Millermatic MIG Welding Buyer’s Guide

For detailed specification sheets or to locate yournearest Miller distributor, call:1-800-4-A-Miller(1-800-426-4553)w w w. M i l l e r We l d s . c o mAn Illinois Tool Works Company 2003 Miller Electric Mfg Co.Millermatic MIGWeldingBuyer’sGuide

February 2003Table of ContentsYour Personal Guide To MIG WeldersPage2The Original All-In-One MIG2Selecting A MIG Welder3Millermatic Product Specifications6What Makes A Quality Welder?8Product Highlights101

Your Personal Guide ToMIG WeldersFrom farmers to metal fabricators, home mechanics toprofessional motorsports champions — these experts allchoose MIG welders to build and repair equipment. MIGwelding is easy to learn, makes great welds on a variety ofmetals, gets the job done quickly, and is cost effective.But which welder is right for you? Miller Electric puttogether this buyer’s guide to help you make an informeddecision. This guide shows you how to select the welderthat best satisfies your needs, answers many frequentlyasked questions, and provides a detailed description ofMiller’s line of Millermatic All-In-One MIG welders.The Original All-In-One MIGMiller Electric invented the Millermatic back in 1971.We combined a MIG powersource, wire feeder and gun intoa single package, dubbing it anAll-In-One welder. Today, youcan choose from a varietyof different brands, but nonereflects nearly three decades ofcontinuous Millermaticinnovation.By listening to what you want, we’ve made the best better.Millermatic—the All-In-One MIG leader.2

Selecting A MIG WelderWhy Should I Buy A MIG Welder?A MIG welder, sometimes called a wire welder,creates an arc between a continuously fed filler metal(consumable) electrode and the weldment. Advantages ofMIG welding include: Welds light-gauge material or thick plates. Welds all common metals—carbon steel, stainless steeland aluminum. High welding speeds. Up to four times faster than Stick,and nearly double the metal deposition rate. Less smoke and no slag to chip off. An easy process to learn.Can MIG Equipment Also Be Used ForFlux Cored Welding?Yes—just switch the polarity links near the drivesystem and change from solid wire to flux cored wire. Theadvantages of Flux Cored welding are: Works as well as Stick on rusty or dirty material. Deep penetration for welding thick sections. Portability; can eliminate need for a shielding gas bottleby using a gasless flux cored wire. Gasless, also known as self-shielded flux cored wire,is better suited for outdoor work.How Much Amperage Do I Need?One way of classifying welders is by how muchamperage they can generate at a given duty cycle. Basically,amperage equals heat. Some approximate amperages forMIG welding mild steel are:ThicknessAmperage18 gauge70 – 1001/8 in120 – 2003/16 in140 – 2051/4 in140 – 2251/2 in250 Note: Amperage requirement varies with wire size, welding position, joint andshielding gas being used.3

Selecting A MIG Welder continuedDoes Input Power (115 Or 230 Volts) MakeA Difference?Yes, because power in equals power out. A welderwith 230 V/30 amps of input can weld thicker materialsthan a 115 V/20-amp welder.Rest Time4 MinutesWhat Does “Duty Cycle”Mean?Duty cycle is the amount of timeduring a 10-minute period thata welder can operate at a givenamperage without overheating. Forthicker metals or bigger jobs, choose awelder with a higher duty cycle.Run Time6 Minutes60% Duty CycleDo I Want A Welder That Can Run DifferentWire Diameters?Yes, for versatility. Using thinner wires, such as.023 or .030 in, prevents burn-through on thin materials.Conversely, using thicker wires, such as .045 in, can helpensure excellent fusion on thicker metals.4

Can Any MIG Unit Weld Aluminum?No. Aluminumrequires a faster wire feedspeed because it melts soquickly. If you plan tofrequently weldaluminum, use aspecially designed MIGSpoolmatic 30Awelding power sourcelike the Millermatic Pulser or a special aluminum feedinggun like a Spoolmatic 30A or Spoolmate spool gunpaired with a Millermatic 251 or Millermatic 210 powersource.The Millermatic Pulser is the only all-in-one unitdesigned to pulse MIG weld thin aluminum to reduceburn-through, minimize distortion and ensure goodfusion, even on aluminum as thin as 19 ga.For the smallerMillermatic power sourceslike the Millermatic 135 and175, the optional SGA 100adapter and Spoolmate 3035 spool gun are availablefor your aluminumapplications.Spoolmate 3035Can I Use One Shielding Gas For Every Metal?No. While many people weld on mild steel withstraight CO2, only a few machines produce good weldswith low-spatter (notably the Millermatic 135). Most mildsteel applications call for a mixture of 75% Argon and 25%CO2, commonly called “75/25.” Aluminum requires pureArgon, whereas stainless steel welds best with a tri-mix.5

What Makes A QualityWelder?When comparing All-In-One MIG welders, look fordurable components, a user-friendly design and goodsafety features. Check out the design features of theMillermatic family:A.F.FrontPanelE.B.C. (D.)A. Heavy-Duty Transformer. Built to industrialspecifications, the transformer inside a Millermaticwithstands years of hard work. We test and rate ourmachines at 104 F. In hot weather, the Millermatic stillwelds smoothly long after other welders experiencearc flutter.B. Cast Aluminum Drive System. Durable castaluminum feedhead incorporates spring-loaded tensionarm and calibrated tension knob designed to make set upeasier and faster.C. Drive Rolls. Dual-groove, quick-change drive rollsprovide more flexibility to weld with different wirediameters while providing smooth, positive feeding.The Millermatic 210, 251 and 300 feature dualgear-driven rolls, driving the wire from top and bottom fora more positive feed (minimizing the chance for arcstumbling due to poor feeding).8

D. Drive Motors. (Located behind C. Drive Rolls)have gone through extended life testing to ensure years ofreliable performance.E. Wire Braking. A good braking system, like that inthe Millermatic series, provides the correct wire tension,preventing over-spooling, tangles and sloppy feeding.F. Convenient Polarity Reversing. Millermaticwelders feature quick polarity changeover, which makes iteasy to switch between hard and flux cored wires. Withsome competitive units, you have to rewire the machine.Contactor. All Millermatics have either a mechanical orsolid-state contactor that keeps the gun electrically colduntil you pull the trigger. Some brands don’t have thisfeature.Miller’s Exclusive “Tip Saver” Short CircuitProtection. This feature in the Millermatic 135, 175and 251 shuts down output when tip is shorted to thework. It extends contact tip life and protects internalcomponents from damage. Trigger reset permits quickreset at torch rather than unit.Fan Cooling. This protects your investment bykeeping a Millermatic’s internal components at thedesigned operating temperature.Overload Protection. Thermal shutdown protectsthe welder if the airflow is blocked or the fan circuit doesnot operate.Warranty. Like all Millerwelders, we cover theMillermatic with our threeyear True Blue Warranty.9

Product HighlightsMillermatic 135For the light-duty oroccasional user who wantsexceptional performance. TheMillermatic 135 provides asmooth low-end arc forwelding metals as thin as 24ga. without burn-through andenough power to provide good penetration on metals upto 3/16 in. thick. It also features Infinite Voltage Controlwith Wire Feed Speed Tracking which automaticallyincreases or decreases when voltage is adjusted for abroader operating range with finer control.Millermatic 175When the light-duty userneeds a little more power, theMillermatic 175 uses 230 V inputpower to weld materials up to1/4 in. in a single pass. It alsofeatures Infinite VoltageControl with Wire Feed SpeedTracking for automatic adjustment soyou can stay in the Sweet Spot even when voltage ischanged. At 81 lb. the Millermatic 175 is compact and easilyportable, and with a 30 to 175 amp range it provides theextra power you need.Millermatic 210More power, 30 to 210 amprange for larger welding projects,the Millermatic 210 also offers thefine tuning control racingprofessionals demand. It featuresseven taps for improved highand low end performance andan industrial, dual-gear drivendrive roll system for running largespools of wire. The Millermatic 210provides a “soft” arc with great wetting action for superiorbead appearance. And for aluminum applications, there isa direct hookup for a Spoolmate 3035 spool gun.10

Millermatic PulserThe only all-in-one unitspecifically designed to pulseMIG thin aluminum, theMillermatic Pulser is trulyinnovative. The unitfeatures a 30 to 200 amprange, can weld aluminumas thin as 19 ga. or up to 3/8 in.thick. It comes standard with aSpoolmate 3035 spool gun anddual cylinder rack for easy set-upand operation.Millermatic 251The Millermatic 251 is anall-in-one MIG welder thatprovides a superior arc whenwelding 22 gauge up to 1/2 in.metal. Engineered forperformance, the Active ArcStabilizer provides the mostconsistent arc starts in itsclass along with optimumweld performance in allsettings.Aluminum welding setup is easy with the directhookup of the optional Spoolmatic 30A. With Miller’sexclusive Gun-On-Demand, simply pull the trigger foreither gun and you’re ready to weld.Add the optional Push-Pull Module and an XR gun forprofessional aluminum wire feed capability. XR-type gunscan be directly connected to the Millermatic 251 with thisoptional Push-Pull Module. This allows you to use 12 in.rolls of wire instead of the more expensive 1 lb. rolls withthe spoolgun.11

Millermatic 300Miller’s first three-phase all-inone welder. The Millermatic 300 hasthe convenience, simplicity andphysical size of the Millermatic 251,but uses three-phase inputpower for a super-smooth arc.Plus, you get 300 amps of weldoutput at 60% duty cycle and canrun 1/16 in. wire. Take on biggerjobs—you’ve got the power. Unique 4x4 system providing four geardriven drive rolls for optimum wire feedingperformance. Easily adapts to aluminum—to add an aluminum spoolgun, like the Spoolmatic 30A, just plug it in!No extra module to buy or install. Digital meters—so you can preset voltage andwire feed speed to ensure accuracy and reduce practicewelds.12

For detailed specification sheets or to locate yournearest Miller distributor, call:1-800-4-A-Miller(1-800-426-4553)w w w. M i l l e r We l d s . c o mAn Illinois Tool Works Company 2003 Miller Electric Mfg Co.Millermatic MIGWeldingBuyer’sGuide

Miller’s line of Millermatic All-In-One MIG welders. The Original All-In-One MIG Miller Electric invented the Millermatic back in 1971. We combined a MIG power source, wire feeder and gun into a single package, dubbing it an All-In-One welder. Today, you can choose from a variety of di