MM210 w/ 3035 Beats L255C in Real-World Test

[BWS29128]

Stopped by a buddy's shop today to ask his advice on a trailer issue I'd never run into before (nice having a fellow 1989 classmate living in the same town who has 15 more years of experience than I do!!) and noticed that his three helpers were all MIG'ing at the same time on a contract he has going on. One of them was using a DW302 with a D-75DX feeder, one of them was using an Invision 354MP with an S-75DX, and one of them was using a MM210 with 3035 SG. Then, my-buddy-the-boss was using a L255C with a Magnum 250 SG. I asked him (since I have a L PT185 in the back of my truck) if, since he was the boss, he got to choose the "best rig" in the house to work with. Yeah, right. He stopped production by his other three welders and brought them all over to where we were standing and said "Ok...Clint wants to know what you guys think is the best welder/spoolgun setup in the shop is for aluminum and carbon. He has a new contract and is going to buy either the MM210 with a 3035 or he's going to buy a Lincoln 255C with a push/pull setup. What do y'all think?"

Response 1: "Do yourself a favor and buy the Miller 210 and save yourself the heartache."

Response 2: "Go ahead and buy the Miller and give me the extra $1000 bucks you'd spend on the 255C and push/pull."

Response 3: "Tell ya what...come over here to my station and give me 10 good beads in a row with the '210. Then, if you can give me 10 good beads with the Lincoln that look just as good, I'll give you $500 and you'll be halfway to accomplishing what he said (Response #2)."

So......what did I do? I asked my-buddy-the-shop-owner if he would let me run 5 beads each on the MM210 and the L255C.

The difference was NIGHT AND DAY!!!!!!!!!! How the H*LL does Lincoln get away with being "an official NASCAR sponsor" and all that other hoop-la????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????? I mean, I don't have tons of experience with a spool gun and the only Millers I've ever played with were Synchro 350's back when I was learning to TIG aluminum in 2000/2001, but HOLYJEEZUS the difference was as plain as night and day!!!

Okay...end of rant. Just thought you guys would appreciate all that. Guess I'll be buying a MM210 and 3035SG in the near future.... Anybody know who I can unload a Lincoln PrecisionTIG185 on so I can buy me a Dynasty 200 DX????

~Clint

[DDA52]

I have that setup and will not trade it for anything. Very smooth and easy to operate. I haven't ever run a red one, so no comments about that. Suffice to say I am still holding a 20+ year old grudge with Lincoln and will not be changing my opinion in the next decade.

BTW, if you want a MM210, better hurry. The MM212's are already out. I have a hunch the 210's are gonna start getting gobbled up fast.

[burnie]

Finally...someone who agrees with me. I had to do a stint as a production line welder on farm equipment and the thought of using a red wire feeder gives me a cold shiver to this day I found that when you're getting payed for production (aren't we all), using red just lead to a frustrating shift because you spent the whole time fighting feeding issues and when the mood struck them to feed properly, the weld quality simply isn't the same. I figure that every machine has it's own sweet spot and even if you don't like a particular welder, you can still work with it but with red, you just can't find the sweet spot. Buy the miller and never look back. Just my take as usual but 15 years across 4 provinces and I have yet to find a red wire feeder I like.

[SundownIII]

Hey Clint,

If you like the MM210 w/3035 Spoolgun, you should come on up here to VA and run my MM251 w/30A Spoolgun. You'll swear you died and went to Heaven.

As someone mentioned, if you're serious about a MM210 now might be the time. As you probably know, the MM210 has been replaced with the MM212. With the 212 Miller has replaced a lot of the copper in the MM210 with aluminum (weight/cost savings). While I'm sure they've done their research and everything will be fine, I still like the copper over aluminum, particularly where I am (next to salt water).

[fun4now]

i don't think i have ever herd a complaint about the MM210. its on my list of must have's but looks like it will end up being a 212, still a safe bet.
the jump from the PrecisionTIG185 to the Dyn200Dx will be rather likable to i suspect.

[HMW]

I have the Millermatic pulser at home which is basically a 210 with pulsed spool gun and it works good. Had a little trouble with it turned up all the way, but not sure if that was me or the machine, still welded good though when I could get it to not burn itself to the tip
At work We have an old 200 w/spool gun and a 251 w/spool gun, both work great. Only almuninum we do at work is trailer ramps, everything else is steel.

[jwsrep]

My honest opinion. The Millermatic 210 is probably one of the finest MIG's of this time. I have sold alot of them and have had zero, nada, zippo, zed complaints about them.

HMW, hold onto that MM200 as long as you can. They REALLY don't make 'em like that anymore...and I mean nobody.

Good choice with the MM210. In fairness I have sold many PM255C's as well and are a good machine. The Magnum Spoolgun is junk though. Lincoln does have a new spoolgun now that is miles better than the Magnum SG.
Just MHO

[plane crazy]

The talk of the aluminum on the secondary side in the new MM212 is still making me nervous. I really hope the 212 doesn't end up being a lemon!!!

The delivery guy was by today with my new Bernard gun but took it with him when nobody was home to sign for it. Nothing worse than knowing it is sitting in a delivery truck somewhere close and having to wait til tommorow to get it....

I really do hope the 212 exceeds the reputation of the 210....time will tell I guess.

[Bert]

SundownIII
If you like the MM210 w/3035 Spoolgun, you should come on up here to VA and run my MM251 w/30A Spoolgun. You'll swear you died and went to Heaven.
I agree with Sundown, I talked to a lot of guys with the 210/3035 spoolgun, and they are a lot happier with the 251/30A spoolgun. Waited a couple more months to get the 251/30A package

[Miller Kevin]

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to clarify a few things with regards to aluminum vs copper in the Millermatic 212.

When designing the new Millermatics we talked to alot of customers and one of the things mentioned many times was "we love the arc, don't change it". Because of this the Millermatic 212 has the same transfomer and stabilizer design as the Millermatic 210. We did add some nice features and put it in a new case but the arc perfomance and that same reliable field proven design are still there.

If you noticed the weight differences on the spec. sheets this is because the Millermatic 212 was weighed without the shipping kit and the Millermatic 210 was weighed with the kit. They are in the process of having the weights on the spec. sheets changed to include the shipping kits.

If anyone has any questions on the new units please feel free to ask away.

Thanks,
Kevin
(920)735-4505
[email protected]

[BWS29128]

Thanks, Kevin.

As most of you know, I opted to go with the HTP 2400 and RSG250 spool gun combo. This was not in my original comparison chart, but Jeff Noland at HTP talked me into it.

I can't remember if it was Dda or someone else, but whomever mentioned a 20+ year old grudge with Lincoln, I'll be there in another 18 years! My beef is only 2 years old with them, but I'll be holding it for a while.

I will say this: Miller's 3035 and HTP's RSG200 are made in exactly the same factory, on exactly the same production line. The only difference is the label.
I will not say what country they're made in, but suffice it to say that quality control in that particular plant is EXTREMELY tight!

Conversely, while HTP's RSG250 looks identical to Lincoln's MT250X spool gun, HTP's version is made in the USA under strict ISO guidelines and quality control; the difference being that Lincoln's equipment is made to the same specs, from the same set of blueprints, but made in a foreign country (south of us...) with very little quality control. I have independently verified this information.

HTP offered me a 90-day money-back garantee if I'm not satisfied. So far I couldn't be happier with what I've gotten but it's nice to know that the HTP folks stand behind their products.

For anyone not interested in the HTP, or maybe someone already has a Miller and wants to stay Blue, I would still recommend Miller's 3035 and/or MM210/MM212 to absolutely anyone who asked me!

~Clint

[aametalmaster]

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to clarify a few things with regards to aluminum vs copper in the Millermatic 212.

When designing the new Millermatics we talked to alot of customers and one of the things mentioned many times was "we love the arc, don't change it". Because of this the Millermatic 212 has the same transfomer and stabilizer design as the Millermatic 210.

If you noticed the weight differences on the spec. sheets this is because the Millermatic 212 was weighed without the shipping kit and the Millermatic 210 was weighed with the kit. They are in the process of having the weights on the spec. sheets changed to include the shipping kits.

If anyone has any questions on the new units please feel free to ask away.

Thanks,
Kevin
(920)735-4505
[email protected]

Thats nice to know since there was alot of talk about the alum transformers a while back.

As far as the 3035 Spoolgun i use the crap out of mine with steel and alum wires and its great. But i did change the tip size to a standard 1/4-28 Miller tip by redrilling and tapping the head tube and i think that helped performance more than anything...Bob

[monte55]

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to clarify a few things with regards to aluminum vs copper in the Millermatic 212.

When designing the new Millermatics we talked to alot of customers and one of the things mentioned many times was "we love the arc, don't change it". Because of this the Millermatic 212 has the same transfomer and stabilizer design as the Millermatic 210. We did add some nice features and put it in a new case but the arc perfomance and that same reliable field proven design are still there.

If you noticed the weight differences on the spec. sheets this is because the Millermatic 212 was weighed without the shipping kit and the Millermatic 210 was weighed with the kit. They are in the process of having the weights on the spec. sheets changed to include the shipping kits.

If anyone has any questions on the new units please feel free to ask away.

Thanks,
Kevin
(920)735-4505
[email protected]

Thanks for the info.........I feel better now. Thats the model I want if I can't
swing a 252.

[Archaic]

I have had a MM251 with the 30A spoolgun for about two years now. In forty years of welding this is about as sweet a setup as I have ever had. Have owned lots of red and have nothing bad to say about them. But, the 251/30A is about all that I really want to use anymore. Sweet on mild, sweet on stainless, sweet on aluminum. With the exception of one M25 gun going tits up I have had zero problems with the 251 or the 30A and there are LOTS of hours on them.

[Bert]

Clint,
I have to agree with Archaic. I also have the 251/30A gun and though I probably don't have enough hours on it as he does, I am TOTALLY happy with mine