Whats the best Miller welder for building tube chassis'

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Or does someone else make a better one?Thanks
Reply:well the best miller welder is prolly any above 200 amp IMO.  Frankly you need to choose the operator.  Or you need to choose the process.  I guess firstly you need to choose a process you want to use, unless our stuck with an operator.  For tub chassis im assuming were talking ona  car?  Well MIG or wirefeed is usually the preferred method.  Course this will depend on factors.  For instance for a regular car, or anything but racecars, the MIG or the stick work best.  The mig is better cause its easier, and handles the thinner and the gaps better.   The TIG is used on chromemoly.  As far as the operator part, you need to have an operator, or process that is compatible.  IE you dont want a guy who cant mig weld using mig when hes really good at stick and its jsut as easy to get it inthe shop.  Of course as I said MIG is preferred as its easier.  So in most cases thats what it omes to.  Again anything over 200 amps will do.  Id say 210 or 251 will suffice.  The bigger machiens are just overkill.  Lincoln also offers good machines, but this is a battle of Ford vs Chevy.  If you prefer blue you get a Miller.  Hope this helpsIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Well I have a old Lincoln 250 right now that I am learning on,but I will have the cash for a new squarewave in a few months ,so I am doing a little research on what will best suit me.I will be welding tube chromeoly 4130.Do you guys now of any books or tips in welding tubular chassis ,you know do's ,adn don'ts?I know metal prep is the biggest issue,and do not contaminate the tungsten.I also took a course at the local comunity college,and it was interesting and very helpfull if I was welding 5"-6" pipe 1/4 thick.Last edited by Casarez; 12-19-2005 at 01:08 PM.
Reply:casarez,I dont know much on chromemoly.  I do know theres preheat and post heat....also that tig is your "best" option.  As far as containmation...Id treat it like alum....clean that mother real good...first tungtsen inclusion or other messup...grind it up clean...Again, pulser is much more the tig weldor I am...and could tell you a lot more, but as for the 4130 I dont know thats a lil specialized and I dont know who is directly into it.  Main thing to learn tehre is the proper pre/post heating.  If the pre and post isnt done right you will get cracking at the HAZ due to two differnt molecular structures and its bad.  4130 is more suspetable then most oter steels im aware of.IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Casarez,What exactly are you building?  If it is an NHRA chassis, they want them TIG welded.  My guess is they want to keep the people who really don’t know how to weld from using an inexpensive mig, not getting penetration, and having a problem when the car rolls over at 200 + MPH.However, we have customers who use an ER80S-D2 wire and Mig weld 4130 tubing.  And their cars take a lot of abuse:http://www.probstmotorsports.com/I would think their 4130 frames are just as strong as a Tig welded frame.You did not say if your Lincoln is a Mig or a TIG.  Unless it is just worn out, it should work fine.Jeff NolandDrive a LincolnDrink a MillerWeld with an HTP
Reply:Ya its a tig ,I would like to eventually build a dragster,but for now just Roll cages and smaller chassis projects.Thanks for the input guys
Reply:Cesarez,Then I would think that Lincoln 250 should work just fine - why do you want to buy a new machine?Is there something wrong with the welder?JeffJeff NolandDrive a LincolnDrink a MillerWeld with an HTP
Reply:Yeah Id agree with Jeff on this one...if your wanting to do chromemoly  its steel...and squarewave is a function of AC....oh yes AC is dandy for mag and alum...but you use DC for the steel....I mean I aint tellin ya what to do...but Unless youre also wanting to do alum or mag or something I dont see a need for the squarewave.  I dont know the li cln 250 well, but it only seems it would have ac cap and if you had to reweld an alum or mag wheel it should work for that wihout trouble.  But again its just my opinion..  I have a bobus catus and it runs perfectly  yet im always pissin and moanin I want a bigger machine..like SA 200 or possibly a miller diesel IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Originally Posted by CasarezOr does someone else make a better one?Thanks
Reply:Casarez, check out the new miller xmt's . I dont know how much you want to spend but you may never need another welder. It's a multiprocess powersource to which you will need a feeder with mig. But it has all the bells and whistles. Only not sure if the new model has ac tig or not. I have the older 300 model. Anyhow take a gander.Johnny