TIG time
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Senior User
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From: north central illinois
TIG time
well it's time to buy a TIG welder and looking for some input. I am looking at 3 different welders. One is the Lincoln Precision Tig 275, the other is the Miller Synchrowave 250 and the third is the Miller Dynasty 300DX. Basically looking to be welding crome moly tubing for roll cages and chassis, aluminum, cast, and mild steel. all input is welcome
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From: Bossier City, LA
Miller Syncrowave 250, period, paragraph.
Inverters are great performers as long as they are performing, when you have to fix one, its quite spendy, lots of circuit boards, ect.ect. hard to beat a plain transformer for durability.
Lincoln does not use the same wave form technology that the Miller syncrowave uses. Simply, it is not a bad machine, it just doesn't weld as good. Especially noticable on aluminum.
Ryan
Inverters are great performers as long as they are performing, when you have to fix one, its quite spendy, lots of circuit boards, ect.ect. hard to beat a plain transformer for durability.
Lincoln does not use the same wave form technology that the Miller syncrowave uses. Simply, it is not a bad machine, it just doesn't weld as good. Especially noticable on aluminum.
Ryan
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From: "Islander"
Aluminum eats amps, a 250 Synchrowave might be at its limit if your welding thick aluminum. Miller and only Miller after having many brands, JMO. Look into finding a used 350 Synchrowave with pulser (890 pounds) unless you buy new. Good welding.
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Bossier City, LA
Preheat my brother, preheat. Have yet to find any aluminum my 250 won't weld, as it is rated at 310 amps AC. (HD transmission cases are pretty thick and dense, {heat dissapation}) Not much duty cycle at 310, but you don't really weld aluminum that continious, nor do you need to once you get the heat in it and puddling good, if you did, get a cobramatic or a xr-a using a CV machine. (mig powersource) If he were strickly doing DC tig, well thats a pickem, many machines do this well. I still prefer Miller over any other brand of welder, and beer come to think of it. Maybe there is a connection there, me being from WI, and that is where they are both made. 
Ryan
Ryan
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From: north central illinois
Thanks guys i am going to go with the miller syncrowave 250 DX with the water cooled torch. It seems to be alot better machine. Alittle more than i wanted to spend but i will only be buying it once. thanks again. i' sure there will be more questions coming later.
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From: Bossier City, LA
I am glad you were able to make a decision. You will not be dissapointed in the Syncrowave 250 at all. Of all the areas to try to get by cheaper in the shop or garage, a welder is not one of them. BTW I made my own radiator system, as a way for a good project, and to save some money to put into consumables and the like. If you want to build one, let me know I built mine for less than $200. Miller wanted $700.
Ryan
Ryan
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From: north central illinois
thanks guys even though this is going to hurt the pocket book it will be a good investment for years to come. the new syncrowaves have a new integrated cooler that is inside the machine and is an on demand cooler that kicks in when the torch strikes and arc. the rep told me that they have made a bunch of improvments, now i have no clue is he's blowing smoke or telling the truth. but i can't wait to try her out in about a week, hopefully.
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Postmaster
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From: Bossier City, LA
Ahh, good point Beemer, yes 30-06 you should wire a 100 amp breaker with a dedicated circuit just for this machine. However that being said, I ran mine on a 60 amp and never had a problem. My new house will have a 100 amp just for the machine, as I was informed that lower amperage can cause some weld "tuneability" problems. I never noticed any, but it will be interesting to see if it welds any different after I wire it up 100 amp in my new garage.
Ryan
Ryan
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From: "Islander"
It's not the size of the breaker but the wire gauge that will cause VD (not what your girl friend gave ya) but voltage drop. Overcurrent protection not more than 200% of rated primary current, conductors protected by overcurrent at not more than 200% of the conductor rating.
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