Even with my limited personal experience with welding, I’ve always been a fan of Miller helmets. One, they seem to be pretty rugged, and two, helmets like the Titanium Elite series Silver (Model 234939) don’t look like the stuff that was handed out in shop class back in the day.

This brain bucket features an aluminum heat shield that protects the analog lens in high amperage 300 plus amp operations and a silver-colored shell reflects heat to keep the helmet (and the noggin inside) cool(ish). The 234939 also has a quick-release snap-off frame for easy-access lens changes.

It’s a good looking, well-designed helmet that will keep your head out of harm’s way, and if you’ve got around $270 you can have one of your very own. Just don’t expect it to stay Lancelot-shiny for very long; it is meant to be used in a welding shop, after all.

Titanium Elite series Silver, Model 234939  [Miller]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Skulls and welding go hand in hand.  There’s just something “right” about a welder strapping on a flaming death skull and wielding fire to hook metal together.  Miller clearly gets it. They also get that no matter how cool it looks, the functionality needs to be there as well. They achieved both with the Digital Elite series helmets, but they’ve now added more skulls to the lineup with the Wicked model 241462.  We approve.

Digital Elite helmets feature a digital control that allows users to set and store their shade, sensitivity, and delay preferences for various applications, like welding, cutting, and grinding.  An “X-Mode” provides full protection for those times when there’s an arc present but the sensors are obscured.  X-Mode eliminates interference from sunlight and out-of-position welding angles, such as those found in pipe welding.

Basically the helmet keeps your eyes safe and your head looking tight while you go about your metal-melting way.  The new 241462 Wicked and the recent 241461 Inferno model will run about $300 apiece after a little hard shopping.

Wicked Elite Helmet [Miller]
Street Pricing [Google]

Miller’s new Free Stuff or Cash promotion goes until July 31st — basically it’s a mail-in rebate deal, except Miller was smart enough to know that we want gear, too.  So instead of cash you can opt for the Stuff option, which will net you a selected item that lists for roughly twice the amount of the cash option.

Thankfully Miller isn’t doing the classic thing where you need to finance a small country to get a free toothbrush. Also, the gear is matched to the item you purchase — for instance, if you buy a Wildcat welder Miller will give you $100 or a Black Performance auto-darkening helmet.

Of course both the cash and gear are a “mail in and wait” game, but if you’re making the purchase anyway it’s a nice kick on the back end.  I always forget about it after a week or two, so when whatever mail-order thing I have coming finally arrives, it’s like finding a twenty in the dryer.

Free Stuff or Cash [Miller]

With the Spectrum 625 X-treme, Miller is rapidly approaching what would’ve been considered science fiction about twelve years ago.  We can forgive the overused “X-treme” moniker because this 40-amp plasma cutter is literally smaller than a shoebox.

Miller has managed to cram the tiny box with enough juice to cut 5/8” or sever 3/4″ mild steel. The 21-lb mighty-mouse measures 9″ x 5-1/2″ x 13-1/4″, and Miller boasts it can get through 12 inches per minute of the aforementioned 5/8″ mild steel.

The automatic air-regulation feature automatically adjusts torch air pressure for optimum cutting and gouging performance — that negates the need for a pressure gauge or manual regulator knob, so you won’t find one anywhere on the unit.

It looks like the unit itself will run around $1,900.  For folks who do a lot of work out in the field or who want to make life at the junkyard easier, we can honestly say the Spectrum 625 X-treme is lustworthy;  but the beginner might want to think twice — then think a third time.  Then go spend $50 on a grinder with a cut-off wheel.

Spectrum 625 X-treme [Miller]

If you’ve ever watched the hardcore guys weld on aluminum, stainless, or chromoly, they’re often holding a TIG torch in their hands. TIG rigs can be a little frightening at first but are super-handy for automotive fabrication work. With the new Diversion 165 TIG welder Miller has attempted to simplify the correct TIG unit setup and provide you some power as well.

The 165 features a 20-percent duty cycle (which means it can weld for two minutes out of ten before it has to rest) and a new dirt-simple operator interface. Now you can work the machine with only three switches: a power switch, a material selection switch, and an amperage control/material selection switch. Select your stock and the amps (there’s a 10 – 165A range), then kick it on and go — not too scary at all.

The sticker shock might scare a few folks, though. This machine can add a lot of power to your shop, but the 165 lives north of $1,200 for the base unit, and accessories’ll cost you a bit more after that.

Diversion 165 TIG Welder [Miller]
Street Pricing [Google]

Our friends over at Miller dropped us a line yesterday to let us know they’ve released a new design in their Elite and Digital Elite auto-darkening helmet line: a bald eagle, crest, patriotic stars and stripes, and the 1929 Miller logo featured prominently on the front.

I’m a mediocre welder — which means I spend a lot of time switching between grinding and welding. The Digital Elite line caught my interest because you can switch it between welding mode (shades 8-13), grinding mode (shade 3), and even a cutting mode (shades 5-8). This makes Miller’s $389 list price a little more palatable for a part-timer like me, because it replaces a separate cutting shield, too. (Street pricing runs around $330.)

There’s no shortage of screen-printing available direct from Miller — they currently offer six different appearances — or you could always take one to your favorite local airbrush shop.

Digital Elite Series Auto-Darkening Welding Helmets [Miller]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Miller recently added a new set of digital features to their Elite series of auto-darkening welding helmets. The new masks include settings for welding, cutting, and grinding, as well as an “X-Mode” setting that electromagnetically senses an arc and then automatically switches to a predetermined shade level, with a reaction time of 1/20,000 of a second. The X-Mode setting also prevents sunlight or an obstructed sensor from causing interference.

Set the mask for grinding to ensure that only a #3 shade is used when the light-sensitive sensor detects sparks. The cutting setting darkens the mask to shades #5-8, and the welding setting filters even more light with shades #8-13. The mask weighs in at 18 ounces and features an adapter for a magnifying lens. Two lithium batteries will run it for 3,000 hours.

You can get it in basic black for about $275, or throw in another $20 for a model with more decoration.

Digital Elite [Miller]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Now until April 15th Miller is offering mail-in rebates when you buy “select” Millermatic welders and Spoolmate guns on their website. Even though mail-in rebates are the most annoying form of cash-back, we’re still stoked about the savings.

Follow the links on the site to find which models get what rebate — models such as the Millermatic 212 and Spoolmate 3035 Spool Gun get a $150 rebate, and on the low end, the Millermatic 140 with Auto-Set and the Spoolmate 100 Series Spool Gun each get a $50 rebate. You can save some cash if you’re in the market, even if it’s a bit frustrating having to wait for it.

Mail-In Rebate Offers [Miller]

Shopping for a new welding helmet?  This flag-draped Miller Elite series welding mask features separate auto-on/auto-off and grind modes, four independent arc sensors, and a magnifying lens holder.  It’s available in numerous screen-print designs – like this lovely stars and stripes motif — as well as plain ‘ole black.  Best of all, it’s available at Toolsforless right now for $219.88.

Miller Elite-Series Stars & Stripes [Miller]
Miller Starts & Stripes Welding Helmet [Toolsforless]
Street Pricing [Google Product]

How often have you wished you could pick up your MIG welder and carry it over to a friend’s place?  Or to a job site?  Sure, there are lots of “portable” rigs you could use — but they never really live up to the quality of your unit at home.

Try this on: The Millermatic Passport is completely self-contained and requires only power for full-on MIG welding.  It holds 12 oz of CO2 and an 8″ spool of wire internally — all in a suitcase-sized package that weighs in around 55 lbs completely ready-to-weld.  Read past the jump for a diagram of what’s going on inside the little blue box.

The Passport’s designed to use either 115V or 230V single-cycle power, and ships with Miller’s “Multi-Voltage Plug (MVP)” that adapts to all sorts of outlets.  Under 115V power, the Passport can deliver 110A at 19.5V with a 20% duty cycle, while 230V jumps that to 150A and 21.5V. 

It’s also got dual-groove drive rolls for .024″ wire — for sheet metal – and .030″/.035″ wire for general fabrication.  It ships with the power source, cord, MVP, 10″ MIG gun/cable assembly, an empty CO2 gas cylinder, drive rolls, and two contact tips — you add wire, gas, and a project that needs work.

Street pricing starts around $1350.

The Millermatic Passport [Miller]
Street Pricing [Froogle]

This isn’t a tool per se, but it will help you use the ones you already have.  If you haven’t wandered over to the Miller Welding website recently, you might not have found their great “welding library.”  It’s a compendium of tips ranging from the obvious buyer’s guide to some incredibly useful descriptions of techniques.

For the professional welder, they also discuss some of the economic issues involved, including how to keep your costs down and make the most of the tools you’ve got.

If nothing else, this site is worth a bookmark solely for their “Welding Dictionary,” which serves as a great reference when you’re reading other texts.  Best of all: It’s free.

Welding Library [Miller]

“We wanted the educational community to know that Miller Electric supports them and their mission,” explained Neal Borchert, business development manager, Miller Electric Mfg. Co. “Welding instructors teach a variety of classes and are often too busy to stay abreast of all the latest technological innovations in welding products. This can make it difficult to know exactly which welder will best meet their needs.”

Press Release [Miller]
Welding Instructors Site [Miller]