Xmt304

[shawnspeed]

anybody here have/use one of these machines????may be able to get one .....cheap.....I have a syncrowave now & have always used miller, but never an invertrer...always solid state stuff...any input ???? Thanks Shawn

[ironmonger]

Mine is about three years old... at least since I have had it.

It was broke when I got it as a result of autosense and 480 volt input... suffered a burn out due to an unscheduled power down and power up on a construction site.

The techs at Miller told me to set the mode to CV when I shut down, and start in the CV mode until the system runs through he setup routine and then place it in CC mode for stick or tig. I don't know what this does, perhaps macona does, but I figured what can it hurt...

I have not used it as a CV supply.

Mine has been wired for 220v operation only and I use it on single phase.
Great machine for me.

paul

[macona]

I have one and gave one to my dad. Great machines. I have seen them covered in mud from being on worksites.

Never heard of the CV turn on thing. The machine does not care what you put it on. Or at least is shouldn't.

[Lu47Dan]

I have one I bought brand new and love the machine, I stick, tig and mig weld with it.
No problems since I bought it and it has been a smooth welding machine.
Dan.

[hardtail]

My buddy bought one cheap and it would work at work on 460 3 phase but the autosensing voltage would never connect to work on 230 single phase at home.........still sitting there. I hear they are a great welder but they seem to cost a lot of extra money for the wire drive and peripherals to fully utilize all it's functions, by the time you get it all going your probably into it for another 50-75% original cost.

He has since found a Powermig and he loves it and everything functions with the basic unit..........

[dmerd]

Hi,
I have one and have it setup for dual shield with a Lincoln LN-25. Never had any problems with it.

[macona]

My buddy bought one cheap and it would work at work on 460 3 phase but the autosensing voltage would never connect to work on 230 single phase at home.........still sitting there. I hear they are a great welder but they seem to cost a lot of extra money for the wire drive and peripherals to fully utilize all it's functions, by the time you get it all going your probably into it for another 50-75% original cost.

He has since found a Powermig and he loves it and everything functions with the basic unit..........

Cant really say they cost a lot of extra money. Feeders are expensive. But the feeders that connect are totally different than the feeders found in machine with built in feeders. There is just no comparison to a S-54 4 roll feeder to the feeder in a powermig or a millermatic. These things are designed to push some very heavy wire all day. You can wire up just about any aftermarket feeder to it as well.

You also need to remember a new XMT-304 is over $3500. Get a feeder on it and you can do stick, mig and tig (DC). You can't do that with a composite machine.

I would get the XMT fixed. May just be a bad contactor. Worst case scenario is a bad part on the main board. I have a NOS main board around here some place.

[ironmonger]

I second the repair of the welder. If you have electronic skills it is also possible to hardwire XMT304 to 240 volt operation. I downloaded the manual from Miller4less. I don't know if a service facility would do this or not... I suspect not.

If yours operates only on 480, but does operate, the fix is as mocona says may be no more than the contractor or aux contacts. That's a lot cheaper than a power SCR and two IGBT's that mine needed.

Mine had a bad set of axillary contacts on the relay, which led to the vaporization of the power board. As my machine will never leave my shop, a condition of getting it free from my employer, I saw no reason to set it up for anything other than 240 single phase.

paul

[shawnspeed]

Well , I ended up With the welder, just the bare power supply, now all I have to do is outfit it...I already have a syncrowave 250 , and a 211as , but the free pricetag was hard to say no too...although I have to set up & teach the guy who gave me this one how to operate his, I dentical unit. I will probably do him a few other favors along the way...but that's OK...Shawn

[Lu47Dan]

Shawn, free is always good. Teach him well, than he will owe you.
Dan.