Miller 211 & series 100 Spool gun what a POS!

[H80N]

Hope they get that MM350P sorted out for you.... mine is about 5 years old now and has behaved the whole time.... the MM350P w/25ft Alumapro has been a wonderful setp for my purposes... sorry to hear you are having probs.....

[rockscout]

Danno i dont want to hi jack this but a pic says a thousand words right. This probably looks similar to your stuff..

I welded the 2 110v passes first so the plate was hot for the 220v pass but didnt seem to stick

All the beads on the left are run on 110v. The ones on the right are 220v

[turbo38t]

ewwwwwww!!!! No one's perfect but Miller equipment is pretty ****ed good. Hopefully it's a little user error but lemons do come from all trees at times...

Danno i dont want to hi jack this but a pic says a thousand words right. This probably looks similar to your stuff..

I welded the 2 110v passes first so the plate was hot for the 220v pass but didnt seem to stick

All the beads on the left are run on 110v. The ones on the right are 220v

[turbo38t]

Looks like too much wire, not enough volts on the 110 settings....

ewwwwwww!!!! No one's perfect but Miller equipment is pretty ****ed good. Hopefully it's a little user error but lemons do come from all trees at times...

[Danno]

Update:
Well now I know why I buy American, I get a call from Airgas yesterday afternoon and the factory Miller Tech wants me to call him about my 350P. So I called him today, David is his name and man was he a big help and a stand up guy and knows these machines.

He agrees the feed system needs to be replace and believes that the circuit boards should be replaced and the software updated. He said he is going to next day air the parts to the repair facility immediately! Now that's service, THANK YOU MILLER!

Now with the 211 and spool gun, David says the 211 and gun were ever designed for 5356 ONLY 4043 because of the amperage, he states we would need 220-230 amps to make that wire spray and obviously were not going to get that from the 211 and furthermore the gun is only rated for 160 amps and a 30% DC.

I will accept that.

Then This afternoon I get a call from Ben the Miller Production manager and wanted to know what they could do to make this all right! I said so far they are in my book, I just need my 350P back ASAP, and I have no doubt they will make it happen. He also said about the 211, that their 2012 catalog now says 4043 only.

Miller Electric thank you! Lets see some Chinese company step up like this!

Oh you know what would make this better a 8'-10' Miller Banner for the shop and two 2' long Miller stickers for are shop trailer...

Danno

[eighttrayjourneyman]

Sorry for the title but I am so frustrated with Miller right now!

A little back ground of myself and my equipment.

I have been in the fab business now 36 years, ran just about ever machine made, stick, mig and tig. This year I got a very nice contract to build some components for our military and decided it was time to upgrade all of my welders and plasma cutter.

I went to my local Airgas and bought the following:

1) Miller 350P Mig with a XR pro and Mig gun
2) Miller 350 LX Tig
3) Miller 211 with series 100 spool gun
4) Miller 875 Plasma

Needless to say it was a chunk of change, but I am fine with that.

Now then, I have fought the 350P now as long as I can and it was returned to Airgas for repair, one day it runs as bad-ass as it gets and perfect as its advertised, the next day its a PITA, thats another story.

However the Miller Rep. did come out, did not have a clue what he was looking at and didn't even bring a hood with him! But was sure trying to sell me a new Miller welding jacket!

Its all good thought, I have a Brand new 211 that works like a dream on steel, so I will hook up the spool-gun that I have never taken out of the box and use it while my 350P is in the shop.

I am working on an aluminum project that is all 5086 tube and sheet. the tube 1/4" and the sheet 1/8", I take the spool gun out of the box, hook it up, try a test coupon, 1/8" sheet to 1/8" sheet in a flat fillet position, look at their little chart inside the door for a starting point, which is 5.5V/65w, **** near blew the tip off.

All is good though, its just a starting point... So after a little adjusting I have ended up with 5.5V/100w, AND THATS ON 1/8"material!!!

There is no way in **** MY machine could weld anything thicker.

I tried to weld a piece of 1/8" to the 1/4" tube, it just balled right up... It has more voltage but I'm tapped out on wire speed.

Here is what where I'm at with wire and gas:

100% pure Argon
DCEP
Gas is 22 CFH
.035 5356

I'm **** near ready to have my local Miller dealer come pick all this crap up and refund my money!

OK, so Rant over!

Those of you that have this combination were are you running at for this given material thickness?

Danno,
Unique Metalcraft Inc.

Sorry to hear of your problems, I will let you know what I have been doing. On my Miller 211, of course you already know aluminum is straight argon or some mix of helium for more heat transfer if you like and can get it, but you dont need it. I am welding 3/16s Aluminum with no problem. Turn wire speed up all the way to 100 and your heat up to 3/8 metal, this throws the wire into a spray mode of sorts and if you hold nozzle about an inch away from the parent metal it goes on well with a little side oscilation. Not bad for such a small machine. Give it a try, its really hot at that setting so experiment with distance from metal with your nozzle. I have been a boilermaker for 40 years Retired. It works well for me. Let me know hope this helps

[eighttrayjourneyman]

Sorry for the title but I am so frustrated with Miller right now!

A little back ground of myself and my equipment.

I have been in the fab business now 36 years, ran just about ever machine made, stick, mig and tig. This year I got a very nice contract to build some components for our military and decided it was time to upgrade all of my welders and plasma cutter.

I went to my local Airgas and bought the following:

1) Miller 350P Mig with a XR pro and Mig gun
2) Miller 350 LX Tig
3) Miller 211 with series 100 spool gun
4) Miller 875 Plasma

Needless to say it was a chunk of change, but I am fine with that.

Now then, I have fought the 350P now as long as I can and it was returned to Airgas for repair, one day it runs as bad-ass as it gets and perfect as its advertised, the next day its a PITA, thats another story.

However the Miller Rep. did come out, did not have a clue what he was looking at and didn't even bring a hood with him! But was sure trying to sell me a new Miller welding jacket!

Its all good thought, I have a Brand new 211 that works like a dream on steel, so I will hook up the spool-gun that I have never taken out of the box and use it while my 350P is in the shop.

I am working on an aluminum project that is all 5086 tube and sheet. the tube 1/4" and the sheet 1/8", I take the spool gun out of the box, hook it up, try a test coupon, 1/8" sheet to 1/8" sheet in a flat fillet position, look at their little chart inside the door for a starting point, which is 5.5V/65w, **** near blew the tip off.

All is good though, its just a starting point... So after a little adjusting I have ended up with 5.5V/100w, AND THATS ON 1/8"material!!!

There is no way in **** MY machine could weld anything thicker.

I tried to weld a piece of 1/8" to the 1/4" tube, it just balled right up... It has more voltage but I'm tapped out on wire speed.

Here is what where I'm at with wire and gas:

100% pure Argon
DCEP
Gas is 22 CFH
.035 5356

I'm **** near ready to have my local Miller dealer come pick all this crap up and refund my money!

OK, so Rant over!

Those of you that have this combination were are you running at for this given material thickness?

Danno,
Unique Metalcraft Inc.

Use 220 volt set up for sure and I have had good luck with the 4043 wire in 0.30

[eighttrayjourneyman]

Hey Danno
I can sympathize with your problems. I have an answer that works well for me I will give you all the parameters that work with my 211. Of course run on 240/220 volts using straight argon 030 wire 4043. wire speed all the way up to 90 or 100 depending on your taste. Use the setting of 3/8s metal that throws the little 211 into a spray mode of sorts hold nozzle about 1inch away from parent metal to keep from frying tips and it does fine on 3/16s aluminum for me. I hope this helps, I am a retired boilermaker of 40 years, I fought it for a little bit but this works well for me hope it will for you .

[kvwall]

Hey Danno
I can sympathize with your problems. I have an answer that works well for me I will give you all the parameters that work with my 211. Of course run on 240/220 volts using straight argon 030 wire 4043. wire speed all the way up to 90 or 100 depending on your taste. Use the setting of 3/8s metal that throws the little 211 into a spray mode of sorts hold nozzle about 1inch away from parent metal to keep from frying tips and it does fine on 3/16s aluminum for me. I hope this helps, I am a retired boilermaker of 40 years, I fought it for a little bit but this works well for me hope it will for you .

Are you using the spool gun or just running the 4043 inside the 211?

[Danno]

Are you using the spool gun or just running the 4043 inside the 211?

I was using 5356 in the spool gun, but if you look at my upate Miller says the machine was never intended to run 5356, 4043 only.

However I never did get the 8'-10' Miller Banner for the shop and two 2' long Miller stickers for are shop trailer...

Danno