Miller Dialarc 250

[tacoma73]

anyone have any opinions on the overall versatility of this thing??? I just got one cheap and I'm hoping it's like, really useful for stuff other than 1/2" plate or something. :D

[kwrangln]

Its a bit outdated, but still a great power source. Every place I've been stationed has had a dialarcHF for me to use. I've used it for stick, TIG, and run spoolguns off of them. Never a hickup, and no more maintnance then occasionally blowing the dust out of em and adjusting the HF contact points. It may not have all the bells and whistles, but it'll get the job done day in and day out.

With that in mind, its getting more and more expensive to get the add ons for these machines. Just priced a TIG setup for the one at my current duty station and have to drop dime for an adapter for the foot pedal since Miller no longer makes the ones that plug right in. You'll need an add on HF unit if you want to play with Al, which will also run ya a fair bit since most machines are using squarewave nowadays. Spoolgun control boxes are getting harder to find and more expensive for these things as well. When its all setup it works like a champ, but it aint going to be such a bargain getting there.

Here's the one I ran at the last unit, water cooled TIG, 30A spoolgun and control box, basically did it all. Too bad the cart load of crap weighted about 500 lbs.

http://www.the-jersey-devil.com/photopost/data/500/101Picture_006-med.jpg

[tacoma73]

cool....

I'm planning on just using it as a straight-up stick welder, so it looks like I'll be golden on cost. Yays!

[kwrangln]

For just stick use, I've used it on everything from 3/4" plate all the way down to sheetmetal with a 1/16" 6013 rod. It'll do ya for a stick machine just fine. Start hittin fleabay and whatnot and maybe you can find some deals to set it up for TIG etc.

[tacoma73]

ah, even better! I was hoping it would do sheet metal. That's sweet. I got a huge ammo box filled with 6011, 6013, and... 7018? plus a 6"dia. rod holder full of 6013. That's sweet.

I'll be scouring Ebay for TIG stuff now. I didn't know you could get any. :D

[Wicked_S10]

I run a dial arc 250 in my shop. I bought an add on High Freq box for tig. The thing is a monster, I use it mostly for tig. My local airgas got me the remote current control kit for it, and they can still order the foot pedal, but I built my own. The dial arc foot pedal is nearly $400, so I bought the wire wound variable resistor from miller for $20 and built a pedal.

Make sure your wiring is up to par, my dialarc is rated for a maximum current draw of 105 amps. I never run it anywhere near full output, and it is on a 70 amp breaker, and occasionaly, the in-rush current from turning it on will trip the 70 amp breaker.

The thing will most likely last forever. We have a bunch of goldstar 300SS' here at work, they are very similar to the dialarc's, but 3 phase only supplies. The goldstars sit out in the weather 24/7, most are early 80's vintage, and all of them still work flawlessly!

**edit** about the only downfall I can see in the dial arc, vs. the new bling bling tig supplies is, with the exception of all the bells and whistles for a syncrowave, the dial arc cannot go to anywhere near as low-current as the newer tig machines. Mine goes down to 30 amps IIRC, and that is a bit much in some situations.

Later,
Jason