMP Dial Arc TIG/Stick MILLER

Thanks

 

[35mastr]

I have a 210 and have run miles of wire through it. I like that its 220.

 

[metal1313]

i love it..i want one bad, and cyberweld is local to me which is tempting,but i cant afford it, and wont charge it. but one day i will buy a 211, auto-set, with dual voltage. one day

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I have a 211 and love it. The option of using 120V or 240V came in handy last weekend on a trip to dad's to weld up his mower deck and he didn't have 240V available. The biggest pain was getting used to running flux core instead of solid wire with gas. It worked well however and I didn't have to haul a gas bottle with me. If you do that though, make sure you don't forget to reverse the polarity...Don't ask me why I know...

 

[pirana]

According to my tracking # it should be here thursday. Since I knew the dimensions of it i've already made a cart for it at work. As for the Spoolmate 100 not being for production welding the price kinda gives that away. I'll just use it occasionaly for alum. projects. For example, my brother wants me to build him a casting platform for his boat. A few weeks ago I used a friends little Lincoln mig welder to flux core weld new steps on an outdoor spiral staircase at my parent's house just plugging into a regular wall receptacle & that's when I got the bug to get a little portable welder. Except I wanted a little more power for when I need it than that little Lincoln had.

 

[JSGAuto]

I have wanted a 211 since they came out.

I don't have 220 (100amp breaker) in the garage, so I run my TIG at my buddies house....such a pain to lug whatever I am doing 30 min away.

Please give a review of it when you get it....but I am sure it will be positive. I havent read anything bad about these machines!

 

[pirana]

I have wanted a 211 since they came out.

I don't have 220 (100amp breaker) in the garage, so I run my TIG at my buddies house....such a pain to lug whatever I am doing 30 min away.

Please give a review of it when you get it....but I am sure it will be positive. I havent read anything bad about these machines!

I don't have 220 either, at the moment anyway, but my brother's electrician friend who wired up my little shop for almost nothing last year, is going to wire me up so I can use it to it's full potential. I wanted a TIG welder also but figured i'd use a MIG more but in the future I sure want one.

 

[NUTTSGT]

congrats on the purchase, you should be very happy with it.

 

[iamironman]

I haven't used a 211 but I have used several of Miller's 250s, 251s, Bobcats, and Trailblazers, they're all great machines. I use a Spoolmate 100 with Passport Plus and have had great results. The Spoolmate is no 3035, but it's also less than 1/4th the price. I have run it for 4-6 hrs steady regularly with no trouble at all.

I'm sure you'll like it.

 

[arkangel06]

Congrads on your new welder!!

 

[drivadesl]

I recently moved up to a MM211 from a Century Mig machine. No comparison between the two, I figure this is the last MIG machine I will ever need. No problems welding together 3/8" thick plate either. I'm sure you will love it.

 

[tonydanzah]

I bought a 220V 180 Auto Start MILLER...............

Dont have any plans to weld Aluminum..........Will I be OK for all things steel with regard to autos and trailers ???

FYI, I also have 250 AMP Dial Arc TIG/Stick MILLER

Thanks

I have the 180 and love it. No problem so far with auto and trailer. I normally run the .23 wire instead of the .35 wire as I do alot of exhaust and thin metal work.

 

[slimneverdies]

I've had my 211 for about 6 months and sold my Lincoln 180 since. No comparison. I've been doing a lot of 3/16" steel and it will burn right through it. That DVI technology is the best thing to come to these welders in a while. Only issue for me is that I havent had any luck with the autoset settings.

 

[hedjhawg]

I bought a 252 after a decade of using Lincoln's 110V Weld Pak flux-core.

This miller is so good, all I have to do is THINK about welding, and it makes a PERFECT bead...

 

[ripsnortMN]

It's a solid little machine. Love the portability -- including the fact that you can run on 110v when that's the only option.

I haven't welded aluminum with mine. Figured if I ever had much of a call for that I'd use it as an excuse to finally get a TIG machine.

Jack, didnt I see a Hobart in your garage in one of your photos?

 

[Jack Olsen]

Yes. I liked the Hobart, too. But I sold it to a fellow Garage Journal member after getting a deal I couldn't pass up on for a 211. The 110v Hobart would still be up to task on everything I've welded, but now I've also got the potential for heavier work.

 

[rwfabworks]

Just wanted to congratulate you on your purchase. I have a miller 140 and a 180 both autoset. But my ideal machine is the 211. I have a small fab business and seem to be going to locations more and more for jobs. The dual machine is perfect for me.

LOL I may have to try and sell both of mine to pick up one of these.

 

[gsport]

well, it's been a couple of months now.. how do you like your new 211?? i've had mine since january and couldn't be happier with it. i moved up from a Clark 130, and there is no comparison.. with the 211 on autoset, it sure makes me look like i know what i'm doing... lol here it is sitting on my first project... sorry, the wife like red, lol

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I bought Jack's former Hobart and though I've barely used it (I'm working on resetting my garage, bit...by...bit, at night, after work, when I can) I'm stoked about using it. Espcially after seeing the things Jack did with it. Jack even provided me instructional DVD's he used to learn to use it. Thanks so much Jack.

 

[speed bump]

I have wanted a 211 since they came out.

I don't have 220 (100amp breaker) in the garage, so I run my TIG at my buddies house....such a pain to lug whatever I am doing 30 min away.

Please give a review of it when you get it....but I am sure it will be positive. I havent read anything bad about these machines!

A 211 will run on a 40a breaker just fine and a 30a most of the time.