To buy or not to buy?

[Broncoguy]

Hello all I have searched for my question and found some info but not enough.

My question is weather I should buy a used miller Dialarc 250 that comes w/ HF-251D-1 High-Frequency Arc Starter and Stabilizer. There is no torch with it or foot pedal but I have used it (stick mode)and it works fine.

I only have a 100amp service in my garage. They are asking $750.00 Canadian for it.

My current machine is a Esab multi160, which I find a litlle under powered. I also have a miller 30A spool gun with contactor box and was wondering if it would work with the Dialarc.

Any help will be greatly apreciated.

[mowjunk]

Broncoguy, you will have better luck with that question on the Hobart site. There are a lot of knowledgeable people there.

http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/

Good luck
mow

[Broncoguy]

Thank you for the tip.

[PAToyota]

Ok, I'm confused. He should ask about Miller products on the Hobart board?

[Miller Kevin]

Bronco,

If the contactor box you have is a WC-115 control then it will allow you to use the 30A off the Dial Arc.

Kevin

[MAC702]

Ok, I'm confused. He should ask about Miller products on the Hobart board?

The Hobart Board "Weld Talk" is older and has a much larger group of experts available for ALL welding products and issues.

Hobart and Miller are currently sister companies (both owned by Illinois Tool Works) and many of the current models are very similar.

[Canoe2fish]

For that price I'd jump all over it!

let us know

[Broncoguy]

well I baught it and I found a foot pedal for it.

[MNellis]

well I baught it and I found a foot pedal for it.

I just bought one myself for $750. It's a Dialarc HF. As a used machine it came with the foot pedal and a torch that was missing almost all the parts but no stick holder.

It looks like the torch is water cooled capable. There is not gas regulator and it looke like it was set up for a water cooled torch but there is no selonoid (sic).

I don't know squat about how to set this machine up or how to TIG weld but now is the time to start.

I'll be welding mostly aluminum and stainless.

I've got to download a manual but then maybe I can post some pictures and get some advice on what I need to get this thing up and running.

[fun4now]

It looks like the torch is water cooled capable
TIG torches are not water cooled capable they are eather water cooled or air cooled. if you try to use a water cooled torch without water it will destroy the torch head and possibly the feed cable.
if you did not get a watter cooler i would recomend you start off by buying an air cooled torch and work out how to get water to the water cooled one later.
you have many options here for adding water. any number of ways of doing it from running tap water in one side ond ont down a drain, all the way up to a nice new $600 cooler. any of thease option can be discused at a later date but as you have no expereance it might be easyes and fastest to just start out with air cooled to lern with and maybee even use it to build a nice SS cooler for the other torch.
congrats on the new toy you will eather love it or hate it. but if you stick with it you will get the hang of it and then you will love it for shore.... ....well most likely any way.