Dialarc HF

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I am looking at purchase this as my first Tig machine. Main focus is to use on aluminum. We have done plenty of Mig but are new to Tig. I am told that a watercooler and AC are the major requirements. I have three questions about this purchase. 1) How would this be for a tig machine on aluminum. 2) He describes an issue in the ad with the arc and says he believes it to be the foot pedal. Any idea on this? Obviously I do not want to get into something that isnt fixable. 3) Our shop as 240 and 3ph 480. This is a single phase machine so I imagine I could run it off the 240 OR the 480 by dropping one leg? Thanks for the help.Here is the link to the ad: http://saginaw.craigslist.org/tls/4932861647.htmlWhen asked about the erratic arc he states: "The arc was all over the place and would not start well, really didn't go any further had projects to finish and pulled the trigger. Not sure what the issue is"
Reply:Anyone?
Reply:Did you test it?  I would before buying.I'd test it stick welding for sure, and try it on tig to see what you think.That's not a bad price for machine, pedal, torch and cooler.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:No I haven't tested it but honestly have no experience in tig or stick so not sure I could gain much by testing it.Price is solid just not sure I wanna drop that much coin without knowing it can be fixed.
Reply:A Dialarc is not the machine for aluminum!!!!!The AC is sine wave and you will be quickly wanting a machine that is at least a square wave machine (i.e. Miller Syncrowave).  Sine wave machines have no balance control (at least the ones I know of).The next step up is an inverter machine that you can pick a frequency other than 60Hz (or whatever the wall outlet is).  Higher frequency gives a more stable arc.So.... my advice (worth every penny you paid for it)If you are doing thick aluminum, grab a MIG + spool gun.  If out of position thick aluminum, get a pulsed MIG.  (Or MIG with a high frequency pulser).Anything over 1/4" and you should consider it 'thick'.Moderate sized (not gauge work) a pulsed MIG will work as well.  Without pulse, its a spray transfer process and it likes to go down hot.If you are dead set on TIG.The Miller Diversions are a more entry level machine.  Under the covers they run 120Hz and something like a balance of 70%.If you need more power - Syncrowave is what you want (or the Red or Yellow equivalent).  Those machines are tanks and if you buy them used, you can pretty much sell them for what you paid.The Dynasty machines are pretty much the Cadillac of Aluminum welding machines.  There are some alternatives that are cheaper - companies like Lincoln, HTP, Esab make comparable (and of course there is about a dozen Chinese made machines that curiously all look the same - same knobs etc.)Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:I've got a miller 211 and was going to get a spool gun for it but was told that it's not even worth my time and they work like crap. I was considering looking into a diversion or syncrowave bit will have to save up a few more $$. The dynasty is out of the question for now.
Reply:Originally Posted by con_fuse9A Dialarc is not the machine for aluminum!!!!!The AC is sine wave and you will be quickly wanting a machine that is at least a square wave machine (i.e. Miller Syncrowave).
Reply:It'll work just fine for aluminum.  Doesn't have all the new nifty settings and bells that you get with some machines like the synchrowaves, but it will definitely do the job and the price is right for the whole setup.  Although personally, if I had a shop with 3ph, I'd look for an older Synchrowave 250 or something...they usually sell for less in my area since they're three phase.  You can buy a Synchrowave around here with a cooler and a torch for around $700...but a dialarc HF single phase will cost twice that.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:Originally Posted by wintermuteIt'll work just fine for aluminum.  Doesn't have all the new nifty settings and bells that you get with some machines like the synchrowaves, but it will definitely do the job and the price is right for the whole setup.  Although personally, if I had a shop with 3ph, I'd look for an older Synchrowave 250 or something...they usually sell for less in my area since they're three phase.  You can buy a Synchrowave around here with a cooler and a torch for around $700...but a dialarc HF single phase will cost twice that.--Wintermute
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDavePretty sure Syncrowaves are all single phase - you may be thinking of a different machine.
Reply:Nope, I've seen plenty of older Syncrowave 350s here that are 3ph machines.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:Originally Posted by wintermuteNope, I've seen plenty of older Syncrowave 350s here that are 3ph machines.--Wintermute
Reply:I owned one. I upgraded to a Syncrowave in less than a year. I really didn't care for it much at all. That's my experience with them. I absolutely LOVE my sync 350 tho.-DoogieMiller 350PMiller Trailblazer 325 EFI w/ Excel PowerLincoln LN25 suitcase welderXMT 304/22a feederMiller Syncrowave 350LXMiller EconotigHobart Handler 140(2) Uni-Hydro 42-14Hypertherm 65 plasmaWEBB Gap bed lathe
Reply:Also I had to rebuild the pedal on mine. The parts we like $65 I want to say.-DoogieMiller 350PMiller Trailblazer 325 EFI w/ Excel PowerLincoln LN25 suitcase welderXMT 304/22a feederMiller Syncrowave 350LXMiller EconotigHobart Handler 140(2) Uni-Hydro 42-14Hypertherm 65 plasmaWEBB Gap bed lathe
Reply:Originally Posted by wintermuteNope, I've seen plenty of older Syncrowave 350s here that are 3ph machines.--Wintermute
Reply:Originally Posted by Welder DaveNo such thing as 3 phase AC output with a transformer based machine like a Syncrowave. Even Lincoln's AC1200 (amp) for sub-arc is single phase while the DC1500 is 3 phase.
Reply:Some people have no clue what they have. Somebody advertising a Syncrowave as 3 phase is shooting themselves in the foot on resale.
Reply:This is something I never knew!! Of course I never needed to know either. When I bought mine I just made sure it was single phase. As Wintermute said We'll have to keep an eye out for them!-DoogieMiller 350PMiller Trailblazer 325 EFI w/ Excel PowerLincoln LN25 suitcase welderXMT 304/22a feederMiller Syncrowave 350LXMiller EconotigHobart Handler 140(2) Uni-Hydro 42-14Hypertherm 65 plasmaWEBB Gap bed lathe
Reply:Originally Posted by wintermuteI've seen a bunch of ads for machines just like this one: http://www.i-bidder.com/en-gb/auctio...3-a44b00b50c5b in my area which honestly sell for about $500 or so.  I did just check the Miller manuals for all of the syncrowaves and couldn't find any listed as 3 phase...heck, next time I see one of these, I'm going to buy the damn thing! --Wintermute
Reply:For 700.00 power it up and see if it stick welds, pay, load and run
Reply:Unless you are goin to do heavy duty AL welding for long stringers, I would stick with an air cooled torch.  A guy I work with uses a #9 torch (air cooled) on a dialarc 250hf without a pedal for everything.  Even up to 1/4" AL, and he doesn't have any issues unless he is dabbing something with a lot of long welds.
Reply:Originally Posted by huntall6Unless you are goin to do heavy duty AL welding for long stringers, I would stick with an air cooled torch.  A guy I work with uses a #9 torch (air cooled) on a dialarc 250hf without a pedal for everything.  Even up to 1/4" AL, and he doesn't have any issues unless he is dabbing something with a lot of long welds.
Reply:When I spot one on Craigslist, the Syncrowave 250s seem to run from a low of about $1500 to a high of about $4000 (IMHO, the guy is dreaming at that price).The Syncrowave 350s tend to be cheaper.  I suspect they are so big that the average homeowner/hobbyist won't buy them because of size???.  The odd thing is the 350s often come with all the options.Because they are highly reliable, transformer based machines,  I wouldn't hesitate buying used.  A little patience, a little searching on the internet (auction sites as well) and you're sure to find one.As for my dislike of a dialarc for aluminum.  Full disclosure, I had a dialarc and my only attempt at aluminum was fixing a radiator.  1) its thin aluminum. 2) the crack in question was inside a corner and 3) the tungsten I had was a bit on the thick side for the work I was attempting.  Anyway, the OP said he wanted TIG primarily for aluminum.  There are many better machines for that.  I will say, if you can master welding aluminum with it, you will have no problems welding aluminum with a square wave machine.  I found arc control on the dialarc (fillet weld) to be very difficult.  Either the are would wander or, if I stepped on the pedal, it would blow through.Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:Saw a complete Dialarc HF setup like that a couple years ago on CL.  They said it had a weak arc.  I figured it was probably wired for 480 and he was trying to run it on 240.  It was a bit far off but only like $300. or something ridiculously low.  If I'd had the room for it and a spirit of adventure I'd have bought it. Worth it for parts."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 MinnesotaDaveRespectfully, I disagree with this advice.  My wp-9 didn't even make it 1 month into my tig welding practice.I've only been tig welding for about three years, and smoked 5 wp-26 air cooled torches, 2 wp-17, and 1 wp-9.  For the 5 wp-26 torches:Two of them the collet body seized in the head and wouldn't come out without destroying the head in the process.2 melted and started smoking - which made the weld start being porus immediately - then the necks split open.An old one that I used for backup smoked on DC at about 300+ amps (experimenting to see if I could put down weld faster with an 1/8" filler rod and high amps).(yes, I know I'm impatient and should have slowed down and waited for them to cool... )My first tig machine was a Dialarc 250.  from what I remember it welded alum fine...that was 1985....  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock