Lincoln 180C vs. Miller 211

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Have narrowed my welder search down to either the Lincoln Power Mig 180C and the Miller 211.  My LWS has the 180C on sale for $806 and will throw in a 27cu bottle and a welding class.  The Miller is running about $1070 locally or $1040 online.  The extra cash will be a major stretch for me, not sure I feel that good about spending the extra money.  I'll mostly be welding 1/4".  The dual voltage on the 211 is a nice feature, but not mandatory.  Is it really worth $300 for my uses?  Any meaningful differences in how they weld that thickness?Last edited by mortimersnerd; 11-20-2012 at 10:32 PM.
Reply:The MM211 has a higher output than the Lincoln. It tops out at 200 amps vs 180 for the Lincoln. While both will do 1/4" with a low duty cycle, you'll have a bit more extra power with the Miller. 3/8" is within reach of the MM211 if you keep your welds short and stay within the duty cycle limits. If you are doing occasional 1/4" both would be fine. If all you feed it is 1/4" at the hobby level, I'd opt for the extra amps myself. The dual voltage feature would be a bonus, but running on 110v power, the thickest material you can weld under normal conditions would be 1/8".If you want to do a lot of 1/4" regularly, neither is really the right machine due to the low duty cycle. You would be better off with a larger cabinet unit like the MM212 which has a much higher duty cycle even if the top amps are about the same.If price is a big sticking point, I'd look at the Hobart HH210. It's very similar to the Miller MM211 in performance, but a bit less expensive. If you need a machine with a higher duty cycle on a budget, I'd look at Hobart's Ironman series myself if you want to go new.Last edited by DSW; 11-21-2012 at 05:53 AM..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan