MM350P Woes, blowing IGBT's.

[FusionKing]

I'm not trying to piss anybody off but I really felt **** on when nobody bothered to read my OP or answer specific technical questions and instead talk down to me and tell me that I need take it to someone that's going to gouge me or throw expensive parts at the problem without necessarily doing a proper diagnosis.

I'm sorry.
I jumped to the conclusion you meant the guy you said you knew.

As far as saying you couldn't weld....that wasn't what I was insinuating at all. What I was saying was.... if you know so much, then fix it yourself!!
I really think you have overthought every reply here for that matter.
I really doubt anyone is going to make you happy now that you have uselessly blown money. Join the club. I throw away good money after bad from time to time. It's the cost of doing it myself.
I was gonna go back and erase my post. But you already quoted me, so no sense in that. OH well
Also....FWIW.......Miller NEVER comes on this forum and tells people how to fix machines. That's not the purpose of this forum. Cruizer doesn't work for Miller. He spends his time here for the heck of it. So if you don't like his answers then you're pretty much out of luck here. Sorry
We all got off on the wrong foot here. If you want to start over, I'm cool with that

[ryanjones2150]

Don't be upset here. None of us flushed your cash or gave you misleading info. And you are being insulting by acting so entitled to information that you honestly aren't entitled to. It sucks you burned up your expensive parts and I'm sorry you were unable to get the help you thought you deserved.

[greenbuggy]

or.... maybe you are just a full up dish....

go ahead and keep on biting the hands that have been trying to help you... see how that works out for ya in the long run....

You are one rude critter.............

Flush $330 down the drain and tell me you wouldn't be at least a little upset, really? I've yet to lob an insult at a single user on this forum but expressed my displeasure with Miller's techline and ask for some questions answered, and in response had 3 different users tell me I'm too inexperienced to do anything, insult my ability to weld (wtf?), tell me I'm rude and or outright lying. Thanks for the help.

[H80N]

Well maybe it was an intern answering the phones at Miller's techline the first time I called....

or.... maybe you are just a full up dish....

go ahead and keep on biting the hands that have been trying to help you... see how that works out for ya in the long run....

You are one rude critter.............

[greenbuggy]

See this is what you check, being a certified tech. We would have NEVER merely thrown is a new set of IGBT's without checking for the route cause. We would have either replaced that output board, or replaced the fried components on it.

Well maybe it was an intern answering the phones at Miller's techline the first time I called....

[cruizer]

See this is what you check, being a certified tech. We would have NEVER merely thrown is a new set of IGBT's without checking for the route cause. We would have either replaced that output board, or replaced the fried components on it.

[cruizer]

Well the answer to your question, is pretty simple, No, the IGBTs won't blow up again with a known good output board and caps that measure out to the stated UF on the sides of them and a SR1 gate that reads around the 54 ohm mark

[greenbuggy]

Been watching this thread awhile. I knew where it was headed on about the 5th post.

I get guys like this in my shop from time to time.
Just a little different scenario but quite similar. They tell me they could weld it if they wanted to, but they don't have time, or their machine is somewhere else. They maybe kind of know me but act like I should help them because they are like brethren or something. And they want it cheap. And fast.
The last one had a aluminum gas tank he had fabbed up that leaked right on a weld. I showed him the leak. Right on a crater. He told me he
had already rinsed it out for me to weld

Really, insulting my ability to weld too? Thats awful low and you know it.

The OP talks about his local Miller repair guy on here like they are "friends". But also talks about "gouging". And how they simply blunder through repairs without knowing what they are doing until they blow parts! So they include these mistakes in the cost automatically!! What a crock.
I bet if I went to his town and met his Miller "friend" he would give me an earful. Something like..." he actually wanted to use parts off of a good 350P of mine.... if I had one..... for testing!" Then something like "If I had 10 of them I wouldn't do that!"

I looked thru my past post and never said I was friends with the Miller-certified shop I've sent business to before. He does good work, but he isn't cheap. I understand that he's got some fixed costs for a nice shop, expensive tools, rent and utilities just like the rest of us. And when something is truly above my head, I'll continue to send work his way. But I posed some technical questions here and everybody wants to jump down my throat about how I can't possibly instead of just answering those questions.

The Miller repair guy is there to make a living. He isn't getting rich. He barely makes it. In fact he wishes he would've found that defunct 350P cheap so he could've made a few extra bucks for once. He is now a bit jealous even. I hope he is a member here and reads this thread. Good chance.
We read his first post. Cruizer spoke right up. The OP felt Cruizer was commenting "after the fact". Maybe so, but there was solid wisdom in those answers also.

He should spend the money and go to Tech training and open a welder repair shop and deal with the public....(people like himself) After a few years he would eventually "get it". Otherwise he probably never will really quite 'get it" We are all against people scoring awesome welding machines for cheap because we are all stupid incompetent fools. Right from the top of the industry to the bottom.

Hate me too now. Rave on

And I never said I'm opposed to him making a living, the whole point of this thread was looking for a couple very specific technical details so that I can do all that I can possibly do before surrendering my hard earned cash to have someone else fix it.

[FusionKing]

Been watching this thread awhile. I knew where it was headed on about the 5th post.

I get guys like this in my shop from time to time.
Just a little different scenario but quite similar. They tell me they could weld it if they wanted to, but they don't have time, or their machine is somewhere else. They maybe kind of know me but act like I should help them because they are like brethren or something. And they want it cheap. And fast.
The last one had a aluminum gas tank he had fabbed up that leaked right on a weld. I showed him the leak. Right on a crater. He told me he
had already rinsed it out for me to weld

The OP talks about his local Miller repair guy on here like they are "friends". But also talks about "gouging". And how they simply blunder through repairs without knowing what they are doing until they blow parts! So they include these mistakes in the cost automatically!! What a crock.
I bet if I went to his town and met his Miller "friend" he would give me an earful. Something like..." he actually wanted to use parts off of a good 350P of mine.... if I had one..... for testing!" Then something like "If I had 10 of them I wouldn't do that!"

The Miller repair guy is there to make a living. He isn't getting rich. He barely makes it. In fact he wishes he would've found that defunct 350P cheap so he could've made a few extra bucks for once. He is now a bit jealous even. I hope he is a member here and reads this thread. Good chance.
We read his first post. Cruizer spoke right up. The OP felt Cruizer was commenting "after the fact". Maybe so, but there was solid wisdom in those answers also.

He should spend the money and go to Tech training and open a welder repair shop and deal with the public....(people like himself) After a few years he would eventually "get it". Otherwise he probably never will really quite 'get it" We are all against people scoring awesome welding machines for cheap because we are all stupid incompetent fools. Right from the top of the industry to the bottom.

Hate me too now. Rave on

[ryanjones2150]

I empathize with your position for sure. I too have had some poor advice from a "professional". Although, we're all human and make mistakes. I doubt the Miller guy hung up the phone and went to tell his fellow Miller guys that he just got a customer to fry his new fancy schmancy doofloppies. <br />
<br />
As far as people not responding to you...well not everyone constantly monitors this free and valuable resource. I'm sure you're anxious to solve the problem, but be patient. We don't want you to fry your doofloppies either. <br />
<br />
Now, distraction over, let's get back to your problem. What progress have you made?

[greenbuggy]

Not authorized for public release..... where did you get the tech manual...??

Google linked it on some non-miller site that has a bunch of miller manuals. Someone on another forum also offered to email a copy when I posted the same question over there.

SA lot of the guys on this forum could probably help you, but you're kind of being a jerk to them, so maybe calm down a skosh. I think it's cool that this isn't your first welding machine to fix and you have all sorts of experience and knowledge and awesome tools. But you wouldn't have come here if you didn't need some assistance, and I'm sure those that can, will help you as much as they can unless you piss them off.

I'm not trying to piss anybody off but I really felt **** on when nobody bothered to read my OP or answer specific technical questions and instead talk down to me and tell me that I need take it to someone that's going to gouge me or throw expensive parts at the problem without necessarily doing a proper diagnosis. I'm not made of money and that $330 that went up in smoke the other day hurt pretty good, and I'm frustrated that Miller's tech helpline gave me bad advice that may have led directly to those smoked components. If nothing else I wanted to air that frustration, as well as seek help from someone with more experience with this particular machine, as this is my first and only MM350P. I've also got a Dynasty 300, I've spent good money with Miller in the past and will likely again in the future (I'm broke right now buying a house but I'd love a Dynasty 350 some day) and think they could stand to treat a guy a little better.

[ryanjones2150]

Sometimes you just can't cheat the system. I don't mean this in a bad way, because I totally get what you're doing. But...sometimes...the system has a way of hiding its corporate secrets, which I'm sure you understand. If I knew the secrets, I would absolutely tell you. If I was Miller, I wouldn't give you that information though, because I understand their position as well. Maybe your Miller/hypertherm buddy can help. You sound like you have your stuff together there, way beyond my electronics abilities for sure. I'm about to put a simple little relay in an old as dirt machine and I'm worried about letting the smoke out. I can't imagine your position. I truly wish you luck. A lot of the guys on this forum could probably help you, but you're kind of being a jerk to them, so maybe calm down a skosh. I think it's cool that this isn't your first welding machine to fix and you have all sorts of experience and knowledge and awesome tools. But you wouldn't have come here if you didn't need some assistance, and I'm sure those that can, will help you as much as they can unless you piss them off.

[H80N]

Any way for me to get my hands on that book? The tech guide is pretty worthless without testing specs....

Not authorized for public release..... where did you get the tech manual...??

[greenbuggy]

Those are in another book...Bob

Any way for me to get my hands on that book? The tech guide is pretty worthless without testing specs....

[aametalmaster]

What exactly is going to make a Miller tech know what values are OK if Miller doesn't publish the specs on them?

Those are in another book...Bob