New Welder needed

[CelticRam]

I have been using a Millermatic 185 for the last 4 years and have built a couple of trailers and made many mods to trucks and motorcycles.
I seems that most of the work I want to do is with motorcycles. Brackets, frames and other smaller parts. If I was able to weld stainless and alum I would have even more work I could do. So I am lookng at a Tig machine. A Maxstar 150 or 200 and leaning to the 200. But not sure on which 200 DX, LX or SD and I tend to over do most anything I buy or do when it comes to Bikes and tools.
So the real question is which machine and what accessories should I be looking at. It looks like the 200 comes with no torch control or ground cable? And Yes I will be teaching myself how to Tig as that I have never used a Tig machine at all.

Thanks for the help

[ASKANDY]

If you want to do Alum, the Maxstar is NOT your machine. It is a DC only machine and you need the AC to do Aluminum. Try a Dynasty 200SD or a DX if you need a pulser. The Syncrowave 180SD is a nice beginner machine with all the accessories included!

Andy

[CelticRam]

Andy
Thanks I have spent most of the day reading up on Tig welding and had just come to understand that I would be needing DC and AC for Alum. I also found a great deal of good info on the Hobart site and am still trying to decide on which unit I need.

[PISTOL8]

TIG READING

CelticRam'
Miller has a great tig book I have a copy but can't find the part number on it anywhere. Andy may know and its a realy good book its title is just Gas Tungsten Arc Welding they have other good books too! pistol8

[HAWK]

CelticRam,

I vote for the Dynasty 200. Mine is the DX with all the pulse options and is only 100.00 or so more than the standard machine. I love the way it welds steel or aluminum. It draws very little current on 230V single phase making it an ideal machine for a residential shop running off a 30 amp circuit. At less than 45 lbs it is easily moveable in the shop or on the road. As Andy mentioned many posts ago, the 100-500 single or three phase operating voltage is huge plus! It will drain you bank account, but as always you get what you pay for. The Sync 180 is also a nice machine and comes with all the goodies to get you started. If you want to go overboard and grow into the machine, then the Dynasty 200DX is it!

As for the accessories: work lead, amptrol, guages and regulator, tig torch, etc.- Miller offers a couple of different contractor kits containing all these in a nice hard plastic case. One kit includes all with a finger control and the other kit includes all with a heavy duty foot control. I prefer the foot control, but my neighbor uses the rotary finger control. They even include the proper torch dinse connector for the torch to the machine connection.

[CelticRam]

Hawk, Pistol8 and Andy
Thanks for the replies.
Sorry it has taken so long to get back to this post. I live in Virginia Beach VA and have been without power for the last few days.
It looks like I will be going with teh Dynasty 200 DX. The Thermal Arc 185 TSW sounds good but I have more trust in the Miller product. Have you folks ever delt with B&R Welder Repair Service out of White Plains MD? It looks like I will need the Contractor kit 195 055 and an Optrel Satellite helmet and the Miller student kit. Boy it sure adds up fast.

[HAWK]

CelticRam,

There is an article on the Pro-Wave 185TSW on page 47 of the July 03 issue of the AWS Welding Journal. It sounds good, but I own a Dynasty and looked at the Thermal Arc machine. For starters it costs less-YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. The amperage range is 5-185 and its in a plastic case. If it's anything like their other machines I've tried, then you probably won't be happy. The accessories for this machine are light duty by comparison to the Miller equipment.

The 195 055 is the kit I mentioned earlier that has the hand control remote. I have and prefer the 195 054 with the heavy duty foot pedal remote control. Try to demo both and talk with some folks who tig 8 hours a day before deciding on which remote-just my opinion.

The Optrel Satellite is a first class helmet. I am looking at ordering one myself. You were right when you mentioned going first class on tools and bikes! Nothing wrong with that.

As for B & R I have no experience. For comparison the 200DX runs just under 2300.00. I think the 195 054 runs under 500.00.

Have fun! You will love this machine. It is totally awesome!!!

Good Luck

[bluepower]

celticram

What type of trailers you build.Details.

Thanks!

[CelticRam]

Hawk
Thanks Nationalwelders is our local dealer and when I was looking for the Mig welder there were no demos for such small units. That and there prices were all at list and that looks to be 2800.00 for the DX. And I hate to take up a local vendors time if I know I will not be buying from them.
But as you say I do not think I will be sorry with the Dynasty 200 DX. I just have to find the best place to order it from.

[CelticRam]

Bluepower

The 3 I have made have all been for motorcycles.

[bluepower]

3 rail?I made one too it's for dirtbikes tho.

[HAWK]

Originally posted by CelticRam
Hawk
Thanks Nationalwelders is our local dealer and when I was looking for the Mig welder there were no demos for such small units. That and there prices were all at list and that looks to be 2800.00 for the DX. And I hate to take up a local vendors time if I know I will not be buying from them.
But as you say I do not think I will be sorry with the Dynasty 200 DX. I just have to find the best place to order it from.

I guess it's different depending on location. I buy pretty much exclusively from National Welders. In their defense we have been friends a long time and I buy a lot of equipment from them. Even so your local store should budge off the list price. Check with Air Gas Mid America. If you cannot find a good deal, then email me and I'll hook you up.

[CelticRam]

Thanks Hawk
It has been almsot 4 years since I bought a welder so I will go talk to them again. I admit I did not really enjoy the last try and ended up buying over the internet from a place in TX but they seem to have gone out of business. The best price I have found so far is from B&R in MD. The Dynasty 200 DX is $2260 contractor kit is $475 and the Satellite is $250 Depening on where you look on there site.

http://www.brwelder.com/indexTemplate.cfm

[CelticRam]

Bluepower
2 of them have been but for this use you can really only fit 2 bikes on a one time. The third rail is used only if a single bike is to be hauled.

[HAWK]

CelticRam,

Those are good numbers. That is the way National Welders treats me here in Knoxville, TN. I cannot do any better than what you just posted from B & R. I am going to check out their site.

Thanks