Looking at a Miller Dynasty 200DX

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So i'm looking to buy my first TIG welder, and came across a 200DX with contractors pack (fingertip control) and argon tank locally for $2300.Seems like a decent enough deal - what should I look out for?Mark
Reply:assuming it is used, you should look for a working machine.  1st on WeldingWeb to have a scrolling sig! HTP Invertig 400HTP Invertig 221HTP ProPulse 300HTP ProPulse 200 x2HTP ProPulse 220MTSHTP Inverarc 200TLP HTP Microcut 875SC
Reply:Are you able to test/use the welder before you buy???
Reply:Definitely test it.  For not much more you can have a htp Invertig 221 new.  But that's a great price if it works and in good condition.  Definitely try to weld with it and make sure it works though, especially if it's out of warranty.  You can get the serial number and find out how old it itMiller 350PMiller 30AHobart trekHTP Invertig 221
Reply:Originally Posted by mud99So i'm looking to buy my first TIG welder, and came across a 200DX with contractors pack (fingertip control) and argon tank locally for $2300.Seems like a decent enough deal - what should I look out for?
Reply:Well, I bought it. Untested because he didn't have the right hookup in his garage (just moved) but I felt pretty comfortable with the guy selling it and I know where he lives (5 minutes from my house), so fingers crossedJust got finished wiring it up, it has 15 hours time on it, which matches with his story and looks new, haven't had a chance to lay down a bead just yet but going to try and get it all working in the next few hours. Includes an argon tank and I called the company on the label and it's not a rental. Also a bunch of consumables.
Reply:So I got it working - check out this beautiful weld:Everything seems to be working - it strikes an arc and the remote control works. Messed around for a few minutes melting aluminun at 150 amps. Unfortunately my miller welding helmet stopped working a while back, so this was the best I could do one handed holding a MIG face shield in my left hand. Didn't bother cleaning the electrode or the material, figured it was a lost cause.
Reply:CongratsMiller 350PMiller 30AHobart trekHTP Invertig 221
Reply:So i'm pretty happy with the welder, but I think I want a different torch, flowmeter, and I just ordered an SSC foot pedal, so I think I might sell off the contractors pack. What do you guys think a fair price for that would be? It's the hand control one.
Reply:I LOVE my SSC foot pedal.  Can't stand my Miller hand control.  But even so, I'd hold onto the hand control.  You never know when you'll end up doing something out of position where a foot pedal (even between the knees) just isn't going to work.
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749Great deal!Separate the contractors pack, unless it has the case, etc. $120 for hand control would be fair if it's nice.Maybe $50-125 for the torch depending on what kind it is.
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749Cool. Ask a little less than half of new or around that and you should be ok. Miller sure does rape you on that kit if you ask me. You can bull the stuff separate for less.I have a CK Trimline torch on my Dynasty. It's a compact version of their standard 18 series water cooled torch. They make the best, I've been very happy with mine. If you need a cheap flowmeter, HTP sells them cheaper than anyone else.Www.usaweld.com. If you call, ask for Paul P. He's done right by me and Oscar has dealt with him plenty too. HTP sells the flex lock torch. One stop shopping
Reply:Are you worried that embedded junk will become transferred to a very hard, high temp metal like your tungsten? Who says you need a dedicated grinder? NASA? You let your kids point their crayons on your grinder?  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 mud99Cool, i'll contact him. I was planning on getting one air cooled and one water cooled torch. My first welding project will be a welding cart out of aluminum, i'm going to put a coolant tank on the bottom of the cart with space for both my welders and two tanks of gas.As far as tungsten, I know you should run a dedicated grinder, but if I dress my current grinder wheel to remove any embedded junk, it should be ok I would think? At least for a novice building a welding cart?
Reply:Originally Posted by mud99Cool, i'll contact him. I was planning on getting one air cooled and one water cooled torch. My first welding project will be a welding cart out of aluminum, i'm going to put a coolant tank on the bottom of the cart with space for both my welders and two tanks of gas.As far as tungsten, I know you should run a dedicated grinder, but if I dress my current grinder wheel to remove any embedded junk, it should be ok I would think? At least for a novice building a welding cart?
Reply:Originally Posted by mud99So i'm pretty happy with the welder, but I think I want a different torch, flowmeter, and I just ordered an SSC foot pedal, so I think I might sell off the contractors pack. What do you guys think a fair price for that would be? It's the hand control one.
Reply:So I ordered a welding helmet from Amazon last night, it showed up this evening (got to love amazon), and I screwed around with some aluminum from the scrap pile for an hour or so - 1/8 thickness pieces of aluminum for the most part - having a hard time getting a nice clean arc to the material. I'm using 3/32 pure tungsten ground to a point, 150 amps, 120 hz, 75% balance. It seems like even when I get close, the arc wants to dance around in a 1/4" cone, very frustrating because I can't direct the heat very precisely. Not sure if it's because my tungsten is ground wrong, or the gas flow is wrong, or my stickout is wrong, or my material is wrong, or my amperage is wrong....or maybe all those. I also had some issues with the machine not wanting to strike an arc, most of the problem was the ground clamp wasn't making good contact, the other problem was the torch doesn't like to light up on some of the extruded pieces I had, I think they might be anodized or have some other surface treatment.The finger control is just hopeless, it's the biggest piece of junk, I could design a better controller in my sleep....like maybe a lever you hold down which varies the current, or a big easy to turn dial on one side, or maybe a slider that moves back and forth.
Reply:Don't go crazy with your settings until you talk to Steve or Terry about settings and tungstens for that machinethey know all about those machines and they will save you a GREAT amount of frustration Terry ( shovelon ) is the man when it comes to the Dynasty and aluminum ....Backed my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Do you have a manual?  If not, download one from the miller site.Then do a factory/memory reset to default parameters. I bet the previous owner bunged up the start parameters. If you do that then you will be back to what Miller thought were pretty good settings to get you started. I don't deviate much from them for general welding. To do the reset, you push and hold two buttons on the front, hold, and reach around the back with your other hand and fire up the machine. I don't recall the two on the front but the are listed in the manual.Now does this machine have blue lightning arc start? To check, push "A" and then gas/dig at the same time to see the start sequence window. Turn the knob to see if the display shows tungsten sizes an "gen". If only gen, and some arc values, then you don't have blue lightning. Push "A" and gas/dig again and you  are back to main screen.You don't need to mess with wave shapes or preflow yet.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 7A749Well, the first more than apparent problem is tungsten choice.DYNASTY INVERTERS DO NOT LIKE PURE TUNGSTEN!!!!It will not hold a point and does exactly what you described mud99. You need to be running either Lanthinated, Ceriated or zirconated as a baseline. Grind it to a sharp point, then blunt the tip slightly. A lot of your basic problems will go away immediately. You're prolly running in soft square, being it's the default waveform. Yeah, a Terry is the guy to talk to about dynasty machines. He knows more than I ever will.I have been using Ceriated electrodes since I got it. I think I have some Zirconated ones too.I've tried the Quad on steel, still like Thoriated better myself. Truthfully, I've gotten so busy with other stuff I haven't gotten a lot of time to play with it more.As far as settings, you'll want to be careful so you don't get too much out of wack. Since the 350 has 9 programs, I've put some different settings on a few different ones. The triangle wave is great for thinner stuff. I'm running around 180 HZ and 78-80% neg on balance. At least on that setting. Get different tungsten. That'll fix most of your problems as far as wandering arc goes, etc.IMHO of course
Reply:Looks good Steve. B-C (Bill) and I have had some heated discussions regarding soda cans. That guy is a machine. He can give you a really good recipe.Getting back to start sequence, more start amps is not always better as it wrecks your point, and too little only encourages stomping on the peddle more, also wrecking your point. Each blend of tungsten lites up different, with red being the best, and blue a close second, IMO.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:Will the red tungsten work on aluminum? I have some of that but I thought it was DC only.Not sure if it has blue lightning. I reset it to factory defaults when I bought it, then used the initial settings from the manual
Reply:Originally Posted by mud99Will the red tungsten work on aluminum? I have some of that but I thought it was DC only.Not sure if it has blue lightning. I reset it to factory defaults when I bought it, then used the initial settings from the manual
Reply:Originally Posted by mud99Will the red tungsten work on aluminum? I have some of that but I thought it was DC only.Not sure if it has blue lightning. I reset it to factory defaults when I bought it, then used the initial settings from the manual
Reply:Haven't posted in a while - I put the welder aside while waiting for some accessories.I fixed up the torch - new gas nozzle, electrode holder, both were in rough shape. Got the SSC foot pedal, wow it is a nice piece.It is much, much easier to weld with a foot pedal, since it lets you hammer down to get the bead started without turning things to mush, and back way off to keep welding speed under control, or when things start to blow through.Having some issues with the miller flowmeter (dial kind not ball kind), I set it to one flow rate (and blip the torch on it so I can see the true CFH), after a while it changes pressure. I had been practicing for 20 minutes or so, all of a sudden I had trouble holding an arc, my workpiece went pitch black with soot, and the electrode blew out.Checked my flow meter, it had dropped from 15-20 CFH down to 7, and I still had 1500psi in the tank. Bizarre, I think maybe something is clogging up the regulator. I have an HTP flowmeter coming so hopefully that will solver my problem.Anyway, still too embarrassed to posts photos of my "welds", but I did make a lap joint today that kind of resembled a lumpy stack of dimes, so in celebration it's miller time ...Check your hoses ...disconnect them and blow them out with compressed air I had a bug build a nest in one of my hosesBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Originally Posted by killdozerd11Check your hoses ...disconnect them and blow them out with compressed air I had a bug build a nest in one of my hoses