TIG Welder - Everlast

Welding Techniques, Theory, Machines and Questions.

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warmstrong1955
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by warmstrong1955 »

I am not a fan of this 'replaceable era' we are in.
I fix stuff.....it's my nature.
I have a PowCon, that I got for free in 1997. It was new in about 1982. (PowCon invented the inverter welder)
The wire feed failed a circuit board 5 or 6 years ago, and I was able to buy a new replacement board (in stock) for less than $100.
I should be good to go for another 30-35 years.

Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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GlennW
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by GlennW »

Speaking of not being a fan of the "replaceable era" we are in:

I started looking at new inverter welders when Steve started asking about them. I figured I owed it to myself to get one since I enjoy TIG welding and bought my present welder, used, 46 years ago.

I for sure wasn't impressed with digital displays and membrane type key pads to select settings, but was kind of eyeing a new Miller Dynasty.

I called the local dealer and asked about their reliability and he said that so far they have only had to replace three mother boards, but fortunately they were all under warranty as they are $800.00...

I decided that I liked my old welder just fine, with the on/off switch that looks like a triple sized light switch and goes "clank" when you flip it, as well as the levers you use to select the settings that look like something you use to operate and excavator. A giant knob you rotate to select amperage, and a couple of toggle switches.

It also hasn't failed to do what I ask it to do in the last 46 years. :)

A replacement, if I get one, will most likely be a Miller Synchrowave with analog controls.
Glenn

Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
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ctwo
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by ctwo »

That is an interesting dynamic. I only considered the consumables...
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
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RMinMN
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by RMinMN »

GlennW wrote: Mon Jun 25, 2018 7:21 am Speaking of not being a fan of the "replaceable era" we are in:

I started looking at new inverter welders when Steve started asking about them. I figured I owed it to myself to get one since I enjoy TIG welding and bought my present welder, used, 46 years ago.

I for sure wasn't impressed with digital displays and membrane type key pads to select settings, but was kind of eyeing a new Miller Dynasty.

I called the local dealer and asked about their reliability and he said that so far they have only had to replace three mother boards, but fortunately they were all under warranty as they are $800.00...

I decided that I liked my old welder just fine, with the on/off switch that looks like a triple sized light switch and goes "clank" when you flip it, as well as the levers you use to select the settings that look like something you use to operate and excavator. A giant knob you rotate to select amperage, and a couple of toggle switches.

It also hasn't failed to do what I ask it to do in the last 46 years. :)

A replacement, if I get one, will most likely be a Miller Synchrowave with analog controls.
Does it not strike you as odd that the motherboard for the Miller Dynasty costs $800 when you can buy a complete 200A TIG welder, albeit with poorer specs and not quite as many features that you are unlikely to use, for $150?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MMA-TIG-ARC-IG ... SwHUhaHh8z
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GlennW
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by GlennW »

RMinMN wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 6:53 am Does it not strike you as odd that the motherboard for the Miller Dynasty costs $800 when you can buy a complete 200A TIG welder, albeit with poorer specs and not quite as many features that you are unlikely to use, for $150?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MMA-TIG-ARC-IG ... SwHUhaHh8z
No, that's like comparing a 10EE to a Harbor Freight bench lathe.
Glenn

Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
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ctwo
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by ctwo »

He wasn't comparing it to a 10EE, just a component of the 10EE, and it would be to a similar Chinese import lathe, not the little bench-top model.
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
RMinMN
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by RMinMN »

GlennW wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:21 am
RMinMN wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 6:53 am Does it not strike you as odd that the motherboard for the Miller Dynasty costs $800 when you can buy a complete 200A TIG welder, albeit with poorer specs and not quite as many features that you are unlikely to use, for $150?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MMA-TIG-ARC-IG ... SwHUhaHh8z
No, that's like comparing a 10EE to a Harbor Freight bench lathe.
It's more like needing a change gear for your lathe to do one particular thread and finding that you can buy the Harbor Freight lathe with a quick change gearbox for less money.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by SteveHGraham »

GlennW wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:21 am No, that's like comparing a 10EE to a Harbor Freight bench lathe.
If you're just going to set your pants on fire with it, what difference does quality make?
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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ctwo
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by ctwo »

what should I look out for when shopping for an argon tank? There is an empty 10 cf tank nearby for $40. How much welding would that support and about how much to fill? I know that could be quite variable so just interested in the ballpark. There are also full tanks around 100 cf and a 4 hour round-trip drive for ~$250.
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
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ctwo
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by ctwo »

also see a Miller Syncrowave 200 for $1500, with full argon tank.
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
John Evans
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by John Evans »

Buy the Miller .got the same one bought it about 12 years ago. You want the biggest bottle you can lift/load ,doesn't cost a lot more to fill a big on.Service/handling charges are the same for big of small. I got the biggest bottle 230/250 cf ,about $50 to fill as I recall around here.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: TIG Welder - Everlast

Post by warmstrong1955 »

Agree with John on both points.
Buy the Miller. We had a 200 at the last place I worked. Nice welder. Used it mostly for stainless, but some aluminum as well....I usually did that, even though I was supposed to be playing engineer.
As far as the bottle....make sure you will own it and can refill it. Around here, Airgas will not refill a Norco bottle, or visa versa. It's unlawful for them to do so. Easy enough to check where the bottle came from. Just a good idea to check.
The initial cost to buy a 281 bottle is quite a bit higher, but the refill....again, is no big deal. I bought 150's not cause they were so much cheaper, which they were, but just so I could handle them easier. I would rather have 281's for the volume.

Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
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