So many Decisions.

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So I've been doing a lot of daydreaming. My job is so repetitive that I have lots of wonder time. I've gone from dragging up and being a pipeliner to owner of a fab shop. All dreams to date. Bossman just gave me some bonuses and opportunity to make commission. So I'll stay for the time being. I'm stable here and don't really like changing jobs. Did that enough with the union. With that being said...I still wanna weld. Maybe make some side money. Weekend warrior stuff. Now I need some help folks. I'm stuck on picking a welding machine. What I know is this....minimum 200 amps. Stick/tig combo. Possible mig/tig/stick if the price is right. Ease of use. And lastly pulse option. I have a strong stick background. Couple years of mig. Certified in both but I've never struck an arc with a tig machine. My money is pretty funny right now. I'd love nothing more than to have a dynasty or one of those fancy red things but I'm left to one of its Chinese counterparts. Price will weigh heavy on my decision but it seems these are all roughly in the same range. My question is....which of these Chinese machines are best? If you could grade them, like in school, what would you give them? I've read reviews on most every welding machine being produced I think. They are all mixed. Some live by the machine and some cuss it like a bill collector. These are the machines I'm thinking of....Thermal Arc. Everlast. Eastwood. And Longevity. How do they rank? They all seem to have the same reviews everywhere. Is it a toss up? Like an ennie mennie miny moe deal? Any experience with them? Any good machines I'm missing? All the videos I've watched are typically the same. "It looks nice." "It welds great." Or "It feels cheap." "Too light and plastic-y." I have nowhere to test any of these machines so I need yalls help and experience. Please talk me into something. Thanks for reading!
Reply:I would get a thermal arc 252i and the spoolgun if u want to do aluminum...  that's about $2200 without the spoolgun.    Longevity you get 5 yr warranty and the 2 machines I have used from them work well.  A good deal for the money.    The 200s or 200mts are good values as is the 181 or 211I from thermal arc.   It all comes down to your budget and als do u want AC tig for aluminum?Last edited by soutthpaw; 01-30-2013 at 11:04 PM.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:My vote goes to Thermal Arc. Can't speak on the new 186, but the older 185s weld amazing and it's fully featured with a long proven track record and costs less than a Dynasty. I have an older DC only LT-300 that I use every day that has been in production use for close to 15 years and I never have a problem with it. Haven't used the others you mentioned so I suppose my opinion is biased but just I love my T/A Also look for good deals on used red and blues, they aren't know to disappoint. Do lots of research and find the company and machine that best suits your needs and budget. It's easy to recommend a Dynasty or similar to someone when they aren't the one shelling out the cash for it.Panel on my T/A LT just for fun:Good Luck let us know what you decide on.-Rob
Reply:A used Syncrowave 200 would meet all your requirements, I believe, including pulse.  More below.RichardIf 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 $1000 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 TIG you can weld any thin metal, 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.I am not a big fan of the Miller Diversion because it 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).   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.)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 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 Dynasty 200DX with torch, regulator, foot pedal, etc., retails for $4680.   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.  The 250 is just more welder than most folks need, unless you need to TIG 1/4 inch thick aluminum.Sculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge