syncrowave 180 or dynasty 200dx??

[jevs]

After reading this http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ar/ar100037.htm , it seems you need at least 250 amps to do any type of aluminum work on a head or engine block. I don't think I could supply enough juice to run a syncrowave 250 in my shop and now I am concerned with the dynasty 200 even being enough power??

[jevs]

Can I weld pretty much anything automotive related with the dynasty 200? Could I weld a cracked head, motor mounts, make custom exhaust stuff, weld thick flanges, etc? Or should I just bite the mega bullet and get a Dynasty 300? Is there any downside to having a dynasty 300 verses the 200? One thing I noticed is the 300 doesn't go down quite as low as the 200. Is this an issue on very thin metals? What if I want to Weld a beer can? One thing I need to do right now is weld 2 cookie sheets together. There is also the issue of the 300 not running on 115V, but I don't see me needing portabilty.

[fun4now]

power consumtion

powe is a big deal for me thats why i dont have a 180 in my shop and i'm still saving for the dynasty. i cant give 60amps to anything in my shop 16amps is a life saver. the dynasty has several advantages over the syncrowave. no all the advancment's in the dynasty are not hipe they do make the jobe easyer and cleaner. yes the syncrowave can do the weld but the dynasty can do it smoother. if you have the funds get the dynasty and never look back.

as for sending parts, i have read many on here that have called miller with problems and miller has shipped them out what they needed to fix it. bypassing the repair shop dosent seem to be a concern with miller they just want you welding

in the last year that i have been reading this site i have only seen 3 down dynasty's all due to opperator errer.
NEVER USE PURE TUNGSTEN AND NEVER BALL IT.
this has been the cause of all 3 failures i have seen on the dynasty 200.

although called new the dynasty has been in the field for over 5 years. miller has worked out the buggs and has a solid welder ready for you

[DEA]

if you do a search on Dynasty Dx 200 or Dx 200 you'll find a a lot of info. on that.especially from Hawk.Use the advanaced search and search under titles only
I almost bought a sd 180 before I found out about the inverters.So then I started looking at the Thermal Arc 185 and the Dx200.
Since I had the funds at the time i went with the Dx200. I was and am still new to welding.Due to my work schedule I haven't had much time to spend with my DX200.One would think that you should be able to trade in your SD 180 in without a loss $$

[jevs]

Only two concerns for just going out and getting it.

Over $1100 dollars more (will it do $1100 more for me verses the 180?)

I will spend the money if it will

and....

will it break easier/break the bank in repairs after the warranty?

I wish I had some experience TIG welding, so I would know the capabilities better. I just want to make sure I don't regret the 180 purchase later, once I learn to TIG. It could be that all the hype on the dynasty 200 really isn't that big a deal when it comes right down to getting the welding done.?

Just get the Dynasty,Sounds like what you realy want to do anyway

[jevs]

If miller would supply me with parts and a schematic I can fix it myself. Not sure how Miller is on this, but I have a degree in electronics and 10+ years experience. Most companies make it so you can't repair stuff yourself though, so I get screwed like everyone else . Will Miller sell components or do you have to send it to them? Anyway, repair factor aside what should I do? Let's assume it isn't going to break down, unless the Dynasty model is known for breaking down alot?? I just have to make a decision because I am at a stand still untill I decide. I need to weld up an aluminum chip pan for my lathe also, so I can't use that either till I make this decision. Is there a method to weld on thick materials with the 180? This is a major concern, this could also be a concern on the dynasty, but at least it has a higher capacity to start with. This is suck a toss up.

Dynasty 200DX:
cost more $$
more output to weld thicker material
less power consumtion
more adjustabilty and the pulsed tig stuff
auto line stuff
lift arc thing

syncrowave 180:
cost me less money
I already have it in my garage
sucks way more juice
lower capacity
will it do what i want??

Arghhh!!

[df5152]

from all the research i have done and from this site the 200dx is hard pressed to weld 1/4 aluminum. Im not saying it cant be done but I have been using a 300dx at almost 250 amps for 1/4 aluminum with good result the miller calculator recomends even more amperage

[Mike W]

I once welded a bellhousing (repair job) with my Linde arc/ Lincoln HF box homebrew tig setup. I have a Syncrowave 250 at work. My take is that the inverters are great for lower current input but if they break, what will a typical repair cost?

[jevs]

I just bought a syncrowave 180 saturday. I did not know about the dynasty 200dx. I mainly do custom car/motorcycle work and rebuild wrecks as a hobby/supplemental income. I may need to weld aluminum that is thicker than 3/16" at times. From what I read this is capacity for the 180. The dynasty will do 1/4" which is more of my target capacity. Can I weld thicker stuff with grooving and multiple passes and preheating? I currently have a Miller Challenger 172 which I have never needed anything more for steel welding. A couple of examples of things I have needed to do lately are: 1) weld an exhaust bolt hole up on an aluminum Harley head that was reamed out and redrill and tap it (payed local shop to Tig it) 2) Weld a motor mount on a Dodge Viper Aluminum Engine block (payed a guy to come out and use his portable spoolgun setup to weld it) I am basically trying to avoid paying other people to do this kind of stuff for me. I also want to make nice clean welds on various metals. I just bought a lathe and a mill so I may get into some small fabrication. Should I stick to the 180 which is already in my garage, or try to exchange it and get the Dynasty 200 dx? I only unpacked the 180 and opened the boxes to get the manuals out. Think they will even exchange it? I want a machine to last me a long long time with no need for upgradeing. I should also say that I am no experienced TIG welder, but I am a fast learner and have lots of experience with the MIG. Another thing I read was that the dynasty draws 16 amps doing the same thing that the 180 requires 68 amps to do! Is this right? My garage has a 100 Amp service that is comeing off of my house 200 Amp service. It seems I could save some money on the electric bill with the dynasty? Any advice is appreciated. My day is now shot because I can't try my TIG welder because I may need to return it . What to do?????