Miller 135 or 175

[fyoung]

I had some adapters that I made that stayed with my MM175.

Good Idea!

[medic583]

Great idea... but how long a run can ya do with the adapters?

I'm thinking most of our projects are out in the garage.... the dryers are usually in the house.

[MAC702]

Great idea... but how long a run can ya do with the adapters?

I'm thinking most of our projects are out in the garage.... the dryers are usually in the house.

All the adapters did was convert to the NEMA 6-50 standard. After that I had several hundred feet of extension cord with those ends. And could make more from SOOW cord with little warning.

[welder1960]

In an effort to spend the least amount of money, we all have a tendency to buy a machine that will do every job imaginable. The 135 is a great machine for small work and portability. Mine is used for tacking mostly, finishing the weld with TIG or SMAW. If you're just starting and your material is under 1/8", the 135 is great. You'll have it as a back-up after you buy a larger, more powerful machine or one for a different process. If portability doesn't matter, go for the 175. Otherwise, as time goes by, you'll know you haven't sunk a ton of money into a machine you may not use often. As your skills improve, you'll know what direction to go in.

[loveswelding]

I was looking at smaller models (Lincolns and Hobarts at Home Depot) when my husband offered to buy me a new welder for my birthday. Made a visit to a local welding supply store, and the sales rep recommended the MM210. We decided on the 210 and, three years later, I couldn't be happier! I'm a sculptor, and the MM210 is just amazing. I've yet to hit on something it can't handle.

If you check around, many times Miller offers a promotional deal. My welder came with an AD helmet. Takes a little getting used to, but well worth it when it come to eye protection.

[welder1960]

I was looking at smaller models (Lincolns and Hobarts at Home Depot) when my husband offered to buy me a new welder for my birthday. Made a visit to a local welding supply store, and the sales rep recommended the MM210. We decided on the 210 and, three years later, I couldn't be happier! I'm a sculptor, and the MM210 is just amazing. I've yet to hit on something it can't handle.

If you check around, many times Miller offers a promotional deal. My welder came with an AD helmet. Takes a little getting used to, but well worth it when it come to eye protection.

I think(and you know) you made a great decision. For all-around work, the MM210 is perfect. Sculpture can take you in any direction so, having a machine that can accomodate that is the most anyone could ask for. I do so many different kinds of work which necessitates owning several machines. The MM135 is the only MIG machine I currently own but it does what I need it to.

[sjmiller]

I found myself in a similar situation a few years back, I needed some repair work done on my RV - stress cracks on the bumper where the tool box mounted, and my spare tire support. I've always wanted to learn to weld and the cost of buying a welder versus having it done was close enough to make it a DIY project. After much reading (cost & power not really a factor) and sole searching (what additional home projects was I likely to do) the 135 became the logical choice. I took a couple of classes at the local welding supply store, bought scrap from the local metal supply store and had fun "arcing and sparking" practicing welds.

As I'm sure you have gathered from reading the various posts here, the first welder purchase starts you down the slippery slope of "Tim the Tool Man Taylor". As a home/hobbyist welder - I work more with the thinner metals, and I wanted to do some Aluminium projects. My second welder was a Dynasty 200DX, now I could do stick for thicker stock if needed, TIG for my sheet metal projects, and aluminum. Now that I had multiprocess capability, an adjustable Auto-Darkening helment was needed. You are now building stuff - you need to be able to drill fairly precise holes - throw in a drill press. If you are doing TIG welding you need a grinding wheel dedicated to tungsten, and you don't want to be changing grinding wheels - add a second grinder. The chop saw and angle cutoff grinder worked fine when chopping small stock with straight cuts. The next addition to the tool chest was a Spectrum 375 plasma cutter, which required an upgrade to a 25 gal compressor that could maintain CFM requirements.

My point being - you need to decide if it is a one shot deal or the start of something bigger. The latest addition to my shop is a CNC X-Y plasma cutting table, with plans to buy the Z-axis upgrade in the near future.

Steve

[Manny]

If you have access to 220, I'd definatly go that route, or a 110/220 capable machine. I have a Passport that runs on 110 or 220 and does all I need and then some. It's also very easy on my electrical system, stores easily in my VERY packed and cramped 1 car garage, and is easily transported in my VW car. If portability isn't an issue a DVI would be great and give the option of eventually adding a spool gun if wanted. I wish I could talk the boss into getting one for work, it'd be ideal for use in our shop which has 20amp 110 circuits throughout, but only a few 220's.
Manny