ESAB Rebel EMP 205ic AC/DC vs Millermatic 255
Owners rate the Millermatic 255 higher: 6.9/10 against 6.7/10. The ESAB Rebel EMP 205ic AC/DC costs $192 less ($3,999 against $4,191).
ESAB Rebel EMP 205ic AC/DC owners say
Why so many haters here in the comments ? I own one and have had no problems except my finger trouble. Just look at the physical building quality, all high quality stuff including the Allen headed bolts; no cheap self tappers. It is what it is. If you doing production work you probably need a bigger.machine. For field use with longer leads get a simple flux core machine from Harbor Freight for cheap. It’s to nice a machine to be rolling around in the back of you pickup!
@BakersGas the basic design of the machine is flawed. The mig gun will stutter if the whip is it is not perfectly straight. I’ve had to fab up a support to keep it that way where it connects to the machine. I also have to constantly move the machine around while working. I replaced the TIG gun because who ever assembled it, they connected it backwards. Meaning, I had to fight to keep it oriented properly while welding. Even in the proper setting, this machine does not like 6011 or 6010. In my 25 years of welding, I have never used such a poorly designed machine.
Millermatic 255 owners say
@BuzzkillcoI believe you. You are influenced by your experience just as I am with mine. I guess we have different luck. I had a Miller DVI burn the transformer after about 2 years light industrial use. Mostly welding steel 14 & 16 ga. I know it is somewhat a smaller rated machine. But its an air cooled transformer machine. No air cooled inverter machine of mine has failed in 3 years of owning them. They shut off if the get hot and dont burn out. I have even been using the miller 255 for 1/2"& 5/8" welding because I like how it spray welds and is more portable, better then the miller 450. Also I found with portable welding that certain inverter machines are much better to use, lighter, more efficient, and more forgiving on dirty voltage. " when properly equipped with voltage correction " I did learn they will break from a fall, so now I try to treat them as if they were lazer levels by protecting them from drops and bad vibrations . Probably my day is coming for a smoked board but as of yet I have never smoked one from overload or overheating as the thermal protection has always worked, so far. Edit, I should add for anyone reading this that doesn't know or is not educated yet on the matter, an inverter welder running on generator current should be purchased with that in mind. As they make specific models just for that condition with voltage correction. Probably most are not intended for that and will burn out. Also people trying to run 140 amps on 110V are asking for trouble as well. That was not what I am doing with my experience. I am running 220v 1ph or 440v 3ph I also understand how induction works and have wound coils. I was only talking specifically about the duty cycle ratings being very important even if it is a transformer welder and the heat and thermal protections or lack thereof causing welding machine failure.
I first bought one to use the AlumaPro gun and 25` lead. I liked it so much I bought a second 255 machine so I could have one for metal fab and one for aluminum fab. I just wish there was a 25` lead for metal work without possibly building my own. I had a Miller200 wire welder I bought new over 40 years ago. I sold it for $100 more than it sold for new way back then! Millers are great tools!
