Used Miller Welders

[Binderdan]

I'm looking to add an engine driven welder to my service truck. Nothing against Lincolns but I like Millers, and my truck already has a cutout shaped for a Miller Bobcat in the front cabinet. A new Miller Bobcat 265 with jump start option is over $10K, and a Trailblazer is over $12.5K. Hard to justify no more than it would get used. 

I started looking at used ones to find most on marketplace or at auction were beat to death, and still commanding pretty good money. However I started looking at used rental units. These are a little older 2017/2018 production machines but actually seem fair priced compared to most I see for sale, and are known to be functional. The Bobcats are usually model 250, with Kohler engines on LP and sell for $2,500 to $3,500, and the Trailblazers are 325D with Kubota diesel engines ($20K+ new!) sell for $5,000 to $7,000. 

Does anyone have any opinions on what the life expectancy is for these machines? The ones for sale vary from 500 hours to over 5,000 hours, and built around 2018. 

Does anyone know if the Bobcat 250 LP ones can be easily converted to gasoline? I imagine it isn't worth the effort, but I don't have a lot of room to be adding an LP tank on the truck. 

[mader656]

If your not using it full time i have 800 hours on my hobart 225. Its got a 14,000 generator... pretty good by my in my opinion.

[TomH]

Back when I did ag service I had a Bobcat on my truck. It was purchased used with about 2000 hours, I added a few hundred more. Never had any major issues with it. Often had to run it all day as a generator.

[Alan Dinan]

Try calling a rental company, United Rents, Sunbelt, etc. They sell them after so many hours and if they have one for sale in St. Louis or Dallas, they can transfer it to your local yard.

[vtfireman85]

I don’t remember the hours, we have a 250 with a Robin engine, it’s an undesirable engine choice, i guess they suffered failures, but it starts, runs and welds flawlessly. Gave $1200 for it used about 10-12 years ago. I have done a battery, choke cable and replaced the broken bezel around the controls. 

[yellowrosefarm]

https://www.govdeals.com/en/asset/25962/20379

https://www.govdeals.com/en/asset/926/16988

These might give you an idea of what they can bring online. GovDeals prices are usually on the high side.

[Lazy WP]

I bought a Lincoln Ranger8 probably 4 years ago now. It is WAY more welder than I am. Only problem with it is the fuel gauge doesn’t work. I think we spent $2000!

[DaveinSD]

We have an ancient Bobcat at work with an Onan engine, it’s easily 30 years old and hasn’t gotten the best of care but still soldiering along. I have no idea how many hours, we don’t use it a ton but it has definitely seen it’s share of use over the years.

[mike newman]

.....had a Trailblazer  Miller  whilst on that job in the Caribbean... Kubota powered welder that cost $12K   US back in'03..

It performed flawlessly..as expected  and did huge hours during my three yrs on that job site I was doing structural welding 'on site'....plus ''production welding '' via jigs in the main work shop..

The local ''boys'' employed on site, had a very elastic interpretation of basic operating /driving  'skills'......so there was constant repair work, also...and...on night shifts, Kubota provided  localised  light....saved running lighting towers in certain situations..where more form work might be required...

I was the designated  ""Welding Superintendent ""    this grandiose title mainly for the  Work Permit...and oversaw the use of the main welder    (Trailblazer...)...

An excellent trouble free machine...although I kept a close watch on  the dark skinned arms, whilst , at times, one particular usefull bloke used this welder....

I have a 500 amp Miller here at home.....

Mike

[M35A2]

The Bobcat 250 is nearlly a bullet proof machine.  The Kohler could get upwards of 7000-8000 hours of use.  On a service truck, how many hours a day do you plan to run this machine?   Service trucks tend to get the least hours on them as the welding done is somewhat sporadic.   One time we surveyed our customers and the average use was about 1hour a day, and that was to run auxillary power.  Run hard doing welding, average was something like .02 hours a day.   Don't go with a Robin engine, they had very low sales numbers and the motor had some issues.   But to find a Robin, you are going to have to look really hard.      As for the propane powered one, they do not convert from propane to gasoline.  RSC (forerunner to United Rentals) at one time has a glut of propane powered units they sold used.   On a daily we would get phone calls from somene who bought one and trying to convert back to gasoline.     There are two footprints of the 250.   Somewhere areound 2012 they reconfigued the machine to have a smaller footprint.        One model that is great, but you won't see a lot of is a 260.   Only sold for a few years until the 265 came out.   

 

[whweldit]

Was able to purchase a new miller legend in 1992 for school shop.  It was a great machine.  

[Finney]

I have 3 Miller gas drives and 3 miller shop machines. When buying used take a set of cables , piece of 1/2" plate and some 5/32 7018 and try it out.

[Binderdan]

Thanks guys!

The ones I'm looking at are from Herc Rentals. They seem to be offered less expensive than United Rentals and others advertise them. Sunbelt sends them to auction. Herc Rentals also offers financing on used equipment if I was to need it. Every time I find a low hour one pop up its usually far away or I can't get it fast enough. 

Mader656's suggestion on the Hobart isn't a bad idea no more than it would be used, and its priced below $5K new. Since Hobart is Miller's budget line now I think the machine has the same profile as the Bobcat.

M35A2 thanks for confirming on the propane conversion, I suspected it wasn't feasible. 

I really like the idea of having the Kubota diesel. They are great engines, and I could potentially plumb it into the truck fuel tank. I did check the mounting footprint for the 325D and it just barely fits where I need to mount it. They come trailer mounted but I will mount it on my truck with the control panel inside the cabinet. 

Sounds like I shouldn't be scared of a couple thousand hour machine. Only complaint I have heard about Millers is circuit board failures and poor parts support on electronics. 

My usage would be pretty minimal, mostly power generation on occasions, and rare occasions welding. Has really only been two situations where I really needed one so far. But I like to be prepared. I just really don't want to spend a bunch of money on something at the end of its life expectancy. 

[CRVB91]

Can't remember which forum I read it on, reddit perhaps, but one guy had a Miller that was nearing 60 years old with 20k+ hours on it, he was still using it.. not saying this is always the case, but I certainly wouldn't be too concerned about a couple thousand, especially if its been looked after.

[int 504]

I've had some hobart welders. Been good for what I do which is repair work with occasional fab nowadays. A Hobart portable would work fine for your use assuming good condition to begin with.

[560Dennis]

Ricks is a welder repair service. He helped me convert my Lincoln mig to gas machine. When I visited the shop. I was impressed with the vast amount of Miller welders at the shop. I would think he knows exactly what you’re looking for if parts ,electronics,everything Miller he must have it. 

Just a suggestion.
 

Rick's Welder Repair Service

Eastlake

www.langequipment.com

WebsiteDirectionsCallMap

Address

1585 E 361st St, Eastlake, OH 44095, United States

Phone

• +1 440 269 1204

 

[M35A2]

Electronic parts support by both Lincoln and Miller do become sketchy as the machines age.  Circuit boards, especially the hi/lo idle boards tend to go out later on.   Average cost on that is around 6 hundredish.  Unless you run the machine day in day out all day, fuel consumption won't be noticed.   Most of you major electronics can be bought aftermarket for them, just not through Miller and Lincoln dealers.    Overall, you won't find a lot of the dealers stocking electronic components as lots of them are machine specific, and stocking the right one for someone walking in is almost always a loosing proposition. 

 

[New Englander]

18 hours ago, M35A2 said:

Electronic parts

I was unable to set the voltage on my Miller 252, it would just bounce around when I turned the knob. A little searching found that the control is an optical encoder - it senses the direction you're turning the knob and transmits the pulses to the circuit board. Miller wanted $80. , I think but had no stock, Ebay had one for $40. I took it off the circuit board, got the P/N and bought the exact one for, I think, $6. from an electronic supply store. 

Someone out there probably repairs the electronics for a lot cheaper than Miller new as the components are cheap. It's the know-how, manuals, and test equipment that's required. I suspect there's someone with all. Back when I had the avionics shop our techs would get deep in the circuitry. We had the manuals and test equipment, they had the knowledge. 

[supermechanic]

The older bobcats with the onan engines develop oil consumption problems by 2000 hours. I have had three of them.