Welder help.....

[Scootertrash]

Been shopping for a stick welder, was planning on one of the Lincoln tombstone style buzz boxes. Others have been telling me that I should opt for an AC/DC set-up instead of just AC, which would give me the option of "scratch start" TIG welding.

Came across a Miller Dialarc 250 AC/DC, seller wants 400 for that.

Seller also has a Miller HF-15-1 high frequency arc stabilizer for AC tig welding of aluminum that can be connected to the 250, asking 300 for that.

How does that sound for price? Maybe throw 600 at him for both?

I already bought a brand new Miller 211 wire feed with the spool gun for aluminum, so I have that covered.

I do have an older Sears stick welder from the 70's(?) I got from my dad, but it sucks for welding, I'll pass that on to my nephew when I get my new setup.

Just trying to complete my welding options for my (hopefully) new shop we'll be building next year.

[plastikosmd]

not all that impressed with the price. The way the market has gone (for tig) to inverter style welders with bells/whistles, I would consider all in at 3-400.

I have a monster AC stick and can do HF with it (never do as I have an inverter-tig.) I do wish I had DC at times as AC stick makes you work.

I still use it for the occasional 6011 passes (root or when I am to lazy or item cant be "cleaned" of rust etc.)

imho, hold out a bit
here is a syncrowave for 800 and it has been listed a while, u could probably get it for what u want to put into those other 2 (only demonstrating price-sadly a bit far from you)
https://southcoast.craigslist.org/hvo/d/fairhaven-miller-welder/6919394785.html

[Scootertrash]

What is HF? Edit: NM-High Frequency, correct?

Is the synchrowave a dedicated TIG machine?

[El Camexican]

HF = High frequency.

If that Syncrowave is what I remember them to be it’s a great TIG welder with AC/DC stick option.

How thick and what materials are you looking to weld?

[plastikosmd]

Syncrowave is ac/dc tig and yes a top of line welder

Hf- high frequency

not that those machines are “bad”- I just think u can do better

[Scootertrash]

HF = High frequency.

If that Syncrowave is what I remember them to be it’s a great TIG welder with AC/DC stick option.

How thick and what materials are you looking to weld?


Just getting set up for anything.

I have people bring me oddball stuff, I'm kinda the neighborhood fixit guy. I'm in the process of setting up my shop that will hopefully be built next year and I'm going with whatever I can afford so I'm not "wanting" after I retire (Hopefully a little over 2 years). I realize that I probably won't be able to cover it all, but I'm gonna do my best to get as close as possible.



ETA: A buddy of mine says I can "fix anything from the crack of dawn to a broken heart."

I haven't figgered out how to fix a broken heart, but I dated a girl named Dawn for a few years in my younger days, so I was up at the crack of Dawn countless times. Needless to say I've got that licked......

[El Camexican]

If that’s the same welder I learned to TIG on it’s very industrial and large. Our shop was locally famous for having the first TIG and being the first fiberglass and Kevlar place in town (It might seem like I’m dating myself here, but I’m way too ugly for that).

When they installed the TIG the good people of transport Canada arrived soon after to inform us that the welder was messing with their radar signals. I don’t recall what or if they made us do, but it was an issue.

If you buy that beast make sure you have the space and be prepared to spend some heavy coin if it goes down on you, but be assured that it will be able to weld anything you could ever need to weld.