The new generation of Miller Trailblazer welder/generators includes models 325 and 275. The company developed new technologies to answer customer needs, and has fielded machines that are more fuel-efficient, quieter, run longer and come in more mobile packages, says Josh Stiever, marketing manager for the power products group. (See below for product brochure and spec sheet.)
Miller Electric developed two technologies it calls “industry-exclusive” to address several of these needs: Smart-Cor and Auto-Speed. It also repositioned the engine and redesigned the air-flow system on the Miller Trailblazer welder.
Smart-Cor provides independent weld and generator power, allowing users to power job site tools without affecting welding arc. Smart-Cor eliminates fluctuations in the welding arc when a load is simultaneously applied to the generator, which can create an erratic arc.
Auto-Speed automatically adjusts engine speed to run at lower speeds determined by the load on the machine. In some instances, welding can be accomplished with the machine at idle (2,400 rpm), which reduces fuel usage and noise, and extends runtime.
Miller Trailblazer 275, 325 Welder Specifications
- Engine: 25-horsepower Kohler
- Fuel capacity: 12 gallons
- Height: 28 inches
- Width: 20 inches
- Depth: 40.5 inches
- Weight: 459 pounds and 460 pounds, respectively
Excel power is an option that allows users to run job site tools at 2,400 rpm, too, further reducing job site noise. Excel power delivers 2,400 watts of pure 120-volt, 60-hertz generator power that is completely separate from the standard generator power on the Miller Trailblazer welder. In a comparison with a unit without Excel power, the new Trailblazer welder/generator was noticeably quieter versus the predecessor that not only ramped up to 3,600 rpm but stayed there for about 10 seconds after the power tool was turned off. Miller says the new unit could run as low as 65 dB, 11 fewer than the predecessor.
Miller also offers electronic fuel injection as an option, which optimizes the air/fuel ratio for all engine speeds and loads. EFI will boost fuel efficiency by up to 27 percent and runtimes by up to 27 percent, Miller says. Emissions will also be reduced: 27 percent less carbon monoxide and 33 percent lower hydrocarbons and NOx.
Stiever says that a Trailblazer unit with both Excel power and EFI options will pay for itself in less than a year.
Additional fuel and noise reductions were gained by repositioning the engine. It has been rotated to the front of the unit to create more efficient airflow, which also eliminated weight and space. Air is drawn in through louvers in the lower front of the machine, below the electronics. As it is drawn up into the engine, it cools those circuits before being pulled into the engine for cooling, says Mike Trinkner, engineering manager for power products.
Miller redesigned the unit into a smaller footprint that is 5 inches shorter and up to 108 pounds lighter. This, says Stiever, answers customer requests for a machine that can be moved more easily and would take up less space on a truck. Each unit measures 20 x 28 x 40.5 inches and weighs 460 pounds.
The Trailblazer 275 and Trailblazer 325 offer 275 amps and 325 amps of welding power at 100 percent duty cycle, respectively, in all welding processes, as well as 12,000 watts peak/10,500 watts continuous generator power.
