Looking to buy a Tig Welder

[05M7]

So i didnt know where to put this so i threw it here.

Anyways im looking to purchase a tig welder and though there may be some more experienced welders on here that could provide me some insight.

Even though i do tig weld aluminum for a living i am all self taught so basically i dont know what to look for. i just well "make it stick and not leak while looking good" right now at work im using a miller syncrowave 250DX water cooled. i like it but i feel that i still am wanting something a little bit different.

id like the ability to do 1/4" but 3/8 would probably be just fine. and A/C is a must because like i said im a aluminum guy.

Basically what im looking at right now is the miller dynasty 200sd (water or air i dont know)

or the lincoln Precisin tig 225 (here again water or air i dont know)

i will need the finger control and the foot controll.

so someone chime in that knows more than me!

 

[mtsummitx]

The Lincoln Precision Tig 225 is an excellent machine. Very easy to setup and operate, you have individula knobs for all your adjustments, AC balance control, pulse control, etc. Where as on the Miller you have to cycle through the digital menu and adjust these settings one at a time thru the menu. The Lincoln is just more user friendly in my opinon. Yes, it is air cooled. Both will come with foot control, but you could also buy a fingertip control to add for either. The Miller is air cooled as well.

 

[mtsummitx]

On another note, you kinda are comparing apples to oranges, the Dynasty 200 is an inverter based machine so much smaller package, but lots more money also. The Precision Tig is an older tech transformer based machine. Much larger footprint, but less money. If you wanted to compare apples to apple you would compare Miller Syncrowave 200 and Lincoln Precision Tig 225.

 

[mtsummitx]

The Dynasty 200 DX does have a few additional advanced control that neither the Syncrowave or Precision Tig have, such as slope in and slope out adjustments. You could add a water cooler to any of them down the road but really not needed on that size machine unless you are running it pegged out all the time.

 

[05M7]

Basically I'll be using it for making running boards and sled decks and stuff like that . So it probably wouldn't be pegged the whole time. I don't know if I've ever pegged the syncrowave at work.

The way I look at it the dx basically gives me the option to pulse for 1000 dollars which I don't really need.

What would be the equivalent Lincoln to the dynasty?

What are the draw backs of being air cooled to water. Cause for the dynasty it's close to a grand to go to water cooled. And I have only operated water cooled tigs. Am I going to have to change my welding style and or habits for that change?

Appreciate the help

I'm case you couldn't tell I'm kinda a miller guy but I'm open to change

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[mtsummitx]

Actually sir, both the Miller Syncrowave and Lincoln Precision Tig 225 have built in pulse and pulse frequency controls. And I would say you do need pulse with AC tig, for one it will help give you that stacked dime appearance, for two it helps you on thinner materials withburn through issues by basically turning the power on and off really fast which allows the puddle to cool briefly. If you are set on inverter based machine then you would look at Lincolns invertec series. As I stated before, the Dynasty, and Invertec machines give you some additional advanced controls for example slope in adjustment (basically ramps juice up slower, gives you a little easier starts), and slope out (ramps juice down slowly at the end pf weld to prevent cratering) I believe they also give you advanced pulse controls such as back ground current adjustment, basically meaning you can adjust the amps it is pulsing between, lets say for example 175 and 90. I would say for a home machine you may not neccasarily need those functions for what you want to do. I think you could buy the lesser expensive Syncrowave or Precision Tig and not even care you didin't have those extra controls. And, if you are not experienced with those extra controls you can really screw things up in a hurry with them and be completely lost with setup.

 

[mtsummitx]

Now on to your air cooled water cooled question.

It is simple, if you are running at 200 or more amps all the time that is when you really need water cooling. All water cooling does is exactly what it says, it keeps the torch from melting itself down with the high heat from continuess high amp welding, however it is typically a larger more cumbersome tig torch. Air cooled means the tig torch is cooled by the Argon shielding gas that is flowing through it while welding.

 

[05M7]

Okay so I probably don't need the water cooled as most of the welding I do now for pipe is around 150.

One of the problems I've been having lately with the syncrowave is when I do a pipe joint that needs to be strong and I really penetrate deep on the first pass then go for my second pass it seems like the heat stays so I have to let it cool off and run a third pass. Is that something the pulse would help with?

I do a lot of 10ga diamond plate and I'm really pleased with how my "stack" looks and I doubt I'll be working with much that thin in my shop

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[mtsummitx]

Its hard to say as I don't know how big of pipe we are talking here, or what your joint prep is. But tig really isn't suited for alot of fill and build. I'm not sure pulse would help with your described situtation. Alot of pipe around here that needs to pass xray will have a tig welded root pass, then usually a hot pass or 2 with 6010 or 7010, then fill and cap passes with 7018 or 8018. # of passes depends on wall thickness, joint is v-beveled and spaced apart probably a 1/16th roughly for full pen.

 

[mtsummitx]

I guess I should have asked if we are talking steel pipe or aluminum?? If aluminum, the pulse could possibly help you with too much heat input causing weld sink. Above info would be steel pipe.

 

[mtsummitx]

Are you using a bevel joint?? Beveling would help you with full penetratin, without having to run so hot.

 

[mtsummitx]

Sorry I just noticed your original post said Dynasty 200SD not DX, so the SD will not have the advanced sequencer and pulcing controls. So let me rephrase my pros cons, Dynasty 200SD, new inverter technology, smaller foot print, less power consumption, but more $$$$. I still say you would be plum happy with either the Syncrowave or Precision Tig series and have some $$$ left for more sled parts.

 

[mtsummitx]

Now that you have me thinking more, one other thing to think about is how much input power (amps) you have available to run a tig machine. Transformer machines will require more than inverter. Let me look up specs and I'll get back to you.

 

[mtsummitx]

On the Dynasty 200, at 150 amps out put it is gonna pull 15.8 amps on 230v single phase.

The Precision Tig 225, will pull 39 amps on 230v single phase at 90amps output, my guess it would be up around 50-60amps at 150amps output.

So that is something for you to consider as well. Do you have enough power available to run the output range you want?

 

[mtsummitx]

I usually try to stay away from these welder recomendation threads, I get enough of this throughout the work week :face-icon-small-ton

 

[05M7]

Yes I am strictly an aluminum welder. With slight mig fab and I only stick weld tabs to the tanks for moving them. I can run whatever I want for power so that isn't an issue. Now you definitely have me thinking, I've always wanted to play around with the pulse settings but have never had access to one. Well you have given me a lot of good insight, I appreciate that. I think I'm going to do a little more research before I make a final decision.

Here's a little preview of what I make on a daily basis

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[mtsummitx]

Good luck :face-icon-small-hap

 

[B&M Fabrications]

welder

We use dynasty 350's.
Really thought we would be able to get away with buying a couple of the Dynasty 280 DX models but Miller drug their feet on releasing them. (Are they even out yet?) So we decided on 350s and I will never go back. Ran Air cooled torches and that gets old after 10 minutes of welding, a water cooled torch is worth the expense. To weld a sled deck out of aluminum with a Tig is going to be slow, there is a reason pretty much all aluminum sled decks and sled trailers are mig welded. 1/8" aluminum is going to require around 180 amps to start a weld pool and 110 to 140 to continue the weld. If you buy a 225 amp welder you will be working way past its continuous duty cycle. I believe a Precision Tig 225s duty cycle rating at 200 amps is in the 10 to 20% rating. If you want to wreck a welder fast, that's the way to do it. I still have a smoked one in the shed. If your budget is limited, I would look for a older Syncrowave 250 or 350 to be honest. Lincoln made a comparable welder to those and isn't a bad option either. These welders do not have the fancy controls of the Dynasty's but will lay a sick weld any day of the week with some talent under the helmet. Not to mention they will last a lifetime and a half. They do tend to take up a lot of room and I wont deny that. If budget isn't a question than I would throw down the 9k for a dynasty 350 with all the bells and whistles and forget about it. Don't forget to add the wireless pedal...best 750 I've ever spent on a welder accessory.

 

[LoudHandle]

Ditto, what BMfab said is spot on! You will be happiest with the 350 Dynasty. I have the 700 Dynasty at work because with what they wanted me to weld was destroying lesser machines. We also have a 300 Dynasty and it really doesn't act right, hard to explain but the transfer from high frequency to actual weld current is not right. It is like it is possessed or something, we sent it in, they ran the diagnostics and said it was fine and to just use xxx tungsten. Well that is all well and good if your welding procedure allows xxx tungsten but ours did not. So it is in storage awaiting the surplus auction to roll around again. Good luck with your choice. As BMfab said with some talent under the hood any welding machine will do, I have even used an old AC buzz box with an air cooled torch and a high freq unit in a pinch. Go the biggest welder you can afford and you will never be sorry. With nearly thirty years under a hood I like the power of the blue, they are just built better. I have welded plenty of Lincoln's into an early grave, the Miller's have taken everything I've thrown them and still beg for more.

 

[05M7]

We use dynasty 350's.
Really thought we would be able to get away with buying a couple of the Dynasty 280 DX models but Miller drug their feet on releasing them. (Are they even out yet?) So we decided on 350s and I will never go back. Ran Air cooled torches and that gets old after 10 minutes of welding, a water cooled torch is worth the expense. To weld a sled deck out of aluminum with a Tig is going to be slow, there is a reason pretty much all aluminum sled decks and sled trailers are mig welded. 1/8" aluminum is going to require around 180 amps to start a weld pool and 110 to 140 to continue the weld. If you buy a 225 amp welder you will be working way past its continuous duty cycle. I believe a Precision Tig 225s duty cycle rating at 200 amps is in the 10 to 20% rating. If you want to wreck a welder fast, that's the way to do it. I still have a smoked one in the shed. If your budget is limited, I would look for a older Syncrowave 250 or 350 to be honest. Lincoln made a comparable welder to those and isn't a bad option either. These welders do not have the fancy controls of the Dynasty's but will lay a sick weld any day of the week with some talent under the helmet. Not to mention they will last a lifetime and a half. They do tend to take up a lot of room and I wont deny that. If budget isn't a question than I would throw down the 9k for a dynasty 350 with all the bells and whistles and forget about it. Don't forget to add the wireless pedal...best 750 I've ever spent on a welder accessory.

I know welding with tig is slow but i feel more comfortable sending out a product that i am happy with the looks and quality of the weld vs a good weld that looks like crap. at work we just got a OTC aluminum mig that has built in pulse that can make a weld look alright, just dont wana drop the 15 grand that they did.

and its not like im going to be building a sled deck in a day, this is for me to play with in my shop after work.

i was leaning towards the dynasty 200 because of the size of it and price point, i dont want to have more than say 4500 into the machine itself. all the other odds and ends i know are going to cost a bit but what can you do.
im really considering a package on ebay right now for a dynasty 200dx watercooled and a cart with the torch and everything for 4800.

ill look into the syncrowave a little more