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Experience with new Inverter Welder

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AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144
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2007-09-10          145604


I know that this is a little different from the normal problem, but my TIG welder would not go low enough in power to do some really precision welding and besides it was a DC only inverter welder.

What I eventually bought was a Miller Dynasty 200, and I am really impressed with it. It weighs about 45 pounds and is an AC/DC inverter with most of the bells and whistles. It only draws about 20 amps at full welding power and it can weld up to about 140A from a 115VAC outlet. Normally I power it with 230V 3 phase. It automatically adapts to just about any power source from 115V to 460V at 1 to 3 phase. Plug it in and it goes. It even runs just fine on my 5KW generator.

As far as welding is concerned, it will weld to below 5 amps, so you can weld light sheet metal and wires. I tried it on aluminum plate and it will easily join 5/16 inch plates. It has variable output frequency and when it is set above 240 Hz, I suspect that it will weld 3/8 with only 200A output. High frequency narrows the bead and deepens penetration. It has all the TIG controls, but it does fine with stick also.

I bought this welder to do some precision welding for working on guns, but it has become the welder that I use more than any other. I took my old TIG welder and removed the TIG torch and replaced it with a MIG wire feeder to make a 275A heavy duty spray arc welder. Everything that I want to TIG weld, I can do with the smaller Dynasty 200 welder.

The Dynasty also has a pulser. That sets up a periodic shift between high and low current which helps with weld quality and appearance. I set it up for a slow pulse rate and made a perfect looking "fish scale" weld to join 1/4" 6061 Al plates. You can do this manually, but the pulser makes it easy.




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Experience with new Inverter Welder

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-09-10          145611


Daaaang man, it sounds like you're a process engineer or somethin' (and that's a good thing)--as it sounds like you need to have 4-year-degree to run it---or even buy one. :)

There's nothing like having the right tool for the job.

25 years ago I did production TIG and MIG for a supplier of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts like sissy bars, and other chrome plated accessories. We found that TIG offered the nicest looking welds hands down resulting in no metal repolishing or reworking prior to plating. ....


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Experience with new Inverter Welder

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AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2007-09-11          145619


It is not tough to run. Instead of just setting AC/DC and current, you have three or four more parameters that you can use; or not! You can experiment and find out what works best for you.

It is more expensive, but not too bad. What I figured is that the weight savings/portability as well as the electrical efficiency was worth the difference. A similar standard technology TIG might weigh 500 pounds and use well over 50 amps at full power. My wife has suitcases larger than this welder! ....


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Experience with new Inverter Welder

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tomrscott
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 96 Newberg, Oregon
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2008-03-06          151976


I've been seriously looking at the same welder, and also the HTP Invertig 201 which is similar. I want to get a TIG that will do auto restoration and repair work, and some other things. Hobby and farm kind of stuff. I've currently got a Hypertherm PMX600 plasma cutter and a Miller AC/DC stick welder, but I am not good enough with stick to do sheet metal.

I began thinking about a MIG, but have been leaning toward a TIG now, just having a hard time swallowing the price. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to cost. I keep bidding myself higher: If I am going to spring for MIG, for a bit more I can do DC TIG, but with DC only I can't do aluminum, I don't have a lot of need for aluminum, but figure I would use it more than I realize if I had it... etc. etc. AC TIG is definitely a serious price point, most of them are over $2k. The ones that are not modern inverter technology are very heavy! 140 pounds to 250 pounds typically, while the newer inverter types are 40 to 70 pounds for 200 amp welders. Wish I could find a screaming deal on one of these Dynastys. The HTP has 99 memorys for the settings, which would be pretty handy for a welder with this many options. ....


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