Which MIG welder should I buy?

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I know the question has probably been asked a thousand times before.   Sorry about that, Chief.  Anyway, I have been considering a MIG welder for some time now & ran into a little extra cash, so maybe it is time to buy.  My primary use will be for an automotive resto that needs rusty panels replaced & possibly some custom fabrication, but once I have the welder who knows what I will end up using it for.  I am considering the Lincon SP-175 Plus, or the Millermatic 175.  (These links are pdf's.)The prices are similar and I think that I would probably be happy with either one, however from the info within the links, it looks like the Lincoln may give me a few more options than the Miller.What do you think?Thanks,Scott
Reply:i am doing the same thing and everybody from 3 diff. sites all rec. mm210
Reply:Everyone that has either of those two machines is just plain tickled with them. I don't really know that there are more options with one than another. If there are they aren't in the meat section. The Miller 175 is infinite adjustment and I think the Licoln is tapped maybe. Those are both argueing points like many things that are subject to opinion. One option the MM 175 has that irritates some is the wire speed (wire feed) tracking. it changes the wire speed some small relative amount when adjusting the voltage. I don't have any issues with that. Watch out for the glossy brochure info when it comes to performance abilities up against thick materials. All marketiers will push the limits of what might be considered really practical. I think lincoln does that a little more than miller. That still doesn't affect their actual performance tho.
Reply:Originally Posted by ahowudoini am doing the same thing and everybody from 3 diff. sites all rec. mm210
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyThe Miller 175 is infinite adjustment and I think the Licoln is tapped maybe. .
Reply:the lincoln being the "plus" model would also have infinite adjustment. the sp-175t (and the retail counterparts available at home improvement stores)would be tapped.
Reply:Thanks everyone.  I asked this question on two other non-welding message boards and the answers basically said that I would probably be happy with either one.  However the Miller advocates came in at a probably seven or eight to one over the Lincoln lovers.  So I will most likely be going with the Miller 175.  Now where to plunk my $$$ down.  A quick internet search shows that Cyberweld.com has the best price at $714 with free shipping & no sales tax.  I will still call my local dealers such as AirGas & Praxair, but I have a feeling that Cyberweld's price will be tough to beat.I am not in a big hurry to purchase because I am working a lot of OT through the end of the year, so maybe I might run across a great year end deal somewhere.Thanks again,Scott
Reply:Don't forget to check ebay, there are some good deals on welders just watch the partnumbers to make sure you compare apples to apples.  Here's a MM175 with shipping for $675ebay.com
Reply:I considered both welders when I went looking for a 240VAC machine.  The main differences that I was debating were the fact that the MM175 has wire-speed tracking, which is irritating to some.  It also seems to have a better drive roll system than the Lincoln.  I'd vascillate on a daily basis as to which one I would purchase until I eventually just bought a 400 amp inverter power supply and a Miller S-64 feeder.-Heath
Reply:How is that combo working?  Have you had a chance to fire everything up?Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I haven't made sparks with it, just yet.  I've been busy with other things lately.  The Roughneck gun I got is really nice, but came setup for .045 wire, which is a little hotter than I want to get with the machine on single phase.  I ordered consumables for the gun for .035 wire that should arrive any year now (Fastip consumables are a pain to get).  In the interim, I punted and purchased an M-10 gun for .025 and .030 wire since I have a friend that wants me to weld up his motorcycle frame that happens to be thin enough that I want to use .030.  I ordered drive rolls for various sizes a few weeks ago, so now I have everything I need...  Except a full tank of gas and a spool of .030 wire.  The tank is in the truck ready to be filled tomorrow.  I also suspect the welding supply will have ER70-S6 in .030, so dammit, there should be sparks soon.  As soon as I have something to report, I will... With photos.-Heath
Reply:Thanks, Stan.  I see that B & R Welding also has the MM175 for $675 through the end of the month.  So if I don't find it any cheaper in the next few days, I will probably buy from them.
Reply:I've owned a MM 175 and SP 175+. Still have the SP 175+. Between the two performance wise, the SP 175+ is the better unit. The SP 175+ is a very easy unit to dial an extremely high quality arc in on. Whereas Miller's wirespeed tracking feature makes the MM 175 a more complex unit  to dial in anywhere near the same arc quality level as the Lincoln unit is capable of producing. If it were my choice, I spend my money on the Sp 175+, until Miller ditches the wire speed tracking.