Miller XR Extended Reach Welder

[rangerod]

Hello

I asked this over on the Hobart Board but did not get a response, maybe here someone might have had some arc time with this unit. I have a chance to pick up one for a good price. Has anyone had any experience with it? Would really apppreciate any & all comments. Thanks.

Rod

[joebass]

I have one. What do you want to know? It's a reliable feeder. Miller has been making them for a while now. Pretty much the only choices are that or a MK Cobramatic. What are you gonna run it from? T

[rangerod]

Power Source

joebass

I have a Ranger 8 for my portable power source at the moment. Would it be sufficient to run ths feeder? In shop I have a Power Mig 300 I can power it off of. Any & all info is appreciated. Thanks.

Rod

[joebass]

It uses a Miller 14 pin connector would this work? You still need a pushpull gun why would you run a separate feeder off a PM? Yould be better off buying a Cobramatic feeder and python gun Both would work with your Lincolns.

[rangerod]

Power Sources

joebass

The unit comes with a 30 ft gun. If I need to use this unit in shop I have the PM300 available. I am playing my options with the equipment available to me. The price for the unit is about an 1/8 of original cost and is in great condition. Anything else I try to procure for my power sources will inevitably be more expensive. I should be able to convert the 14 pin to my Ranger 8's remote receptacle. My be I am just being hopeful I can get this unit to work. Thanks.

Rod

[Desertrider33]

If you can get that XR at a good price and it's in good working order, buy it. If it comes with the XR pistol-grip torch, you can use that torch both with the XR feeder as a push-pull torch, or use it as a stand alone spool gun by converting it with a spool cannister for a Spoolmatic. I do that with mine.

I got my XR feeder/torch set used from my job. It's an '89 model feeder that was used in daily production for years and it still works good. I also have a few Cobramatic feeders and torches I got from the same job. The ones that still work, work great.

Either the Cobramatic or XR setup are both great for feeding aluminum wire. Nothin beats push-pull for in-shop aluminum welding. They're a bit heavy/bulky to use in a mobile application, but it can be done. It would be easier to convert the torch to spool gun and use it without the feeder for mobile use.

If you have the 115-volt model XR feeder, it will run off most any power source with a remote control connector and a contactor. The newer XR feeders run off 24 volts a/c.

Beware, the feeder probably doesn't have a gas valve, but if it has the pistol-grip torch, the torch has the valve built in. If you want to use the XR feeder with a Python torch, then you will need the gas valve for the feeder, which the newer XR's have. Pythons do not have a gas valve. MK's earlier Cobra and Gooseneck model torches did have the gas valve in the torch.

[rangerod]

XR Feeder

Desertrider33

Thanks for the info. The unit does have the XR 30' pistol gun with it. I want to keep the unit for in shop uses unless its absolutly necessary not to. I belive this model is approximtely the same age as your unit. It is a faily clean unit & all is in working order. We have a XR feeder & a gooseneck system at work & I love it. Well its decision time, the guy wants $400 so for a push pull system I don't think I should pass it up. Thanks for all the help to all.

Rod