Thermal Arc Fabricator 181i or MM 180

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I am trying to decide which unit to purchase.  Primarily I will be welding mig.  I recently purchased a Millermatic 135 and signed up for a welding class which starts in 2 weeks.  I am selling my MM135 in order to purchase either a MM 180 or a Thermal Arc Fabricator 181i.  I am wondering if anyone has used both of these units and if so which Mig function was favored.  If they are both similar for Mig welding except for the fact that the MM has autoset and the 181 does Mig, TIG and Stick,  I am leaning towards the 181.  My only reservation I have if they are similar is that the 181 is so new on the market that there is limited history of how it will hold up.  The resell for a MM is obviously better and has over 100 yrs of history. So my questions is:  Does the Mig function on the Thermal Arc 181 work well and do you think the quality of the weld and machines are comparable?  I know that the 181 is made in china and that is of some concern but not a deal breaker if they have a good quality control set in place.  I like the 181 in case I ever want to use stick or want to learn tig and I like the new inverter technology but since it is so new there could be problems down the road. Thanks for the replies.
Reply:Their is another thread on these machine and has sparked quite a bit of interest including myself. http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=60389I.B.E.W Electrician and Damn Proud of It !!!! .Virtus Junxit Mors Non Separabit http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/
Reply:first off i like miller.... but between the mm180 or the ta181i i would ask myself do i want more than just a mig or do i want to have diversity? thermal arc has been around a long time. name the manufacturer and they have all had short run machines because the design faulted. if you are trying to get by on a limited budget the 181 is the way to go for the most out of it and the least into it. if you want a mig first and invest in the rest as needed or wanted the mm180 is the way to go. if every time a maker brings a new welder to market and everyone says "well i want to wait a few years to see if it's any good", how long do you think the maker will make the machine if nobody buys it. do you buy everything that is about outdated just so you know you will get a good one? if so buy today while you still can. logically this analogy makes little sense. also according to the Miller rep i spoke with, claims that miller is bringing to market around the end of this month their version of the 181 with the exceptions of 2 things. price around $1600.00 and 110/220v. there you go hold off a bit and if you like blue you can get it. but keep in mind it is a new design and reliability won't be known for several years.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:I called Miller and they said that they are coming out with a multi function unit but it won't be available until April.  They told me it is called the Multi Matic but couldn't give me much info on it.  I am going to meet the Thermal Arc rep tomorrow at a lws company and check out the 181i.  Although  I've seen it on line and all the reviews that I have read seem favorable I am concerned about longevity.  It's only been out for 2 or 3 months.  Since I now that I know that miller is coming out with a multi function unit I might wait.
Reply:sorry for the bad info on the miller. i guess they moved it back again. it just might be worth waiting for. i am not one to put all my eggs in one basket because if one breaks they all break, but i am interested in it for portability. i won't be getting rid of the other stuff though. for the guy starting out though or with space limits it seems a good way to go till the time calls to expand. btw i wouldn't be a bit afraid to step into a TA. they are a strong reputable company that has produced great equipment for many years. even though the 181i is built across the pond TA wouldn't put their name on it if it wasn't up to their standards. think about the oversees parts that go into the other big makers machines and it might shine a different light on the 181.Last edited by jbmprods; 01-10-2012 at 08:42 PM.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:I recently bought Miller 211, I was in the same situation as you, Thermal Arc 181 or Miller 211. I bought the 211 because I don't tig or stick (yet), and I wanted the dual voltage and the spool gun for aluminum.The local welding supply I bought the Miller from said the 211 has pretty much killed the sales of the 180,it's the same size housing with more capability for a few bucks more.I was going to wait and see if Thermal Arc was going to bring out a dual voltage unit, but the welding supply had a sale going on the Miller that ended soon.
Reply:I also spoke with TA today and they told me that they are coming out with a dual volt soon.  I appreciate the info about TA's good reputation since I was not familiar with them.