I've had a Miller 180 mig welder for about 4 years and it just quit a few days ago. Haven't used it a lot. Sent it to the dealer shop and they called and said 560.00 for a new circuit board. Anybody had that problem? That sounds like a lot for a 850.00 welder. It worked flawlessly up until it died.
You may want to ask that question here http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/communities/mboard/forum.php you may get some better help from a Miller rep.
I had the same thing go wrong with my old 110 Hobart Handler. I had used and abused the crap out of it, so it wasn't worth fixing. I gave it to one of our local scrappers
my lincoln 140 did the same, worked great then just died. but mine was about 10 yrs old and had 100s of pounds of wire ran through it. i woudnt pay that much to fix it, have you called miller? they are pretty good about taking care of people. you can buy a used 180 a lot cheaper than $500. i paid $300 for my lightly used lincoln 180 watch ebay for a new board or a broken for parts welder
I sent an email to Miller's customer service. Haven't heard back from them. I hope they can help some. I won't pay 560.00 to have it fixed or the 100.00 to have it diagnosed either I don't think.
I posted the following on the Garage Journal, a couple of years ago: I have a Miller 180 Syncrowave welder that I bought new about nine years ago. This thing was purchased a couple of years before I retired so I could have a TIG to weld with after I retired. About six months after the warranty expired, the welder became stuck on high frequency. So I took it back to the supplier that I bought it from and they sent it out. I was told it would cost $900 to fix it. The welder had less than 10 hours on it and was going to cost about half of what I paid for it to get it fixed. Through some negotiations with Miller, they agreed to supply the parts if I paid for the labor. So I got it repaired for $150 about five years ago. Now, in the last five years, I've used the TIG side several times but have used it mostly as a stick welder. The problem that I have now is the on switch doesn't always work. I have to jiggle or turn it off and on a few times to get it to turn on. ========================================================== Here is the link to the above post: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1895334&highlight=miller#post1895334 Based on my experience, I'm not sure that I'd buy another one. IIRC, I emailed Miller my experience and after talking back and forth for a couple of weeks,they made me a fair offer to fix it. When I bought the welder, I bought it from my neighbor; who was a Miller dealer. When I had the problem, he wouldn't do anything to help me. Even though his golfing buddy was the Miller rep.
You can get a new one for $755.00 with the 15% rebate. http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/product.php?model=M00209
One of the things that I learned dealing with the problem to mine, was that with all of the electronic stuff in these machines, they really don't expect them to last that long. There are just too many things to go wrong. These are not built like the old machines that will last almost forever. I have an old Airco 230amp MIG welder that I bought 25 years ago used, that is still going strong.
Or go on Ebay and get the board for under $150 and plug it in yourself! There's a new board on there now for $135 and free shipping. Numerous used for under $100. Just check the number on your board to compare they're the same. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...w=miller+180+circuit+board&_sacat=0&_from=R40
I just got off the phone with a Miller rep. He said they would pay for parts if I pay for labor. Can't beat that for customer service! I'll keep everybody informed about the final outcome.
I'd pay the hour labor to get it repaired at an autorized shop, just to guarantee the repair. Here's hoping it all works out.
That all seems like a lot of money when you can buy a new Mig for ~$200. Not a Miller or Lincoln but some is better than none if you need it.
Just remember you get what you pay for. Customer support for a 200$ welder is probably nonexistent. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Thats great to hear. always good when people take care of their customers. bet it would encourage you to buy another miller in the future
Just got a call from the Miller repair shop! Miller has mailed the parts to fix my welder even though it's a year out of warranty. Can't beat that for customer service.
i have seen miller do this from time to time. it never hurts to make a call. glad they took care of you.
Yeah the circuit board in my Miller went out also..... so they said was the problem. Quoted $500 plus dollars also. All it needed was a new cooling fan that was out and preventing the welder from running. Guess its a safety deal to protect the electrical components from overheating if the fan quits. Under a $100 fix. Hopefully thats all yours needs too.
I have a Lincoln 200 that got a circuit board too. It was 6 years old but had very little use on it, not even a full spool at that time. Cost 450 to fix it being I did it myself. No help from Lincoln so happy I was not. Been fine since though. Also the new board was updated which kind of leads you to believe that there was a problem all along. Roger
I'm just thankful Miller will help me with my welder. I'm kinda deadlined on my Model A project until it gets back. I have boxing plates, 4 bar brackets, and a bunch of other stuff to weld. Having bad withdrawals.
i have a esab 180 smash repair yrs old but with a late model gun i do not service anything except my rod change oil every 1000 miles and filter. getting back to esab done tons of work with it never gives me trouble , except wire feed wheel got loose once, bought the wrong wire point 8 when it should have been point 6 would recomment then to anyone but mine must be 30 yrs old by now. they might have gone to circuit boards now, i have no fan
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