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The Millermatic 252 is the workhorse of Miller’s lineup. It’s tough, simple and incredibly powerful. In fact, it has the highest power output in its class at 250 amps at 28 VDC. This makes it capable of welding material up to ½ inch thick in a single pass.
Because of these characteristics, the Millermatic 252 has become a fan favorite among welders who work at farms, fabrication shops or repair services. In this article, we’ll cover exactly why the Millermatic 252 is so beloved so you can decide if it’s the right machine for you.
Simply Powerful
While the Millermatic 252 includes many useful features, the core of its awesomeness comes from its power and ease of use. On its control panel, you’ll find only two knobs. That’s it — No giant LED screen with so many options you won’t know where to begin. All you have to do is turn on the Millermatic 252, adjust the voltage and wire speed and you’re off to the bead-laying races. Welding couldn’t be simpler.
For experienced welders, you can access more advanced settings called the “Timers Menu” by holding down the MIG trigger while turning on the Millermatic 252. Keep the trigger held until the machine displays the word “RUN.” This allows you to adjust the pre-flow, post-flow, burnback and other more advanced settings. If you don’t know what these parameters mean, don't worry. They’re all initially calibrated with factory settings, which is generally ideal in most situations. For more experienced welders, it’s nice to know that Miller still gives you all the manual control you need — if you want it.
While the Millermatic 252 might be easy to use, it’s definitely not just for beginners. With up to 250 amps, this machine is an absolute beast. In fact, unless you move up a class into the more heavy-duty industrial welders, the Millermatic 252 has the highest power output available.
Simply Fast
When you’ve got a job to do, you don’t want to waste time hauling equipment around, resetting parameters or waiting on your duty cycle. Part of why welders love the Millermatic 252 so much is that it doesn’t slow you down with minor tasks.
First off, the cart is built right into the machine. That might not seem that impressive at first, but it makes moving the 252 around a shop so incredibly easy. The cylinder already has a dedicated spot to keep it secure at the back of the machine. After using the Millermatic 252, you’ll wonder why every MIG machine doesn’t come with a built-in cart.
The Millermatic 252 also has a feature called “Auto Gun Detect.” When you plug in a MIG gun and pull the trigger, the 252 automatically changes the machine’s settings to match the parameters of the last time you used that gun.
Why is that useful? Let’s say you have a spool gun you use for Aluminum and a regular MIG gun you use for steel. Aluminum and steel will almost always require a different voltage setting and wire feed speed. Every time you switch between the guns to weld a different material, all you have to do is pull the trigger and the machine will change the parameters to match the gun. It’s one of many features that makes using the Millermatic 252 so quick and easy.
It should be noted that because the Millermatic 252 outputs a lot of power, it requires a larger socket than your basic 110-volt home electrical socket. In fact, there are actually 2 versions of the Millermatic 252. One version can run on 208 V or 220/230/240 V sockets. The other version can run on 230/460/575V but it MUST have 230V or higher.
If you’re interested in an easy-to-use MIG machine but need something that can also work with your standard house socket, check out our ultimate guide to the Millermatic 211 here.
