Dynasty 200 DX length of service.

[Don52]

I have had my Dynasty 200 DX since 2008, so it is a pre Blue Lighting version. I won't win the high mileage award because I only use it on weekends every week or two. Not every day. I did want to share my experience because it might help someone else.

Are you guys being quite fair to the OP? It seems to me there used to be a number of users that were having real problems, that a lot of units had to be returned.or repaired after very little use. My neighbor was one.

When I got my welder the high frequency for starting the arc was weak. Sometimes I had to rub the tip of the Tungsten to get it to start. Then one day after I had the welder for two years the HF quit entirely. I brought in in for warentee service and they replaced the HF card. The HF has been great ever since. The arc will jump 1/2". Last winter I started getting strange problems. Between one aluminum weld and the next I got an error message that said that there was a problem with the foot pedal. I turned the machine off and disconnected the connector to the pedal. Then I turned it back on and it was ok. I turned the machine off and re-connected the connector to the pedal. I turned it back on and it was fine for awhile. Then it happened again. I removed the cover for the welder. It was very clean, but I took it outside anyway and blew it out with compressed air. While I had it apart I checked the connectors as Cruiser recommended, but they were all tight. I put the cover back on and it has been fine ever since. I probably have ~100 hours on it without any problems since then. I love my welder, but it did have these two problems.

[jmpgino]

My question was akin to asking who had the most miles on a truck with a Diesel engine. As simple as that, did not expect a Donald Trump to be............

[H80N]

old jupiter

was not hammering on you... any model from any maker will have some failures... and those are the issues & loud squawks you will hear about..
. the success stories will soldier on silently .... from what I have heard and my experience with the Dynasty 200DX model.. old and new... they are one of the more robust and reliable designs...
Unlike the Dynasty 300DX whose design and introduction predates it ... and has gained reputation of being hard to service if it fails.... do not know the details.. percentages..(.Cruizer might comment on that..).... and then there are a bunch of 300DX units that have served admirably without a hiccup for the last 15 years.... go figure...(ask "Portable Welder" he loves his)

On "Industrial & Heavy Duty"...................
seems that every time we hear some variation of the OP's question.... there is the assumption that the equipment should withstand abuse like steam locomotive... or at last an "SA-200"..... While designed for heavy and continuous use... they are a precision instrument..and do benefit from less harsh environment...

Pre "Blue Lightning"..... they do have some arc start quirks... in my experience they perform fine....
IF you maintain a clean sharp tungsten...... touch it to the workpiece and withdraw before hitting the pedal
and in some cases ... increase the "Start Amperage"... (lots of threads on this)

[old jupiter]

The "Blue Lightning" enhancement was developed to make arc starting easier... and has nothing to do with reliability]

Yes, I do understand that. I mentioned it because in my memory it was about the time that the Blue Lightning version came out that I stopped seeing as much discussion here of owners having problems with the Dynasty 200. And yes, I do understand that any machine can have problems, also that some percentage of complainers either don't read or understand the manual or are otherwise creating their own problems, and finally that some these guys' problems were with arc starting, not any machine unreliability. But given all that, I still recall there having been what seemed like a lot of questions about whether the Dynasty 200 was reliable. I'm not inclined to do all the Searching necessary to "prove" that my memory on this is at least partly right. But I looked a little bit and found a post that would indicate the tone then:

Big D replied to 200dx
in Welding Discussions

12-23-2008, 07:13 AM
{C} I have been reading this board for several years and the HF problems on the 200DX and been mentioned many times. At one time Miller even admitted there was a run of 200dx's that had defective HF boards. However I wonder if there was more to it than bad boards, maybe more like poor design? What make...
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Last edited by Big D; 12-23-2008, 07:17 AM.


And again, you know more about the machine than I do (I'd be delighted to own a Dynasty 200, and would get one, but I have enough TIG equipment to do what little of that work I get). I was NOT and am NOT arguing about the merits of the machine, H80N. I have always appreciated the experience and intelligence you bring to any of these discussions, and wish I knew as much as you do. My whole point (and I probably should have just minded my own business, LOL) was that if the OP had had gotten the same impressions that I did, that would explain his doubts and questions. Whatever, you all have surely given him what he needs to know by this point.

[ryanjones2150]

I believe it. I supposed when I finally pop for something big and expensive I'll post up on here for some advice about maintaining the stuff properly. I'd say that most people don't consider opening their machines up and tightening bolts and nuts on the guts of their welders.

[H80N]

Is this sort of PM stuff readily available from some source other than asking on this forum?

I just take CRUIZER's word for it....

He has been on the money with his advice for the last eleven+ years

......

[ryanjones2150]

Is this sort of PM stuff readily available from some source other than asking on this forum?

[H80N]

Here are some of "CRUIZER's comments on PM from some older threads...

worth reading... he has lots of experience and an excellent track record on this stuff

There are quirks with all machines. The millers require basic maintenance yearly, ya don't and yes there are problems. I make rental firms open new units up , inspect and tighten the backs of the output studs. Red loctite is added so they don't come loose. And yearly to tighten all connectors, and mod screws as they always heat loosen.

also there is a problem with the plastic strain reliefs on the backs of the machines, as they overly squish the primary's together. This causes electrical noise. And ends up taking out the machines over time. I replace them with a standard. Sleeved version.

KInda buying a car, never changing the oil, then wondering why it broke down...

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...ers-fail-often

Means it's time to remove that cover and tighten up some stuff, Tighten down the mods, they will be plastic covered devices with 2 philips head screws, want to tighten them down, torque will be something like 14 inch /lbs or reasonably hand tight, also tighten down the rear brass nuts on the output studs. Might want to use some red locktite on those. Make sure the 2 boards ontop of the main parent board are seated nicely in the connectors.

This is kinda a preventative maint issue, before something really bad happens.

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...200-dx-problem

[fabricator]

I would consider anything that is 3 phase industrial worthy. My 200 Dx is about 8 yrs old ( pre blue lighting ) high freq starting is about shot and fan motor is not not comming on when needed sometimes causing machine to overheat and shut off. Thinking of getting a 280 model,only thing I dont like is no 115 capability.

[H80N]

FWIW....The Dynasty 200 has evolved though 29 generations since introduction in 2002 with incremental improvements added during its entire life...and has been a reliable design from introduction...

If I recall some of CRUIZER's comments correctly... the Dyn 200 was one of the more trouble free designs... given some PM to make sure that the boards, lugs and connectors are retightened periodically..
(there are a few threads on it)

The "Blue Lightning" enhancement was developed to make arc starting easier... and has nothing to do with reliability

https://www.millerwelds.com/support/manuals-and-parts

[old jupiter]

Are you guys being quite fair to the OP? It seems to me there used to be a number of users that were having real problems, that a lot of units had to be returned.or repaired after very little use. My neighbor was one.

"jmpgino," I believe, subject to correction here, that the early Dynasty 200s had some problems, but that these were completely addressed and that this model was further improved when a 2nd generation version (having the "Blue Lightning" feature) came out. And I'm guessing, as the answers here indicate, that the great majority of owners of the first-generation machines had no problems (my neighbor has had no problems with the exchange-replacement unit he received).. If you are buying an older used unit which had no problems early-on, maybe it has proven itself good, and the fact that it's out of warranty might be no more worry to you than it would be for any other machine.

Is this about right? If so, it seems that somebody who knows the history of the machine might have explained this to the OP, better than I have done. If my comments are wrong, I'm happy to be set straight.

[OscarJr]

What defines "Heavy Duty" in your mind..??

They are an extremely capable precision instrument that can be run day and night for years

if you are looking for something that you can throw round and abuse..like a hunk of cordwood??... ... maybe you are looking for a Lincoln TOMBSTONE....

and with what it cannot do....

He only asked about hours and arc-strikes, so I'm pretty sure he isn't talking about "throwing it into the bed of the pickup truck at the end of the day", but rather, sheer usage.

[H80N]

They were advertised as industrial on the Miller website, so designed for heavy duty use one would think.

What defines "Heavy Duty" in your mind..??

They are an extremely capable precision instrument that can be run day and night for years

if you are looking for something that you can throw round and abuse..like a hunk of cordwood??... ... maybe you are looking for a Lincoln TOMBSTONE....

and with what it cannot do....

[jmpgino]

They were advertised as industrial on the Miller website, so designed for heavy duty use one would think.

[H80N]

Hi jmpgino,

Can't offer any info on a DX 200 but I have a Dynasty 350.
Bought it Jan 2008 - LH480241L - 907204.

Just looked at the statistics:

328 hours 51 minutes arc time
123,795 arc starts.

Pre-Blue-lightning version

By the way, just ordered a Dynasty 210DX last Friday from
PRAXAIR US EAST
1013 CONSHOHOCKEN RD
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA 19428-1001
610-825-5991
[email protected]

I need the 120 VAC ability for some jobs where I can't use the Dynasty 350.

My Dyn 350 is also Pre-Blue-lightning.LH210808L (NOV-08). but never had an arc start problem....
I sure LOVE my Dynastys.... worth every penny..

here is a thread on BL serials

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...nasty-serial-s