Welding Tips and Tricks

Trying to decide which one to buy. Need as much input as I can get about both. Input power is not a concern. Thanks

jpence38 wrote:Trying to decide which one to buy. Need as much input as I can get about both. Input power is not a concern. Thanks

Jim, save a few more penny's and step up to the Dynasty 350. I ran one the other day and was blown away. I'd take a 200DX any day but the 350 would be what I wished for. Does that make sense? Go try one out.. You'll see what I mean.

I'm having the same issue. I've got a 180SD and I just don't have enough power for the occasional little bit of 1/4" aluminum that I have to weld. Even with my 180 I will trip my 60A breaker! I'd like to go up to the 200DX but I'm not sure that this would actually do the job. I'd have to spend close to $9000 for the 350DX which isn't an option either. Why doesn't Miller make a 250DX or a 300DX that would run on single phase 240 V power?

If I was choosing between the Synchrowave and the Dynasty - the need for 100A for the 250 Sync would seal the deal for me.

Have yoou guys looked into the Everlast line of welders?

Yes, I've looked at the Everlast boxes. I'm not sure that they are being truthful about the amperage duty cycles. I'd like to see someone do a real back to back test on 1/4" aluminum and see how long it goes before the duty cycle kicks out (against a 200DX). I don't care if it's half the cost of the Miller (I really like my LWS and support them) - but I can't invest in another welder that won't meet my requirements. I don't like having to weld for 2 minutes and wait for 8 when I'm on the ragged edge. It's just too slow.

I also support my local welding store and the Everlast, as good as the price is, is really not an option. I guess the the main issue I'm having is that I see a ton of used Dynasty 200 DX's for sale on ebay and other places and am wondering if it does not live up to the expectations once it is used. Are the inverter style machines reliable? I know the Synchrowave has proven itself for many years. The input power is not really an issue for me.

I did a ton of 1/4 aluminum tig this spring. I tested the 250 but overheated it a few times. I then tested the Precision tig 375 red. Loved it. No duty cycle issues there and the options in settings were amazing! (By a ton I mean that I had to wash out bad mig welds to the tune of about 80 ft. of bead.)

I think the point about the 200DX being a little underpowered is probably it's downfall. I have an Everlast 250EX and can weld 1/4" Al all day long without overheating in normal ambient temps. I had a Lincoln PT 225 for a while but it wanted 90 amps at full throttle and I was blowing 40amp breakers trying to weld 1/4".

There are solutions to get past that and increase the range of the 200DX/ I have a Smith Mixer and run 80he/20ar. That's about a $2000.00 investment by the time you get the Ultra Pure (99.999) helium/tank, the gauges, mixer and torch with a gas valve and gas saver kit. That's a cadillac setup and if you ever decide to mix gas you'll probably end up with it by the time you get done. You also need to bump up your argon tank size because when you mix he/ar you need to run around 25-35 cfh to keep the weld shielded. I'm running a 250 now and thinking about going to a 500. A 250 is good for He.

If your panel power is not influencing your decision, then going from a 180 to a 200DX is not going to get you a lot more power just a lot more options. The 350 would be the better choice just because trying to make a 200DX act like a 350 is going to cost you about the same.

As a side note, the tig runner packages are not a one size fits all solution like the MIG packages. I would buy the welder as a stand alone and build it out with after market accessories.

You are right about the power requirements. I had to go to 100 amp service for the 375. If that is a big hurdle, then the smaller machine maybe is the deal. I was popping the 50 amp breaker with the 250 as well. My 175 sq. wave blows the 50A after about 10 minutes (which is wide open when doing 1/4 in aluminum). It, of course, is not rated for that type of duty cycle.