SMALL portable welder needed. . .suggestions?

[Bob_Skurka]

I have an older small wire feed welder that gets some occasional use around the house, but mostly is at work doing light duty repair jobs. It's been abused and is due to be replaced.

I'm considering switching over to a MILLER Maxstar 150s Stick Welder. It is small, light, portable, operates off regular household current (which is a must have feature for light duty repairs as it is easier to get a small welder to the broken conveyor in the warehouse than it is to totally disassemble the conveyor and take it to the welder). Maxstar 150 S

Anyone have any other suggestions for a small light duty welder? I am NOT considering a big unit, one of my neighbors owns a machine shop with real welding equipment, I have access to the big stuff when big things break. I am looking for a small simple unit that is portable, runs on household current, etc. Thoughts? Experiences? Brand & model recommendations?

 

[RayH]

Heres one for true portability. Ive got a Century 131 and its pretty basic but will stick two pieces of metal together. I got it for off-roading where there isnt any AC at all.
http://www.wwwsales.net/migs/century_131.htm

 

[Tevi]

I prefer mig and suggest the Millermatic Passport

 

[Bob_Skurka]

RayH . . . that is the one I have now! I actually like it, but some of the guys here who THINK they can weld up metal have banged it around pretty good, didn't let it cool down between welds, it did a good job for the first couple of years on our light duty stuff, but I'm looking for something that would be a slight upgrade.

Tevi . . . The Millermatic Passport is a neat unit, I had not seen one with the self contained gas cylinder before (then again, I can do basic welding but don't consider myself anything other than a hobbyist and I don't really look at welding equipment all that often). The only thing that scares me a bit is the price. At roughly $1300 it is double the price of the Maxstar 150. But I suppose it is probalby worth it. Have you used one? Do you like it?

 

[Tevi]

I did demo one and it worked great.The problem for me is in my work I use thicker steel so I went with a Spoolmatic 30A with a 50ft extension(80ft total travel)and a WC115A wire controller which plugs into my Bobcat 225NT

 

[ScottV]

I have one and it is a Maxstar 150 with a cv loop in it, plus a few more tweeks.

Go here for more info on the Maxstar 150s. Ask Hawk what rods work best.
http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/forumdisplay.php?f=3
I prefer the 150 STI but that is just me. (hi freq tig too)

Really there is nothing that matches the Maxstars or passport in
the area of 120 input to welding output.

http://tinyurl.com/bwdae

 

[Dargo]

I burned some wire with the Passport before buying my MM 210. The Passport was by far the best small unit I've ever used. I have to say that I was honestly impressed with what it would do on the low voltage side. But, as you mentioned, it is not cheap. However, it sure lets a less experienced welder lay down some nice welds with good penetration better than the cheapo units I've used.

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I prefer mig and suggest the Millermatic Passport )</font>

Really??? Do you own one? Have you ever used one?

The Millermatic Passport is rated at 3/16". This unit is more like the MM/Hobart 135 than anything else. It is also much more expensive than the smaller units.

The Passport's small self contained CO2 cylinder contains enough gas for only 25 minutes of welding on 3/16" steel and it cannot be used with C25 gas which is a BIG disadvantage. It's output rating is only 150 amps at 20% duty cycle and 130 amps at 60% duty cycle on 230 volts. The ratings are almost 50% lower on 110 volts. Check the link below for the specs.

I think it might be fine for a small portable gas welder for temporary body shop type welds in an emergency but not for light or even heavy steel fabrication.

You can see the passport specs Here .

 

[Bob_Skurka]

So Mad, what would you recommend?

 

[Tevi]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( </font><font color="blueclass=small">( I prefer mig and suggest the Millermatic Passport )</font>

Really??? Do you own one? Have you ever used one?

The Millermatic Passport is rated at 3/16". This unit is more like the MM/Hobart 135 than anything else. It is also much more expensive than the smaller units.

The Passport's small self contained CO2 cylinder contains enough gas for only 25 minutes of welding on 3/16" steel and it cannot be used with C25 gas which is a BIG disadvantage. It's output rating is only 150 amps at 20% duty cycle and 130 amps at 60% duty cycle on 230 volts. The ratings are almost 50% lower on 110 volts. Check the link below for the specs.

I think it might be fine for a small portable gas welder for temporary body shop type welds in an emergency but not for light or even heavy steel fabrication.

You can see the passport specs Here .
)</font>If your going to quote me then read all my posts.I said I demo'd it.Also he said he wanted one for around the hous so unless he's strapping C25 tank to his back I think the Passport might be a feasable option

 

[txdon]

<font color="blue">"The Millermatic Passport is rated at 3/16". This unit is more like the MM/Hobart 135 than anything else. It is also much more expensive than the smaller units." -MadReferee
</font>

I would not say this unit is like the MM/Hobart 135.
On page 19 of the 2005 Miller catalog it says the arc quality is better than the MM135, 175 and the 210.

It also states that it will weld up to 3/8" (not 3/16) in a single pass (230VAC) and 1/4"(115VAC), which is more than the MM/Hobart 135 which is 3/16"

The CO2 container can be bought by the paint ball gun supplies at Wallmart and filled at ACE hardware. You can connect a large bottle also for shop use. The guys that have them on the welding forum really like them and their beads look great.

 

[ScottV]

(The Millermatic Passport is rated at 3/16". This unit is more like the MM/Hobart 135 than anything else. It is also much more expensive than the smaller units.)

It's not even the same, the arc is so much better then those two machines its not funny. With 75/25 gas with the Hobart/ MM135 they really do not put out enough juice to weld 3/16.
This is a weld on some 3/16 using the little bottle on 120 volts.

You can throw a couple bottles in your side pouch and that would add up to over 75 ft of weld bead. It would cost about .50 per fill of the little tanks. I fill my own off of a 20 pound bottle. The Passport will run co2 better then most welders run 75/25 gas. If you weld a lot the passort will pay for itself pretty quick. The duty cycle is much better then you think when welding 1/8 on 230 volts. You can weld and weld with the fan kicking on and off. The unit will weld stainless much better then the other welding machine mentioned too. The inductance control setting is nice to have.

No goofy wirefeed tracking on the passport so that makes it worth double right there!!!!!

You need to think of a passort as two welders in one. A very powerful 120 volt welder and a more powerful welder then the 175 class of machines. They have a duty-cycle of 130 amps at 30 % The voltage is also the key when looking at welders. The 120 volt welders drop down to about 15/16 volts at the 135 output. Maybe less?

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It also states that it will weld up to 3/8" (not 3/16) in a single pass (230VAC) and 1/4"(115VAC), which is more than the MM/Hobart 135 which is 3/16" )</font>

Regardless of what the Miller documentation may say, the Passport will not weld a bead of any reasonable length with any reasonable penetration on 3/8" steel using 230v. Maybe for tacking or an emergency quickie bead but not for "regular" welding in a fab environment. It doesn't have the power or duty cycle. It is "rated" for 3/16" which is what their published duty cycles are calculated with. Welding thicker material will change the rated numbers considerablyand it won't be to the good. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

C25 is a much better shielding gas for penetration than straight CO2 and straight CO2 is all you get with the Passport.

The beads the Passport may lay down look great but what are they welding? 16 gauge steel? What is the penetration on the thicker stuff like 1/4" and thicker?

I saw a demo of the Passport by a Miller rep and he flat out said that 3/8" was really a marketing tactic. The intended audience of the Passport is a person who needs to make a light repair, typically an emergency repair, somewhere outside the shop where carrying around tanks is impractical. The unit does have the capability of connecting to the shop tanks, but with the limited duty cycles there are better choices for the shop.

If you want something that is portable and understand the limitations of Passport, and can read thru the marketing hype, and are not going to use this unit for any long duty cycle work, then it is a good choice.

However, you are paying an almost 100% price premium for the portability.

 

[ScottV]

(C25 is a much better shielding gas for penetration than straight CO2 and straight CO2 is all you get with the Passport.)

Co2 will penetrate deeper the c-25


The passport runs on C-25 too!!

You are missing the point on the passport
For 3/8 you should spray-arc the steel anyway on critical welds or at least use flux-core.

Here is a couple of the welding machines I had a while back. The passport belongs in that group and in fact most of them are gone and the passport is still here!!!
I been hard on Miller for a long time but when the build something right, I feel it is only fair to not let others spread bad or flat out wrong info.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

All, let me try to ask this again. I am looking for a SMALL and PORTABLE unit that will run on standard household current to do simple repairs. This is not for fabricating. I have 208/230/480 at the warehouse but only in limited areas. Most times when we need to weld up a quick repair, it is to a conveyor assembly and it is easier to take a small welder to the location than it is to disassemble the conveyor and take it to an area where we have ample power. But we have 120 all over the building. Most of the welding is in fairly thin metal. At the house I don't think I've ever done any real fabrication either. Again, my friend has a fully equiped machine shop, multiple ways to weld, cut, machine, cnc, etc. I just need something that is easy to take around that has a modest capacity, more than 3/16" is needed, but I can't imagine using this for 3/8".

For MY MODEST NEEDS, the Passport looks good in every way except the price.

 

[MadReferee]

Bob, according to the Miller rep, your needs are why the Passport was designed the way it was. The marketing hype is making it out to be something it really isn't. Too bad they missed the price point.

 

[Dargo]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( For MY MODEST NEEDS, the Passport looks good in every way except the price. )</font>

C'mon Bob, it's only money. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif You can't take it with you... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[ScottV]

Here is a thread from Kevin on his passport.
He has a 255 Lincoln, and 275 Lincoln tig, Dynasty 200 and a Passport.

These guys that own them know they work,and are not underpriced at all. It is fair price for the outstanding arc quality. yes it's much better then a MM 210. It just will not weld as thick, but when you do weld stuff it puts a smile on your face. It has that kind of arc.

They will add a stick mode later, then it will be a real bargin.
The Mutimaster 160 had mig/ tig and stick but no 120 volt input.
It also had a 60% duty-cycle at 150 amps. I prefer the passport to it, although I found out it also welds much better on CO2.

Bob if you want to save money the Maxstar 150 s is really a good way to do it. Lots of value in it. It will not weld battleships though. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif


http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/showthread.php?t=2258&highlight=passport

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Scott:

What is the metal thickness capacity of the Passport?
What is the metal thickness capacity of the Maxstar 150S?

Assuming both are run on 120 input!!!

Also, you wrote that they will add a stick mode later, I presume you are talking about the Passport, any idea when it will be available that way? Or if I buy it now, can it be added later? I'm unsure about spending that amount on something used infrequently, but it seems ideal for what I need.

 

[ScottV]

Yes, Miller left room to grow with that model. I really do not know when the stick will happen with the passport. I know they know when it will happen.

I have no problem making a sound weld up to about 3/16 on 120 volt 20 amp circuit. The settings are the exacty same on 3/16 on 120 or 230 power. The arc is exactly the same.

I never used a 150S so I cannot answer that question. I have a feeling with multi pass welding and decent prep, you could do alright on 120 volt power.

I will ask people who have them and get back to you. I know a few really good welders with them. This is a picture of the spray-arc he does with his MM 251. Everything that he does looks the same. He also tries to get people to buy big enough
so they can get the job done safely.