Getting ready to buy an ac/dc tig

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I have been wanting a Dynasty 200DX for a long time.  I just cant afford one right now.  I am thinking about getting a Longevity 200ex for now and when I can afford a Miller I will get a Dynasty 280.  My XMT 304 has been doing everything I need right now but I just want something in case a job comes in that needs ac tig.  I was at Fabtech and I think the Longevity 200ex will do what I need it for now which will mostly be learning ac tig. Any comments welcome.Miller XMT 304 cc/cvMiller 12RC w/ 15ft Tweco #4 GunMiller 30A SpoolgunCustom Thermal Arc TA 10/270 Generator "Thermal Star"Smith oxy/acet-propane with weld, cut & rosebud tipsAnd of course grinders, chop saws, hand tools
Reply:Go with a nice used Syncrowave 200. I see them regularly for $1100-1500 depending on extras, and Syncro 250's occasionally pop up in the upper end of that range. If you didn't want to go with a Syncrowave, I'd look at the TA 186's that they are clearing out as my next choice, if I couldn't find a nice older TA 185 used.You'll get everything you need out of one to learn alum tig. You don't have the need or the ability to use all the bells and whistles of a Dynasty yet. When you are ready, you can probably turn around and sell that Syncro wave for 80% or more of what you bought it for if you bought smart. That means you will have spent almost nothing for your "rental" of the machine. You will not be able to do that with a Longevity machine. I see way too many people "fiddling" with all the options on an inverter trying to find and use that "magic" function, that gets them beautiful welds. Usually all they do is make things way worse after they have messed with all the factory settings. There is no substitute for hood time and experience, even if it's on an "antique" like Zap's Miller 330 A/BP. If you can weld with one of these and do nice welds on alum, THEN maybe the advanced features will help you out on a machine like a Dynasty..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 was looking at the 186 also.  I usually never sell my equipment so resale is not a big deal for me.  Portability is more important to me because i do some mobile work.  When I do get a miller I will just leave this welder in my trailer.  I may hold out a little longer and just get one of the newer TA Arcmaster 220 or 301 after they work out the bugs.Miller XMT 304 cc/cvMiller 12RC w/ 15ft Tweco #4 GunMiller 30A SpoolgunCustom Thermal Arc TA 10/270 Generator "Thermal Star"Smith oxy/acet-propane with weld, cut & rosebud tipsAnd of course grinders, chop saws, hand tools
Reply:If you want a good basic TIG, without spending a lot of money, it is hard to beat a used Miller Syncrowave 180 or 200.  I have owned both, both are good.   Both have High Frequency, AC and DC, so you can weld any metal, including aluminum.  Both include stick and TIG.  The original version of the Syncrowave 180 is arguably better for beginners, as it has minimal controls, three switches and one knob, simple to use.  The  later version of the 180 (180SD) added an AC balance knob and digital displays.   The 200 has lots of bells and whistles, including pulse, which I like for thin copper.   The 180 is a little smaller, but both are relatively big and heavy, around 200 pounds.  Figure on at least a 50 amp 220V circuit for either welder, which is what I use.  Some recommend a 60 amp 220V breaker. I bought the 200 for $1300, too good a deal to pass up, and then sold my Synchrowave 180 for $1150.   The 180 price that I got was probably higher than average, and the 200 price that I paid was lower than average, so I did very well, paid only $150 to upgrade.Anyway, for somewhere between $900 and $1500, you can buy a used Syncrowave 180 or 200, and have a welder that will probably serve all your needs for decades.   If you buy used, and you decide you need a bigger or fancier welder down the road, you can get almost all your money back when you sell it.  You will take a big depreciation hit if you buy a new welder and sell it later.  With these Syncrowaves you can TIG weld any thin metal up to about 3/16 inch, and you can stick weld any steel 1/8 inch or thicker.   I used the 180 as a stick welder for months before I got around to buying an argon bottle.  Some report that the 180 had a higher than average repair rate, but my original version 180 gave me no trouble.Alternatives to a Syncrowave:  The Miller Diversion lacks stick.  Stick is what you need to weld thick steel.   The Dynasty is a great welder, but way too much money unless you have to have easy portability, or need 110V.   (Note that a 20 amp 120Volt outlet will only run a welder at very reduced power, so 110V operation is not that great an advantage).    If you need portability, you could consider a Thermal Arc 186 AC/DC, maybe half the price of a Dynasty.  The Miller EconoTIG looks good on paper, but a Miller factory guy said that it was not that great, that the Syncrowave 180 was a much better machine.  Lincoln makes the Square Wave 175, and Precision TIG 225, similar to the Syncrowaves, look for a used Lincoln as a possible alternative.  Many if not most inverter welders are DC only, so you can’t TIG aluminum.  (Examples:  Multimatic 200, XMT series, Maxstar series, the new Thermal Arc multi-process welders, Lincoln V350 and C300, etc.)   The Chinese machines from Longevity and Everlast have an attractive price, but resale value, reliability, and support are concerns.Note that many inverter welders, such as the Dynasty or Invertec series, do not come standard with a TIG torch, regulator, and foot pedal, so they are even more expensive than they look at first glance.  The Syncrowaves come with everything you need except a gas bottle.  The welder manufacturers are pushing their high end inverter machines, but it is hard to justify the much higher cost, especially when you can find a used Syncrowave for not much more than $1000.  They have sold a lot of Syncrowaves, so you should be able to find a used one if you look.Just for comparison, a new Syncrowave 200 retails for $2900, a new Syncrowave 210 retails for $3200, a new Dynasty 200DX with torch, regulator, foot pedal, etc., retails for $5100.   On the used market, the Dynasty 200 welders are hard to find, and priced around $3000.   The Syncrowaves are easier to find used, and priced right.The Syncrowave 250 is an industry classic, a great machine, but big and heavy, and more expensive.  It should probably have a 100 amp 220V circuit, especially if you want to get full power out of it.  The 250 is just more welder than most folks need, unless you need to TIG 1/4 inch thick aluminum.   Richard Originally Posted by osweldI have been wanting a Dynasty 200DX for a long time.  I just cant afford one right now.  I am thinking about getting a Longevity 200ex for now and when I can afford a Miller I will get a Dynasty 280.  My XMT 304 has been doing everything I need right now but I just want something in case a job comes in that needs ac tig.  I was at Fabtech and I think the Longevity 200ex will do what I need it for now which will mostly be learning ac tig. Any comments welcome.
Reply:Originally Posted by osweldI was looking at the 186 also.  I usually never sell my equipment so resale is not a big deal for me.  Portability is more important to me because i do some mobile work.  When I do get a miller I will just leave this welder in my trailer.  I may hold out a little longer and just get one of the newer TA Arcmaster 220 or 301 after they work out the bugs.