The LIncoln Power MIG 256 is best for light industrial jobs, shop fabrication, maintenance or repair work, metal fabrication and auto body or farm work.
It’s not quite a heavy-duty professional shop machine, but it can handle almost anything you’d throw at it at home.
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Whether a hobbyist or an advanced welder, you need a reliable machine.
If you’ve spent any amount of time or done any research on the trade, you know that Lincoln Electric provides a dependable product.
Here, we’ll talk about Lincoln 256, a MIG welder with 300 amp output. It’s a great welding machine for high-productivity and low-cost projects.
Let’s get you acquainted with the best uses, features, pros and cons of the machine as well as some information about the product’s warranty.
What Is The Lincoln 256 Best For?
The LIncoln Power MIG 256 is best for the following type of work:
- light industrial jobs
- shop fabrication
- maintenance or repair work
- metal fabrication
- automobile
- farm work.
It’s not quite a heavy-duty professional shop machine, but it can handle almost anything you’d throw at it at home.
And if you’re just a hobbyist and not devoting your day at work to welding, it’s a huge plus there, too.
It handles up to ⅜ inch aluminum easily in just one pass. Half-inch usually requires going over it twice.
Features
This welder runs on 208/230 input.
It’s single phase at 60 Hz. At 250 amps, it’s got a good duty cycle of 40%. At 300 amps, it’s rated at a 20% duty cycle.
It uses the Magnum 250 gun and has a 15-foot cable. Inside, it features the “Maxtrac” wire drive system - dual driven drives to help keep your feed coming through.
Of course, it also has Lincoln’s “Diamond Core Technology” which is designed to provide a more stable arc. It does provide a good arc, on par with other machines in its class and price range.
Also included is a hose kit and gas regulator - a nice little addition to the package.
The machine is a real heavyweight - literally and figuratively. It’s at the upper end of machines of its type, but it also comes in at 220 pounds. Even on its wheels, it’s a lot to move around.
Pros
The Lincoln 256 comes with some great features that offer many benefits. Some notable benefits are:
Portability
Ok, this is a pro and a con. This 220 lbs machine comes with wheels, making it somewhat portable around the facility or work area.
The long cable also helps you stay agile and creative with your welding work. But if you have steps to worry about, this might not help.
Great Display In All Ways
The digital meters display preset voltage and wire speed as well as actual voltage while in use.
It comes with a chart with values that help you while welding aluminum, steel and stainless steel with different gases.
Auxiliary Equipment Plug
You get a 115V auxiliary receptacle - (208/230V model only) to power a grinder or other auxiliary equipment.
Great Value For Price
This isn’t a machine you’re going to buy on a whim, but it’s still a good value for what it offers.
Besides the overall quality of the machine, you also have a lot in the box. You get a toolbox, the Magnum gun, a cable to assemble the gas nozzle, drive rolls made of steel and aluminium, and the gas regulator and hose kit for your gas cylinders.
There’s also a three-year warranty.
To sum up:
- awesome digital display
- includes 115V auxiliary included
- great accessories
- 3 year warranty
Cons
While the Power MIG 256 is a great addition to a welder’s shop, there’s still a couple downsides.
- You should be sure to have a quality ground clamp and flow meter
- The spool gun uses a special adapter, so you can just bring over any spool unless you have that in place
- While some MIG welders will let you do stick welding also, you can’t do that with this machine.
Warranty Information
This welder comes with a 3-year limited warranty that assures replacement with genuine Lincoln parts.
The limited warranty covers the internal components of the machine. It includes both parts and labor for correcting any defects during the warranty period. As is true with all Lincoln products, this product comes with great customer support since Lincoln is actually fairly responsive.
Conclusion
The makers of the Lincoln Power MIG 256 have taken measures to make the machine safe for welders and staff around the unit.
As we’ve come to expect from this manufacturer, it’s a quality machine suitable for your home shop and many work applications.
