Miller 12VS advice.....

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I just purchased a 12vs suitcase from a member on the board, and am going monday to pickup all my supplies to set it up.  My main question is on wire.  I was planning on using .045 NR 211, but I keep reading that it's designed for thin plate.  Most of my work is repair on material from 1/4" to 2" regularly.  Anyone have any suggestions on what wire and size to use.  I plan on running this off of my Ranger GXT.  Is there a good flux cored wire with low hydrogen properties that can be run on varying thickness with multiple passes, or will I have to be pepared to run different wires?  I've never run wire in the field so this is a new set up for me.  Any advice or heads up on what to be prepared for is appreciated.  Thanks, ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Huh, even off your GXT, you should be able to run 1/16 wire, so no worries on  045.Most guys run the dual shield wire on CC, or CV.
Reply:Didn't there used to be or maybe still is a limit on the number of passes recommended using that wire ?
Reply:NR-232 bro. That is a fantastic ALL position wire. NR 233 is just as good BUT its a very very soft wire. For example when we use 0.68 or 5/64 NR-232 you can snap the wire with your hand very easily. The NR-233 is more..plyable and you need cutters. The other issue I have found with 233 is that it can bind or get bound up in the drive wheels. Honestly if you are do mostly out of position stuff...232 is awesome. I have about 8 years under the hood as a structural ironworker/welder and that stuff is awesome.'Mike
Reply:NR211 is for 1/2" and under.  232 or 233 is for bigger and has similar properties of 7018.  All are self shielding and all position.  I think of 211 as the 6013 of self shielded.  I use .068 of 232 or 211.  The ranger 250 runs it fine.  If you read the spec sheets, http://content.lincolnelectric.com/p...ure/c32000.pdf232 starts at 200 amps.  I spent a lot (half a roll) of time so I could run it up hill.  Its good expensive wire.  Kind of a bitch to run at first, but once you get the hang of it, its OK.  211 is better for all purpose, I have done some pretty good things with it.  Including the small stuff.  I even welded a tail pipe back onto the muffler of a bobcat in the field with .068 NR211.  I turned the welder down to 14 volts, wire speed at 20 to 30 ipm and trigger welded it.    DCEN You might want to burn up some before you go in the field with it.Enjoy your new toy.  DavidLast edited by David R; 06-15-2008 at 06:30 AM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:For structural stuff(i.e code work) we can't use 211 any more. 232 is not that bad...I think the wire size has a lot to do with ease of use...I think 0.72 is the easiest to run with 5/64 comming in a close second.Like David said burn up some wire in the shop and BE HONEST with yourself about how the welds look and the quality of the welds.'Mike
Reply:i agree with the ironman.  232 is a great wire, once you understand its quirks.  I beat my head against the wall for along time figuring it out, now that i understand how it behaves i like it alot.  I run 0.72 all day, mostly vertical and horizontal, and if the setting are spot on, the slag will peel.  Its not the prettiest weld, your not gonna get any dimes, but it has high impact resistance and puts down alot of metal.Like david said, if you have never run it before, you will go through a little bit of wire learning vertical, i know i did.