Beware of the Pipepro 304!!!!!

[weldingwagon]

I'm a rig welder with a 2002 model Pipepro 304 with 1307 hrs on it. Bought it new in sept of 2002. In the last 7 months the machine has been down for a total of 10 working days and has now suffered a fatal blow to the Kubota Diesel engine. I was welding with 1/8th lowhy this last monday and when I went to adjust the machine oil was blowing everywhere! Looks like the front seal. I've maintained it as per the book. It now sits in the shop for yet another day. I keep getting th same song and dance from Miller and the regional sales rep won't return my calls. My machine is a LEMON! Beware other pipeliners....stay away from it! Come on Miller...return my phone calls and straighten this out. I've been down all week and looks like the rest of the week is shot....if not next week too. Miller owes me a new or rebuilt machine!

...My current welding supplier just called. Miller has agreed to make me a
"sweet" deal on a new machine. Can they get me a Lincoln Pipeliner Classic?

Let me clarify "sweet deal". It's a deal where I can purchase a new Miller machine at a reduced price....not fix my current one

[ASKANDY]

Sorry to hear about your problems! The engine warranties are handled by the engine companies. I'm sure you already know that and it is not any consolation. I am surprised though, the Pipepro has been a solid piece of equipment in our line up. Although this forum is not the place to fix your ordeal, I will copy your message and send it to the product manager.

Good luck.

Andy

[Scott V]

If they are offering a machine this is the unit I would look at. Seems like it has less to go wrong.

http://millerwelds.com/products/enginedriven/pro_300_cc_cv/

[cruizer]

All Diesels have to be broken in, This is a common complaint on both Lincoln and Miller if the welders don't run at least 3 hours of 5/16, or 1/4" rod and allow the engines to cycle from high to low during this time. You can load bank the units as well at a repair facility.
If light rod is run with them from new, the units will never take a high amperage load.
This causes the pistons and cylinders to glaze over, erratic running, will cause "Wet stacking",e, un burned fuel, and other possible dammage.

When this happens measures have to be taken at a repair shop, a special additive is put into the tank, and the unit is load banked for a couple of hours.

Naturally all this can be avoided by reading ones owners manual.

[weldingwagon]

Even though I am a rig welder I can read and did indeed read the operators manual. The diesel engine was correctly broken in. The main issue with the machine has been electronics until the last problem which is diesel related. Nowhere in the owners manual does it state that I have to have a small asian woman stand over the machine with an umbrella when it rains or wave ostrich feathers at it when it is hot outside.

You obviously don't understand the world of rig welders. No sparky sparky means no dinero.....no money means no more welding supplies purchased etc etc....I can go on if you need more explanation.

When out in the field my machine needs to work consistantly....everyday. Not just occasionally. Miller is more than welcome to come and put their fingers over the leaking pipes I am supposed to be welding on right now until my welder is fixed.

In the meantime....I will load on my rig the old ugly (yet very relaible) 6000hr plus Hobart. Never read the operators manual on it though.

The word is out in the riqwelding/pipelining world about the pipepro....it's a small world and now I understand why you don't see many blue machines on the back of rigs.

[ASKANDY]

From what is in our system, I understand your first issue was that the control knob turned hard and the front panal pcb was replaced because the control pot is mounted to that board. Your second issue was more of a calibration issue where the volt meter read a couple volts different than the output stud voltage. You then had an output stud burn up which is usually a loose connection and now the engine problem which if the engine is still under warranty, Kabota should have to fix it. These previous issues, with the exception of the engine problem, are pretty minor and I would HARDLY call it a LEMON. I understand your downtime concern and MILLER is trying to or going to get you a loaner to use until yours is fixed.

Hope this helps

Andy

[Slaghand]

Because of Andy's response is the reason why i own nothing BUT MILLER welding equipment!!!!!!!!! Red has cost me money, Blue has made me money. And still is.

[Paul Seaman]

I have a Kubota diesel tractor with 2800 hrs on it and it doesn't blow oil, it soils the oil coal black but its been great. I rather doubt anyone has ever knocked down trees with a miller welder like I have with my tractor! Bad attitude, bad temper and a beer or six, not recomended believe me!!!!

[VBI]

These two quotes origionally posted by weldingwagon.

"I've been down all week and looks like the rest of the week is shot....if not next week too. Miller owes me a new or rebuilt machine!"

"You obviously don't understand the world of rig welders. No sparky sparky means no dinero....."
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I obviously don’t understand the world of your thought processing.

I have to say that if my only source of income and lifestyle as you seem to be depicting, was solely dependent on one piece of mechanical equipment working flawlessly 100% of the time, I would be a fool if I wasn’t prepared with a back-up plan of some kind in the event of a major problem.

No mechanical piece of equipment from any manufacture is exempt from problems minor or major. If you were as **** bent with being prepared for a problem with your equipment as you are with blaming Miller for something they may have no control over, you may have had next to no down time.

Don’t blame the Miller Welder for “No sparky sparky” blame the Weldor.

[Sberry]

Hmmmm,,, I have never had a warranty claim on a Lincoln, hahahahahaha

[Scott V]

Hmmmm,,, I have never had a warranty claim on a Lincoln, hahahahahaha

That is because all your welding machines were older then dirt to start with!!!

[Sberry]

Naw, I bought them all new, the only used one I have is a Miller that was broke when I bought it. Paid 100 for a 300 synch. The owners thought the hi freq was messed up but it was a transistor on a circuit board. My TV repairman Bud fixed it, said it was a 50 cent transistor. I did have a couple engine glitches on the SA200, it crapped out the oil pressure send unit and I just replaced it and it had a problem with the distributor that caused me some grief until I found out what was wrong, way off warranty by then though. The only time I had to work on the other machines were from damage caused by carelessness.

[Blondie_486]

I had a Miller Big 40 for years and had no problems with it. It was a very solid piece of equipment and I did rig and pipeline welding with it as well as strip mining equipment welding. It ran all day every day, then one day it ran away (was stolen) and I imagine it gave lots of hours of service to whomever ended up with it after me. If I had the $$$$ I'd buy blue again!!!

[Revlimit]

Here at Innovative Machine, we often find ourselves designing brand new equipment. One product alone may often contain hydraulics, pneumatics, electronics, AC and DC motors, and many hours of welding work. As you may imagine, no matter how strong our integrity or intentions, it is absolutely not possible for us, or ANY manufacturer to build with 100% reliability. Hypothetically, we may have 5 million documented minutes on a specific pneumatic cylinder. This makes the buyer's job easy, he has a proven part to insert into a design. But who's fault is it when the cylinder manufacturer changes a seal without our knowledge and we begin to suffer failures? Ours? We submitted the proper spec and were assured, (and confirmed with in-house testing) that this ONE of hundreds of parts comprising the machine would perform to spec. The same goes for Miller. I guarantee they do not manufacture every component of a given product. Therefore when an engineer designs a perfect control board only to have a bad batch of 30 transistors out of thousands find their way into the product, whose fault is it? Does Miller build a bad board? Would you want the media to label you a malicious murderer if, although you are a cautious driver, you ran over someone because the brakes in your brand new SUV failed? Think about it, then do something simple like designing a control board from scratch. Where would you start hero? I'll anxiously await your design submission and its review. Rev.

[lramberson]

I don't think he is listening to us any more... I believe Revlimit is about as correct as correct can be.. AMEN