Miller inverter or transformer

when i get my xmas bonus, im buying a tig welder. i am torn between the Syncrowave 250 and the Dynasty 200 DX. I have used the 250 and it is a wonderful machine. It would be a no brainer for me except the fact that it is so massive of a machine. my garage is hurtin for space. Thats why i started looking at the Dynasty. Everyone i talk to tells me the same thing, when they break, they are expensive.

But realistically, my thinking is that miller wouldn't release a cronic problem machine so how often do you hear of these things breaking, and if they do break is it a component failure or a user failure.

your thoughts on the choice, and i am a blue guy, so please don't recommend that red thing.

Tap, tap, tap, hello, is there anybody in there? Get the Miller transformer based machine! I have both types. Inverter repair mucho dinero!

Now if you have the $$$ to keep newer machines that are always in warranty thats another matter.

I, too have one of each- a syncrowave 250, bought new in about 88, and an XMT 304 inverter, bought used as a rental return, in around 2000. It is a DC only machine, so we use it to tig stainless, mild, and copper alloys, and use the syncrowave for aluminum.

Personally, I would buy the inverter.

I have never had a problem with the inverter welder and I have been running it pretty much every day for about 4 years now.
Meanwhile, the syncrowave had a board go bad-{$500}, the main switch go bad {$75}, and needs the gaps adjusted every once in a while.

The inverter does more- for instance, I pop my wire feeder on it, and it is the sweetest wire feed welder in the shop, with good penetration, and a very good looking bead.
It will do scratch start, lift start, or regular tig.
Stick welding, also better than any other power supply in the shop.
The inverter is quieter, lighter, smaller, takes a smaller breaker, and does more kinds of welding better.
No contest, in my book.

Ries, so you have an 88' model syncro that you've had to spend $575.00 on in 17yrs (thats not much by the way). You've only had the inverter for 5yrs. If that inverter had been on 2yrs of rental duty I wonder what you would have in 17yrs. Id say either no welder or more than $575.00 in repairs. Oh well, thats what makes it all interesting I guess. Standing in the door of an independent welding repair shop and looking at a floor full of inverter based machines with maybe scratching out 1 in 5 being the older transformer based. I know where Im going. But I dont think older cars are better like some, just older welders I guess. I like those old DC generator welders too, I guess Im a lost cause.

We have 4 Synchrowave 250s at work. Salesman dropped in with a Dynasty 200 the other day since we need another TIG machine.

Yea, the Synchro's have blown probably 5 power switches in the past 7 years of more than daily use. We also had some kinda power saving conversion done as well as a fan thermoswitch installed in all of them to keep them from injesting mountains of grinding dust. I've also replaced a couple post-flow timer boards, easy fix if the gas stops working properly. Overall I'm very pleased with them. Nice smooth welds, plenty of capacity, blah blah blah.

The Dynasty was NICE!!! and is advertised at about 900 bucks less than the synchrowave. You do lose about 100 amps capacity (synchro 250 will pump up to 310 amps at max). It seemed to weld even smoother than our old machines and had a few nice stock features (pulser, volt & amp readout). The only negative I noticed was that it had a bit of a "soft-start" when the majority of our work requires a quick, sudden blast of heat to tack stainless steel. The inverter's heat came in too slow to effectively make small precise tack welds. Haven't tried the 300 amp version so we may be taxing the 200 amp one for the tack shots.

Hopefully the salesman will drag a 300 amp machine in soon.
Chris

JL- I dont think the sycnrowave repair expenses are high- I expect to pay to use tools- I am not one of those guys who expects 100 years of service with no maintenance.

And I am sure that as the inverters are much more electronic intensive, there will be repair costs down the road.

But to me, the inverter is a nicer machine that does a better job- and I, and the guys who work for me, prefer to use it, and we get more done, quicker, with it.
So I figure its worth any additional expense, which, as I said, I havent seen yet.
Part of my thinking on this is that I use my tools to make money- so I dont mind paying a bit more for something that earns its keep.

I would research that Dynasty on some of the welding forums. I was reading quite a few negative posts about the appearance of Aluminum beads being ugly compared to syncro because of the higher intencity of the AC .Problem may be solved by special tungsten and technique but before reading that I thought inverters were supposed to weld al. better because of the different freq. avaliable? I don't think 200 amps is enough as I run my synco 250 wide open quite often to weld 3/8 aluminum.This is not in a production shop but I have had it for over 10 years and never had any problems with it. Jim

Depends one what you plan to do with it. The syncro has more output amperage. Also draws a lot more amperage. I haven't tried the Dynasty although I did think about buying one. Then I found the TA185 and I'm very pleased with it.
If you plan to do heavy aluminium you would probably be better off with the syncro.

I prefer inverters myself. Light weight, compact, very nice arc.

I have a syncrowave 250 and have had no problems with it. Excellent machine, I also have a Dynasty 300DX along with a XMT304 and an plasma cutter that has an inverter power supply. I use the XMT for inhouse mobil jobs mig and stick primarily. Very versatile and the 300DX is an excellent Tig machine. There is a trend toward the invert power supplies and they do have advantages. I don't feel they are prone to failure, but they are more complex which can increase the risk of failure. I would not want to be without my inverters. It's going to have to be a personal choice to way out the pro's and con's. The learning curve will be higher on the Dynasty's due to all the settings but they can make an average welder look good. If you have a board failure on the Syncrowave it won't be cheap either, there's just fewer of them. They are all good machines. Good luck.

Advantage syncro-
more output
proven tech
impressive size
Hard to steal.

Disadvantage syncro-
No advanced squarewave
Not portable
cost more to operate (electricity)
impressive size
Has to have 220 or better

Advantage Dynasty-
Advanced squarewave
can work on 110v or higher and all sorts of input power
Portable (can also use on a engine drive like trailblazer
Cost less to operate (electricity)
Nicer aluminium welds (my opinion)

Disadvantage Dynasty-
Newer tech
less output (for money)
less impressive size
higher repair cost (maybe)
higher learning curve (more buttons)
way easier to steal!

I have a Synchro 350 which is very, very nice for what I do (Aluminum, lots and lots of aluminum).
However, I also have a Thermal Dynamics 300 GMS, which is a DC Inverter power supply, which I use for my steel work. It's light-50 lbs, and it was cheap-$30 from a salvage yard. I can't use it on Aluminum, but if I want to stick weld, I just plug the cables in and go.
If I was to choose, and was buying new, I would buy the Synchro. Heavy, and big, but I have yet to meet someone who has worn one out.

I have run an early version of the Dynasty. When they had knobs on them. I was happy with the weld perfromance despite the low Duty cycle. But in reality how often do you tig weld at Max output? If you are welding somthing that thick Mig it! Unless you are building Rockets.

The Transformer based Syncrowaves have been around a longtime & have proven to be a great machine. Like someone said above hard to steal...LOL

I have a older Miller XMT 300CC/CV inverter I bought used. It is a unbeleivably robust unit. It has lived it's life in the back of my service truck for almost ten years with only one resistor going bad. I do take the covers off & blow it out with comporessed air every year but other than that no maint.

I would buy either unit with no reservations. If you do buy the Syncrowave be sure & get the Power Factor Correction kit installed if you do not have a 100+ amp breaker. (Mine is 60amp. due for an upgrade soon.) it will use less power that way & not blow your breaker at a inopertune moment. I put one in my Esab unit & it helps.

Warren , can you explain the "power factor correction kit" a bit?

I've heard of it, but never found an explanation, etc. Is it on the Miller website somewhere?

Thanks!

Mike

Mike,
It is a bank of capacitors that hooks into the incoming power line. I am not sure how it works. But I bet someone here does.

The power correction factor was a $60 option when I bought my synchro 350 from miller.
I told the dealer that i wanted one, and presto! It was installed internally in the machine when I got it. The only way to tell is either take the covers off and look by the power inlet, or to believe what your receipt says .
Needless to say, when I set it to 295 amps for Aluminum, I don't blow my 100A circuit breaker. Without PCF, the manual said it would draw approx. 25-30 amps more at full power.
Good Luck.