Using Miller Engine Driven Trailblazer 302

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my metalworking hobby has grown over the years into a businessthe shop uses a Miller 210 Mig welder ( with a spool gun ), Miller Syncrowave 180 SD Tig/Stick and a Miller 2050 Plasma Cutter i'm about to purchase a Miller engine drive 302 so i can finish some of my jobs on site and to get the questioni could use some  advice on  the additional items that will be needed to stick weld, mig weld & cut with the plasma cutterat a max of 150 feet from my truck (and the new welder) most of it just plain soft steel but some aluminum/ ie: gates, railings & the occasional attempt at a repair on a buddy's front end loaderin other words i'm in business and i still don't know what i'm doingthanks for any help
Reply:well,  I cant coment on the mig welding and plasma for portable rig.  I personally beleive in for portable rig oxy fuel setup.   But thats just personal thoughts, and I do no non-ferrous.  As for the mig, well you generally have two options.  The 210 will run off your TB.   However, I personally dont like this unless you can do your welding close by cause unloading and loading thsat machine is a pain.  Plus moving it around on dirt is a pain.  But depending on your situation it may work.  The alternative I see is getting a suitcase welder, or I do beleive you can run you spool gun directly off the TB as well.  Now, the stick leads I do know all about this one.   if you need max of 150 from the truck you basically need 300 ft of lead.  Because when figuring the length you need the complete circuit.  This will tell the individual figuring the gauge what gauge is necessary.  Now, me personally I would go with 300, plus an additional  10 or so feet. Or you could just get the 10 feet off the ground and add it to the stinger.  This amounts to 160/140.  Either way,  you wouldnt want to get to exactly 150 ft out and go oh no I cant move my stinger!  course again you prolly never get to quit such a position.  But just a thoght.  Anyway, good luck  additionally mgiht need some extension cord or cords for the plasma if its to get out there in length.  same for the mig welder if you use the 210.  Ok, hope this helpsCHRIS
Reply:Chris..thanks a bunch for your time what sounds like sound advicewould you happen to know if i'm going to need a starter to strike a tig arcwith the TB?thanks againTodd (aka Anvilhead)
Reply:Chris..please insert the word (and ) in between  time and what in the 1st line of my thank you replyi write like Mr. Magoo sometimes
Reply:Anvil, it all depends on your particular needs.  If you want DC tig only, you dont "need" high frequency.  However, for AC or for a high frequency start with DC you do.  This means if you go without the HF and only do DC you will have to scratch start.  Like strikin a rod with stick.  With the HF you will have a start more like what you are used to with your 180.  You will need to chck with the miller man as to the exact specs.  You will need the HF unit, and there maybe a secondary contractor, but not sure on your particular machine.  Your machine has the 14 pin so you will hve remote and wiith remote the world is good.  With a bobcat no remote = very lil tig welding lol.  Anyway, as far as the torch to use I beleive you also need the torch with the valve on it.  Thats a gas valve btw.  Not sure if you need it, but I do beleive you do.  Again you can check with the miller man on that and he'll give you the run down.  Hope this all helps.  CHRIS
Reply:I have done a lot of DC  only scratch start tig, and it works fine with just an air cooled tig torch that has a built in gas valve on it. So you just hook up the tig torch where your stinger would be, and hook up a tank of argon and a flow meter to it. You open the valve, scratch start, and weld. Then you are supposed to remember to close the valve, and not fill the atmosphere with expensive argon. But usually I forget till I notice that funny hissing noise.This will work for mild steel, stainless, and copper bronze alloys.For aluminum, you need AC, and high freq.I now have a setup that I plug into a gas drive, that is a small cart with a Miller High Freq unit, a radiator, and a water cooled torch with foot pedal. It is a lot easier to use than the scratch start, and it goes a lot longer between tungsten sharpenings as well. But it cost quite a bit- probably close to $1800 all told. I plug this same setup into the 304 inverter in the shop, so it is not only for site work, but when we need to do site work, it is really sweet. But I do a lot of stainless site work, where the finished weld will not be ground or finished, and it must look really good, so the foot pedal and high freq start are really nice.You probably can get by just fine with the scratch start, and the torch is only about $150.New Trailblazers have control panel settings for tig, and some even have different settings for scratch start or remote (foot pedal) use.
Reply:For plasma cutting my Miller man said the Spectrum 2050 is the most powerful unit my new TB can handle. There are 2 or 3 smaller models to choose from. I do not have mine yet and have only used Plasma in the shop, I think they are 3 phase power houses.
Reply:Thanks to all of you guys ( Chris, Ries & Skeet) All of this info. is veryimportant to me as my Miller Distrib. sent me to Miller & Miller sent me to this siteAnvil