Miller Bobcat 225 Review

Engine-driven welders/generators are becoming the deal of the day for professional welders, and beginners are definitely not left out when you take a look at the designing and structure of these machines. We want to take a look at the Miller Bobcat 225 welder/generator which in my opinion is one of the best out there sitting right on top amongst the best engine driven welders/generators. But first, let us take a look at things to consider when choosing an engine driven welder/generator

Things to Consider Before Buying an Engine Driven Welder/Generator

1. Ease of maintenance

You have to figure out a machine with an instinctive plan so as to have a minimal cost of maintenance over time and save a couple of bucks. The day by day maintenance of the best welder/generators are intended to be quicker and simpler and with a front board display that shows and demonstrates when your machine should be overhauled, and this overhauling ought to be extremely basic. taking for instance the Miller bobcat 125 which we would examine later on right now, its oil check are performed pretty effectively from the top by the front board, there is likewise no need for tools to access the boards.

The machine has basic buttons you push inside that gives you speedy access to the internal structures of the machine. It is also a single side fuel fill and oil drain for simple top off and the machine is Accu-rated. These are extremely decent features you should pay special attention to.

2. Remote or Manual controls

when considering buying these engine drives, control is significant as you ought to have the option to consistently take control and eliminate pointless noises with the new remote start stop which is highlighted in the more current models of engine drives being created. it is available in the miller bobcat just as the Lincoln. you can without much of a stretch turn them on and off with the remote, so it possibly runs when you need it. you can picture yourself being 200 feet from the machine likely up some building and still have the option to control the output of your welder without stress.

Additionally this abstains from squandering your fuel by avoiding the issue of strolling back to your machine each time you have to alter for instance the AMP output. This actually indirectly expands time between upkeep. you ought to likewise think about the durability of the machine, its water-resistant level and the number of years of guarantee it accompanies from the manufacturers if there should arise an occurrence of specialized defaults or breaking down.

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3. Noise Level

Critical upgrades in sound level and quality extend to better Job site communication, which gives a more secure, increasingly proficient workplace for you and your group working together on a welding job or other functions provided by the welder/generator. while picking your engine drive multipurpose machines, you guarantee the machines have a pivoted engine toward the front to make increasingly proficient air flow, which brings about essentially quieter activities.

This makes the job conceivable prior to when there are as yet a ton of individuals around and different exercises going on, so it gets simpler to work around emergency clinics, organizations, and local locations.

4. Portable Design

This is one significant thing I generally consider before buying any machine cause I value transportability as a great deal, despite the fact that I wouldn’t forfeit functionality for it. Later models of welder/generators occupy less room on trucks and trailers, leaving more space on your truck for other gear and equipment. Besides, they’re simpler to move securely around job sites even with weld links and running rigging appended.

5. Reliability

Your welder/generators choices ought to be exceptionally tough, strong and dependable and the best of these machines are produced to surpass their prerequisites for extraordinary working conditions and they are made to be very reliable from the core.

other things you ought to consider out of choosing these machines are their buildups you need to be sure if they are worked with enough quality, for example, on site durability, superior cooling technology for most performance of engine life, super-intense defensive layer to secure the welder/generator from accidents which can’t be anticipated.

Furthermore, ensure the protective layers are similarly as required by OSHA and CSA for job site safety. likewise for strength purposes, the machine ought to have a hook  incorporated into the sides which jolts to the machine’s base for more sturdiness. and most importantly, in particular the welder/generator ought to be fit for giving extended periods of time of utilization before refueling would be necessary.

Having considered all these necessities for a welder/generator, let us jump into why we choose the Miller Bobcat 225

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The Miller Bobcat 225 

This is a great machine for portable welding , hobby welding, generating power during power outage and most importantly commercial grade welding. The Miller Bobcat 225 is a multi process welder that has the ability to run power supply for both constant current and constant voltage applications which means you could absolutely run stick welding, MIG, Flux core, and even run TIG process on this.

Over time you can always have this TIG touch that I connect right to the welding lead and as long as the argon holds well, then you are reading to TIG right off the stick mode of the machine.

It has a control switch right on the left hand side when you’re facing the machine where you can choose to run stick, TIG and there is also AC. Personally I love to run my 6011 on AC and this is one of the reasons I am in love with this particular engine driven welding machine. Although the AC mode is popular with all Miller Bobcat models. The Miller Bobcat 225, Miller Bobcat 250, and the Miller Bobcat 250 EFI all come with the AC mode.

The Miller Bobcat 225 has a wired positive and negative one so depending on whether you are on a MIG or Flux core and the kind of wire you’ve got, you can run whatever process just from this one machine.

Also, the machine has two other adjustment hubs, one of which is a coarse adjustment that starts from 40 AMP to 130 AMP, 60 AMP to 160 AMP, 80 AMP to 225 AMP and a 100 AMP to 250 AMP. With these ranges, what you have to do is to select a course range which is exactly as I listed the ranges earlier.

The machine comes with a fine-tuning adjustment which you can use to maneuver across a particular range you have chosen to weld with. Take for example if you are in a range of 40 AMP to 130AMP, you can adjust the fine tune all the way down to work at 40 AMP and all the way up to work at 130AMP.

However with this mechanism of adjustment in comparison to the digital machines which I have been used to over the years, you might need a little bit of adjustment and getting used to this mechanism. It’s pretty easy though, you can always just try to get yourself in between the adjustment ranges and figure out what works best. It’s easy to get used to it quickly. Miller Bobcat 225 does a good Job and doesn’t complicate things for its users at all.

The miller Bobcat has some panels that can be easily opened up where you have logs for working your electrode leads. It also has a 220 with a 50 AMP breaker on it so if you have to power up as much as your whole house in a case of power outage, you can definitely do that with this machine.

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It also had 4 sockets for regular 120 with 20 AMP breakers on each one. In these four sockets you can plug in a couple of things such as your plasma cutters, as well as running an air compressor on it, a couple of outdoor lights and a full welding outfit. It can handle almost anything and the machine’s versatility is pretty awesome.

For newbies that are not so familiar with the rod information or probably you are just not used to this particular miller, The miller Bobcat 225 comes with a little table just where the plugs are that gives you a little more direction as to whether you should be running 6010 or 6011 at all with the machine and also tells you what current you should be running each of them, it even tells you the wires you should be using for TIG. It’s a really amazing and rare thing from Miller. It makes it extremely suitable for someone new to this whole engine driven machines thing or welding as a whole.

The machine also has a screen indicator that comes on as soon as you switch this machine on, it tells you the fuel gauge and also functions as an hour meter.  but it doesn’t just end there this machine also gives you an indication if there is something wrong with the welder, more like a power going off. In an idle position, it shows the hours currently on the machine and if tuned to the run position, it shows how many hours left before you reach the due time for an oil change.

However when you change the oil be sure to reset the idle/run back to default so it can start reading again These indicators are really just the best as it protects you a lot from damaging the machine yourself and you can always catch what is wrong in time.

The machine has an inducted fan that sucks air in which then gets blown out at the top that is why the top is usually so hot. It also has a hook on it for easily uplifting, maybe with your tractor. It’s pretty easy to do that. The exhaust works really great and although short, they are really strong and quiet so we have nothing to complain about.

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The machine comes with an obvious fuel indicator as well that is capable of holding about 12 gallons or thereabout and this is a very fuel efficient engine driven machine. So with 12 gallon filled, you are assured of long continuous usage of this machine.  Provides a really great run time. The generator will run up to 14 hours with continuous 4,000-watt power. This allows you to generate more power and fill up less.

For maintenance purposes, all wires, cables, oil filters etc. can be easily accessed in case of any need of repairs which is often a rare thing; it’s highly durable and might end up not needing major maintenance in over a year. Generally in my opinion this machine beats the Lincoln ranger 250 which is the only multipurpose welder/generator I can compare to the Miller.

With the miller bobcat, we are talking about a 12,000 Watt generator output. And when you run the machine as a generator up to maximum output, the only knob you are concerned about will be the fine adjustment knob. You should make sure the fine adjustment is up to 10, as this is the only way you are getting the maximum output out of this welder/generator.

This miller bobcat also has the ability to run the generator and the welder at the same time. However the manufacturers recommend you set the fine adjustment knob to about 7, and there’s a manual that puts you through how much generator power that you can use while welding at the same time because it all depends on the kind of rod you are using while welding. But don’t be a little discouraged, you can get a great bid of power supply from this model while welding.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the miller Bobcat 125 has really great power supply if you are making use of it as a generator, phenomenal functioning units, would definitely last you a very long time as it is well built and strong, and for newbies this machine has a lot more support than the Lincoln. So as both beginners and professionals, this is definitely an engine driven welder/generator that you can go with and would definitely be happy with your purchase. Its versatility makes the welder/generator capable of being applied to various functions.