Vantage 400 or Pro 300??

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Im buying one or the other very soon.  Im leaning toward the Vantage with a Kubota for the Chopper Technology and more amps.  I have used a Pro 300 and liked the way they weld and how quiet the Cat motor is.  I've ran a Trailblazer 301G for the last 6 years and its treated me well, but I'm venturing into bigger stuff and chasing rigs around the mountains now and need something bigger and diesel.What say the peoples of the Web?Trailblazer 301GDynasty 200DXSuitcase Xtreme 12VSHypertherm PMX45Powcon 300SMPower Mig 180Power Mig 140Millermatic 210
Reply:I like my Vantage a lot better than my old Trailblazer...no comparison, but I have never used a Miller Pro 300... I have heard decent things about them though.   For chasing rigs either one will do you just fine.  I will say that in the PA oil field (gas) you barely EVER see a Miller on a welding rig. Im not sure why that is, but it is like 100 : 1. I use Miller in the shop and Lincoln in the field. You will be very happy with the Vantage for chasing rigs ..Steve1946 Shorthood  -  1958 Blackface  -  1962 Redface  -  1967 Redface  -  1968 Redface -  1970 Blackface  -  2005 300D -  2008 Vantage 300  -and a ton of other welding stuff
Reply:I am also about to purchase a Vantage 400. I'm curious, why did you settle on the Kubota? I have been thinking I would go Perkins as I have had good luck with them in the past but never owned a Perkins in a engine drive welder. I also heard that the Kubota loses a good bit of power at high elevation? I have no idea if that is a true statement. But, I do know the Kubota is a pretty proven powerplant where reliability is concerned.
Reply:I am with weldrig on this one.  Millers belong in the shop and Lincolns belong on the truck.Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A  Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:had a pro for about 2 weeks, junk!!!! called miller to come and get their junk and put my old redface back on the truck. (2 circut boards in 2 weeks) in september i got a vantage 300 and love it, its not a 200 but it will weld! at -40 it fires right up (even though i dont) and is great on fuel, im happy with mine but only got about 500 hrs on it...time will tell
Reply:Originally Posted by SixshooterI am also about to purchase a Vantage 400. I'm curious, why did you settle on the Kubota? I have been thinking I would go Perkins as I have had good luck with them in the past but never owned a Perkins in a engine drive welder. I also heard that the Kubota loses a good bit of power at high elevation? I have no idea if that is a true statement. But, I do know the Kubota is a pretty proven powerplant where reliability is concerned.
Reply:Good to know, I appreciate the input metfabco...
Reply:Why not a Classic 300?  Not trying to start a war here, just curious why it has fallen out of favor.  The arc is good for structural, maybe not pipe?
Reply:Originally Posted by deafmanWhy not a Classic 300?  Not trying to start a war here, just curious why it has fallen out of favor.  The arc is good for structural, maybe not pipe?
Reply:Before i dropped the hammer on my 500's i talked to several repair shops and techs and  a ton of end users.   EVERYONE i talked to said get a 300 or a 500.   they all said the 400's were the ones that they seen most often.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:Dualie, do you know why the 400's were having problems?  I wonder if Lincoln has fixed the problem since then.  I do recall hearing something about early generation Vantages in general, but I dont remember specifics.  The only reason I was going with the 400 over the 300 was because of the high altitude I operate in.  I dont think my truck would be too happy hauling around a 500.  Thanks for the response, this is why I asked the question in the first place, I want to hear responses from a larger group of people than my local Airgas.Trailblazer 301GDynasty 200DXSuitcase Xtreme 12VSHypertherm PMX45Powcon 300SMPower Mig 180Power Mig 140Millermatic 210
Reply:We just ordered a Miller 350 Pipe Pro with the Mitsubishi engine (it's all thats offered). I talked directly to Miller and they believe this is the best out there... we'll see. What I can tell you is this is NOT a XMT 350 crammed inside, but similar to the Pro 300 with upgrades to the way it- to use Lincolns verbiage- chops the welding output. We'll let you know as soon as we get it and spend some time with it.
Reply:I run a vantage 300 and welded on drilling rigs to X-ray pipe and I love the way it welds ive conected a radio a fan and ran 3/16 7018 haven't had any major trouble except the digital amp gauge went crazy It got wet then froze but it's still under warraty took it tocrhis the welder repair guy in my town and it was a quick fix other than that it's a good machine and I don't plan on changing to a different one until I fix my sa 200
Reply:Originally Posted by gofoffWe just ordered a Miller 350 Pipe Pro with the Mitsubishi engine (it's all thats offered). I talked directly to Miller and they believe this is the best out there... we'll see. What I can tell you is this is NOT a XMT 350 crammed inside, but similar to the Pro 300 with upgrades to the way it- to use Lincolns verbiage- chops the welding output. We'll let you know as soon as we get it and spend some time with it.
Reply:Originally Posted by MetalFabColoradoThat 350 Pipe Pro looks really sweet, I am curious to know what they are all about.  I loved my friends Pipe Pro 304 and how it would weld at idle, it was a smooth running machine.  I've heard that Mitsubishi makes a wonderful small diesel engine... I wish there was a place I could go demo all these machines before I make my decision.  You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it, why should buying a $10,000+ welder be any different?
Reply:I am always hesitant to buy anything that hasn't been field tested for a couple years after its release.  That Pipe Pro 350 just may be the best welder on the market, but who knows??.  One of the main reasons I am leaning torward Lincoln is because of how knowledgeable and helpfull their rep. is.  I can't say that much for Miller's rep. I guess he is a nice guy, but he is just a salesman more than anything.  I need to know that I will be taken care of if I have a problem, and I know the Lincoln guy will be there.  The more research I do, and from the first hand accounts I'm hearing on this site, I might just get a compact case Vantage 500 with the turbo diesel.You know what they say... buy once, cry once.I'm trying to buy a machine outright, without any finacial assistance.  I got approved for a "lease" through a company Airgas deals with, but their terms sucked to say the least.  I would do a loan, but in todays economy they just want to jam you so hard on interest I have a hard time doing it.  So, I'm liquidating some of my equipment that doesn't get used much anymore in hopes to pay cash for a new machine, or at least not have to finance the whole thing.  We should have it next week- if your in the area common over a try it out
Reply:Originally Posted by MetalFabColoradoI am always hesitant to buy anything that hasn't been field tested for a couple years after its release.  That Pipe Pro 350 just may be the best welder on the market, but who knows??.  One of the main reasons I am leaning torward Lincoln is because of how knowledgeable and helpfull their rep. is.  I can't say that much for Miller's rep. I guess he is a nice guy, but he is just a salesman more than anything.  I need to know that I will be taken care of if I have a problem, and I know the Lincoln guy will be there.  The more research I do, and from the first hand accounts I'm hearing on this site, I might just get a compact case Vantage 500 with the turbo diesel.You know what they say... buy once, cry once.I'm trying to buy a machine outright, without any finacial assistance.  I got approved for a "lease" through a company Airgas deals with, but their terms sucked to say the least.  I would do a loan, but in todays economy they just want to jam you so hard on interest I have a hard time doing it.  So, I'm liquidating some of my equipment that doesn't get used much anymore in hopes to pay cash for a new machine, or at least not have to finance the whole thing.    gofoff, I would love an oppertunity to try out a new PP350, that is if we are in reasonable driving distance from each other.  Hit me up when you get it, and you're ready to let someone else touch it.
Reply:Hey MetalFabI've had my Pro 300 for a couple years now and I love it, have never had any problems or anything.  The only one thing that isn't worth a hoot is that little preheat switch, I went ahead and put a block heater in mine and when it's like -30 like the other day my digitals were funky for a bit, maybe just cold.  Before you buy, I know that lincoln puts a vantage 500 in a 300 frame and it's turboed, over on the AWS site I know that cactus swears up and down by these and can get on for a little over 10,000.  Just an option maybe.  Do you go through AirGas or High Country?  Larry Malik who used to work for airgas might be able to help ya a bit, he lives in fruita I'll pm his number to ya.  let us know which direction you go and how they weld.
Reply:I Dont know what specifically went wrong with them, but enough of the service techs said to avoid them that i wasn't just an isolated group.   A tip i learned is if you go with the best price you can find online and take it into your local airgas and hammer them they will meet your best price. I got my vantage 500 for under $12,000Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:We have a vantage 500, there is just over 200 hours on it. We use it mostly with stick (7018) and a LN25, and it works great when its working but we have had a problem that Lincoln does not seem able to fix, its been back too then but they can't fix it. What happens is you are welding and it stops welding just giving a bit of a orange spark, this can happen after 10 minutes or 5/6 hours, you then leave it.  Sometimes it will start welding if left for a hour or you may have to leave it a day, you just don't know.  Bought it new 5 years ago and it should have around 2k hours on it, but we take the other units to site because we don't trust it. Thie is European spec machine with Perkins engine.
Reply:We have a vantage 500, there is just over 200 hours on it. We use it mostly with stick (7018) and a LN25, and it works great when its working but we have had a problem that Lincoln does not seem able to fix, its been back too then but they can't fix it. What happens is you are welding and it stops welding just giving a bit of a orange spark, this can happen after 10 minutes or 5/6 hours, you then leave it.  Sometimes it will start welding if left for a hour or you may have to leave it a day, you just don't know.  Bought it new 5 years ago and it should have around 2k hours on it, but we take the other units to site because we don't trust it. Thie is European spec machine with Perkins engine.
Reply:Ive got 4900 hours on my vantage 500 and love running it - i just dont love hauling it.  I am now trying to decide between a smaller welder or a bigger truck.I have been really watching my amps lately, trying to see just how much smaller I can go.  I seldom go over 400, but it sure is nice to roll out the big carbons or the 1/4 in 7018 and make some noise.When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, "This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know," the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives.