I need some welder input from you guys.
- Thread starter Roastchestnuts
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- Thread starter
- #62
So update. I got the Miller 142 yesterday and just the build quality of the product is 1000X better than the eastwood. I would have thought (not looking at the size) that they would be the same size but the miller is bigger. some things I noticed: the Millermatics power cable is substantially more robust than the eastwood. even the regulator seems of better quality. Hell even something as simple is the chart on the inside door is a better quality sticker with better information in terms of how to use the machine. the chart is really not much different. I only have two minor qualms with the machine. One of my qualms is more with the packaging. for being delivered to my front door I kinda dont like that it says MILLER in big blue letters. not that theft is a major issue where I live but I would not have wanted this to sit here all day while I was working. 2nd thing I was hopping my tweco style contact tips that I just got over christmas for my .024 wire would work on the miller. turns out they are for sure different. Thats fine I just ordered the correct ones. I probibly have 50lb of .024 wire (a bunch of 11lb rolls that I picked up from a friend) but only 1 roll of .030 flux. So I am glad it came with a small roll of .030 so I could test it out
I will also say my eastwood might has well have been broken this whole time because hot damn the Miller welds so much better! it is night and day how much better it welds. I tested the autoset feature out on some 20 gage scrap with the .030 wire it came with and while I would not want to use this .030 wire on my land cruiser it did do a butt weld without burn through that was strong. I would worry about heat worpage on the car with that wire. I like using .025 and .024. Using .030 wire on 20 gage would have taken me alot of trail and error on the eastwood. Confirmed that the autoset feature when turned off keeps the voltage and wire speed when turned to manual mode too. so you can fine tune.
I did notice that the autoset is constantly adjusting as you weld. When you pull the trigger it shows on the screens what the wire and voltage is doing. Its pretty cool.
again this machine is so much easier. I think its going to help me get alot of my car projects done for sure. Time will tell but for anybody getting their first mig machine I would say skip the cheeper stuff. I wish I had gotten this miller machine 4 years ago.
Next to the busted eastwood 140. I think I am going to load up some flux core in the east wood and see if it will work well enough. I did check the liner and it was fine on the eastwood with no kinks. but honestly It might be in a land fill soon. somthing is wrong in the machine I think though.
The bottle is attached to my welding cart btw. I need to find a more user friendly way to cart everything out of the "machine shed". Maybe a little wagon would be good.
I will also say my eastwood might has well have been broken this whole time because hot damn the Miller welds so much better! it is night and day how much better it welds. I tested the autoset feature out on some 20 gage scrap with the .030 wire it came with and while I would not want to use this .030 wire on my land cruiser it did do a butt weld without burn through that was strong. I would worry about heat worpage on the car with that wire. I like using .025 and .024. Using .030 wire on 20 gage would have taken me alot of trail and error on the eastwood. Confirmed that the autoset feature when turned off keeps the voltage and wire speed when turned to manual mode too. so you can fine tune.
I did notice that the autoset is constantly adjusting as you weld. When you pull the trigger it shows on the screens what the wire and voltage is doing. Its pretty cool.
again this machine is so much easier. I think its going to help me get alot of my car projects done for sure. Time will tell but for anybody getting their first mig machine I would say skip the cheeper stuff. I wish I had gotten this miller machine 4 years ago.
Next to the busted eastwood 140. I think I am going to load up some flux core in the east wood and see if it will work well enough. I did check the liner and it was fine on the eastwood with no kinks. but honestly It might be in a land fill soon. somthing is wrong in the machine I think though.
The bottle is attached to my welding cart btw. I need to find a more user friendly way to cart everything out of the "machine shed". Maybe a little wagon would be good.
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Not everyone has there weld delivered & and I would not have expected the wheels to be the same 
Nice welder I think you well like it !
Nice welder I think you well like it !
To move my welder around I picked up a tool cart from HF.
This photo was before I added a tank shelf. I ended up bolting my FJ-40 rear step, since it wasn't being used on the vehicle, to the end opposite the handle. I added a ratchet strap at the top to keep the tanks, yes the step will fit 2 tanks, on the cart. When in use the welder sits on top and the spool gun moves to the lower shelf. I store tools, gloves, and welding shirt/jacket as well as supplies in the draws. I liked the larger wheels compare to the average welding carts.
UPDATE: I ran across a photo of the FJ-40 rear step attached to the cart.
This photo was before I added a tank shelf. I ended up bolting my FJ-40 rear step, since it wasn't being used on the vehicle, to the end opposite the handle. I added a ratchet strap at the top to keep the tanks, yes the step will fit 2 tanks, on the cart. When in use the welder sits on top and the spool gun moves to the lower shelf. I store tools, gloves, and welding shirt/jacket as well as supplies in the draws. I liked the larger wheels compare to the average welding carts.
UPDATE: I ran across a photo of the FJ-40 rear step attached to the cart.
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this is a lesson that hard taught to people that do not know how to weld....short of having different units side by side and let them see the results for themselves its difficult to tell noobs that the low cost machines more often than not are low cst for a reason and have them understand that not all power sources are created equal.
And yes a cart is almost mandatory.
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- Thread starter
- #66
Idk yes and no.
Sometimes money is an issue too though when I bought the east wood I was not in the same financial situation I am now 4ish years later. In my case I am physically living more than 2 hours after a 2.5 hour car ferry from anyplace I can actually look at a welding machine I can buy. I also am not mad I went the cheeper way first. I dont like that it broke either though. would I have done the same thing with what I know now? probably not. If I could have told myself somthing it would be get a hobart. But on the eastwood - I feel like I learned a-lot. honestly I feel I learned more on how to weld on a crap welder that was hard to weld good with. better to go cheeper if you don't know how much you will use something too. Yes a Nice welder would have been better to get first but I really was only planning on using it to weld the rear tub of my fj40. and then maybe little stuff. turns out I used it alot more. re did all the body panels on my samurai basically haha. did half my rockers on the fj55 with it too. I have a cart btw but I am also working out of a shed for most things so thats why its not on the cart. I was saying something more along the lines thats easier to pull out of the work area. like a little wagon or somthing would be nice.
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