My new (to me) Syncrowave 250.

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I have been casually looking for a nicer tig for a while now.  I bought a Thermal Arc 95S about 6 months ago on Craigslist and have been using that to make brackets and other random stuff.  So the other day I see a Syncrowave 250 for $1500 that looks like it has everything.  It looks like a good deal from the crappy pictures in the listing.  The earliest possible meeting I could get with the guy was the next day after he gets off work.  I meet him at his place and there is another guy there as well to look at it.  Turns out, he lost interest after seeing that it doesn't have pulse.  I am totally happy without it.  I liked the idea of a newer inverter just because of the reduced amp requirements, but I think I will be extremely happy with this machine.  I only have 30 amp 220V circuits in my garage, but I'm going to see what it will cost to wire in a 100 amp or I could probably get away with a 50-60 if I had too.  I was able to get it wired up and it seems to work fine at my place on a 30 amp with it dialed back.  It's nice to have the pedal and HF start after using the lift start for a while now, although the pedal will take some practice.I got the welder, Bernard cooler, foot pedal, Weldtec torch with probably 25ft leads, 1/2 full 330 cu ft bottle , full 154 cu ft bottle and a Smith flow meter for $1500.  He also threw in probably 10lbs (literally) of misc. tungsten with everything from .040 to 1/8".
Reply:Nice. These are the kind of deals to look out for if you want a decent AC/DC tig..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:Thanks...I'm pretty happy with it. Seems to run ok on a 30A circuit for now.  It will be a few weeks until I can get a bigger breaker put in, but has been fine running about 125 amps.  I should hopefully be able to get some seat time this weekend.
Reply:Another  good  deal ,     should take more pics  of the machine  and cooler  .         i like seeing  pics of  other peoples   welding machines  & setups  ..>Innovations are what i leave behind for History
Reply:Yea, that pic was with my phone.  I plan on taking some more pics when I get home tonight with the camera.  I haven't been home all week, so hopefully I get some more time to play with it this weekend.
Reply:good looking setup!tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Good find, Grats!I have the same machine it's a 2000, & still Runs great.Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:Congrats
Reply:Better pic with the camera.  I checked the Miller site and it was built in 2003.  I love the way it welds already.  HF start is definitely better than the lift I'm used to.  Some weld pics to follow hopefully tomorrow.
Reply:Originally Posted by kazlxBetter pic with the camera.  I checked the Miller site and it was built in 2003.  I love the way it welds already.  HF start is definitely better than the lift I'm used to.  Some weld pics to follow hopefully tomorrow.
Reply:The Sync came with a 330 and a 154 argon bottle.  I bought a 330 argon and a 330 CO2 that were full off CL for $150 off of a shop that was closing.  I picked up another 154 Argon off of CL before I found the bigger ones.  My buddy is trying to get an old 330 machine running that he got for free, so I sell him one or two of the smaller bottles to help recoup my cost on the welder.
Reply:Some more pics.The guy included all these cups, electrodes and misc. parts:First couple beads on aluminum.  I've never welded aluminum before and have always wanted to learn, which was the main reason I bought the Sync along with wanting to be able to do thicker steel and stainless (SS being what I probably need the most practice on).  It seems to have more than enough juice on a 30A circuit to weld 1/8".  I used a 3/32 thoriated tungsten with 3/32 filler.  Just wire brushed and wiped with alcohol.  Dial on the welder is about 200A and doesn't trip the breaker with the pedal down all the way.  The aluminum seems to love to jump up the tungsten a lot more than with steel if you dip.  A few spots I just played around with the torch working the pedal and watching the puddle to see what happened as I adjusted amperage up and down.  It's an intoxicating feeling watching it.After a little practice.Bottom line, I'm really stoked and love the machine.  I think it will be great to work on my skills.  It's a great setup and everything seems to work perfectly so far.
Reply:Originally Posted by kazlxIt seems to have more than enough juice on a 30A circuit to weld 1/8".  I used a 3/32 thoriated tungsten with 3/32 filler.  Just wire brushed and wiped with alcohol.  Dial on the welder is about 200A and doesn't trip the breaker with the pedal down all the way.  .
Reply:Thanks.  What is PFC?  The foot control?  I *thought* the electrician put in a 30A breaker on that circuit, but it could be a 50A.  I will have to check.  The bead you mentioned in the bottom left was the very first bead I ran, so the material was room temp for that bead.  I could notice the puddle got harder to control as the piece got hotter.  Then it got to the point the ripples disappeared, which I'm sure indicates it's way too hot.  I should probably cut multiple coupons and rotate.  I'm just happy since everything seems to work like it should and I'm nor having nightmare problems like others I have seen on here.  I just need to sit down and get hood time.  I tried using the pure tungsten and didnt like it at all compared to the thoriated.
Reply:Oh and sorry about the pics, forgot to size them.  I will do it when I get home
Reply:PFC is Power Factor Correction. Basically it's a series of cap's inside the machine that stores power and releases it so you can keep your total draw lower and even out the draw spikes. It usually will save money in an industrial setting. The down side is that it will draw quite a bit of juice just sitting there doing nothing ( 48 amps vs 4 amps without it IIIRC. That means you are using power like you are welding at 200 amps almost full time when the machine is on. The up side is that on a 50 amp circuit you get to use almost all the available output from that machine instead of needing a 75 or 100 amp service. Remember the machine needs to idle somewhat to regulate it's internal temps. Running it heavy then shutting it down without letting it sit  and idle to cool, is a good way to cook the electronics inside.My guess is that you've got a 50 amp line rather than a 30 amp. It would make more sense overall. 30 amps is borderline on a machine that wants 50 amps at max like a tombstone, not a power hungy beast like this is.The site most likly won't let you alter them at this point because of the time limit here. Just keep it in mind in the future..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:Is there a way to check for th PFCs and/or change it?  That is actually a very good possibility that it may have those, as it came from an industrial facility.  The guy I got it from bought it from his work when they purchased all new machines.  He said he has had it for about two years but figured he would sell it since it just sits most of the time.  I suppose I could check the electric meter when I turn on the welder and see if it goes ballistic.I can re-size the pics since they at hosted on Photobucket.
Reply:Originally Posted by kazlxIs there a way to check for th PFCs and/or change it?  That is actually a very good possibility that it may have those, as it came from an industrial facility.  The guy I got it from bought it from his work when they purchased all new machines.  He said he has had it for about two years but figured he would sell it since it just sits most of the time.  I suppose I could check the electric meter when I turn on the welder and see if it goes ballistic.
Reply:Awesome...I'll read through those when I get a chance.