problems with Syncrowave 180SD

[Darcyb]

I bought a Syncrowave 180SD about a year and a half ago, I am extremely unhappy with this machine. I don't know if there is something wrong with the welder or if this is as good as it gets. It seems to be very inconsistent, It never seems to weld the same twice. I am trying to weld 5052 aluminum sheet 0.070 thick, I have tried 4043 and 5356 filler rods. I have tried 3/32" 2%thorium and pure tungsten's. 2%thorium pointed works best. I clean with a scotch brite pad and follow with acetone. I don't like the wide arc that this machine produces. It makes dirty inconsistent welds. Its like I have to learn how to weld all over again each time I weld. There are no adjustments on this machine except for Balance/Dig, so it cant be a set up problem, and I have had an electrician check the incoming power with no problems there ether. This machine has been in for repair a couple of times, and the rep has even welded with it at my shop.(I don't think he knew how to weld) Every one gives me the impression that this is as good as it gets. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas? I don't know what else to do.

This machine had a massive surging problem, (you would hear a large power serge, and blow a 1/2" hole in what ever you were welding) this was previously repaired. Has any one else had any problems with the Syncrowave?

[Scott V]

First I would run the correct tungsten type. Get yourself some 3/32 zirconiated
Brown stripe ones. It will give you all that machine has on ac. You still will get a wider cleaning zone, compared to a inverter set up right.

[robinap]

Ive only had my 180sd for about 2 weeks and so far It has not impressed me but I can't be sure yet as I am still learning to tig weld. I find this maching is very ineficicent as far a power needs. But the final verdict isn't in yet I will try again till I master this machine or get rid of it . Can this machine be good?

[Mike W]

Bad argon may be the problem. I have a Sync 250 at work that has no problems. It did have a problem with no solder joints on the remote circuit board, but I fixed that. :D

[mowjunk]

I bought a Syncrowave 180SD about a year and a half ago, I am extremely unhappy with this machine. I don't know if there is something wrong with the welder or if this is as good as it gets. It seems to be very inconsistent, It never seems to weld the same twice. I am trying to weld 5052 aluminum sheet 0.070 thick, I have tried 4043 and 5356 filler rods. I have tried 3/32" 2%thorium and pure tungsten's. 2%thorium pointed works best. I clean with a scotch brite pad and follow with acetone. I don't like the wide arc that this machine produces. It makes dirty inconsistent welds. Its like I have to learn how to weld all over again each time I weld. There are no adjustments on this machine except for Balance/Dig, so it cant be a set up problem, and I have had an electrician check the incoming power with no problems there ether. This machine has been in for repair a couple of times, and the rep has even welded with it at my shop.(I don't think he knew how to weld) Every one gives me the impression that this is as good as it gets. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas? I don't know what else to do.

This machine had a massive surging problem, (you would hear a large power serge, and blow a 1/2" hole in what ever you were welding) this was previously repaired. Has any one else had any problems with the Syncrowave?

I'm just curious about a few things....What is your current set at and how much argon is flowing? Did you clean the rod with acetone also? I use a 1/16" Zirconated tungsten and I use the balance control somewhat to make a narrower bead. I've been using my 180 for about 1 1/2 years with no problems. Maybe you have a bad one.......

mow

[burninbriar]

Darcyb
Did you buy the Synch to learn tig or did you have previous experiance ?
Aluminum is not easy to weld with any machine.I had simulare problem when I started but but I had a lot of OA experiance that I beleive helped to quickly get over it.I'm still not good at aluminum but can get by.
The thorium should not be used on aluminum as Scott v mentioned and bad argon is not as uncommon as you may think,I had one myself recently.

[wb5jhy]

Darcyb,

I've had my 180SD for 2-1/2 years now and have never had a problem with it.

If you suspect there is something wrong with the machine then have it checked by your local service rep or at least have an experieced weldor come by and run some beads to see for sure if it's the machine or your procedures that's causing the problems. If you bought the machine new, then get those problems resolved while you still have warranty.

I like the zirconiated tungsten best for aluminum. 3/32 whould work fine.

I don't know what you meant by power surging though. You mean the sound and amperage changes even when you don't move the foot pedal ?? :confused:

If it does that then you do have a machine problem.

Check your power source under load. Hook up a volt meter at the recepticle and crank the machine to say 150 amp or better and have someone monitor the voltage drop. Shouldn't be more than a few volts. I had the power company come out a few years back to check out a brown out condition when my home A/C unit kicked on. I was at work when he called to tell me everything looked good...he checked from the weatherhead to the service panel and voltages all looked good and connections tight. I told hm to monitor voltage and turn on the A/C unit. He called back to tell me a tap on the transformer at the street was arcing. Four houses on that transformer were getting low voltage when under load.

Don't give up on the 180SD. It's a good machine. Like anything that has electronics, it could have some problems there. Miller is great on service. Call them up and they will help resolve your problem.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Wb5jhy

[Darcyb]

I will get some zirconium tungstens (brown) and see if that helps. I have asked a couple of welding suppliers in my area about this and they all told me to use 2% thorium (red) even Miller told me to use the 2% thorium (red) for thin gauge aluminum. I even tried to get some zirconium tungstens once and the supplier refused to sell them to me, saying they would not work.
I have changed argon cylinders, I even changed companies, This did help some, but not where I expect it to be.
I had two years experience tig welding aluminum transformer cores in a production line before I bought my own tig welder.
To weld 0.070 aluminum I have the welder set between 90-100A and the gas is at 20. And I do also clean the filler rod with acetone.
I did buy this machine new. I have had no after sales service on this machine at all. I have finally called a different supplier and there rep came to look at the Syncrowave on Monday. He ran a puddle down the edge of a piece of square tubing, And then told me what ever I wanted to hear and left. Didn't answer any of my problems, gave me the impression that it seemed to weld good enough. He never did weld anything together. he promised to call me the next day with some answers to some of questions after he talked to his service personnel, but I haven't heard form him.
I have called Miller in Appleton WI and they are very nice, and seem to be very eager to help, They even contacted the supplier I purchased the welder from. The supplier called me to tell me there was probably something wrong, but he was going away on holidays for a month, Haven't herd from any one since.
This machine has been in for repair twice, but I am never able to talk to anyone that worked on it. and the people I do get to talk to don't know anything.
There is no one in the area that I could have come down and try the welder. I don't even know of any another tig welders in the area.

[burninbriar]

It sounds like youre supplyer is giveing you tungsten advice for an inverter type welder like the Dynasty.What tungsten did you use welding transformer cores ?

[burninbriar]

I take that back,they also said pure witch doesnt go with the inverter.I've used pure and a little bit with the zirconiated with my Synch and the zirconiated does just fine for the little bit that I've used it.

[Darcyb]

Its not just my suppliers, Miller also recommends using 2%cerium or thorium for thin gauge aluminum with the syncrowave 180SD.
I have ordered some zirconium (brown stripe) tungstens but I wont have them until Wednesday. While I was there I asked about a DynastyDX and they told me that my Syncrowave (4hr on welder) was only worth $320 on trade! NO THAT'S NOT A TYPO THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS!! and they wouldn't even give me a price on the Dynasty they said they would work out a price next week! Its good to know what a MILLER is worth for the next time I buy a welder.

[Paul Seaman]

My guess is that is the dealer that sets the trade in value, and they want to make a bunch on the deal or he knows where he can sell it to a friend and wants you to dump it so he can grab it up. I've seen these machines thouroughly worn go for over a grand on ebay so don't give the sucker the chance. Before you let the dealer have it for that post it to the guys here and some one would come closer to the real value.

Good luck,

[wb5jhy]

"To weld 0.070 aluminum I have the welder set between 90-100A and the gas is at 20. And I do also clean the filler rod with acetone."


Darcyb,

Looks like you may be a little hot for .070 aluminum. I would try 60 to 70 amps and AC balance at about 4. You might want to select position 1 in the arc start menu although defualt setting 2 shouldn't be too hot. Try brushing off the weld path with a clean SS scratch brush and then cleaning with acetone or other solvent that does not leave a residue. Some scotch brite pads have aluminum oxide grit for polishing. Don't want to imbed those particles in the surface.

You should see a puddle PDQ when you strike the arc (.070). Add filler promptly to cool the puddle before it falls through. Then modulate the pedal to continue.

I sure would like to see you resolve this problem. I know the 180SD, if not defective, would do a nice job for you. I have the external pulser unit and could actually lay a bead on a beer can rim without blowing through. I'm not as steady as I would like so my welds don't look that great but I know the machine is capable of fine work.

Give it another try and see if you can make some progress. Let us know.



tom

[Paul Seaman]

I've read this post several times the one thing I question is what is your torch angle, it should be between 75 and 90 degrees to the work piece and if your right handed work right to left and filler in the left hand at about 15 degrees from the work surface. I haven't been tigging that long so I am going through the things that gave me trouble in the beginning. I also have gotten a cylinder of bad gas and it had moisture in it and it gave me major trouble, that I thought was me. Good argon and now I rock on aluminum.

Hope this helps, peace

[Darcyb]

Yes I do have the torch at the correct angle, I don't think I have a problem there. When I use to weld aluminum cores (we always used 2% thorium) (red) you could direct the puddle where you wanted it to go, Just a slight angle on the torch and that's were the aluminum would flow. We hardly ever used filler rod. You could flow two pieces together without a problem. Not this welder, Its a constant fight to get the aluminum to flow together. The aluminum will pool and flow in opposite directions even on thicker material. its always a race to get as much filler material in as possible. often I get a big lump of filler material in the centre and it wont even join the material. so you have three puddles sitting there and none of them want to flow together, they just sit there.

[Darcyb]

Here is a picture of some aluminum welding I have done with this machine, I do know how to weld, and then I get a weld like the one on the left, a simple corner weld on 0.100 aluminum, and I cant find anything wrong with the process. The T weld in the back of the picture is on 0.060 (1/16"). I get so frustrated, you get such a nice weld going and then just like that it all goes bad. I have never been able to weld an entire project without it flipping back and forth from good welds to bad welds. I have tried everything I clean everything, I have even tried new gloves thinking that maybe I had something on my gloves. All these welds were done with 2% thorium tungstens(red)

[Mike W]

I filled some holes in 1/16" aluminum last night with a Syncro 250. I used 50 to 60 amps with a pure tungsten. I didn't have any problems with getting the filler to fuse with the base metal. I don't understand what you mean by the aluminum will pool and flow in opposite directions?

[Paul Seaman]

What you just described reminds me of DC, I wonder if it could be that its stuck in a cycle of DC current. Contact tech support at Miller. I believe in the support that they give, and I can't believe it won't be corrected, soon!

Peace,

[wb5jhy]

Darcyb,

I have only been tigging for a couple of years now. Even then, not on a regular basis. However, that just means I've seen welds like those more recently than the pros on this board have. :D

I think you generally have too high an amperage setting as indicated by the dulled smooth beads. Secondly, I think you are pulling the torch too far away from the work as the wide beads on the corner weld indicates.

Your not a novice to tig so I assume you can tell if you are in AC mode and not stuck in DC mode just from the sound and arc appearance.

I don't think you have a problem with cleaning or gas since the welds don't look too dirty.

Hope this helps a little. Keep in touch.


tjj

[Darcyb]

It is definite in A/C, It did act up again to day. It will weld nice, the aluminum will flow together nicely until all of a sudden, Something changes in the arc, The material just stops flowing together and it just sits there like large water drops. It doesn't matter what you do. The aluminum gets dark and like it has a thin skin covering it. Its like its just decided that's it I'm Done.
I also noticed that my counter and cycle timers on the machine are erratic and incorrect. The cycle counter stays at 40 all the time it doesn't change. and the hour meter showed 3:59, and after 5min. of welding it went to 4:58 and another 5min. of welding it went to 5:58, then to 0:00 and then to 0:58. This machine is at least partially computer controlled, could it have something messed up in the program that causes it to occasionally weld erratically?
I was also told that the torch might have a leak in the body, and it might be sucking in air when it gets hot?

[fun4now]

i would get the welder to a different shop to get it checked out . i would never tolerate being told they will give me $300 as a trade on a welder they should be fixing. if it only has 4hr's on it it must be prity new so i would tell them to fix it or replace it and do it NOW!!!!!if they say nothing is rong with it then make them put down a sweet bead for you. that is a verry nice welder that is more than capable of a sweet aluminum bead, make them stop thinking about your wallet and get back to fixing you welder.if they cant or wont call Miller direct.

just my $0.02

[Darcyb]

You are right, fix it first. But this welder has been in for repair twice already, it has been to three different shops, there are only 3 authorized warrantee shops within 500 miles of where I live. I have called MILLER in Appleton WI, they are very nice, and promised to take care of all the issues, but never came through with anything (it has been a month) They did contact the supplier that the welder came from, but I never heard from them ether. I found a different supplier on my own, to come and check the welder, he gave me the impression that it worked good enough. He promised to call me the next day with some answers to my problems, and I never heard from him again ether.
I'm not going to trade it in for $320 but I would really like to get something else that would work for me.

[fun4now]

i would call miller back and push them for a replacement welder. three times to the shop with no improvement is too much, call it a lemen and start over.if youre power is not stedy it sounds like you could eather have a problem with the circuit board or it could be as simple as a bad peddle, eather way it should be getting fixed. true it will never be a dynasty series but it is still a great welder and you should be happy with it but should you decide you need to upgrade you should be able to get atleast $1000.00 for it. ;)

[wb5jhy]

Darcyb,

I agree. I would call Miller directly again get them to help. Tell them just what you have been experiecing and they will coordinate with the distributor who sold you the machine.

You have to get this resolved before your warranty runs out. It may mean shipping back to the factory. Your dealer should be able to help with that.

Some dealers have a Miller trained tech for warranty work. Maybe a board change out will fix it. Sounds like a computer/control problem.

Make follow up calls to Miller and the dealer. You have to make it a front burner issue with them because they have many other things going on. It's just human nature to piss on a fire and hope it goes out on its own. You need to build a big enough fire to get some real attention. It's the squeaky wheel thing. Some dealers take care business better than others. Sorry you apparently have a dealer that doesn't worry about followup business.

Don't give up on the 180SD. It can do the job if it's not sick.

Hang in there and keep us posted.


tom

[Too_Many_Tools]

i would call miller back and push them for a replacement welder. three times to the shop with no improvement is too much, call it a lemen and start over.if youre power is not stedy it sounds like you could eather have a problem with the circuit board or it could be as simple as a bad peddle, eather way it should be getting fixed. true it will never be a dynasty series but it is still a great welder and you should be happy with it but should you decide you need to upgrade you should be able to get atleast $1000.00 for it. ;)

I compliment you on your patience...you have far more tolerance for poor/no service than I have.

Considering the time you have lost in dealing with this welder that is apparently UNDER WARRANTY, I would give Miller a call and issue an ultimatum and carry through on it if you do not get satisfaction. There is NO EXCUSE for this treatment after they have accepted your money for supposely a new factory fresh welder. Miller is supposed to screen their dealers and service depots which apparently is not happening. A warranty is only as good as the follow through by the company is. From your description, it would seem that the Miller warranty is worthless.

Based on this continuing treatment, I would shop for another brand of welder. Even if it was a POS, you could not do any worse than the Miller SD180 and the service the company is giving you now. I would also lose that dealer who tried to lowball you on the trade in price. If he will do that on a prospective sale, you can imagine what kind of after the sale support you would get latter.

TMT

[CPB]

"i would call miller back and push them for a replacement welder. three times to the shop with no improvement is too much, call it a lemen and start over.if youre power is not stedy it sounds like you could eather have a problem with the circuit board or it could be as simple as a bad peddle, eather way it should be getting fixed. true it will never be a dynasty series but it is still a great welder and you should be happy with it but should you decide you need to upgrade you should be able to get atleast $1000.00 for it"
AMEN
************************************************** ******
The aluminum gets dark and like it has a thin skin covering it. Its like its just decided that's it I'm Done.
Sounds like you are getting some atmospheric contamination. Just for good measure, check the hoses to the torch to see if they are not twisted, cracked, broken or even not connected properly. When you sent the machine to the repair shop, did you send the torch setup and the pedal? I have a RFCS-14HD foot pedal that I got from Miller. After about 15 month the drive belt broke but I was able to epoxy it back together. It works fine now but I was sure confused there for awhile. I thought it was the welder that was screwed up.
CPB

[Darcyb]

I have inspected the torch and all the connections they seem to be fine, I was told it could still be leaking internally. The last time I got the welder back from the warrantee repair shop they had bent the torch head (like it was a flex head), they also wrecked the low pressure/flow gauge. The foot pedal does not always start the arc, sometimes you have to hit the pedal a couple times for it to start welding. Of course I was told that the torch and pedal are not covered under warrantee, they are only covered for 90days. This welder is 16 months old with between 4-6 hours on it. Recently found that the hour display also doesn't work, so I'm not sure about the hours on the welder. but it has been used very little.
It is all going back to for repair again next week, I'm just going to drop it off. I don't want to see it again until they can guarantee me that it works.
At this point even if this welder is repaired or replaced, and it turns out to be the best welder in the world. I will still hate it.
I also added a picture of how the aluminum gets a skin. this is a very small weld and gets much worse on a larger weld at a higher amperage. I have tried to purposely cause this but I can never been able to duplicate this or find a cause.

[CPB]

Good luck, let us know what happens.
CPB

[storts]

I have inspected the torch and all the connections they seem to be fine, I was told it could still be leaking internally. The last time I got the welder back from the warrantee repair shop they had bent the torch head (like it was a flex head), they also wrecked the low pressure/flow gauge. The foot pedal does not always start the arc, sometimes you have to hit the pedal a couple times for it to start welding. Of course I was told that the torch and pedal are not covered under warrantee, they are only covered for 90days. This welder is 16 months old with between 4-6 hours on it. Recently found that the hour display also doesn't work, so I'm not sure about the hours on the welder. but it has been used very little.
It is all going back to for repair again next week, I'm just going to drop it off. I don't want to see it again until they can guarantee me that it works.
At this point even if this welder is repaired or replaced, and it turns out to be the best welder in the world. I will still hate it.
I also added a picture of how the aluminum gets a skin. this is a very small weld and gets much worse on a larger weld at a higher amperage. I have tried to purposely cause this but I can never been able to duplicate this or find a cause.
My Heart goes out for you,Iwill givw you 300.00,,and ib the next couple of weeks I have a 200 amp ac/dc tig coming out ,,if interested e mail me, they are giving you the oakland stroke,,and Ive seen this of miller more and more, and people still swear they are the best :eek: Ill Probably get booted but facts are facts, and Ill set you up with a new 200 amp machine, thats not made in america, BUT neightor is half of miller, and lincoln,and hobart machine,,the diffence is I tell you up front, ask Andy where the Miller elite Helmet is made,.
Im Not on here mocking Miller,but lets be truthful,,That all i ask , and so do my customers,,Jack

[HAWK]

Darcyb,

I have contacted a couple people at Miller and you should receive a reply from them soon. Also I feel sure you case has accidentally slipped through a crack. This is not typical service from Miller. They are usually very prompt with excellent service. If you do not hear from someone at Miller soon, please contact me at mobile.weld@comcast.net

Hey Jack,

I have only seen the very best from Miller in the past 20 years! Different people have different experiences, but overall Miller is very customer service oriented company!

[wb5jhy]

Hawk,

I agree. The few times I needed them they were very helpful. I have found some dealers more helpful than others however. :(

We as customers sometimes have to empathize with them. They are people just doing their job. They listen to problems of all kinds all day, all week. I can see where it's tough to stay upbeat 100% of the time. The last thing they need is an a$$ chew when a customer calls. That's the best way to get back burnered in my opion. :)

Need help?? Use sugar, not vinigar. That applies everywhere, not just Miller.


tom

[Too_Many_Tools]

Hawk,

I agree. The few times I needed them they were very helpful. I have found some dealers more helpful than others however. :(

We as customers sometimes have to empathize with them. They are people just doing their job. They listen to problems of all kinds all day, all week. I can see where it's tough to stay upbeat 100% of the time. The last thing they need is an a$$ chew when a customer calls. That's the best way to get back burnered in my opion. :)

Need help?? Use sugar, not vinigar. That applies everywhere, not just Miller.


tom

I too agree that sugar works better than vinegar ..... but if you reread the thread it is very apparent that this customer is being ignored by all parties involved (including the vaulted Miller support team) while they were happy to take his money.

And this is not the first time I have heard of the infamous Miller nonsupport by both vendor and company.

And I also seem to remember myself being left with a SD180 welder that is not being supported in respect to its so called pulsing capability...a fact that has already cost Miller subsequent sales.

Do we see a trend here?

If a company wants my respect and money, they have to earn it. I am not alone in this attitude as history is littered with formerly successful companies that used to be customer oriented but ultimately forgot who paid the bills....the customer.

TMT

[HAWK]

It is sad but true that some dealers are great to work with and eager to help while others are the epitomy of self service at best! I have found this to be true for Miller and Lincoln welders as well as car dealerships and other brand oriented products. Unfortunately the factory producing the product cannot police all dealers all the time.

[TOMWELDS]

It is definite in A/C, It did act up again to day. It will weld nice, the aluminum will flow together nicely until all of a sudden, Something changes in the arc, The material just stops flowing together and it just sits there like large water drops. It doesn't matter what you do. The aluminum gets dark and like it has a thin skin covering it. Its like its just decided that's it I'm Done.
I also noticed that my counter and cycle timers on the machine are erratic and incorrect. The cycle counter stays at 40 all the time it doesn't change. and the hour meter showed 3:59, and after 5min. of welding it went to 4:58 and another 5min. of welding it went to 5:58, then to 0:00 and then to 0:58. This machine is at least partially computer controlled, could it have something messed up in the program that causes it to occasionally weld erratically?
I was also told that the torch might have a leak in the body, and it might be sucking in air when it gets hot?
Just for the heck of it, put it on DC and see if it looks the same.

[TOMWELDS]

Here's why i no longer use my local miller dealer (i use one far away ,now). 2 years ago i bought, on credit, a MM251. Within the month i had a divorce start and was tied up in that. At the end of the month, i called the credit dept. and told them my payment would be 1-2 weeks late, and why. The owner sent 2 detectives to the job site to reposses the machine.I thought that was an extreme measure, to say the least.

[Too_Many_Tools]

It is sad but true that some dealers are great to work with and eager to help while others are the epitomy of self service at best! I have found this to be true for Miller and Lincoln welders as well as car dealerships and other brand oriented products. Unfortunately the factory producing the product cannot police all dealers all the time.

I would agree AND add that it is the responsibility of the company in question to follow up on complaints concerning those who represent their interests in a timely manner. Otherwise the company and their sales will be affected negatively. Any company that doesn't take seriously what their customers think of them and their representatives is leaving an incredible opportunity for the competition who WILL take advantage of it.

I know of MANY instances where a company and its representatives have failed to satisfy reasonable requests from a customer and have lost ALL future sales from that customer and from all those he influences.

In reference to this particular thread, I and others are watching to see how Miller handles this obviously defective welder which is under warranty. So far, the company and the vendor seem to be failing miserablely.

It will be interesting to see how it turns out....

TMT

[Darcyb]

I received a call from the dealer that I got the welder from today. Miller contacted them a month ago with my concerns. They just got around to calling me today. I only talked to him for a minute before his cell phone started cutting out, He said he would call me back, But I didn't ask if it would be this month?

[fun4now]

looks like miller was under the impretion it was taken care of a month ago when they contacted the seller.miller is trying to take care of you so you need to make shoure miller is made aware of the fact the youre dealer is not. i am thinking that miller having not herd back frome you or the vender figured it was taken care of .this is not the case but it is not the fault of miller it is youre vender so let miller know so somthing can be done about it.

too many times we never fallow through with things and large companys need to be told about venders that are not living up to there standerds, if we just asume it is miller not the vender then miller will never know they need to fix or replace the vender.people not doing there job is becomming more the norm rather than the exception it is a sad state that seems to be taking over. must be a lack of basice values,sad realy to think more and more people are starting to look for the short cut befor looking for the right way.

oooops ranting again.

anyhow dont give up on miller they realy are on youre side, help them to help you. ;)

[Too_Many_Tools]

I received a call from the dealer that I got the welder from today. Miller contacted them a month ago with my concerns. They just got around to calling me today. I only talked to him for a minute before his cell phone started cutting out, He said he would call me back, But I didn't ask if it would be this month?

Man, I feel for you....this kind of garbage just makes me MAD! :mad:

If I had your "Miller Welder From ****" and received this call, I would be calling Miller customer support tomorrow and getting hold of the supervisor in charge of that company department. I would then tell him/her what you have just told us and make sure you idenify the dealer that you are working with.

Then I would ask What They Are Going To Do To Honor Their So Called Warranty?

If Miller is the company everyone here says they are, you should have a new welder drop shipped to you within the week and an written apology.

Let us know if you get any satisfaction....and good luck.

TMT

[Darcyb]

Miller is aware that this dealer had not contacted me, and that I finally contacted a different dealer for support. All Miller will do is contact your district Rep. The rep will talk to the dealers in question, the next time he is in that area.
Rite now I am dealing with two different local dealers (See who helps first) and I'm still waiting for Miller to come through on a promise that they would send me a new torch and foot pedal. The dealers will not handle these parts because they are no longer under warrantee.
You are right that I am being to nice, and I need to start calling these people every day until I get results.

[ASKANDY]

darcyb,

Sorry...been out onthe road again...imagine that :mad:

Anyway, sorry to hear about this issue. I breezed past all the posts and from the pic, it sure does seem like a bad gas cylinder or regulator. Do you have any other ones you could try? The only other way the machine could do this is if one of the SCRs were not firing properly on the EP side for some reason. Does it weld DC ok? If so, the SCRs should be fine. The problem should show up on both AC or DC if it was pcb or componant issue.

Let me know

Thanks

Andy

[Darcyb]

I have tried a different regulator, I have done very little DC welding, But the little bit that I have done seems to be very difficult also. I have had my camera next to the welder so I can snap a picture of the problem, but the only thing that it is consistently doing is that the aluminum will not flow together. The aluminum will pool and then flow away from the torch, If you can add filler material fast enough You might get the aluminum to connect, but it is a constant battle. and the next minute it will weld beautifully, the aluminum will flow towards the heat source like it should. I spend more time cleaning than I do welding, it is not dirty aluminum.

This is the message I sent to the repair shop describing the problems.

Syncrowave 180 SD

- This machine originally had a massive surging problem, this problem has been fixed but I thought there may be other issues that went along with this that were not fixed. You could weld about an inch before you would hear a massive power surge, like a gun going off but not as loud, but just as fast! There would be a half inch hole in what ever you were welding. And yes this would happen with out moving the pedal. This welder also continually shuts off my radio when it hiccups, malfunctions or welds badly. I don't know why or how this happens.



- Automatic Process switch does not work, must be manually set to the correct operation.

- Hour and cycle timers are erratic and incorrect (displayed 0:59, 1:59,2:59,3:59,4:59, all in 10 min of welding. Then displayed 0:00,0:58,1:58,….. now it is at 5:58. The cycle counter was always at 38 doesn’t change, now it is at 40 and doesn’t change.

- Welder occasionally welds erratically, Aluminum will not flow together (flows in opposite directions) you have to fight to get as much filler material in as possible to get the material to flow together, this is a constant fight. Never seems to weld the same twice.

- Foot pedal dose not always start the arc, sometimes I have to step on the pedal a couple of times before the arc will start. You can hear it wanting to work but will not start the arc.

- Torch is falling apart, the head was bent over (like it was a flex head torch) the last time I got it back from the repair shop.



I have been given the impression by everyone that my aluminum is not clean enough or that it is an operator problem. I have been tig welding for 3years, this welder is garbage when it comes to welding aluminum.

This machine is still on warrantee.

I have had an electrician install a new breaker to run this machine. He said there are no problems with the power going to the welder.



Please give me your thoughts on this welder, welder or operator?

[service]

Darcyb
Sorry for the problems.
Let's get this resolved.
First, I might have missed it but what is the serial number of the Syncrowave?

Second, who is working on it, company and contact name?


If you wish you can email me direct at dfishe@millerwelds.com
or call me at 920-954-3629

As a word of advice for you and others watching this site. If you have problems like this don't rely on this site to notify Miller Electric of the problem.
Please call us.
Thank You
David J. Fisher

[Too_Many_Tools]

Darcyb
Sorry for the problems.
Let's get this resolved.
First, I might have missed it but what is the serial number of the Syncrowave?

Second, who is working on it, company and contact name?


If you wish you can email me direct at dfishe@millerwelds.com
or call me at 920-954-3629

As a word of advice for you and others watching this site. If you have problems like this don't rely on this site to notify Miller Electric of the problem.
Please call us.
Thank You
David J. Fisher

David,

Thank you (and who ever else may have let you know that this issue is outstanding) for pursuing this effort.

May I make a suggestion?

The message board that Miller provides is an excellent resource for both the user and the company. I would suggest that someone in customer support review this message board on a regular basis to monitor for customer concerns. I would consider it would be a win-win situation for all concerned.

TMT

[fun4now]

I would suggest that someone in customer support review this message board on a regular basis to monitor for customer concerns.

i beleave they do i have herd from several miller people here other than andy, i think he just means it is faster and more efitiont to get on the phone and talk out the isue and possible solutions, and in this case the dealer let bolth him and miller down :mad: and another call to miller to fallow up would have sped things along. ;)

[Darcyb]

Welder Update, The Syncrowave 180sd was delivered to the repair facility on June 1st, I received a call from the repair facility on June 13th.

They told me that my Syncrowave did not have the counter and cycle timer, he told me that they did not all have that option, and The process switch is not automatic, even though the Miller web site clearly states that it is. (This option worked before it was fixed the first time) They told me that they replaced the board again, and that this time it does have the counter and cycle timers. Is it just me or is this bull ****?

I don't know why the arc does not always start when you step on the pedal (sometimes you have to step on the pedal 4 or 5 times) all they told me was that they tested the pedal and it works.

The pre-flow and the post-flow does not always work when you step on the pedal, and often shuts the gas off while you are welding. he told me that this was a common problem, but there was nothing wrong with the pedal. but he did put a new regulator on. I'm not saying that it didn't need a new regulator, but it is definitely not going to solve any of the pre-flow or post-flow problems! (I was already using a different regulator.)

I have no intention of even picking this machine up from the repair facility until I am convinced that it is fixed! I have to rent a truck and drive over 100 miles one way, And they don't seem to care how many times I have to bring the welder back.
I complained to the repair facility, but he told me that he was only the messenger, and that he was only relaying what Miller told him! It doesn't sound to me like they know anything about this welder.

I have asked four different people at Miller about my problems and concerns, but no one will answer any of my questions!
I did get a call from the Miller general manager after David J. Fisher replied to this post. He told me how stupid I was and how I didn't even know how to use the welder! He told me that they had already done far more for me than they should of, Then he had me drive a hundred miles to meet him at a trade show so he could educate me on how the welder worked, and when I got there he didnt even know how the options worked! I had to show him how the welder worked.

I have asked him the same questions over and over again, He completely ignores all my questions, he refuses to answer any questions. I have even asked him many times why he wont answer any of my questions, I have never got a response! I think he was finally getting sick of me so he told me,

"here it is, please send me a copy of the original invoice for the Syncrowave 180SD and I will make a request to refund your money . It sounds like this is the only thing left to do . I will take the unit back with all
the extra parts that were added and return it to Miller . Fax your copy to me at 780 923-****. Again I apoligize for all this but sometimes things just don't work out as planned , do not know why but it just happens"

A month later he tells me that he is not going to refund my money! And now he wont talk to me at all!
I talked to the dealer that this welder came from and he informed me that Miller had no intention of doing anything for me!

I just thought that everyone should know how Miller treats the customers that they sell bad machines to!
There will never be another Miller product in my shop again as long as I live!

[tigman250]

i would call miller every day until this is resolved and if you don't get any satisfaction from one person ask for their supervisor, not happy with them, ask for their supervisor, and so on until you get high enough that someone will take charge and solve the situation. it sounds like all the dealers in your area are meatheads and all the miller reps are the same, sorry you're having all the problems and i hope it all works out!

[Darcyb]

I have been fighting with this machine since Dec. 12 2003! And I'm done! I have tried everything! I have tried being nice, and I have tried being persistent and even a little annoying! Miller just doesn't care! They wont even be bothered to answer any of my questions! I just don't know what else to do? I have also contacted 3 people at Miller in Appleton, WI, and they just ignore me! Miller just doesn't care!

[90blackcrx]

I was really hoping for a good ending, its hard to beleive a big company would do something like that.

[wb5jhy]

I bought my 180SD the same year. Never had any problems with it.

If Miller has another side to this story then they should let it be known here and now. If not, then they ought to tend to business and resolves this immediately. Their sales for the 180SD has already taken a big hit by the TA185. I don't think this kind of support is helping their cause.

Miller response????


Tom

[fun4now]

seems out of caretor for miller???? every one that has a problem with a local dealer has been able to go direct to Miller and gotten it resolved, Miller has always taken care of the customer to the best of there ability. a new 180SD is far less expensive than a bad rap, and Miller knows that and i have read manny times here where Miller has just sent out a new dynasty to several that had an isue with the repair shops. so to drop the ball over a syn180sd :rolleyes: just gota think we are missing somthing. :confused:

as for the regulator being replaced to fix the post and pre flow he may well have been refering to an internal cilinoid or electical regulator control unit that controles the flow of gas when the peddle is depresed. not the regulator you atach to the cilinder of gas.

[Darcyb]

All they replaced was the regulator, the one that attaches to the bottle of argon. I complained about this but they told me that was all that Miller would approve!
The only thing you are missing is that I am from Canada and all problems have to go through the Canadian Miller General Manager, all the Miller distributors tell me there hands are tied, They cant do anything!
The Miller General Manager has been trying to get me to trade this machine off on a Dynasty dx which I was willing to do but they don't want to give me anything for the Syncrowave and they want to charge me full retail for the Dynasty! And That's Not Going To Happen!! The General Manager keeps telling me there are two dealers that will take my welder in trade, but when I talk to them they both refuse to take the Syncrowave in trade unless it works 100%! That's funny no one cares if this machine works 100% for me! This welder has 4hrs on it! And everyone tells me its not worth anything! The distributors know its a lemon and they don't want it!!!
I have never been treated so badly by a company ever before! Miller is good at giving you the runaround!

[SoCalTA]

Darcy,

Very sorry to hear all the junk you are going through. I have to tell you that circumstances like yours very seldom come up on this board but one thing you can count on is that we will all help you in any way we can. All the response are a testament to that. Many members came to be owners by virtue of their time here, help from board members and the support Miller "typically" gives. No question you are one of the statistical outliers. I would continue to try to work through Andy and see if he can break through the difficulities. If not then I would suggest civil action.

[Darcyb]

"If Miller has another side to this story then they should let it be known here and now. Miller response????"
I agree 100% Where are they??? Miller has told me on more than one occasion that they will take care of this immediately! and nothing has ever happened! As far as I am concerned Millers word is worthless! The only thing that Miller did do was send me a new torch after I complained that the original one was falling apart, it only took 4 months to get it!!! By that time I had bought my own!! Miller has done NOTHING for me! The way I see it is they have my money and they just want me to go away!

[pullerguy]

I been watching this thread all the way I can't beleive there is still no responce from Miller. I would shure like to see this issue resolved. miller has been fantastic for alot of people and just because your in Canada shouldn't make you any different. I will be waiting to hear the results. Al

[fun4now]

why dose every one think its ok to demand a responce from miller here on this board?????? first it was the p-300 isue then the estamated caust of repair so some one could decide how much they should buy a broken welder for off e-bay. :mad: after you pay ANDY for the time he spent looking up numbers for you you cant afor the welder, oh wait ANDY's time dosent count as long as you get what you want, why should he get to go home he can stay late so you can get a deal on a used welder. and you all expect every one to just drop what they are doing and jump through hoops for you. what the **** is the matter with you people? if you came into my place of buisness with that attitude all you would get from me is help back out the door.millers service is well above the average. i have been watching them jump through hoops to help people here for over a year now. lil people not big corperation that they are afraid of loosing bilions over, but back yard joe's that do this for fun and will most likely not buy another welder for 5-10 years. sending silioids strait to there house to help them get up and going fast. but it just isent enough for some is it. :confused: lets see did you ever consider maybe it did get fixed and you just cant weld????????
if you dont ever want another Miller welder in your shop thats fine. but dont expect every one here to jump on board with you calling miller a bad company that dosent care because you are rong. good luck lerning to weld if you first blame the tool insted of looking at the tool using it.

[jw36]

What James, My brand new maxstar isn't broken?
Oh and they were some UUUGly welds :eek:

I agree with James, we race with club racers that have very expensive six figure race cars, shame they can't drive :D :D

I was able to Mig right out of the box, this tig thing is gonna take some time now, but I'm looking forward to it, and I always know that I can come here when I need help or advice :)

Jim

[Darcyb]

Hi fun4now, thanks for your opinion, at least you will let me know how you feel, Miller wont even do that! And yes you are right that I am NOT an expert tig welder. And you are right that there is a possibility that it could be fixed this time, so why not answer some of my concerns and questions? instead of ignoring me? what would it hurt? It would of been very simple, It should of been very simple.
I didn't just wake up one morning and decide I was mad at Miller. It has taken almost 22 months. I am one of the most patent people you could ever meet. I have exhausted every means I know of to get a response out of Miller, and NOTHING!!!
ALL I WANT IS SOMEONE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS! And they refuse to even do that!
I am glad that Miller takes care of its American customers. But there is definitely a problem when it comes to Canada!
Miller wont talk to me they wont answer any of my emails, I don't know who else to contact, so far they have done nothing, doesn't sound like they are going to do anything, they cant do less than they already have! So I have nothing to lose by posting my complaints here. Sorry I couldn't find the Miller complaint site. So until they do something, or block me from this site I am going to continue to warn people how they treat Canadians!

[outlaw]

darcyb, read all these posts and i feel for ya . but don't start that, it's because i'm canadian ****. if your dealer had any ***** he'd woulda replaced it a long time ago. later,,,outlaw...

[Darcyb]

Your right, No one will answer my questions, or tell me anything. So I am left to come up with my own conclusions. Why doesn't someone at Miller straiten me out? Or here's an idea! Who do I talk to?????????????????????????????

[burninbriar]

And yes you are right that I am NOT an expert tig welder. And you are right that there is a possibility that it could be fixed this time, so why not answer some of my concerns and questions?!
How long have you been tig welding ?

[jgspilot]

Sorry to hear about the problems you are having. From all of the posts that I have read up to now, I was very impressed with the quality and customer service of Miller products. However, after reading about what you are going through, I am holding off on buying the MM251 until I find out that you have been properly taken care of.

[Darcyb]

I have been tig welding on and off for about 2 or 3 years, And recently I have started a new job where I tig weld stainless steel 8hrs a day, we build meat processing equipment for butcher plants all over the world. The company I work for has even tried to help resolve my welder issues, and even they cant believe the complete lack of customer service.

[Darcyb]

I am pleased to announce that this issue has been resolved, and Miller has gone far beyond what was required! And I really do appreciate what Miller did for me. Thank You Very Much!

[Tims37]

What did they do for you?

[ASKANDY]

Part of what sucks here is where you live and the support network or lack of that is in your area.

I know that a solution is in the works for you but has not been attributed to this site. This site can not be a place to banter about service problems. All I can do is pass the problem on to the proper department and leave it to them. I don't have any authority to push an issue one way or another. Our service network is set up to normally handle this 'cause we can not service everyone on an individual basis through this format. Even if we could handle it, there is no way all these service issues are even true miller problems. Anybody remember the problem with Stork's Pipepro??? After a bunch of Miller bashing it turns out someone was messing with his unit and wasn't our fault at all. Or the helmet issue this week where the guy's dealer dropped the ball and believe it or not....there are actually people out there that would do this to just get a different machine or an upgrade because they think that pissin enough will get results. Or how about the people that buy something off ebay and want us to fix it for them as they say " I just bought it a year ago and it don't work..."
So for all of you who REALLY think we are not a service minded company and think that we are consiously blowing this guy off for the fun of it and may be holding your purchases off or changing your thoughts of Miller as a whole about the integrety, quality and vision of our company, it's apparent to me that you could be a bit on the shallow side. Do a search on service and do a count of the true (not fictional) service problems that we haven't taken care of and compare that to the ones that got good service.
In your hearts, you know this to be true. In the states, we have a couple thousand service agencies where as in Canada your lucky to find a couple hundred across the entire region. I ask would this same situation be happening if it were a red, green, yellow or purple machine?? **** yea. The cold fact is it's just not as easy to do business in Canada in some areas. I'm sorry you got stung here but they are working on it.

Andy

[Darcyb]

I don't know who actually took care of my issues. I received a call from my local dealer this afternoon and he is taking care of all of my concerns. As with most problems, communication can help to smooth most concerns, just knowing that someone cares about your problems.

[jgspilot]

Glad to hear that it was resolved to your satisfaction. Now I just have to figure out which credit card to put the MM251 on.

[SoCalTA]

Darcy,

Please post any updates and resolution.

[kejohnson]

Part of what sucks here is where you live and the support network or lack of that is in your area.


One thing about it, you certainly have big shoulders. I have waited to chime in, but once again it has been shown that Miller is going to come through. While there is no doubt that there was mis-communication in this story, from Miller and from the customer, it is hard to expect 1 person to be able to deal with all issues. Andy - You did good.

Before purchasing anything from Miller, I watched this board and read praise upon praise from everyday users, in their own words. This means a lot and told me this is the brand to buy. After that I went dealer shopping, I went to about 4 or 5 shops, priced them and learned about their service department, supplies they carry, pricing, and saw how they treated me befoer giving them money. None of them impressed me until I was in Amarillo. Attitude, a professional staff, and very happy customers told me I was in the right place. I'm sure Miller maintains some dealer standards, however how these standards are maintained is up to the management of the individual shop. I count on the dealer to be my first line of contact. This is why I bought 200 miles from home. Yes, I want Miller to back me if the dealer fails, but I want to dealer to take care of me first and listen to my complaints/issues. I thinking dealer shopping is as important as finding the right brand.

Anyone that has dealt with the public knows the majority of people are honest, but the few that are not really hose it up for the rest of us. I owned a ComputerLand store for several years and while most of the customers were great, the bad ones really turned me sour and made me cautious about offering too much for free. I am not insinuating that darcyb was being dishonest in any way, he just might of caught some greif from a previous customer who was.

Either way I am glad I bought Miller and will continue to do so.

[ASKANDY]

Thanks Kelly for your support.

On one hand I wish I had the power to make all right for everyone but as I have been told, this circumvents the system we have and how we check and balance our warranty and engineering reporting. When things get done behind the scenes or out of the goodness of ones heart, it sometimes does more harm than good. A good example is on the helmet issue. Tom Sommers is the manager and had a few spares on hand that he let out to people and now he is being inundated with requests on an individual basis to send stuff out. It is not his place to do this and none of it gets tracked properly in the warranty system.
I have no problems helping people with process issues or even troubleshooting electrical problems. But when it does finally come down to getting the thing repaired, I have to (by company policy) push people to the service agencies on hand. We know that there will be the occasional "slip through the crack" or even areas that can't or don't have service. We have every service station area plotted and can tell by a simple zip code if support is available and in those cases, exceptions are made but even those take time to work out.

Thanks for all the support and sorry this has turned into such a sour thread.
Hopefully this helps clear up our service position. The customer is still # 1 but we also have to look out for # 1 ;)

Andy

[pullerguy]

Andy, thank you and miller service for getting this problem solved. I had (have) faith in all my miller products and will continue to purchase miller. I'm glad this is over. Good luck darcyb in all your welding projects. Al

[Jfulcer]

To those following Darcy Braun's machine issue:
Just a short note to everyone to say that this issue has been resolved . We (Miller Electric) have been working with Darcy to try and correct the problems he had, however the things we tryed did not work out.

As a company we make every effort to retain customers and help them when we can. We understand the value of offering superior customer service, and each time there is a dis-satisifed customer we take this seriously !
While we can't satisfy everyone, we make a concerted effort using many resources to help our customers.

Yours truly,
Jack Fulcer
Business Development Manager-Tig Welding Systems
Miller Electric

[own6volvos]

What happened here? All of a sudden it went from long detailed posts about problems and things that were trying to be fixed, then we just get a message saying "All has been taken care of and everythings great". Not saying that its a bad thing, but it wasn't really following his character.

:confused:

What was the problem in the end? How was it resolved? Was the machine replaced? Was it repaired finally the correct way? Did you get a refund? I just want some closure on this :(

[SoCalTA]

I hear ya Own ..... feel like the last chapter of a good story just got taken out......

[Darcyb]

My problem right from the start was that no one would communicate with me. All I wanted was someone to answer my questions, and to deal with my welder repair concerns. The answers that the repair facility gave me were ridicules. (It sounded like they were making them up as they went along) I had contacted seven different people about helping with my concerns, but no one wanted to take the initiative to help. I don't know how things work in the USA but here in Canada I have been told that the dealers have no control on warrantee issues, I was told that if I wanted anything done I had to convince the General Manager, All decisions had to go through him, and I was told that he had no intention of helping.
This was a very simple solution, all I wanted was for someone to talk to me and deal with the repair facility. There is definitely a communication problem that needs to be dealt with. My local dealer is taking care of my concerns and has guaranteed that he will take care of the problems personally. It is too early to tell exactly what will happen but I trust that my local dealer will solve the problems, whatever is required.

[own6volvos]

Well, so it seems the problem isn't really fixed yet. It has taken a big step in the right direction, but I really want to find out what happened to the welder.

[fun4now]

and the moral of the storry is that Miller will take care of you even if your local dealer wont.
and as ANDY said this forem is not the place to deal with it, but there are people here to help you rech the right people(phone #'s and names) and help you if it is tecneak or a simple fix. :)

glad all worked out well :cool:

[Too_Many_Tools]

Well, so it seems the problem isn't really fixed yet. It has taken a big step in the right direction, but I really want to find out what happened to the welder.

I also would like to know what was wrong with it.

I think it is premature to be congratulating Miller for its crackerjack service until we see how this story ends....the story so far is tragic at best.

Considering the MAJOR hassle this customer has endured, I consider the MINIMUM that Miller should do is to repair the welder free of charge. Considering it is under warranty, this customer could have easily sued for time spent (or should I say time wasted) and loss of service.

While I understand that Miller would rather not have a situation like this played out on their support board, they also need to realize that having it here allows them an opportunity to address the problem. If this discussion had occurred on another site, they would have likely not known about it except for the lack of sales from readers who were aware of the terrible service the paying customer has received.

I look forward to reading the ending chapter of this Miller mystery...

TMT

[ASKANDY]

TMT
It's not a mystery. He is being offered a new unit. Apparently there isn't a service agency there that knows what they are doing. AND we HAVE tried to fix the unit free of charge AND had a rep try to weld with it so don't go trying to dig up more crap. The machine will be fixed and resold and NO you propabaly won't ever find out what's wrong with it so don't bother to keep asking. It's not that we are trying to keep "Area 51" secret, it's just not for public publication. We still need to find out if anything is wrong with it. Despite the fact you own a similar unit, doesn't entitle you to have all the proprietory information regarding anybody else's repairs or what will eventually happen to this unit.

Is it just me TMT or do you live to try to peel apart MILLER. Are you still pissed about the pulser thing? I never saw a reply from you to my costs of inverter welder repair either. Did those figures satisfy you?

Andy

[kejohnson]

I own a 180SD, love it, glad I bought it, and I know in my heart if something goes wrong it will be fixed. I also know if there is an issue found with Darcyb's unit, it may result in a service upgrade which will make mine unit (and all others) even better. I don't feel it is any of my business what is wrong with his machine, mine works just fine.

I appreciate the effort Miller makes for all of us, even when we don't know it.

[ASKANDY]

Kelly,

Chances are it's just a vendor part failure or intermittent connection... Who knows. The Sync 180 has a very low warranty rate and is a solid unit in our line.

A-

[Darcyb]

I can tell you exactly what the problem was, It was poor communication.
Your right Andy, I forgot there was a rep that came to weld with this machine. This was after I got it back from the repair shop the first time. The post-flow didn't work at all when it was set at 5 seconds, but did work when you turned it up. The rep complained to me that the pedal didn't work all the time (which I hadn't even noticed until then) I showed him how the hour meter and cycle timer did not work. The machine did everything that I was complaining about within 10 minutes of welding except shut off the gas while we were welding (which you had to weld about an hour to get it to act up) He explained to me that he was only a sales rep and that he would have to discuss these problems with his repair personnel, And to this day I have never heard from him again.
My biggest problem is that I am a very quiet and very patent person, And I would always wait a month for some one to get back to me because I thought they were busy and I didn't want to bother them, so I was always pushed to the bottom of the list until they forgot about me. I did meet with the Miller general manager in person, and we discussed the problems and what the repair shop was going to do with the welder. But when the repair shop called me to tell me that the welder was ready, and they had not done what we had agreed that they would do, and the answers they did give me were completely ridicules. This is where I got stubborn and refused to pick up the welder until it was repaired, or at least some one would convince me that all the problems were taken care of, but no one would. Miller had already told me that if it still didn't work after this they would replace it. A NEW welder was not the issue! This is where the problems started, No one would answer any of my questions or talk to the repair depot. I finally got to the point where I was so angry I didn't even remember exactly what I was mad about. Miller is replacing this welder, But the real problem was poor communication on my part and there's, and that no one would take the initiative to take care of the real problem.

[ASKANDY]

AMEN-

Let's hope it all works for you from now on.

Good luck

Andy

[Darcyb]

I received the new welder yesterday but no torch, pedal, or regulator, They were going to check to see what happened to them. I cant wait to try it to see how it works. I'm looking forward to some trouble free welding. I guess if it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any. Oh well it will all work out soon. Thanks again.

[jw36]

BTW Darcyb,
I owe you an apology for the comments I made a while back questioning your ability to weld, what I should be doing is praising your patience! Good luck with your new welder.

Jim

[SoCalTA]

Funny .... funny how TMT is NOwhere to be found when something like this ends nicely. He is quick to shoot off his mouth but never to say anything positive like when a problem is fixed. I am sure he will have some excuse..

btw .. very nice of you to post what you said jw36....

[pullerguy]

Darcyb, please let us know when you are up and welding. there shure are alot of people watching this thread. good luck with your new welder.

[Darcyb]

jw36 There is definitely no need for any apology's, I wanted everyone's opinion, good or bad. And If I was out of line with my complaints, I would hope that you would of told me.
I took a new job a couple of months ago in a large welding shop where I get to tig weld all day long. I took a $4/hr drop in pay just so that I could learn to tig weld better. I have 16 years experience welding, but tig welding still takes lots of practice.
The new welder showed up a couple of days ago, and the torch, pedal, and regulator arrived yesterday. I was very surprised to see that Miller sent me a heavy-duty foot pedal, a flow meter, and a small assortment of tungsten's,cups,collets & collet bodies, and back caps. A very nice surprise!
I am ready to weld with the new welder, But I am making a deal to trade up to the Dynasty DX. If I'm going to upgrade, now's the time. I am also making a deal on a Miller 251 mig, You really cant have one with out the other. My old Canox (also made by Miller I think?) died almost a year ago, so it was time for a mig also. I should be able to get back to welding on my drag car next week.

I really don't know who to thank at Miller, But I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that helped.

[SoCalTA]

Darcy ..

Really glad to hear it all came out fine and great to hear Miller tossed in some extra stuff. Also congrats on the new job and hope that goes well for you. Let us know what you think of your upgrade and additions.

[fun4now]

well you can hate me if you want , but it all sounds like a scam to get into a new dyn200DX to me . you couldnt get a good trade up deal befor but now all is well and the new syn.180 is off to trade in for the dyn.200. sorry but it is a bit smelly if you ask me.

feel free to atack me but some one had to say it . if it looks like a fish , smells like a fish, and tastes like fish, odds are its a fish. sorry but thats just the way i see it.and stuff like this makes it harder on the rest of us to get good service, thanks to miller and shame on you :mad:

[pullerguy]

fun, why would you attack darcyb for upgrading? the dealer knew his welder was bad and if he took it in on trade he wouldn't get it fixed under warranty. If he can upgrade to a better welder good for him.

[Darcyb]

First, I never asked for my money back, and I never asked for a new machine, Miller had already told me that they would give me a new machine if I still wasn't happy when the welder came back from being repaired. What I wanted was for someone to answer my questions and to deal with the repair depot. I wanted the repair depot to do the repairs that Miller told me they were going to do. Miller and I had discussed the problems and what need to be done, but the repair depot didn't follow through. I expected Miller to deal with the repair depot and clear up the misunderstanding, but it never happened.
If all I wanted was a new machine all I had to do was pick up the welder from the repair depot, bring it home and tell Miller that I still wasn't happy. I was trying to get MY machine repaired the way they told me they were going to. I didn't want a new machine.
Here's what you don't know,
I had the Syncrowave sold locally (for a lot less than I paid) when it came back from being repaired, but when the items that I was told would be replaced, were not, and the gas issues were not addressed, the buyer refused to take the machine.
The other Miller dealers in my area had the same concern, everyone wanted to know why the repair depot did not follow through with what had been agreed on.
I don't know why Miller gave me a new machine instead of dealing with the old one, or at least answer my questions.
Now that I have a machine that the dealers are not scared to take in trade, of course I am going to upgrade! And If you think that depreciating a brand new machine by almost a thousand dollars so that I can trade it in for the one that I want is a good deal, think again.
I am very happy with the end result, everything has worked out very well.

[pullerguy]

Darcyb, I'm glad for you. You were alot more patient than most people on this board would have been.If I may ask were are you getting your new welder from? I hope you have better luck with this dealer than the last one. Does anyone know what Miller does with dealer's that won't help out their customers? Anyway good luck Darcyb let us know how things are going. Al