Millermatic 252 Product Review

  • By: Monica Shulz

Every now and then a Miller machine comes around that impresses me.Millermatic 252 Product Review

But

It’s pretty rare

Like every professional welder

I have my preferences

And certain welders I just don’t like

Why?

Can be as something as simple as a design flaw

Or just a little something that gets under my skin

It’s kinda like the famous rivalry in baseball

Red Sox vs Yankees

I mean both are great teams

But

Everyone has a favorite.

I’m sure you have some favorites too

And sometimes the competition really impresses you

And

You have to hand it to them

The Millermatic 252 is a lot like that

In fact…

It does a lot of things well.

So let’s talk about that.

 

In this Millermatic 252 review, you’ll learn

  • Pro’s and Con’s of the Miller 252
  • Who this welder is perfect for – and who should avoid it
  • Other welders I recommend and why…
  • Why I recommend the Miller 252 for a Fab shop or Heavy DIY user.
  • One part that is prone to breaking on the Miller – everyone breaks this!

 

I really love reading all the specification on welders…
It’s true

Now I know you may judge me by the stickers on my hood

Or the fancy snips I use

Or the fact that I toss gloves as soon as they have a little hole

welding a metal rose for my wife

But

I love researching all types of welders

Why?

Because I get to hide from my wife!

But really…

Once I read over the facts

I know who I should recommend the welder to…

Who would love it…

And who would hate it?

All by the spec’s that tell me

What the welder is capable of.

And here’s the rub

Most people who hate a welder never take the time to

READ about their machine

And when it doesn’t perform

They want to throw it off a cliff.

And I get that!

Really!

Video Review and Unboxing of the Millermatic 252

 

So let’s get to the nuts and bolts of our 252:

The Pro’s

  • Professional machine. It’s heavy duty
  • 15 ft MIG gun included
  • The cart has some nice space for your tank
  • Can fit a 44lb roll of wire
  • Two leads for MIG or flux core
  • Cast Aluminum drive
  • .030 and .035 wire included with the machine

The Con’s

  • The spool is loose when it sits in the spindle
  • The aluminum drive is not angled – like in the Miller 211
  • Cheap clamp Included
  • Front clip drawer feels cheap and will most likely break over time
  • Duty cycle : 250AMP @ 40% DC and 200 AMPS @ 60% DC
  • Wire burn back

 

So with the pro’s and con’s balanced out, why then do I have to hand it to Miller on this machine.

When I bought my metal fabrication shop

I had several of these machines

And

Since I hate blue I sold them all

Except…

I found a dusty dented one under some plywood

In our “carpentry” section of the shop

And

Since I had a huge project I just took on

I decided to dust this thing off and give it a go

millermatic 252

And you know what?

I beat this machine

And it performed flawlessly.

How?

It dropped consistent welds all day.

Really.

Bacon was sizzling in the shop

I was using 8 gauge

And the machine didn’t sweat.

And I didn’t have to mess with the settings.

Once I calibrated for my wire thickness I was good to go

And that’s what I like

A machine to make me money.

Now this doesn’t mean that the 252 is perfect

Far from it

Remember I was using this on 8 gauge sheet metal

But I was in the fab shop

So

Naturally, I drop a weld

And move my workpiece around

Weld some more

Bang on it with my hammer

And weld some more

If I had to have a continuous arc on this guy it would die

Because the Duty cycle is very limited

Remember the duty cycle is based on 10 minutes

So if I could only weld for 4 minutes before the welder needs to rest for 6…

I would have an issue.

Miller 252 Testimonials

I love the Millermatic 252. I’ve seen them in over 10 different shops being uses – so I know they are professional grade. I’m a heavy diesel mechanic and I think it’s great, but would also be good for a hobbyist too!

I think this is a great welder – in fact, probably the best welder ever made. I can weld ½” material all day and the Miller 252 doesn’t skip a beat. I just used it to build a trailer, all with single pass welds.

 

In my fab shop, the welder is really good. I had no issues with the DC.

I did, however, hate the cheap clamp that was on the machine.

It was the standard junk miller likes to include…

I don’t know why they cheap out on the accessories…

But anyway – I bolted on a new awesome clamp

And was good to go.

Oh – and my 44 lb spool was crazy loose.

Apparently, Miller designed the machine like that.

I haven’t found a solution for that…

Except I bought some duct tape

Wrapped the spindled with it…

 

Now I’m good to go.

I didn’t want to over tighten the machine

And put a strain on the motor

Because like most machines

The drive isn’t angled so if you tighten the spool too much your kill your motor

Over time of course.

And the front drawer thingy …

I totally broke that.

It’s not essential.

It just has your setting information in there

But it’s cheaply designed.

Which reminds me…

I just cleaned out the fab shop

And needed a pressure washer – I read this article pressure washer gas or electric

And it was pretty helpful

Conclusion

This is a great machine.

It really is…

I’ve used it in the shop for 10 hour days no worries.

But that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.

If your a heavy DIY user, great. Buy this machine

If you have a fab shop – it’s solid and will not let you down.

If you’re a beginner, go with something.

If you need something portable I would go with this Miller.

I know I know…

I hate Miller, but this is a seriously good machine for the novice

And if you do buy this machine …

Upgrade the clamp

You’ll thank me.

Also.. keep an eye out. Sometimes Miller has a good rebate program

And you’ll get back like two hundred bucks.

Hobart Ironman 230 vs Miller 252

Ironman 230 vs Miller 252

 

Every time I walk into my local welding supply I think to myself….Dont disturb while im welding

So many welders so little time.

I bet you ask yourself that question too

and

How do I know the right welder to buy?

Or which is best one for me?

Do I really need that new Dewalt Cordless Drill?

Is it better than the Rigid?

I know.. My mind does wander went it comes to tools.

But read the review on those drills ridgid 18v drill vs dewalt 20v

Back to our competing welders…

You might also ask…

Which machine offers the best value?

Those are all good questions

And

As your friendly professional welder

Allow me to explain

Trying to explain millermatic 252 welding to a friend

Both machines are great

In fact, Miller and Hobart are both produced by ITW!

Since the same company makes them

you might think they are the same machine

Stop right there!

There are a few differences that really set these two welders apart.

 

In this article, we’ll discuss

  • The Pro’s and Con’s of both welders
  • Why you would choose the miller 252 or the Hobart Ironman 230
  • Where each model performs best

 

The Miller 252

 

I’ve never really been a fan of miller products. In fact, when I took over my fabrication shop a few years ago I sold my Millers and replaced them with my favorite ESAB, a Lincoln and a Hobart Ironman 230.

And I recently bought a new hood.

Which is the best hood I ever owned?

And a good hood is important no matter which welder you like

But

Back to business

 

Pro’s

  • Millers retain their value over Hobart Machines
  • The 252 has pre and post flow
  • Longer duty cycle then the Hobart
  • Infinite voltage control
  • Highest AMP output in its class @ 300 max, range 30-300
  • Aluminum drive for smooth wire delivery

 

Now, these are all some really great features.

The pre and post flow keep the shielding gas around the weld and protect it from porosity.

The arc control keeps spattering to a minimum, so no need to buy gel.

You can buy some fancy stickers with the cash you save.

I like the fact that this machine has more AMPS

That means I can weld thicker metals

The limited cycle means the machine will have to rest

But

The there is one thing that sets the Millermatic 252 apart

And that is

The infinite voltage control.

You either the Millermatic 252 or hate it.

I Definitely have my opinion on that…

Remember what happened to my Miller machine?

That’s the reason I sold it

And I’ll explain more about that in a bit…

But that reason helps me explain the…

Con’s

  • Way more expensive than the Hobart machine
  • Digital readout on the AMPS and VOLTS
  • Infinite voltage control

And these are some big reasons why I avoid the Miller 252 over the Hobart Ironman 230.

The infinite voltage control is a double-edged sword.

Let me explain

The Millermatic 252 really shines here-

If you really want to dial in your welder and spend time adjusting it

Then this the machine for you

Or your constantly working with different metals of various thickness

Then this machine is great!

Or you need to weld some heavy gauge metals like 1” thick-

Buy the Miller.

But

If you’re looking for production

I mean cranking out units

Like we do in my shop

On ½ steel and lighter stuff

Then the Miller might now be the best choice

And

When those digital readouts break…

You’ll cry when you see the bill

Now

Let’s jump into

 The Hobart Ironman 230

 

Now ITW markets the Hobart more for the DIY crowd

As opposed to Miller

Whom they market to the professional

But

I find the opposite is true

And specifically for my production fab shop

So here’s the breakdown

Pro’s

  • Analog dials – yes, actual knobs
  • Price – was more affordable than the Miller 252
  • Stepped voltage – 12 settings
  • Variable wire setting

Con’s

  • The settings will not be as precise as the Miller 252
  • Lower resale value compared to Miller
  • Lower max AMP’s @ 250

When you look at the Pro’s and Con’s of the Hobart compared to the Miller

You might just ask why I prefer the Hobart Ironman 230

And that’s a great question

Because the Miller can handle thicker metals and weld

FOR LONGER….

However….

The Hobart beats the Miller in some key areas for me.

It’s cheaper priced

The 230 is simple to use

I can dial it in quicker with the limited settings

And

When I train new welders they find it easier to work with the Hobart

I get clean welds

And if the knobs break

I slap them back on.

So the Hobart shines in my fab shop

And that what works for me

Because

I crank out units all day

And have no worries about maintenance on expensive digital readouts

Or

Spending more time with my new welders

Helping them dial in their machine.

And I’m not the only one who loves their Hobart

This guy does too!

Hobart Ironman 230 Video Rundown

Let’s explore some common questions and answers

Question: Will The Hobart 230 accept a 44lb spool of wire?

Answer: Yes. A 12″ spool of wire will fit and work just fine.

Question: How long are the welding leads on the Miller 252? Also, does this welder come with the gas gauges?

Answer: 15 ft on lead and yes mine came with gas gauges.. if you haven’t welded with this machine you will fall in love…

Question: what is the various duty cycle percents?

Answer: I think what you are asking is what the duty cycle is. It all depends on the heat setting you are using at the time. The duty cycle at about 140 amps is close to 100% and drops to about 30% at 250 amps. I don’t know what you will be welding, but even on pretty heavy iron (3/8″ or so) using .035 solid wire and co2/ argon gas, I seldom ever use more than 125, to 140 amps, so I never exceed the 100% duty cycle. But I also very seldom have long enough welds at a time to matter. The welder I had before I bought the Ironman 230, was just a 150 amp with about a 30% duty cycle at 120 amps, and it was still going after nearly 30 years, and I used it for some pretty big projects.

Conclusion

Both the Millermatic 252 and the Hobart Ironman 230 are awesome machines.

But

There can be only one winner

I like the Hobart if you want a simple to use

Dependable

Cheap to repair

Cheap to purchase

Easy to use the machine.

The Hobart has never let me down.

Unless I need to weld some 1” plates

Then

The Miller really shines.

But it will cost you more

If those digital readouts break –

It will be expensive to repair

And

You’ll only really need the infinite voltage control if your welding different types of metals

And different gauges of metal.

So really it’s your money

Would you want to choose the machine that delivers more value for your money?

I bet you do

So

Read The Full Review of Hobart Ironman 230 Here

and

use the money you saved by not buying the Miller for some good gear!