MM 211 Concerns

[the45er]

Then I wouldn't have had to start a new post. It looks like I'm not the only one who believes that the auto settings on the MM211 run too hot!

[Country Metals]

You can't expect an auto-set feature to work as well as experience. Auto-set can't take into account for joint design, position, or skill of the operator. I believe the auto set was more to get more people into welding that don't have experience.

[Cgotto6]

Country beat me to it. Well said. It is not possible to have a magic button that can factor every single aspect into its calculations. Just dial it in manually like everybody else and you will be off and running.

[the45er]

You can't expect an auto-set feature to work as well as experience. Auto-set can't take into account for joint design, position, or skill of the operator. I believe the auto set was more to get more people into welding that don't have experience.

....this makes good sense.....until you think about the fact that if the auto set was designed for people "that don't have experience", then what happens when they set it and continue to burn through their tubing and can't get good welds when the machine is set as per the instructions???!!! Talk about frustrating to the newbie home welding hobbyist! You pay a premium for an "auto set" feature that after ruining a bunch of metal you learn that the auto set feature really doesn't work well and that you have to learn to set the appropriate wire speed - voltage - metal thickness - type-of-weld combination through trial and error experience. OK, I accept that, but why did Millermatic build a welder that doesn't work as advertised? I would have rather saved the money and bought a 220 V unit without a worthless feature. If I'm forced to learn the machine by trial-and-error anyway, I'd rather have not paid for the auto set!

[Silverback]

Can anyone tell me if these 2 regulators are compatible? The first is the one that came with the welder that is acting funny, the second is one that I found in my pile of stuff that I'm not sure what it came from/was originally for (it was in the box with an ebay purchase):

[Cgotto6]

I don't think you really paid any more money because of the auto set feature. Since it now comes on all entry level miller mig units it has become standard equipment. A miller 175 was the same price point as the current 180 with a/s.

Still be satisfied knowing you have a very useful, well built machine. I have been able to get decent welds with the a/s, just need to modulate travel speed, stick out, etc. I found that it was just as much dialing in to work as manually setting it.

[Shark Bait]

The chart is in the owner's manual; both the paper version, and the PDF. 4 pages' worth, IIRC.

I don't think the charts in the manual are what Steve is asking for.

I wrote Miller and asked them three questions:

1. Do you have a chart that shows what the wire speed (IPM)is at any dial setting (10 to 100)?

2. Do you have a chart that shows what the voltage is at a specific dial setting (1 to 10)?

3. Do you have any articles which describe in detail exactly how the Auto-Set feature works? Not how to set it but how it works?

Here is there answer:

We do not have any charts saying specifically what wire speed and voltage you are setting on the front of your 211. For this type of machine the best way to set your parameters is by looking at the chart on the inside door of the machine. There are recommended voltage and wire speed settings for many wires, gases, and material thicknesses.

The Auto-Set feature works by sensing the position of the two knobs on the front of the machine and setting the wirespeed and voltage to predetermined values for the wire size and material thickness selected. The Auto-Set feature was designed for use with solid steel weld wire and 75/25 gas.

Regards,


Dave Miller
Service Technician

[Silverback]

The reason that they won't give ipm <--> knob setting is that miller uses fairly agressive wire speed tracking (the wire speed changes when the power changes, even if the wire speed knob stays the same). Honestly that is one of the reasons I stayed away from their smaller machines before, I find it more difficult to set compared to some of the smaller Hobarts and Lincolns (which use little or no wire speed tracking)

[Danny]

The reason that they won't give ipm <--> knob setting is that miller uses fairly agressive wire speed tracking (the wire speed changes when the power changes, even if the wire speed knob stays the same). Honestly that is one of the reasons I stayed away from their smaller machines before, I find it more difficult to set compared to some of the smaller Hobarts and Lincolns (which use little or no wire speed tracking)

Your information would be true for the MM 135/ 175 or the earlier production run of the MM 140/180.

The Auto-set MM 140, MM 180, and MM 211 do not contain the wire speed tracking circuitry.

The early production run MM 140/180 allowed you to turn the wire speed tracking circuitry on or off. Allowing you to make the unit a constant wire speed machine if wanted.

[Cgotto6]

Interesting, I was wondering how that all worked out across the model line and which units had the wire speed tracking. I knew my 180 does not have it, but I have seen literature discussing 180's that do.