Dynasty 200DX-FINALLY!

[Carl]

Thank you again to all who responded to my questions about the Sync 250 Vs. the DyanstyDX. The DX with contractor kit showed up last Friday, and I'm still working out all the settings. Reading the manual makes makes minimal sense, since we only use a MM200 here, and what little tig I have done was 2 years ago on an old Lincoln that was already set up by the owner for the aluminum I was doing. I've got a lot of trial and error here to do to figure this whole thing out, but the only real sticking point seems to be the hand switch I choose with the kit. I really didn't know what to expect, especially considering that I could not find any Dyansty models locally, so it was hard to judge what I should have chosen. We will be doing some upside down frame work, so I figured the hand switch would be the way to go, but even the other experienced tig guys from around the corner don't like this rotary switch control. What is everyones feeling on this? Do you eventually get used to it, or will it's operation always ache? If it was at least a toggle type pot, just a smaller foot pedal version, that seems like it would be OK, but there is just no "Feel" to this rotary encoder. It sucks that I had to spend $3000 on a machine that I bought purely on product specs, but had never even seen, but oh well. Now, as I understand it, it's "Only' $220 more to rectify my mistake in chosing, and get a foot pedal. (Anyone got a foot pedal for sale?!)
But it's not all bad, we've got the best possible welder for the things we will be doing, all I need to do now is learn how to fully utilize it!

[H80N]

Hand vs Foot

Carl
glad you got it.... will get one eventually... on the amptrol question I have both pedals and hand... (rccs-14 for hand) ... the hand control took a bit of getting used to.. since I had learned with a pedal.. and used them for many years... but boy once you get used to it... is much easier for abnormal positions like under a chassis or twisted around inside a car where you might have to prop up the pedal and work it with an elbow or your knee... for sitting at a bench or many stand up positions I prefer the pedal but the hand control sure has a valuable place in my work... you might consider keeping both as they both have their place...
hope this helps
Heiti

[DEA]

I agree
The hand control is the pits.
The cable is to stiff feels like solid copper 14-2 wire.I had and still have a hard time getting comfortable with the hand control.
However I did use the east-west(wheel)on a miller machine at a night class I was taking.It also had the stiff cable though.And liked it a lot better.I wish that I would have gotten it instead of the north-south
Doug

[HAWK]

I have the HD foot pedal and learned with a foot pedal. I picked up a RCCS-14 hand control at a "road side" sale. It was hard to catch the feel, but I really like it doing mobile work. Since it is a bummer to put one hand on the torch, one on the pedal, and try to float filler by mouth without getting the $%^& knocked out of you, the hand control is pretty handy! They both have their place. If you don't like the stiff cable on the controller, what do you think of the typical air cooled torch cable?

I finally made the plunge to a #20 water cooled torch and a cooler. It is a smaller, lighter, more flexible set up. Try it and you won't go back to an air cooled torch of any brand. It is a real plus when welding above 140 amps for extended periods too!

[DEA]

The torch cable is just as bad
I'd like to try the super flex cable by C-K.I think thats who makes them
I did pick up a #9 torch on E Bay.If I had known what I was doing I would have gotten a #20 Aren't they about the same size?
Also found a new T/A foot controller on there also. And rewired it to a Miler 14 pin connector.With the help of other board members.
Mainly one whoe didn't need the Miller con. He has a T/A

[HAWK]

DEA,

The #20 is a smaller more ergonomic torch. It is a 200 amp water cooled torch with extremely flexible leads. It comes standard with a long and medium back cap. Put 3/32" tungsten in this torch and weld anywhere you want including cylinder walls. Don't let the rating fool you. It will handle 300 amps no problem. Just run a good closed loop cooling system. The #9 is considerably longer and and bulkier.

[DEA]

Hawk
Being new to the "sport" I'm still learning these things.
I should have thought the #9 and #20 use the same consumables they would be the same size or the #9 smaller.
The #9 is smaller than the #17 that comes in the kit.I mainly bought it for when I get into tubing someday.So the 20 is smaller than the 9?
How thick of metal are you doing with your DX200? You mentioned cylinder heads or walls.
DEA

[orgalmeister]

Carl

Congrats on your new Dynasty. the hand control does take some getting used to. I use the Miller N/S hand control on my TA185 exclusively. I haven't even used the foot pedal yet. On the hand controller, I mount it upside down, hold the torch like a pencil and use my little finger for support while ramping up. It took some time to get this method to work me but well worth it.

Steve

[H80N]

DEA
for what it is worth... the torch numbers are a carryover from the old Linde/Weldcraft standards and describe a general class of torch..
so one manufacturer can build one that is larger than another one may.. for instance... I have an Italian version #9 (Arc-One TKSR9V) that is as dainty as some of the microtorches.. While some of the other manufacturers make the same class of torch with a larger handle, better heatshielding.. more robust cable assy... etc... yet both use the same consumables... but if you put them next to each other you would think that they were totally different animals...
And if you go to the difference between an aircooled and watercooled... like #9 vs #20 both use the same consumables... but the aircooled tend to be bulkier because of the extra heatsheilding that they require as opposed to the watercooled where the water does the work and can be slimmer and easier to handle....
hope this makes sense
Heiti

[HAWK]

DEA,

Here is a picture of the #20 water cooled torch. The old #9 I am thinking of has a 8" or 9" plastic handle and is hard to manipulate. There is a new #9 series that has a about a 7" body length, 2 7/16" head length with the same medium back cap as shown with the #20, is air cooled and rated at 125 amps. Is this the torch you have? I am running 1/4" wall x 2" x 2" square tube to 1/4" 3003 plate fillets with 75%helium/25%argon. It is a large surface area and takes a lot of heat (12 square feet or more of plate surface). The material puddles easily at 200 amps, 215HZ, 75% balance. I have to back off the amptrol pretty quick once I get going or it will puddle out. The machine has more to go. I am NOT preheating or thermally insulating the weldment. I will be testing some 3/8" material this weekend. I think that will the limit with this set up for a single pass weld. Using 100% argon I can do 1/4" plate butt, lap, and corner welds with a little patience. The 1/4" fillet just takes too much heat. That is where I switch to the He/Ar mix.

[H80N]

HAWK
think we are in agreement here... the #20 is my favorite all around torch and while the little Italian #9 that I have is about as small and easy to use... it is not capable of the same type of work..
they rate it at 125amps %100 duty cycle... which to put it politely is somewhat optimistic... this one goes on the little toaster inverter.. and rarely sees over 35 amps... it gets plenty warm at that... suspect if I put it on a machine that could give it 125amps for an extended period that it would melt down and kentucky fry my hand in short order....... while a #20 can go at 200amps all day no sweat....
take care
Heiti

[H80N]

on aircooled.... here is a pic of three of mine... look similar but behave differently...
from right to left

little Italian TKSR9V.. very supple and easy to use but light duty

Lincoln LA9... Heavier duty but much stiffer action (from my Squarwave Tig 175)

WP-26V... 200amp.. but clunky to use (use it on the Trailblazer 301G for mobile)


there are as many variations of these as there are people that make them... both #9 torches look about the same but are totally different in feel and useable amperage range... the big #26 was included just to show the upper range of the aircooled family.. on the whole the watercooled is a better way to go... and as I have said before.. the #20 series covers about the most useability with a good feel... at least for me..
hope this helps

Heiti

[H80N]

sorry pic did not go first time have some graphics problems will try to send after sorted

Heiti

[Carl]

Dynasty 200DX hand control

I've read up on the reply's, and I want to make sure I've got this straight. A couple of people have said the cable feels to "Stiff" for the hand control, maybe I have something different than everyone else? The cable for the control is very small and flexible, it's the rotary knob I have a problem with. I didn't know there was differences between them, as well. The one I got rotates essentially W.E., I gotta imagine that with as hard as it is to rotate this one with any kind of accuracy and feel, One that operates N.S. would have to be one of the most aggravating ways of controlling. MILLER, listen up, $3000 for this unit that has 2 hand controls that nobody is raving about, what will it take to make a hand control that is a mini version of the foot pedal, it just seems natural. So much so that I'll be looking into making one myself, wanna buy the patent from me?! As far as the reply's on the torch itself, I was skeptical at first, as it feels really rinky-dink, but a friend that used it here really liked it as well. I don't know that I'll ever need a water cooled torch, the few people I've querried about them say that I won't ever need it, so we'll see. Until i get the foot control, or work out my own hand control, This situation is like owning a Lamborgini that is sitting on 13" rims with Firestone tires. It works, but you sure can't use all the car can give!!!

[HAWK]

Carl,

The stiffness I am referring to is the torch power cable, not the amptrol cable. As far a a water cooled torch goes: Once you use one you will never go back to air cooled, even for low amperage welding. It is hard to explain ; but it has to do with the ergonomics, comfort and the ability to reduce tungsten erosion. If you spend 45 minutes or more at a session, you will really appreciate the Miller Diamond Back DB20 water cooled torch and either the Coolmate 3 or 4.