TIG - Lincoln or Miller ?

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I am undecided between the Precision TIG 275 with water cooler and the Dynasty 350 Tig Runner. I would like some real world feedback on these. Main uses will be stainless railing, chromoly cages, 18 ga to 3/8" aluminum.The lincoln does not offer A/C frequency control, but it does have pulse. The Lincoln is HEAVY, transformer based, Miller is inverter and lightweight.Lincoln is $4250, Miller is $77xx  Are the A/C wave form options and the A/C frequency worth a couple grand???Why else should I pick the Miller?
Reply:I like frequency control. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:2X on the frequency control . . . went from a Syncrowave 250 to a Dynasty 300.  Very happy with the decision.Dynasty 300DXSmith He/Ar gas mixerMM350PHobart Handler 120Smith LW7, MW5, AW1A
Reply:If you are going to be doing 3/8" aluminum then its not even a close call, dynasty 350 with the advanced wave forms and EN/EP amperage controls is the way to go. Those are no gimmic, they actually do exactly what miller says they will.That, and I consider Lincoln precision TIG's to be one of the biggest POS's ive ever used.Heres some 1/8" wall aluminum tube welded with a dynasty 350, look at how sharp the tungsten is after a few beads.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Hello A/C Guy, you will find that the Miller machine that you are comparing to the Lincoln isn't a fair comparison. I term it that way for a number of reasons. An inverter tig such as the Dynasty 350 does have just about every whistle and bell that you can find in a GTAW machine, being inverter based also gives it a big advantage on power consumption as well. The frequency control, coupled with the AC balance control, will give you way more ability to weld thicker materials much more easily and at the same time will help with conserving tungsten life. The availability of different waveforms offers additional choices for application to various welding challenges. The average person might not appreciate the capabilities afforded to them by the Dynasty 350, there are numerous suttleties that could be realized by all of the combinations of functions in that particular machine. You could spend a lot of time experimenting with all the possibilities before you are able to truly realize all of it's possibilities/advantages. You will be comparing apples to oranges when you are trying to compare these two machines. The biggest question will really be whether you will currently or  would project yourself in the future to be utilizing the additional advantages that are afforded by a Dynasty over those of the Lincoln Precision Tig. Is the additional $$$ worth the investment at this time for you. I would be completely happy to own either of these machines, yet. if I had the money and could afford to spend it, I would go with the Dynasty hands down. Just my $.02. Good luck and best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:From what I have gleaned from the Miller site and what few online posts there are about the Dynasty, I wondered why no one else is offering the same wave form controls and packaging a unit similar to the Dynasty 350; especially if it does everything claimed and does it better. The Everlast and Longevity units offer limited version of the pulse and frequency and that actually had me doubting the legitimacy of those features. (Why would the chinese knock-offs offer it, but not Lincoln?) The Lincoln seems to be older technology that works, but at a price in terms of weight and power requirements. It seems that inverter based is the future. Durability doesn't seem to be an issue on the newer inverter units. The people that have actually used the Dynasty units all like them, so it seems that to not buy the Miller would be a bad choice. I just don't want to spend $7K on a welder, but if it lasts 10 years, it is probably the better choice. It is always cheaper to buy the better/ best the first time instead of buying cheap and buying up every year or 2.
Reply:Originally Posted by A/C GuyFrom what I have gleaned from the Miller site and what few online posts there are about the Dynasty, I wondered why no one else is offering the same wave form controls and packaging a unit similar to the Dynasty 350; especially if it does everything claimed and does it better. The Everlast and Longevity units offer limited version of the pulse and frequency and that actually had me doubting the legitimacy of those features. (Why would the chinese knock-offs offer it, but not Lincoln?) The Lincoln seems to be older technology that works, but at a price in terms of weight and power requirements. It seems that inverter based is the future. Durability doesn't seem to be an issue on the newer inverter units. The people that have actually used the Dynasty units all like them, so it seems that to not buy the Miller would be a bad choice. I just don't want to spend $7K on a welder, but if it lasts 10 years, it is probably the better choice. It is always cheaper to buy the better/ best the first time instead of buying cheap and buying up every year or 2.
Reply:Okay, I am back: It's an Invertec 310, not a 305. my bad. here's a video: http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/...rtec-v310.htmlSuffice to say, I am not going to try and sell you on a longjunkity or Neverlast. But the 205 I own works well on material up to 1/4" thick all day long in aluminum, and 3/8-1/2" in steel without complaints.The comparison from a PT275 to a Dynasty or Invertec is like saying a new corvette and a 73 stingray is a fair comparison. Yes, they both drive, plenty fast. And they both look great. But the reality is, the new unit is very much more advanced, with 1000 more features, and so on and such. And yes, it costs more. But you get more for the money.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Originally Posted by RojodiabloOkay, I am back: It's an Invertec 310, not a 305. my bad. here's a video: http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/...rtec-v310.htmlSuffice to say, I am not going to try and sell you on a longjunkity or Neverlast. But the 205 I own works well on material up to 1/4" thick all day long in aluminum, and 3/8-1/2" in steel without complaints.The comparison from a PT275 to a Dynasty or Invertec is like saying a new corvette and a 73 stingray is a fair comparison. Yes, they both drive, plenty fast. And they both look great. But the reality is, the new unit is very much more advanced, with 1000 more features, and so on and such. And yes, it costs more. But you get more for the money.
Reply:Originally Posted by Matt922Can't forget the most important! Efficiency!  .  Well maybe not so much on 3 phase but  inverters really make a difference for the home/hobby(1 phase) user.