Dynasty 200DX vs TA185

[H80N]

GTA/SPEC
could you give us a little more info on the size & mass of these 1/2 inch billet sections?? preheat??? you have me in quite a quandry on this one...
thanks
Heiti

[HAWK]

Originally posted by GTA/SPEC
The sync 180 will handle any amount of helium in an argon mixture. I had one, when i was in highschool, six years ago. I routinly pumped 75he/25ar through it on AC, and 100he through it on DC straight. I had no problems with the arc starting or the stability. But, i also had a watercooled torch....

I was able to weld 1/2 inch and larger billit aluminum sections on AC or DC with the 2 mixes that i described above. Its not about the amperage, its about the input wattage and time.

GTA/SPEC,

Please explain the procedure you followed for the 1/2" and larger billets. I have done a number of 3/8" to 3/8" fillets on 6 inch test coupons with the Dynasty 200DX running at maximum output over a period of time without preheat or thermal insulation. These welds were difficult to achieve. The time required bordered on the machine duty cycle (not the published, but the actual amount of time before the machine starts shutting down and delivers considerably less than its maximum output).

My question is this: If 3/8" fillets are barely achievable with the 200 amp Dynasty due to machine output shutdown via thermal overload protection, then how did the 180 amp Syncrowave deliver its maximum output long enough to sufficiently overcome the thermal conductivity of the 1/2" billets? I am speaking of your use of 75% helium/25% argon mixture on AC.

I have also run pure helium on DCSP using 5/32" filler rod on 1/2" aluminum. I found a 300 amp DC machine producing maximum output was required to effectively get the job done. I ran multipasses with a 300 degreee farenheit interpass temperature.

Nowhere in your post do you state the use of preheating, multipass welds, interpass temperatures, or thermal blanketing insulation. Did you forget to include any of these factors or were they simply not part of your procedure?

Please understand I am not questioning your integrity or the welds you made. I assume from your forum name that you are a GTAW specialist. I am sincerely interested in learning to reproduce your results.

[HAWK]

Canuck,

I'd try the gas mix of your choice using your existing air cooled torch. You will know when it's too hot to handle. You will feel the heat through your gloves. Just take a break and let the torch cool. If the hotter he/ar mix and the Sync 180 perform to your liking, then check pricing on a water cooled torch.

[Canuck]

would I have to have a water cooled torch? I now that they are better and have used them but am afraid that I cannot aford one. Would a larger aircooled torch help at all? or maybe just welding for short periods of time with that hot gas?

[b2major9th]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the great information! I have about $2k to spend if I want to get the machine by summer (that is when I will have the most time to use it because my kids basketball season is over!). If I had to save for a syncrowave 250 I'd probably have to wait until next year. I will definitely check out both the t.a. 185, Dynasty 200 DX, and syncrowave 180. If I could get some demo time on one or all of the machines, that would help a lot. If they prove to be truly inadequate, then I would defer purchase until I could afford the larger machines. Unfortunately, there are no trade shows out my way in the near future; perhaps I could see if my local dealers would allow me to test a machine. Or is anyone in the southern california area?


Mike

[GTA/SPEC]

The sync 180 will handle any amount of helium in an argon mixture. I had one, when i was in highschool, six years ago. I routinly pumped 75he/25ar through it on AC, and 100he through it on DC straight. I had no problems with the arc starting or the stability. But, i also had a watercooled torch....

I was able to weld 1/2 inch and larger billit aluminum sections on AC or DC with the 2 mixes that i described above. Its not about the amperage, its about the input wattage and time.

[Canuck]

Thanks for your input Hawk. Would pre-heating critical parts and not worrying about non-critical parts be better? You see I have to some aluminum work on parts any size from 3/16 -3/8 but there was NO WAY I could have got anything bigger than the 180( as it is I already got $800 off the price and could barly afford it )

[HAWK]

b2major9th,

The TA 185 is not nearly as much machine as the Dynasty 200DX. It is not a bad machine, but as GTA/SPEC mentioned it does not have the duty cycle or top end. Also it lacks many of the programming parameters that Dynasty users take for granted. I know 1/4" with argon is doing with the Dynasty 200, but suspect the TA 185 will fall short without the use of helium/argon mixture. I also do not know how it will behave on arc starts with a helium/argon mix. Use these machines side by side and it will be night and day!

[HAWK]

Canuck,

Be careful using helium/argon with the Sync 180 SD. It does not have the capabilites of the Dynasty and may not perform well as far as arc starts and outages. You might want to test it on a 25% he/75%ar or maybe a 50/50 and see what happens. Sure your 150 air cooled torch will get hotter. Just shorten your duty cycle until you see how the machine performs before making any torch adjustments.

[Canuck]

Would you recomend a helium argon mix for 1/4AL with the syn180?
If so what would be a good upgrade from the 150 amp torch I don't really want to go the water cooled route?

[arcdawg]

i would also be coserned wit hthe torch .... if it seems to go from 200 to 300 amps with the mix it must pump more heat through the tig torch right ? plus the cost diffrence too

brian

[GTA/SPEC]

yeah, thats true. Adding helium to argon is like adding nitrous to your mommas honda. It will take your arc voltage up to 24v from 12v (depending on the mixture) and make 200 amps feel like 300. Just be careful, this will proportionally effect your duty cycle.

[bail76]

You can get an argon/helium mix for the thicker aluminum.

[arcdawg]

you should really try out the t.a. 185, its a really nice machine,
and if your not going to use it all the time i would look into a used machine.

and how much are you willing to spend ?

brian

[b2major9th]

Originally posted by arcdawg
proper joint prep is going to be key.....

why not a syncro 250 tig runner, bullet proof, and easier to run then the t.a. 185 !!

brian

Brian, I hear you there! The syncrowave 250 is a great machine, but a bit over my budget. I'm more of a hobby weldor and mainly want the aluminum capability to repair railroad collectibles. It would thus be hard to justify the added cost in terms of return on investment.

Most of the aluminum castings I see have cross sections of from 1/8 to 3/16 with the exception of some mounting flanges that may be up to 1/2 thick. So I am thinking that with proper joint preparation and preheat (and of course multiple passes for the thick stuff) a syncrowave 180 machine may suffice. And it certainly fits better within my budget constraints. Is this totally erroneous thinking or am I on the right track?

I still need to resolve the conflict between inverter machines and transformers. I tend to be pretty conservative so there is a large pull toward buying the transformer machine, but there are enough people out there on these forums that seem to swear by the inverters.

Mike