Serious Help Needed! Dynasty 200DX

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Hi. I'm new.  Like too many newbies however, I haven't bothered to properly introduce myself, nor have I read a single post on this forum...diligently searching for an answer before I "bother" (or prove myself to) all of the long timers and admins here with my petty question... Nonetheless, I am having WELDING issues that are causing me deep frustration, anger and darn near suicidal thoughts   If you're still with me, here's how I got to this point.Had an old (vintage?) Miller 250AC/DC HF "heli-arc" machine. It was the mechanical commutator precursor to the Dial-Arc series. Think 1974 date of manufacture. My machine had a big heavy screw handle that moved the transformers in and out of each other to control amperage. It had no foot pedal. If you had two people however, one could change amperage while the other was welding. I used it to stick weld quite well. With wrenches I'd could swap leads and then also used it to TIG, by scratch starting! A gas solenoid would start gas flow with the arc, but there was no pre flow purge. To end a weld I would "snap" the arc away and return the torch head to the weld pool area and the post flow would shield with reasonably good results. Over the years I'd welded many projects, a few airframes, lots of car and aircraft parts, tools, repairs, etc. and generally never thought much about needing much else, because even though I'd drool about state of the art inverter machines, I could never justify buying one. Especially since I was: a) a hobbyist and b) reasonably happy with the results I got with my big heavy blue box. When I said "Had"... it was referencing a time just a few weeks ago, before the FIRE. Burned it up welding some 1/4" aluminum angle at higher than I normally used amperages and must have exceeded the 40% duty cycle. With no integral protections, the machine went into melt down rather than shut itself off. It overloaded the breaker box then burst into flames. Darn near caught my shop on fire. Enter the 200DX replacement I never thought I could afford. Now I am puling my hair out. My local welding shop guys were/are not very well versed in Miller's product line. They are redneck fools that just sell lots of tank gasses and wire feeders. I've never been there when they had any other customers and they have never been able to answer a tech question without calling a Miller rep and mis-stating whatever my problem was. So at best I get half an answer at a time. None the less I tried to educate myself on Miller's extremely diverse product line before buying using these guys and the Miller website. I tend to be extremely technically oriented and understand advanced welding theory, from both an electrical and metallurgical aspect. I ended up with a Dynasty package + coolmate and a fingertip controller that I hate.I can't manipulate the silly little rotary dial from zero to welding amperage with gloves on easily. Decreasing amps is an abortion. It takes about 4 or 5 thumb swipes, all the while imparting every move and wiggle to the weld pool, melting metal I didn't intend to, or worse burning though and key holing thin stuff because I can't back off quickly enough. Angry? Yep that too, because I pulled off a weld out of old habits tonight and thought I'd dialed down to zero, only to catch the shock of HF through my filler rod and back around to the welding table that my torch hand was resting on.The manual spends many pages discussing programable R2, R3 & R4 advanced functions, yet Miller sends out this incredibly difficult to manipulate controller with it's packages rather than a momentary one that would work better with the programability.   Should I have bought the foot controller package? or just throw out this finger controller and order the momentary one? or just go back to the lift arc function like I used to and just live with craters when I do aluminum and the burn throughs and wasted material because I have amps set a little off?Suicidal? Of course I kid, but I am for sure depressed that I am have invested a large sum of cash and thought I'd be getting better welds, but tonight I made some terrible welds on some machine tool parts (steel) I am building. I have many hours of machining in the parts before I tried to weld them up and they look like dog vomit. I've rendered one junk entirely and I feel that charging for the parts will be fine but I don't want my name on them because the welds are so bad   So I'm likely going to give them away.I wouldn't expect to just be able to weld, simply because I went out and bought a state of the art welder, but I was getting good results with my old equipment, but now my welds suck worse than a high school shop student's buzz box stick welding on the first day of shop class.Should I let the welder electrocute me next time I'm part of the circuit? Jump or do you guys think you can't talk me off of the ledge?
Reply:I sampled a dynasty 200 on aluminum and HATED IT! the only reason I was invited to use it was because "hey, you read a lot, you think you know how to run this thing?"that machine is a top-performer now at the shop and a favorite among many. there are a TON of things to play with on that machine and a lot of room for someone like myself to make it weld like junk. read the manual, and play with some scrap before you go much further.as far as your welding steel like junk though, I don't remember many settings that could totally screw up dcen operations. so, i feel compelled to ask the basics, polarity? gas? output control correct for your finger remote? mchine set to tig? (I think that is where you get option of tig-remote or output on)what exactly makes you think your welds are bad?bosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:welcome noshopskills,  there are many talented people here that will and can help you out.  Don't jump until they chime in.  My suggestion to you would be to ditch that rotary do-dad and call ssc pedals and order one up for your machine.  You won't regret that.  Also see if your LWS will swap out that rotary switch for a momentary. .  Since you are new to the dynasty and still working on parts for your customers, maybe you could go into the wave form menu and switch that to the sine wave then turn your frequency down to 50 or 60hz as that should resemble what you were working with before the fire.  Just a few suggestions.  I hope this helps.
Reply:You welded with NO amp control before, why wouldn't you just start out like that?I'm a hobby guy as well and had a 200DX.  Once you start to ignore all the settings and use the factory defaults, it's a faster learning curve.  I've tried two different miller finger controls so far. I hate them all.  I find them nearly impossible to manipulate while welding.  Buy a SSC pedal or a used Miller pedal and learn to use it.  You will be happy. Nothing wrong with your machine.  Just hard to teach an old Dawg new tricks, even if they're better.  I'm an old dawg too now and set in my ways.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Noshopskills.... where are you located? I went through some teething pains of my own with my Dynasty.  Id be more than happy to help.Miller Dynasty 200DXMiller Spectrum 250DMiller Millermatic 200Bunch of old blue dinosaurs....
Reply:Originally Posted by golfingweldorwelcome noshopskills,  ... My suggestion to you would be to ditch that rotary do-dad and call ssc pedals and order one up for your machine.  You won't regret that.
Reply:Buy a foot pedal and practice on some scrap before you tackle any more paying jobs.  I don't particularly care for fingertip controls myself, so I recommend the footpedal.  Others will have their own opinion.  Maybe call your local Miller sales rep and ask to demo a foot pedal and see if you still prefer it to the fingertip control.  Your local distributor should be able to put you in touch with him/her.  If not a phone call to Miller will get the job done.  FYI: Your local Miller rep may suggest going to a regional event to try out equipment, depending on how busy they are when you call.It sounds as though you have some old habits and ways of doing things to unlearn, and some new habits to adopt.  Good luck.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Sound like you need a factory reset. The Dynasty comes ready to weld without any initial messing with the parameters, which is what I suspect you did. I know because I did the same thing, and my miller rep. could not figure out what I did, so he reset the parameters and I have come to really appreciate the default settings. It is possible you have the dinse connectors swapped also. I agree that you should ditch the finger control and go with a foot control.Where do you live?Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Originally Posted by 92dlxmanwhat exactly makes you think your welds are bad?
Reply:I still have some room to improve as I get used to settings and the new, thinner and lighter torch, but I am light years ahead of where I was this time last night...  Here's my significantly improved machine tool part weld:Last edited by NoShopSkills; 01-15-2014 at 08:24 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by NoShopSkillsRlitman?  Now that I see the RMT function can be triggered with the daisy wheel, I disagree.  THis is THE way to go and it eliminates a cord on the shop floor
Reply:Originally Posted by NoShopSkillsshovelon?  I don't think so.  The programability is WHY I bought this particular machine.  I understand the functions perfectly well enough to manipulate the arc the way I want it.  I'll be in Longbeach Sunday night and all day Monday.  Wanna get together and discuss welding?  P.S. I'm keeping the finger controllerThanks Guys!
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonWell Sunday I will be doing family stuff.  I will most likely be at work Monday. I am up in the Valley. We could do lunch, as long as the boss lady lets me out. Terry
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawTerry, you are the man!   For the op,  get over to Terry's shop for a few hrs,  it will be the most well spent time you could have.    You will be wanting to buy him dinner after that,   don't forget the MGD'sSent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Reply:Will do.  I will try to do a weld o rama late feb or March.  Hope u can come and show us how to spool gun Aluminum.. in.SF right now then back to CO for few weeks.  Sent from my SCH-I545 using TapatalkTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawWill do.  I will try to do a weld o rama late feb or March.  Hope u can come and show us how to spool gun Aluminum.. in.SF right now then back to CO for few weeks.  Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonSure thing. You got 230 volts?
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawFor the op,  get over to Terry's shop for a few hrs,  it will be the most well spent time you could have.
Reply:Originally Posted by NoShopSkillsNot so sure he's offering that...
Reply:I'll bring MGDs and dogs!!!
Reply:NoShopSkills,Don't give up on that finger control! Yes, they are more difficult to learn than a foot pedal. But, it will get easier with practice. I love my hand control, I have two tig machines one with a pedal and one with a hand control. I go to the hand control for everything but when sitting at the bench.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:Thanks for the encouragement Ian!  I will continue to update on how well (or difficult) the transition to the Dynasty goes, but trying to do a little of everything, this seems like the machine for me.  I may pick up a simple momentary as some have suggested, especially if I find myself with a long run of tube steel or identical parts where amperage T2 function is a good fit for the job.