Vent: Picked a used Miller over a new Lincoln and kinda regret it

I had to choose between a used Miller Syncrowave 250 for 1200 bucks or a brand new Lincoln TIG 200 for 1800 at a shop in Cleveland last month. I figured the Miller would be a tank and last forever, plus I saved 600 bones. But man, the arc stability on this old Miller is all over the place, I think the capacitor bank is shot or something. My buddy got the Lincoln and his welds look perfect right out of the box, no drama. I spent two weekends already chasing electrical gremlins on this Miller and I'm behind on a stainless job for a local brewery. Has anyone else picked a used machine over new and gotten burned by hidden problems?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony_lane5528d ago

Maybe it's just me but I feel like you're blaming the machine when it might be something simpler. I mean, a used Miller Syncrowave 250 is a beast of a welder and usually way more reliable than a newer Lincoln 200, especially for stainless work. Idk, but have you checked the ground clamp connection or the torch cable? Sometimes those old caps just need to be replaced, and it's a cheap fix compared to buying a whole new machine. I've seen guys get 20 years out of those Millers after a simple capacitor swap. Your buddy's Lincoln might look good now but those lower end machines often have issues with duty cycle and consistency over time. Honestly, a few weekends of trouble shooting a 250 amp machine for 600 bucks sounds like a fair trade to me.

fionak6328d ago

My Uncle tried that cap swap trick and ended up welding his work boots to the bench instead.