miller / air products? t i g machine

[setterdog]

Hey , been in the market for a good used t.i.g. machine. Found a 300 amp on craigslist. (knoxville , tn .. type in heliarc t.i.g.) Did miller used to be air products? Is this an air products thats been painted blue and decaled? Seems similar to the ab/p machines.

[soutthpaw]

yep several companies have rebranded versions of the 330ABP, I had an AIRCO 300 Heliwelder that was the same as the Miller 330abp inside and out.. I have seen a sureweld version of the 330ABP too

[setterdog]

So...you think this is an airco painted blue with miller decals? Did you like yours?

[soutthpaw]

Can you post a pic? Yep. Awesome machine. Will need 100 amp supply for full current out but will run on medium setting on 50 amp breaker. They weight about 850lbs. Ask Zap. Its what he uses and there are plenty examples of his awesome welds here.

[farmall]

This it?

http://knoxville.craigslist.org/tls/3144097762.html


THIS looks interesting. At that price (or lower since most people ask high) you could Ebay either piece and keep the other for CHEAP. (I'd keep the feeder.)

http://knoxville.craigslist.org/tls/3121456075.html

[setterdog]

Farmall , What type of power source / machine is used to power these units?

[hobohilton]

Funny thing.... I just recommended a machine like this in another post to a guy setting up his home hobby shop.

It's one of the best, most versatile, lowest maintenance machines I ever owned.

The $1,200 sounds a little high. It would be a good deal for $800 - $850.

Thanks,

Hobo

[soutthpaw]

That is the same type of Airco machine I had... here is my thread from when I got it... just don't read what I paid for it... I sold it for $600 with cooler etc so the price u have is very high.. $400-800 is a common range depending what's included.. a pedal will run $100-150 by itself. If u get bottles and lots of welding cable, cooler its definitely worth the high side of price range. If u look at my pics u will see the gas and cooler valves as well as HF adjustment are under lower panel
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?p=504839 .

[setterdog]

Ive got 200amp into my shop. So if i put this machine on a 100amp breaker i can get full power?

[soutthpaw]

Yep. The spec is 104 amps at full load. But that's 465amps AC. Go get some 1/2" electrodes

[setterdog]

Probably what you would need at that amperage! Im certainly not an electrician , but what your saying is that if i had this 300 amp am aching plugged into a 50 amp receptical and on a 50 amp 2 pole breaker , i could only run up to 150 amps?

[soutthpaw]

Probably more in the 250 am0 range. These are more efficient than say a dialarc 250. Which requires about the same input. 96amps I think but only puts out 250-300 amps....download the 300a/bp manual from miller's website... then compare to dialarc or idealarc..... or lincoln buzzbox that is only 125amps DC. This machine is loaded with hunderds of lbs of copper.
They sell cheap cuz most folks now. Esp the young pups want the lightweight inverters....
My old school Powcon though will do just as much DC current on 50 amps as the 300abp does on 100... but not AC tig... the beauty of the 300abp and clones is the huge ac tig range and how well they can weld sheet aluminum to teally thick aluminum.....

[setterdog]

thanks a lot southpaw...For whatever reason i can't get the guy who posted it on CL to reply? Anyhow , there is a lincoln grey ideal arc water-cooled 300/300 ac - dc for sale in my area. Guy said he'd take $600 for it. If you had to choose between the two? Ive never used either , all I've ever T.I.G. with was a sync 250 and sync 351.

[soutthpaw]

The idealarc should be just as good... if its got the cooler and a pedal it would be a good deal assuming it works

[setterdog]

Yea , I'm going there next week to test it (ideal arc) if it isn't sold. There is also a miller shipmaster 300 with a suitcase type wire feeder with it for $1800 near me. Ive never been around one of these either. any thoughts?