ive done a small amount of tig welding and am looking into getting my own machine.

i will be doing the basic automotive fab stuff like headers, exhaust, turbo mani's, alum, etc.

any way i was looking at the miller diversion 165 ac/dc, and the syncrowave 200 ac/dc
im not exactly sure what all the specs on these two mean and was wandering if someone could help me out and tell me what advantages one might have over the other. i know the syncrowave is more expensive so what more am i getting for the money. i really dont care about the stick welding ability as i probably wouldnt use it anyway.

id like to really try to get into doing a lot of aluminium will the diversion be good for what i want it for or will i end up needing more machine in the long run?

thanks for the help

 

Syncrowave 200 anything less you won't be happy in the long run. It's an awesome machine for the money.

" IOC " ebay id indiana oxygen supply is a really good best price source.

 

Yes Syncrowave 200 i love mine

 

Cyberweld has good prices on stuff. I got my syncrowave 200 from a member on here, but everything else like my miller elite mask, filler rods, etc etc I got from cyberweld.

I love my sync 200 btw, just wish I had a water cooled torch. While welding up my table today I was using 120amps to penetrate the table top, the torch was getting almost too hot to hold (even through my gloves).

I know you said you've welded, but I'm guessing the machine and other stuff was not yours. So it's not just the machine you are buying...You have a bunch of other things to get. Mask, bottle, fill the bottle, tungsten, colletts, cups, lots of various filler rods, make sure u have a grinder with one wheel dedicated to tungsten grinding (so you don't contaminate it), good pair of tig gloves, etc

 

thanks to all for the help, cyberweld is where i was looking at when comparing these machines and didnt find anywhere else cheaper (let me know if there out there).

yeah the welder i used before was a school welder (lincon presision 185) but i do have a MIG so i have a most of the basic stuff you mentioned but what are some good cups to get to get started and get into tight places with? also whats the difference in a gas cup and lens?

and you guys have pretty much backed up my initial thoughts about the syncro, but just to completely convince me, what advantages does the syncro 200 have over the cheaper ac/dc tigs from miller and lincon?

thanks for the time

 

sync 200 has more amps which will help with aluminum. if you're planning on doing aluminum. I haven't touched any yet with my machine.
and pulse? I'm not sure if the lesser machines have a pulse feature.

 

how does the precision tig 225 compare to the sync 200???

 

I have a PT275 and I love it. but I guess they arent very comparable.

 

not many people like the diversion for some reason, but i have one and love it. imo its a great welder you can take with you.

 

yeah i thought about the diversion, and have used the precision tig 185 and liked it but i hear A LOT of good things about the syncro 200 but haven't used one. so now im stuck between the syncro 200 and the precision 225 with about a week left till i order one. just trying to see if theres anyone that has used both, what they prefer on one other than the other.

 

The Precision 225 is the comeback model to compete with the Syncrowave. Both are good machines. I have a PT185, and I sometimes wish it had more juice when welding aluminum. It'll do 1/8" with no problems, but anything thicker, it has trouble. (Speaking about aluminum).

If you can score a PT225, or the Miller equivalent, you should be good!

 

so then there pretty equal? are there any features on one that are better than the other?

 

Get a SW 250. It has more than enough capabilities for just about anything. Plus it has outputs for a watercooled torch. The 200 is a compromise model, that is a little small.

 

It's 2x as much money than the SW 200 though, that's a grip lol

 

doesn't have to be a new one the old ones are work horses and not expensive to service when they need it http://cgi.ebay.com/MILLER-Syncrowav...3%3A1|294%3A50 it's a great machine i use one at my job and it works flawless they have also had the machine for like 20 years with minimal service

 

Yep. i bought my machine for 1600Shipped with torch, pedal, cables, etc. You can get older 250s for cheap.

 

If your gonna spend the money on a SW 250 just spend a little bit more and get the dynasty model, those are the bizzness.

 

You should be able to do just about anything with a syncrowave 200. We have a couple syncrowave 200's, dynasty 200, syncrowave 180 and a syncrowave 350 here at the shop. The only time we really need the 350 is for the billet intake manifolds with thick 6061 aluminum....

 

Great info Jesse, I'm looking into ordering that in the next few days here.

It's the best bang for the buck it seems with the stuff you get and the range of things it can do.

 

what do you consider "a little bit more"?

 

I'll have to hunt down some Ebay stuff at home, I did just get a new putter for 50% off the other day lol

I guess since I'm not experienced with welders I'd like to start with something new, it's only 2100 dollars shipped for an SW200. I can't see that ebay link, how much are the used SW250's going for?

 

999-1600 and they are great machines

 

Oh damn, writing on my hand now lol that should make me remember

 

The complete 250 Tig Runner package brand new is $3800-$40000. The Dynasty 200 is 2700$ for just the power source. No Torch, cables, pedal, water cooler, etc. It will only do up to 200amps.

The Synchrowave 250 will do up to 310 amps. One day the time will come when you need some serious amps to complete a job. The 250 will always be able to do the job. Plus when it needs a part it is a simple cap, or transformer. Unlike the Dynasty which has really expensive electronic boards that require replacement.

The Dynasty is a nice machine. If you do tons of aluminum production jobs and run your welder 8 hours a day. But when you run the machine once a week or once everynow and then, the 250 just makes more sense. We made it to the moon using Synchrowaves and you can make it down the quartermile or to the grocery store with one as well.

 

Thanks for more input, this is the first thing I've had to buy in a very long time that I have no experience with so it's tough to forsee what I will really need something for.

A lot of the current stuff is all chassis work and fabrication, what it will be used for down the road is repairs, and small production of things I've been wanting to do for ages but it wasn't worth it paying someone to do it for me.

I've had the Thermal Arc and HTP Invertig 201 suggested as well as an inverter box. I should add that I'll be doing this all out of my trailer/basement as I do not have a garage. That's a big factor in my decision.