Tig vs Stick Machine for Stick welding

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I have a miller Thunderbolt XL.  I am thinking of getting a Tig machine (Dynasty)  Is stick welding higher quality/easier to do when I use a Tig machine vs a Tig machine?Any advantage to stick welding with a Thunderbolt that I wouldn't get using a Dynasty machine?
Reply:Depends on what 2 machines you are comparing. Entry level machines like a Tbolt or AC 225 are not going to weld like say a better quality tranny machine like an Idealarc or Dialarc. Also not all tig machines are created equal as well. Arc quality running stick on some dedicated tranny tigs or small inverters are not the greatest, as the machine was optimized for tig, not stick. Others allow you to make changes that enable you do do both tig and stick well, depending on how you set the machine.You may find this article by Miller of interest. It probably explains this better than I can.http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...lder-training/You really wouldn't loose anything when moving from a Tbolt to a Dynasty. You are moving from an entry level machine to pretty much the top of the line..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:The dynasty will out perform your thunderbolt in every way.Done.Just a couple welders, big hammers, grinders, and torches.Work will free you.Men in dirty jeans built this country, while men in clean suits have destroyed it. Trump/Carson 2016-2024
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopThe dynasty will out perform your thunderbolt in every way.Done.
Reply:Originally Posted by derekpfeifferI have to agree! I have never stick welded with a Dynasty 200 but I have with a MaxStar 200 which I'd imagine would be VERY similar, and I was incredibly impressed with the arc it had and its ability to run 1/8" 7018 all day long rod after rod.
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopMaxstars stick weld the same as a dynasty....Not to bad of machine once you get it dialed in.
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopMaxstars stick weld the same as a dynasty....
Reply:I asked a similar question when I got my syncrowave. I was running a hobart stickmate which is essentially a relabeled thunderbolt. Completely the same internals. The syncrowave absolutely blows away the stickmate/thunderbolt. Having an arc force control makes a huge difference. The dynasty also adds hot start that the syncrowave doesn't have. Having arc force and hot start will change the way you think of your thunderbolt. The dynasty will be 100 times better for stick welding in my opinion.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:The unit I am buying today is the Dynasty 280dx.  Is there any rods etc that this unit can't use as well as the Thunderbolt?  In other words is it all improvement with stick welding using the 280dx and I can sell my Thunderbolt?
Reply:Congratulation on getting a Dynasty.However, I don't think you understand how this game works  Originally Posted by danmcph I can sell my Thunderbolt?
Reply:Originally Posted by labparamourCongratulation on getting a Dynasty.However, I don't think you understand how this game works DB
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWMaxstar 200's are similar to the Dynasty's. The Maxstar 150's are not optimized for welding with 6010 rods which is typical of many of the smaller inverters. Most will run 7018 great, but if you need the ability to whip and pause with 6010, your options on which inverter does this well gets narrower.
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopI was talking about the Maxstar 200.I've never used a 150.
Reply:Originally Posted by danmcphThe unit I am buying today is the Dynasty 280dx.  Is there any rods etc that this unit can't use as well as the Thunderbolt?  In other words is it all improvement with stick welding using the 280dx and I can sell my Thunderbolt?
Reply:I too have a Miller Thunderbolt, (old one, with copper windings) and a Thermalarc 185. I am sooo glad I kept the Miller, no matter how I set the 185, I could never make decent welds with it. I havent stick welded in a few years, (got a Lincoln 180 dual) but still have the 'Bolt', just in case , , ,-c-What is the sound of one knee jerking?
Reply:Originally Posted by cornemuseI too have a Miller Thunderbolt, (old one, with copper windings) and a Thermalarc 185. I am sooo glad I kept the Miller, no matter how I set the 185, I could never make decent welds with it. I havent stick welded in a few years, (got a Lincoln 180 dual) but still have the 'Bolt', just in case , , ,-c-
Reply:I am accumulating so I think I am playing the game right.  After selling the Tbolt I will still have a Millermatic 211 and a 350P plus the Dynasty DX.
Reply:Only 3? Sheeze. Light weight... Just what are things coming to these days... .No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Sell the thunderbolt and don't look back. The only thing I have heard re the dynasty is that it helps to tweak the voltage higher for 6010. Not having owned one I couldn't tell you HOW you do that.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:The Thunderbolt was never made to compete with the Dynasty.  I would throw out the baby with the bathwater.  The Tbolt is a good back up machine and can weld with some expertise every bit as good as the Dynasty.  Originally Posted by Louie1961Sell the thunderbolt and don't look back. The only thing I have heard re the dynasty is that it helps to tweak the voltage higher for 6010. Not having owned one I couldn't tell you HOW you do that.
Reply:As soon as I got my HTP-221 tig/stick, I gave my almost new Hobart Stickmate 235LX to a coworker who lost his complete shop to fire with no insurance.THe Hobart is exact same as thunderbolt, and it made really decent welds within it's capacity, even when ran as scratch tig.But friend, the inverter HTP-221 is a whole other class in stick mode(also when ran within it's designed capacity....On higher end inverter tigs, like the HTP and some dynastys, you can use ALL the features, LOL even the foot pedal works in stick mode on my HTP.Up until yesterday, I hadn't tried tig with the HTP, but several hours running stick and was just tickled pink with it's performance over the Stickmate.