Which TIG welder would you buy?

[mighty mouse]

Hey guys first time poster but I have been studying the info on this forum for a while, lots of good info here. I am looking to buy a TIG welder and wanting to stay in the 2000 dollar price range. My question is which would you pick between the Diversion 165 and the Syncrowave 200? Those are the two choices I have narrowed down to. I know the diversion is more portable (which I just plan on using it in my shop) and less power to operate being an inverter machine, but will I regret the fact that it will only do up to 3/16 material? Would you rather have the capability of a few more amps with the 200 and the ability to do 1/4" stuff? I am mostly going to be using this for hobby stuff (drag race car) and will likely be doing quite a bit of aluminum welding. Thanks for your input.

[Mustang]

The Syncro 200 is a much more capable machine than the Diversion 165 .
What "extra's" does the Syncro offer ? More power , foot pedal , adjustable AC balance control , pulse , stick welding . That is a LOT of extras IMO and most definitely worth the added cost .
The Diversion is a great little machine , but , it is what it is . An entry level machine with limited features to meet a price point , plain and simple .

Just my opinion of course .

[proorange]

I drag race also and my purchase was based solely off how it could help me in all the things I wanted to do, chassis update, 9" housings, etc... so I went with the extra power and adjustibility of the Syncro 200 and although I'm happy with it I can't help but asking myself why didn't I shell out the extra money for the Dynasty 200? Portable, same power but more tunable and requires less power from your shop. So if a Dynasty is out of the question I would definitely go with the Syncro 200.
Good Luck

[mighty mouse]

Thanks for the input guys. I was leaning toward the syncro myself, but wasnt sure how much difference the inverter was worth as far a weld quality. I am a rookie welder (been taking a class at local votech for the last 7 months) and have been learning on syncro 350 machines. I would love to have the dynasty but it is a little more than I am wanting to spend.

[ridesideways]

wasnt sure how much difference the inverter was worth as far a weld quality.
virtually no meaningful difference.

[Showdog75]

A dynasty is definately worth the extra imo . Portability even though you say its for a shop will come in handy someday. Plus the dynasty has more adjustment on ac[welding aluminum] than a syncro200 that lets you tailor the arc to what your welding or personal preference.

[piniongear]

Yesterday I jumped off the high cliff and bought myself a new Dynasty 200 DX machine along with a slightly used Coolmate 3.
So any good news I hear regarding the 200 DX reaffirms my belief that I will like it. That remains to be seen however, as the welder has not even shipped yet.
I have owned a Syncro 180 SD since 2001 and really have enjoyed that. But I thought the time has come to try an inverter machine and thought I would spend the spare change for one. Big pile of spare change though!
I guess my first project will be to build a cart for it, the Coolmate and the gas bottle. Going to copy the Miller cart to some extent. That looks like it uses only 2 wheels and the bottle tray must sit flat on the floor. Is that correct?
The cart looks very much like an oxygen/acetylene cart........ pg

[wrenchnride247]

Yesterday I jumped off the high cliff and bought myself a new Dynasty 200 DX machine along with a slightly used Coolmate 3.
So any good news I hear regarding the 200 DX reaffirms my belief that I will like it. That remains to be seen however, as the welder has not even shipped yet.
I have owned a Syncro 180 SD since 2001 and really have enjoyed that. But I thought the time has come to try an inverter machine and thought I would spend the spare change for one. Big pile of spare change though!
I guess my first project will be to build a cart for it, the Coolmate and the gas bottle. Going to copy the Miller cart to some extent. That looks like it uses only 2 wheels and the bottle tray must sit flat on the floor. Is that correct?
The cart looks very much like an oxygen/acetylene cart........ pg

It's a two wheeler cart like an O/A type. Mine works great!

[piniongear]

Thanks Wrenchnride........
Can you tell me if the wheels on your cart are 10 inch diameter? Thanks...... pg

[FusionKing]

As far as the sync 200 and the Dynasty 200 having the same power....well technically you could say that.
But if you set them both at 200 amps they don't feel anywheres near the same to me at all. That little Dynasty will make a puddle so fast it will blow your mind. My neighbor down the street recently bought a new one and I set it up for him and showed him how to run it. There is a huge difference stepping backwards there. You might not notice it so much just by picking up the torch and welding with a Dynasty the first time, but if you are used to a Dynasty and pick up a 200 syncrowave torch you INSTANTLY feel a giant change.
I know this is a Miller forum but if I was stuck on spending 2000 bucks I would either find a used Dynasty or find a TA 185. Or save my money until I could.
I can never imagine having to move back to a transformer machine for what I do. Maybe ten years ago but never in this day and age. It would be the same as going and getting a new television and not buying a flat screen. There is just that much difference IMO.
And to all those have bought and owned sync 200's I mean no insult or what have you...I am just stating how I feel after being a "old school only" thinking person and then getting a new Dynasty and saying "Holly CRAP what a difference!!!"
I is quite re-assuring to know that if I was to loose my shirt that I could hide my little Dynasty and one argon bottle over at my parents house, and after the dust settled I could start all over again.

[getabiggerhammer]

i got a syncro 200 and have been very pleased. i do wish now that i had shelled out the extra cash for the dynasty though. i woulnd'nt buy a tig machine that didnt have the stick option, even if you dont plan to use it, it WILL come in handy eventually. i never planned on stick welding anything after i got a tig, but i probably use it about 30% of the time now. as far as the diversion goes, can you put a pedal on it or is it only hand controlled? i'll take the pedal all day long!:D

[turboglenn]

I have to agree with fusion king, I have a dynasty 200dx and a friend of mine has a synch 200 in his shop, all setting being equall, the 200dx outshines the synch in several aspects IMO.... Now i'm not a professional weldor, i'm a fab guy that welds decently, and even to m the added ease of operation and extra features made the 200dx well worth the added money. Not to mention the fact that i operate my business at the track on weekends where i repair/fab stuff for the drag racers and road race guys alike and the dynasty is a real nice thing when you can pick it up, put it in the truck and go weld off of a generator that is still in the "affordable" range and not some multi thousand dollar purpose welding genny like a bobcat or something. I can run the full 200 amps constantly on my coleman/honda blackmax 8450 generator. It's 8450 peak watts and 6500 RMS and has a 30 AMP 220 outlet which is what the dynasty calls for as far as a breaker in the owners manual... Now it if would just power my plasma cutter that would be sweet! but unfortunately the hypertherm PM45 trips the breaker instantly everytime i go above 25 - 30 amps, and even then it trips it if i make too long of a cut :(

[kcstott]

I vote for the Sync 200 but if you can afford it get the Dynasty There is no comparing an inverter to a transformer machine it's not a fair fight at all.
And if you plan on doing a lot of aluminum as you say you will hate learning on a transformer machine. Having the ability to tweak the frequency of the arc is paramount to making welding aluminum easier.

[ASockwell]

I have defended the Diversion on here and other forums. I have one and really like it. BUT, I'm am in an unusual situation in that I have two other machines, a Synch 250 and a Synch 350. My larger machines have basically been taken over by our shop to weld AL castings. I bought the Diversion so I would have a machine I could keep on my bench for doing mild steel and SS, and an occasional AL structural part.

If something were to happen and I could only keep one machine, it would be the Synch. 250. The perfect example happened just this morning. One of our employees broke an ear off a casting on his lawnmower. To me, this would be a fairly typical home repair. He hit a rock with the mower and broke an ear off the balde spindle housing. The casting had a wall just over 1/4" thick. I tried to repair it with the Diversion. It simply didn't have enough a$$. After 2 or 3 minutes with the machine maxed out, we went to the Synch 250 and welded it right up.

The Diversion is a good machine. But, if you're going to do much AL, especially castings, it will quickly run out of amps. For what it's worth.

[FusionKing]

Well if the Diversion didn't have enuff power at 125 hz then the sync 200 with 60 hz would have been close to maxing as well.
IMO the 200 is not even close to the 250...the 200 IS 200 amps max where the 250 is a 300 amp machine.

[Mustang]

Ya , but it all comes down to price , doesn't it . The OP said that he was considering either the Diversion or the Syncro 200 . At no time was the Dynasty ever mentioned .
Is the Dynasty superior to the Syncro 200 ? Sure , no question about it . But look at the prices . In Canadian dollars , a Diversion goes for about $1600 , a Syncro 200 for about $2300 and a Dynasty 200 DX for WELL over $4000 . For almost double the price , the Dynasty 200 DX **** well better be a LOT better . Let's face it , originally considering a Diversion and then going to a Dynasty for a first time buyer is not very typical and is beyond the means of most ( especially for occasional / home / hobby use ) .
However , for those that can afford to go this route , rock on and more power to ya :)

[Badd00SS]

Hey guys first time poster but I have been studying the info on this forum for a while, lots of good info here. I am looking to buy a TIG welder and wanting to stay in the 2000 dollar price range. My question is which would you pick between the Diversion 165 and the Syncrowave 200? Those are the two choices I have narrowed down to. I know the diversion is more portable (which I just plan on using it in my shop) and less power to operate being an inverter machine, but will I regret the fact that it will only do up to 3/16 material? Would you rather have the capability of a few more amps with the 200 and the ability to do 1/4" stuff? I am mostly going to be using this for hobby stuff (drag race car) and will likely be doing quite a bit of aluminum welding. Thanks for your input.

First off, are you mighty mouse from LS1 tech? :) Welcome aboard either way. Second, i agree with fusion King, the dynasty is simply amazing try and find a used one.. :) Or even the TA-185

[wrenchnride247]

Thanks Wrenchnride........
Can you tell me if the wheels on your cart are 10 inch diameter? Thanks...... pg

They are 10" the same ones on the sync 350...

[marveman74]

Hi, I was in the same boat as you for the past few weeks. Been looking to buy Diversion 165 or a Syncrowave 200. I used a friends Diversion and liked it but hated the fingercontrols on the torch. It was limited on features like pulse and stuff but laid down some nice beads.
But then thursday I went out and purchased a Syncrowave 200. I absolutely love it. But it took a fork lift to put it in my truck at the welding shop and three guys to lift it out into my garage. 245 lbs and bulky. The pulse control rocks and the foot pedal is very nice. I have no complaints.
I have used a Diversion 200 and I really liked it with all the extra features and portability but not enough to spend another thousand.
Thats my opinion so take it for what it is worth but I dont think you would be disappointed with The Diversion or the Syncrowave.