Millermatic 211

[shortgoroper]

Ok,

Narrowed my search down to a Millermatic 211 as an upgrade from my MM 135. A few questions though....

The MM211 comes with an M-10 gun. Would there be a benefit if I got the M-15 gun to go with it??? If I ordered the MM211 from a LWS, can you order the M-15 to come with the MM211 as an option??? What is the difference between the M10 and the M15???

Also, I plan on getting a spool gun. Is the 100 series sufficient, or would it be a benefit to order the 150amp model spool gun???

Thanks,
matt

[haroldmulder]

Millermatic 211 welding guns

I recently bought the Millermatic 211 from IOC and in all my research I did not see anywhere an option that you could change the mig gun from one that is included in the box. I am building my first project which off course is a welding cart to put the welder on and once finished will post some pictures. In reading the posts and looking at other sites people talk about upgrading their guns which I plan to do as well. I am looking at purchasing a Prostar from Praxair with a 15ft lead and a 250 amp rating with appropriate liner for
.030 wire. Their gun is to the best of my knowledge a Bernard manufactured gun for Praxair so has the same shape as their OXO style gun and has the same centrefire consumables which do not need any tools to attach. Looking forward to welding with the new gun. Should cost me around 230$Cdn.
Good luck on your purchase.

[shortgoroper]

What Bernard gun would be a nice upgrade???

What would the higher amp gun do for me???

[aametalmaster]

What is the difference between the M10 and the M15???



Thanks,
matt

M15
-M10
_____
M5 Sorry i wasn't very good in math
I have the M15 on my MM185 and it looks like the M10. I don't know what the difference is and i have asked here too. They both take the same parts and look the same so how the get different duty cycles is beyond me. My buddy bought a MM211 a few months ago and loves it...Bob

[captkipp]

mig matic guns

MIGmatic™ M-15, 15 ft
150 amp model, compatible with all current Miller wire feeders and Millermatics. Comes with 15 ft (4.6 m) cord and is setup for .030 - .035 in wires.
169593 $304.74


MIGmatic™ M-10 Gun, 100 A, 10 ft
100 Amp MIG gun, 10 ft (3 m). Shipped with liner.
195605 $208.06


I went on to Bernard website and built an example gun for you. You would have to build one for yourself (very easy to do on the website) and submit it for a price quote from Bernard. There are many options available to you.

Summary
Q20 : 200 amps

15 : 15 ft. (4.57 m) cable

A : 200 Amp Curved Handle, Standard Trigger

Q : Fixed, Medium 30° QT3-30 neck

8Q : 0.035" (0.9 mm) aluminum wire Centerfire contact tip

M : Miller® direct plug style


Remember generally speaking the more amperage a gun is capable of welding with, the larger the gun gets. I doubt you would need anything larger than these examples. If you do, you need a different mig machine!

[captkipp]

Specifications for the Millermatic 211
Input Power

•230 V, 25 A, 60 Hz, 1-Phase
•120 V, 20 A, 60 Hz, 1-Phase
Rated Output

•150 A at 23.5 VDC, 30% duty cycle (230V)
•90 A at 20 VDC, 20% duty cycle (120V)
Welding Amperage Range

•30 - 210 Amps
Wire Speed

•60 - 460 IPM (1.5 - 11.7 m/min)
Net Weight

•74lb (33.6 kg)


Just for reference, these are the welding range specs for the 211.

[shortgoroper]

So what you guys are saying is.. THe M10 would be a little restrictive. Getting an upgraded gun will allow the MM211 to perform a little more efficiently???

[Sandy]

Besides the difference in ampacity there is the length to consider. That 15 foot length is something to think about if you plan on a steady diet of .023 wire. Of course if you buy a new 15 foot lead you'll still have the old one, but you'd probably want to swap leads back before running a lot of .023..

I have a 15 foot gun on a Lincoln machine and "as is" the small wire is do-able for a quick job but thats about it. By "as is" I mean with the existing .035 liner. Sure you could go through the pain of switching liners each time and all but that's not for me. Swapping guns would be border line effort for just a quick job.

Longer guns are nice for most things, the shorter guns are nice for some things too.

[Diverdude]

A longer gun would be nice. As for the spool gun, Miller only list the SM100 as compatible with the MM211. After research it appears the 3035 could be used if the plug on the machine end was added and 2 wires in the plug reversed. Haven't finished all my research yet. I did get the 100 with my 211 and it has welded really good on the aluminum I have done, 1/8" plate and 3/16" extrusion.

[aametalmaster]

MIGmatic™ M-15, 15 ft

My M15 gun is 10' so that isn't the difference in them. I can take all of my M15 parts from my gun and put them in my buddys M10 gun plastic case. The only thing i see is the thickness of the copper tube that makes the difference in amps. If i was you i would just run it as is. For the difference in a new gun price you might as well upgrade to a bigger welder...Bob

[shortgoroper]

My M15 gun is 10' so that isn't the difference in them. I can take all of my M15 parts from my gun and put them in my buddys M10 gun plastic case. The only thing i see is the thickness of the copper tube that makes the difference in amps. If i was you i would just run it as is. For the difference in a new gun price you might as well upgrade to a bigger welder...Bob

That sounds like a plan. I am just kicking the idea around of wheather to get the MM211 and a better mig gun, or go with the MM212. I guess the price of the MM211, a deluxe cart, and a better mig gun would be the same price as the MM212.

[captkipp]

Don't over look the 252. Pretty awesome machine, Especially if your going to jump into a mig that is this big. I have it's older brother the 251. I use it exclusively for Flux Core. I've hooked up the 30A spoolgun and welded a set of aluminum stairs with it while thew flux core wire of course is still on it's reel. Just a suggestion, you have to weigh the extra cost against the capabilities and your usage.

[Jack Olsen]

The compelling argument for the 211 is simple: dual voltage. If that's not going to make your life easier, then there are better models available.

For me, dual voltage made all the difference in the world. Big stuff in the garage. Little stuff anywhere there's a plug.