Never Used Miller Dialarc HF-P, What's It Worth?

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Hey,I own a Miller Dialarc HF-P welder and along with it there is a story.  This welder is about 25 years old and I literally never plugged it in or turned it on! The welder has never been used. It has a CNR liquid cooled torch, Miller Radiator - 1 cooling system, Miller model RFC-23A foot pedal, Kable Klad torch cover, Western Enterprises/Scott Fetzer Accu-trol gas regulator, Miller cart with dual tank rack. It rolls around easily on its Miller cart. I know this ad sounds unbelievable but, I really am the original owner. Initially I was too busy with my autobody/restoration business to teach myself to TIG weld. Then I got out of that business and kept thinking I would learn to use it. And time just passed and I still had it, even after moving from Connecticut to Atlanta. And I still never used it.  So now that I want to sell it I need some help with the asking price.Thanks in advance for your assistance,R.S. Attached Images
Reply:Used I see those running between $450-600 fairly regularly without the cooler. Cooler would add a bit to the numbers. Over $1000, there's better options available used fairly often. I see used Syncrowave200's starting around $1000 and even occasionally Syncrowave 250's in nice shape under $1500. It's going to be tough to compete against something like that even if you machine is perfect. Location will also effect prices. If you are located in an are hard hit by the down turn in the economy, with a lot of industry closing up flooding the market with used machines, you'll get less than you might in other areas.You have a nice machine there. To the right person you might be able to get as much as $1500, but you'll wait quite a while to find that someone. In the $750-850 range it will move faster..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:I sold mine which was twin to yours for $1300.  I advertised it heavily locally, on Craigslist, and on forums. It took about three months to find a buyer. Mine was lightly used. I bought it from the weldor who used it new. He retired, and bought it from the company he worked for. After a year, he hadn't used it, so he sold it to me. Everybody says the same thing, used Syncrowaves are under $1000.00. The accessories I got with it looked to be as old as the welder. All the packages of rod were nearly full. All but a few pieces of tungsten were new, those ground, were full length. The only thing that looked to be used was the stinger. I think they tried it out new, covered it up with a blanket, and forgot it was there.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:That is a nice machine.  You should fire it up. Very few people will want to buy it without testing it. And who knows, if you fire it up and like it, you may decide to keep it.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Nice machine - but I agree with the others - selling for more than $1000-1200 will take some time.Also agree that you need to fire it up and let people test it - at least in stick mode anyway.But you should learn to tig - it's the bomb Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:I very much wanted to buy a Dialarc 250-HF that was a few blocks up the street from work.  They wanted $600 with no cables or plugs.  I started looking at cheap plugs, stinger and leads and realized it would be over $200.    Longer and better leads would be more like $400.  That would have me at $1000 just to stick weld.   So, I would think yours would sell easily at ~1500 if you have it ready to plug in and strike an arc (at least in a good market like DSW said).   If it's not completely ready to weld, then $1000 would seem more reasonable.Century buzzbox that I learned on 40+ years ago (was Dad's)Crappy Century 110volt mig 70 amp pigeon pooper.Lincoln Idealarc TIG-300
Reply:Where are you located?For a grand+ and a few hours of driving, I might be interested in upgrading from the HarbFri 'toy' TIG that got me hooked on the process.Be wary of The Numbers: Figures don't lie,. but liars can figure.Welders:2008 Lincoln 140 GMAW&FCAW2012 HF 165 'toy' GTAW&SMAW1970's Cobbled together O/A
Reply:Sounds like he's in Atlanta.Put it on Cl for $1,200.  Drop the price $75. to $100. per week.  Let it sit at $1,000. for two weeks.  Then drop it by $50. a week. List it on more than just your local CL, within a reasonable distance."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Sounds like a decent DC TIG setup.  Not so much an AC TIG.  I had an older one.  I hated the sine wave AC.  1) Just because something is old, doesn't make it valuable.  Tools especially.  There is a reason Miller no longer makes that device.  So value is along the lines DSW mentioned.  For condition alone, I would think $1000 is the right ball park - assuming you have everything for someone to get started (hoses, cables etc.).  For something that looks rough, but works, $400-$600.  For something that looks clean and works $600-$800.  For something you can document that its pretty much new, a little over the $800.  The price you ask will dictate how long you will sit on on it.  I know one person who sells on CL all the time and starts high, and knocks $100 off every week.  Eventually he sells everything.2) As a historic tool, or some esoteric artsy thing, it has little value.  Its not like you leave it in the living room to talk about during a dinner party.  Its value is strictly as a tool and for that, see No. 1.Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:Originally Posted by con_fuse9... I know one person who sells on CL all the time and starts high, and knocks $100 off every week.  Eventually he sells everything...
Reply:For a guy that wants to mostly stick weld and TIG steel, this is the bomb. Maybe not the best on aluminum but at 310 amps, its going to be hard to argue that you can't. I think I would much rather see a new person latch onto this than a chicom unit. The market is very fussy. I have seen syncrowaves sell for $450 and I have seen the same box sell for $1800. I do think more than $1000 is a stretch.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Personally, I would take a little time and clean it up pretty. Take the panels off, blow it out, wipe it down and wax the outsides.If it's pretty and NOS, you may get a hit on it for bigger money. Leave it dirty, you'll likely get less. Those machine still bring good money, but under a grand is pretty normal.IMHO of courseExpert Garage Hack....https://www.facebook.com/steven.webber.948
Reply:To put in perspective, a few years back I got an older barebones Syncrowave 250 power unit in quite nice shape for $850. with some sort of TIG torch head. Adding a used Coolmate 3 and all the hoses and connectors and a new SSC pedal brought it close to $1,400. Best deal I've seen on a Dialarc HF was here on the forum.  Tbone sold one for, what, about $650. a couple years ago?  IIRC, had a pedal and cooler.  Nice shape, too. Helluva deal.Oh, if you have stick welding leads, consider their worth. I got an Idealarc 250 on a factory cart for $350.  Nice shape with a new paint job.  But it has two 100 foot 1/0 leads in good condition, one almost new.  New leads would be close to $350. for the wire alone.Last edited by Oldendum; 03-12-2015 at 06:21 PM."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Originally Posted by OldendumI listed my wife on the free section and have been adding $100. a week.  Still no takers.
Reply:The cooler is worth decent money but if you have all the cables and everything and people can try it out, $1500 isn't a bad price for everything. It's not as good a machine as a Syncrowave 250 but just looking at it you can tell it hasn't been used much. Your machine is a 1985 so it's 30 years old but I've read the older models were better than the newer models??
Reply:I wouldn't get too excited about a Radiator 1.....isn't that the model that used Oberdorfer pumps? After setting 30 yrs would the pump still be good to use?I do agree that cleaning it up and throw a high price on it on CL and see what happens, the worst would be you have to drop the price.
Reply:Radiator 1 coolers are great.... Until they break.When they do, throw them in the junk and go buy a Coolmate 3 The Orberdorfer pumps in them eventually spring leaks and most efforts at rebuilding them fail. Not to mention, for what you'll spend on a rebuild kit for one, you could buy a brand new Procon vane pump off eBay.Expert Garage Hack....https://www.facebook.com/steven.webber.948
Reply:Thank you all for your speedy replies to my question.  I did contact my local Miller repair shop with the same question and they suggested a price much higher.  I've been following their suggestions and haven't seen much interest to my CL ad.It was pointed out to me that a buyer will likely want to try it out.  I don't have a place for that to happen.  But I could look into having the Miller repair shop go over it to see that it does function.Since I decided to sell this welder, placed the CL ad, and asked the question here my interest in learning to TIG is somewhat renewed.  If I did sell this machine I could use that money towards a newer TIG.  I'm not at all familiar with the Miller products so I'll ask this question.  What TIG machines came after my HF-P?  Along that timeline what would be your recommendation for a newer/better machine?Thanks again for your assistance.RS
Reply:Do you want to do alum, or can you work with just a DC tig? In AC/DC, a syncrowave of some sort would probably be the next step up from that unit. I don't know that other than possibly the ability to adjust the balance in AC you'd gain much however, at least at the beginner stage. Dyansty would be the newest, top of the line machine with all the bells and whistles in an AC/DC tig, but few hobbyists ever need all those functions. All those functions allow you to do is fine tune the skills you already have to maximize the machine. They won't help make you a better welder or help you learn faster. It's a lot of money for options very few will ever use.In a DC only tig, there are plenty of options. Maxstar's, CST's, XMT 304's if you go to a  multifunction machine... Again I doubt you'd gain a ton over what you have already other than maybe being smaller and more compact, and possibly the ability to run off 110v power for light duty tig on the Maxstar150 or 200's..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