first tig purchase

[dunc]

i am a hack.took a class practiced stick and mig done some small projects.own xmt 300 dc .mllermatic 180 .i have been drooling and yearning to really dig in and get in the groove .i am a general contractor and artisan with wood etc .it is something i am willing to focus on and try to get good ...question ??.. do you think a dynasty 200 dx with the bells and whistles is too much of a machine for me to get into the learning curve? or do i go to boot camp and stick in adverse conditions to hown the skill? so many variables .i know there is a vast amount of wisdom in here. .the class i took was a joke.i think the people their only took the class to use the equipment and cut fancy designs with the plasma cutter.on my own for now..help is greatly appreciated

[raferguson]

If you don't want to spend a lot of money it is hard to beat a used Syncrowave 180 or 200. They are out there, but perhaps not always easy to find. I have owned both, both are good. As far as price, I am seeing them in the 1200 to 1600 dollar range, although some people are asking almost new prices. Look around, see what you can find.

[Cgotto6]

It might be cheapest to try to get your xmt set up to tig. It will be dc only of course but it will get you going at least so you can see if you like it. If you really see yourself never giving up on it a dynasty is a great machine. The complex functions and features only add more ability to finely tune the machine in. You can practically flip a brand new unit on and start welding with factory parameters so don't be scared of it. It's just something you can grow into with practice and time.

[H80N]

i am a hack.took a class practiced stick and mig done some small projects.own xmt 300 dc .mllermatic 180 .i have been drooling and yearning to really dig in and get in the groove .i am a general contractor and artisan with wood etc .it is something i am willing to focus on and try to get good ...question ??.. do you think a dynasty 200 dx with the bells and whistles is too much of a machine for me to get into the learning curve? or do i go to boot camp and stick in adverse conditions to hown the skill? so many variables .i know there is a vast amount of wisdom in here. .the class i took was a joke.i think the people their only took the class to use the equipment and cut fancy designs with the plasma cutter.on my own for now..help is greatly appreciated

Dynasty 200DX too much machine..?? NOT AT ALL...
you can leave it at factory default settings while you are learning the basics... then start to utilize the advanced functions and waveforms as your skill level builds..

If you can afford it and really want to explore/learn the finer points of TIG welding... there is no better machine than the Dynasty...

Have had mine for several years and you could not talk me out of them..

[MinnesotaDave]

Why not buy a foot control and tig torch for your xmt 300?

[Portable Welder]

The absolute cheapest way to have a good tig welder for steel is your XMT. All you need to do is add a air cooled torch.
I dont know if your XMT has lift arc but even if it doesnt, scratch starting isnt all that bad.

If you want to do aluminum then you want to bark up a different tree.

[ja baudin]

Trust me, don't buy a bare bones tig machine to start with. If you have the cash, spring for the Dynasty. Once you learn how to use it, you will never regret it.

I started out with a Diversion 180, good machine but outgrew it very fast.

[dunc]

soo apreciated !!

when i got the xmt i wanted to tig it out but i am so green that i wasn't sure if i would get it (right) configuration? great stick welder .the mig millermatic 180 does fairly well with aluminum .have the spool gun.these are the only machines i have really worked with except for the class i took .i have a great acetylene set up . the money is not too much of an issue .i don't have anything to compare it all with..i only have the willingness to practice practice.been a dream for a long time .i play with a few other substraights but metal gives me goosebumps .i have been a bit intimidated till now .i just built and retrofitted some pallett racks .got my courage.made a decision . heard nothing but awesome with he dynasty series i was even considering the 280 or 350 .i don't think duty cycle is an issue for quite a while .i may put it to work for me $$.have a decent dedicated shop.from what i'm getting here it sounds like it will not spoil me or cause any bad perceptions regarding the finesse /patience.protocol etc.thanks soo much!!! why not drop another grand and get the 280?? any thoughts.i have a great 15k generator to take it remote.

[pat h]

xmt is a pretty decent tig machine, industry standard in construction field, if your money allows buy the best machine you can afford you wil never look back.

[dunc]

xmt 300 dc only

do i only need a 14 pin rcfs foot pedal and a torch/argon etc.to get the xmt tiging .i thought it was more involved .scoured the manual ..pops and buzzes .just am not at that conceptual level..thats where i want to be .need some real experience to get intuitive about it.i get that in a few other things i do for a living.took decades.

[H80N]

do i only need a 14 pin rcfs foot pedal and a torch/argon etc.to get the xmt tiging .i thought it was more involved .scoured the manual ..pops and buzzes .just am not at that conceptual level..thats where i want to be .need some real experience to get intuitive about it.i get that in a few other things i do for a living.took decades.

Which XMT300 do you have..?? CC/CV..?? CC..??
could you post your serial number..??
There were some variations that could make a difference...

The RFC-14 would give you current and contactor control but NO gas solenoid or HF start...

TIG would be pretty basic scratch start.. DC only... with a manual torch mounted Argon valve... for steel..

[gnforge]

first tig purchase

If money is not issue. Buy the Dynasty!! Not even a question. Hands down u will love it.
With that Michine you can weld anything even pop cans if you want to.
If money wasn't holding me back I would hv already ordered the 280
God Bless
Greg

[Don52]

I know that you were disappointed with the welding class that you took. One thing that you might consider is taking a welding course at a top notch place like Hobart Welding institute in Troy Ohio. The TIG class is a two week course and I guarantee that you will be much more comfortable with TIG after the class. It will especially help you with out of position TIG welding. They also offer an advanced one week TIG class as well.

Here is a link:

http://www.welding.org/students/entry-level/skill-training/