Is A Dynasty 200 enough machine?

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I have a Synchro 250 that I'm thinking of parting with sheerly because of it's size.  I would love a Dynasty 200.  I started looking at the duty cycle ratings and was a little shocked to see that it only had a 20% rating at 200A.   My machine has a 60% at that amperage.  Does the variable frequency on the Dynasty allow you to weld thicker Aluminum at a lower amperage because of how tightly it focuses the arc?  Will this machine suffice for occasional 1/4" aluminum projects, or will that become spool gun material?TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:You are not exactly comparing apples to apples here with this. A better match would be to compare your Syncro 250 ( 310 max amps) to say the older Dynasty 300 (300 max amps). The Dynasty 300 is rated at 40% @ 250 amps, pretty much the same as the Syncro 250.The Dynasty 200 wasn't designed as a "Shop" machine, but rather as a very small portable AC/DC tig for field work. Yes it will easily fill the roll of a shop machine for a small shop, but for all day long work, thats where the Dynasty 350 fits in.If you want to compare machines to the Dynasty 200, the Syncro 200 would be a better match up.As far as welding thicker alum say to 1/4", yes the Dynasty 200 will do that. The ability to adjust the hertz will allow you to tighten the arc and run slightly heavier material than the base amperage might lead you to believe. 1/4" would be about the max most likely under real world conditions. Keep in mind at those amps you will have to have a water cooled torch if you run it for any length of time. You can do max amps with an aircooled torch, but the duty cycle on the standard 17 series torch will significantly reduce your weld time.The real question is if that portability justifies the 2x the cost, over say a Syncro 200 new, or what you can probably sell your Syncro 250 for used. For me when I bought my Syncro 200, to learn alum tig, I simply couldn't justify that extra $2K roughly for a new Dynasty. The portability didn't make that much difference as it was going to be primarily a shop machine anyways. The additional features and slight gain in thickness over what I could do with the Syncro 200 again simply didn't justify the added cost.Now if I used the machine to make an income, that would be a different story. If I was going to concentrate on the small job alum tig market in general ( as opposed to production work). I'd have dropped the money on the Dynasty 200 and not even looked back. The ability to not have to turn down mobile alum jobs would have greatly offset the additional costs in just a few jobs. I wouldn't loose anything at the shop level, but would have a slight gain on the Syncro 200 ( not that that would be a huge advantage).Now if I was to do production alum tig, the answer changes again. Here your Syncro 250, with the extra 200 amps on the top end and the significantly higher duty cycle at 200 amps, would definitely be an advantage. The only down side of the Syncro 250 (assuming you had a newer unit with pulse) would be the higher cost of electric. Even if your Syncro 250 didn't have pulse, and the Dynasty does, I wouldn't see that as a huge reason to have the Dynasty 200 unless you did a ton of very thin alum or some specialized operations.  You'd have to weigh whether the lower cost of your used Syncro 250 would offset the added cost of the electric over the length of time you planned on keeping it. It would take a good bit of time to offset say $2000 in electric for the average small shop. In a full factory production setting however, that savings would start adding up much faster. The Dynasty 350 would be the better choice over all for the production setting..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:Originally Posted by DSWYou can do max amps with an aircooled torch, but the duty cycle on the standard 17 series torch will significantly reduce your weld time.The only down side of the Syncro 250 (assuming you had a newer unit with pulse) would be the higher cost of electric. Even if your Syncro 250 didn't have pulse, and the Dynasty does, I wouldn't see that as a huge reason to have the Dynasty 200 unless you did a ton of very thin alum or some specialized operations.
Reply:DSW, those kind of replies are why I read this forum. Great post.
Reply:Rlitman, yeah looking back on those two sections, they don't read exactly like I wanted.My point was that with the 17 series torch (usually what people go with,) the torch gets hot super fast trying to do 150 let alone 200 amps. A WC torch almost becomes a requirement. That defeats the portability of the machine to some degree and increases the cost.Yeah I wasn't thinking about the 200SD when I wrote that. Many of the Syncro 250's I see don't have pulse, but the majority of Dynasty 200's I see are generally the DX models and do. I agree I don't see much use for the pulse feature myself. I do understand the the high speed pulsing thats available on the Dynasty's can be quite benificial when doing alum. I'm hoping I can sneek into to the weld shop at the other tech school and play a bit with those functions on their Dynasty 350's.Edit: I also note that I saidHere your Syncro 250, with the extra 200 amps on the top end and the significantly higher duty cycle at 200 amps, would definitely be an advantage
Reply:good point by DSW on the electricity, I have read about whole shops that have switched from transformer to Inverter machines and the electric bill savings has paid for a machine a month.  If you need to be portable its a no-brainer.  if not then its comes down to disposable income.  Doesn't seem like you are doing stuff that really needs the extra features of the Dynasty.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:Don't knock/downplay the high speed pulsing capability (for SS not Al) and frequency adjustment of the Dynasty til you know how to use them.Comparing a Sync 250 to a Dynasty 200 (as mentioned) is like comparing apples to oranges.  They both have their strong suits.  The Dynasty does things the Sync won't do, but the Sync has the ba11s that the Dynasty lacks.I'd only recommend changing from a Sync 250 to a Dynasty 200, if you have a need for portable work or you feel that you've "advanced" in your tig welding to the point where you "just have to have" the advanced features.As a hobbiest and looking at your sig, I'd say you'd be better off putting any "spare change" into upgrading your mig capability.PS:  If you're "advanced enough" in your tig welding that you "need" the advanced features of the Dynasty, then you'd be able to read the specs on the two machines and make your own decision without having to ask an internet forum what you should do.  That forum will provide input (as seen) from a bunch of guys who don't even know/understand what those advanced features provide.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Sundown I'm not sure if that last comment was directed at me or not. No matter one way or the other. I wasn't knocking the pulse all together. I was just commenting that for the average user I've dealt with, I haven't seen the big deal. Learn to do the basics first, then learn all the bells and whistles. I know there are advantages, just not exactly what they are and how and when to apply them yet.I've been lucky enough to have gotten some good learning under my belt with the "basic" machines. I wished when I had the opportunity to use the Dynasty 350's I had someone who understood the advantages of those extras and could explain just how to manipulate them to extend the performance on the machine. The down side would have been I didn't have enough of the basics down at that time to have really understood them and probably wouldn't have been able to absorb that information in a usable manor. Now, none of the people I know have any knowledge of how to use those functions on those machines.I read your posts on the more advanced techniques like bump welding alum and your experiences with the dynasty's, looking for the info that will help me understand some of these areas and move to that next level if and when the opportunity presents itself to be able to "test drive" one of the better machines. In the mean time I'll keep working on trying to do thinner and thinner alum with what I have, to keep sharpening my current skill set..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:Originally Posted by SundownIIIPS:  If you're "advanced enough" in your tig welding that you "need" the advanced features of the Dynasty, then you'd be able to read the specs on the two machines and make your own decision without having to ask an internet forum what you should do.  That forum will provide input (as seen) from a bunch of guys who don't even know/understand what those advanced features provide.
Reply:DSW/Drf,Comment wasn't intended to be a jab at anyone, however, as seems to be the case here all too often, we have posters making comments based solely on "what they read on the internet" rather than based on their own experience.To make the comment that the Dynasty 200 is not a "shop machine" is BS.  Within it's "operating range", it is one of the finest machines out there.  If I was doing thin SS production work, I would take a Dynasty 200 over a Sync 250 any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  The Dynasty is a "Industrial Machine".  It just does not have the brute power the Sync 250 has.Comments about "power consumption" for a hobby/small shop welder are BS.  Granted, if you were working in a production environment, running a lot of amps, 8hrs a day, 5 days a week, you'd see a difference in consumption.  For the aveage guy, the consumption difference is "in the noise level".  It would take years to make up the difference in cost.I too am an old transformer guy.  I've owned Sync's since 1977.  My current Sync 250 (a 2007 model) has the optional pulser.  I can tell you straightout, that the pulser on a transformer machine is NOTHING LIKE the high speed pulsing capability of a Dynasty.  Where this capability really shines is on thinner SS, not on thinner AL as previously mentioned.If you notice, I bought my Dynasty 200 DX to "supplement" not replace the Sync 250.  In the shop it's setup with a Coolmate 3 and a WP20 torch.  For mobile work I take a 25' 9 Series torch, a 125 of argon, and extension cords.  I've been able to do several "off site" SS repairs with the Dynasty that I couldn't have done with just the Sync.  Even for handrails in the yard, it makes life a lot easier than loading a Sync 250 on a pallet and moving it to the boat with a fork lift.With that said, the Dynasty doesn't have the balls (Amps/Duty Cycle) for much of the aluminum work that I do.  That's why the Sync is still a fixture in the shop.If you didn't have a Sync 250, then I'd probably say that, for the average guy, a Dynasty 200 DX is probably a better choice for him rather than a Sync 250.  I don't even mention a Sync 200, because it can't hold a candle to either of those units.  In fact, I consider the Dynasty 200 a much better "production welder" than a Sync 200.Since you already have a Sync 250, you're ahead of the game.  Learn to use the machine well.  I welded for many years with transformers and never really "missed" the advanced features.  In fact, none of my previous Syncs had pulse capability.  That was the main reason I upgraded from my Sync, not because the machine had given me trouble.The frequency adjustment capability of the Dynasty 200 will allow it to do things the Sync 200 cannot do.  Yes, it will do 1/4" aluminum, but if you plan on a steady diet of this material, your Sync 250 is a better option.  The Dynasty just doesn't have the amps/duty cycle that the Sync 250 has.  The Dynasty 200 also has an "extended" balance range over that of the Sync's.  The "advanced waveforms" of the Dynasty are really only useful to welders doing specialized work.  I use the "soft squarewave" (like the Sync) 90% of the time.Bottom line.  When you "need" the advanced features of the Dynasty, you'll know it.  You won't have to ask an internet board.  Many newer tig welder's think they need all the "bells and whistles" to produce high quality welds.  Wrong.  What they need is more practice.  It's not the machine producing the beads, it's the guy holding the torch.In fact, I think many new tig welders are "held back" by trying to figure out all the "advanced features" rather than focusing on the basics.  Spend the money on argon and filler material and you'll be ahead of the game.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Looking at this thread, I thought I would jump in to see if I can get someone to tell me I am looking at things all wrong.I am looking to buy a Dynasty 200 as a hobby machine.  I have not been looking at the Syncrowaves for two reasons.First, I only have access to 30 amps at 220 right now in my detatched garage.  Looking at the price of 100 feet of 4ga to feed a Syncrowave, takes some of the edge off of the price of the Dynasty.Second that garage only has so much space.  A Syncrowave has a larger footprint, and I can't put it on a shelf when I'm not using it.As far as the difference between the DX and the SD, it looks to me like the pulse option and the sequencer cost $91 right now.  That is 3% more than the cost of the bare SD (it's even less when you look at the prices of the kits with torches and pedals).  I'd hate to look back in a few years and say, "I spent $3600 dollars getting set up to weld, why didn't I spend the extra $100?"
Reply:Buy the DX and don't look back.  You won't regret it.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by kbmeierLooking at this thread, I thought I would jump in to see if I can get someone to tell me I am looking at things all wrong.I am looking to buy a Dynasty 200 as a hobby machine.  I have not been looking at the Syncrowaves for two reasons.First, I only have access to 30 amps at 220 right now in my detatched garage.  Looking at the price of 100 feet of 4ga to feed a Syncrowave, takes some of the edge off of the price of the Dynasty.Second that garage only has so much space.  A Syncrowave has a larger footprint, and I can't put it on a shelf when I'm not using it.As far as the difference between the DX and the SD, it looks to me like the pulse option and the sequencer cost $91 right now.  That is 3% more than the cost of the bare SD (it's even less when you look at the prices of the kits with torches and pedals).  I'd hate to look back in a few years and say, "I spent $3600 dollars getting set up to weld, why didn't I spend the extra $100?"
Reply:There are good reasons that the Dynasty 200DX is popular among hobbyists.  As Sundown so well pointed out, that doesn't make it any less of a shop machine.I went with a Dynasty for similar reasons:lower power draw, not for energy savings, but so I could have a smaller breakerthe Syncrowave was just to heavy for me to deal withthe ability to run on 110V as needed, and still have enough power to get stuff done was a big plus.Looking back, I still have no regrets that I went with the DX over the SD.  The difference in what used versions are selling for is much greater than the new (i.e. the SD loses more value, faster).Anyway, for me, the enhanced frequency and balance controls are more important, than the longer duty cycle of the Syncrowave.  That's not the case for everyone else.
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIIIDSW/Drf,Comments about "power consumption" for a hobby/small shop welder are BS.  Granted, if you were working in a production environment, running a lot of amps, 8hrs a day, 5 days a week, you'd see a difference in consumption.  For the aveage guy, the consumption difference is "in the noise level".  It would take years to make up the difference in cost.
Reply:LOL,I spend "a lot" more on gas than I do on electricity to power my welders.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:It's pretty easy to find the limits of the 200. I find myself balancing to 75% neg and dialing up the freq to weld on thicker AL parts. I suppose I could pre-heat, but I'm lazy.I've used a lot of power sources and none of them have the clean stable arc like the Dynasty. I like welding thin AL, so I need the low end, but would really like the top end of the 350.
Reply:DRF255, the misnomer of the adjustable frequency is that the higher frequency actually HURTS performance on thicker aluminum. After several years of monkeying around with the various settings, I can dependably run 1/4" aluminum with my Invertec 205 (The red version of the Dynasty 200). Cleaning/ balance at about 75. Freq. about......75 also. You can run up to say 90, but in reality, the high freq. concentrates the heat into a small spot. Aluminum needs the heat to spread. You will make cute little puddles, but the real penetration is simply not there.Remember, for a structural weld, the weld bead thickness/ cross section is to be the equivalent of the thinnest material. Also, the penetration is to be the equivalent of that same thickness down into the 2 materials being welded. The arc set to 125+ simply does not create a puddle with sufficient volume of heat and width of puddle to produce that kind of penetration. It doesn't. I have run the shiat out of my machine trying to make it happen, and the result from destructive tests are always a losing proposition.Another BIG problem never addressed by people is the cracking around the weld beads when the material cools. THIS is the primary reason that the older machines were set at 65hz. It was a compromise freq. that delivered a good penetrating weld, and at the same time heated the surrounding areas so the cooling of the base material would not happen so much faster as to cause cracking with the welds. I have welded engine bracket parts with my welder up to 1/2" alum. I have welded large sections of 3/8" with 2 pass welds, with preheat to about 400 degrees. I run a water cooled torch; I fried 2 air cooled units. The small welder, I do not regret it one bit. And in reality, you will not ever run into the duty cycle. I have welded wild for several hours, and not tripped the limit once. Torch too hot to touch, burned arms and fingers........ welder fan is on, humming away and I was cooked. But the machine never conked out on me for the duty cycle.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:lol @ 65 hz.  they are 50 hz or 60 hz depending on your power grid.miller syncrowave 250hobart handler 140home made 400 amp engine driven in progress...
Reply:Originally Posted by jdchmiellol @ 65 hz.  they are 50 hz or 60 hz depending on your power grid.
Reply:yes, inverters  are just switching power supplies with an output that is controlled by a signal generator... The input power frequency has nothing to do with the output.. like an audio amplifier.  The transformer machines have the same frequency as their input. 60 hz north america, 50 hz other parts of the world.  The shape of the ouput can be changed, it can be rectified with diodes and filtered with inductors and capacitors to be a DC output, but when it is in AC mode, the frequency is always the same as the input.miller syncrowave 250hobart handler 140home made 400 amp engine driven in progress...