Coolest thing! small, portable gas-powered MIG welder...

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I was at the local welding shop this weekend and picked up the 2008 Miller catalog they had there.   One cool new thing I noticed in there that just about knocked my socks off was a really neat little generator/welder called the Renegade 180.  This is a 5500-watt 120v/240v generator, with basicaly a Millermatic 180 integrated into the generator!   I saw that and said, WOW!  That's the coolest thing I've seen in a long time!   The machine is about the same size and weight as a Blue Star 145/185 and rolls on it's own tires, with handles like a wheel barrow.  It makes 4500 continuous watts of power and can weld from 30 to 180 amps using mig wire and gas or flux-core wire and comes with the same M10 mig torch and ground cable they put on the Millermatic 140 and 180.  There is an optional gas cylinder rack for it too.  It appears to have the same wire feed mechanism as the Millermatic 140/180.  The machine is also made for direct-connect to a Spoolmate-100 spool gun for welding aluminum, like most of the new Millermatics can do now.  It has a little Kohler 10-hp gas engine with pull-start and there is an electric-start with 12v battery option too.   There doesn't appear to be a provision for stick welding with this machine.  The welding output is CV/DC.  I don't see any stick lead connectors in the picture.The mig welder part of it can also be run from any 220v power source if you don't want to turn on the generator.   The generator can  run a grinder, or whatever 120v tool you need, up to 34 amps, or any 220v tool (like an inverter plasma cutter or little Maxstar 150 TIG welder) up to 17 amps.   It appears to be about the normal size of a 5000-watt generator and weighs about 275 lbs according to the information in the catalog.  Without the wheels and handles, the cage is about 2' x 2' x 2.5'.   That's not much bigger than the Generac 4000XL I used to use to power the Millermatic 175 for mobile jobs, before I got the Bobcat and Passport welding machines.  This new Renegade is a cool set-up cause the generator and mig welder are together in one convenient package, and it can weld aluminum too!  Amazing....This has to be the coolest new welding machine for 2008!  I have no idea what it costs, no prices listed in the catalog and apparently it's so new it's not anywhere on the website yet.No, I don't work for Miller, just thought I'd share what I saw.  Last edited by DesertRider33; 01-13-2008 at 07:19 PM.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:what do you think about these backpack welders?never tried one but thought it was a cool ideaTalent is a flame. Genius is a fire.- Bern Williams
Reply:I have one alot like thatLast edited by Burnit; 06-22-2008 at 01:14 PM.
Reply:Welderguy, That backpack welder is an interesting idea.Burnit, In the second pic, if I hadn't already been told that device is suposed to be a welder, I would never have guessed.   Even with the clue, I still can't identify it.  What did you make it from?MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I didnt make it, its the backpack from ghostbusters!
Reply:I will try to point to a pic that resembles the Renegade welder I described in the first post.   The one in the pic will be a Blue Star 145 generator/stick welder, but the Renegade looks just like it and is the same size, just has a mig torch attatched to it instead of a stinger and the wire feeder is contained inside the blue cabinet with a door that lifts up on the left side just like a Millermatic 140 or 180.  The sheetmetal hood on the Renegade stops about half way, it's about half as long as the one in the pic but the cage frame the machine sits in is the same size.Here is the link to the pic:   http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...e_star_series/Here is a link to a pic of how the Renegade looks with the wheels and handles that it comes with.  It's the first pic on the page:  http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...ccessories.phpMM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by BurnitI didnt make it, its the backpack from ghostbusters!
Reply:Do you have your order in for the 'cool' Renegade yet?WeldingWeb forum--now more sophomoric banter than anything else!
Reply:ill have to mention that to my bossComplete Fabrication Shop specializing in pipe fabrication. Also offering heavy steel fabrication and sheet metal work.
Reply:Originally Posted by 69 chevyDo you have your order in for the 'cool' Renegade yet?
Reply:http://www.zena.net/htdocs/welders/BPW.shtml#Top   I actually ran across this site bout a week ago in search of a portable welder