[TraditionalToolworks]

I started out with an Everlast PowerTIG 210EXT, which I still have. It really does weld beautifully, and I think I'll use it more after I finish adding a water cooler (building one slowly).

I honestly don't have any issues with my i-Tig 201, although it is DC only, it has been pretty good to me and I was able to teach myself how to tig with it. It is by all intents and purpose a good machine. My issues are primarily with the people behind the company and the service and support they offer.

I spoke with Oleg (the owner) several times

I purchased my machine(s) direct from him, I live about an hour from where the headquarters is located. I first bought the 210ST from him, but before using it decided I wanted to upgrade, and he was accommodating to me. Then there was a mixup over a Nova pedal I purchased on Amazon and they had the ad misstating that it would work with my machine...that didn't end so well and during the exchange he insulted me harshly, I didn't say a thing and just took my pedal and left...he kept trying to call me while I was on the freeway, and after I let myself cool down, we spoke with each other and worked out the differences, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Then lugnutsinbrain treated me like $#!T, so the support was really pushing it's limit, IMO.

I wasn't aware of Primeweld back then, and I probably would have considered one given the features and price. I really would like to try a Primeweld just out of curiosity...it's almost too good to be true. At that price point you could almost consider it a disposable machine.

When I bought my i-Tig 201 was before either the AHP or Primeweld were available. The AHP rose to stardom before Primeweld was out. I would have gotten the AHP had it been out, but alas it wasn't.

I will be very honest, I don't know how Primeweld can offer what they do and stay in business, but there must be fairly high margins on the machines themselves and I have always felt that Mike and Dustin must somehow test these units to make sure they are in order. However they do it, they manage to get working machines out to people that don't seem to need warranty. I have not seen one DOA machine, and there have been a couple shipping issues, but more shipping loss not damage.

I stumbled onto a crazy deal for a Miller Syncrowave 250DX TIGRunner

I buy tons of used machinery and always felt I would find a Synrcowave along the way, but just never have. For some reason welders tend to go for more than one would think in the Bay area where I live. Some do pop up, but rarely and you have to be right on it when they do.

To be fair, it's pretty apples-to-oranges comparing an inverter to a transformer, but it's certainly interesting.

I agree, but I don't really want a transformer machine if I'm honest with myself. I feel the future is inverters and I'd really like a Dynasty or an HTP, but I like to think of Miller as being the gold standard. Being a software engineer it was always said that one couldn't get fired for buying IBM...that's changed as IBM doesn't even make many microcomputers, but I see Miller being similar. For welders you really can't get fired for buying Miller. Some irony that both a considered big blue...

There's a guy in Portland, OR who replaced a Syncrowave 250 with a Primeweld recently, his YT channel is AM Custom Fab. He's pretty young but an XLNT fabricator. Transformers are a thing of the past, IMO, but there is still nothing wrong with them if you have the power to run them.

[G-ManBart]

I started out with an Everlast PowerTIG 210EXT, which I still have. It really does weld beautifully, and I think I'll use it more after I finish adding a water cooler (building one slowly).

I honestly don't have any issues with my i-Tig 201, although it is DC only, it has been pretty good to me and I was able to teach myself how to tig with it. It is by all intents and purpose a good machine. My issues are primarily with the people behind the company and the service and support they offer.

I spoke with Oleg (the owner) several times

I purchased my machine(s) direct from him, I live about an hour from where the headquarters is located. I first bought the 210ST from him, but before using it decided I wanted to upgrade, and he was accommodating to me. Then there was a mixup over a Nova pedal I purchased on Amazon and they had the ad misstating that it would work with my machine...that didn't end so well and during the exchange he insulted me harshly, I didn't say a thing and just took my pedal and left...he kept trying to call me while I was on the freeway, and after I let myself cool down, we spoke with each other and worked out the differences, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Then lugnutsinbrain treated me like $#!T, so the support was really pushing it's limit, IMO.

I wasn't aware of Primeweld back then, and I probably would have considered one given the features and price. I really would like to try a Primeweld just out of curiosity...it's almost too good to be true. At that price point you could almost consider it a disposable machine.

When I bought my i-Tig 201 was before either the AHP or Primeweld were available. The AHP rose to stardom before Primeweld was out. I would have gotten the AHP had it been out, but alas it wasn't.

I will be very honest, I don't know how Primeweld can offer what they do and stay in business, but there must be fairly high margins on the machines themselves and I have always felt that Mike and Dustin must somehow test these units to make sure they are in order. However they do it, they manage to get working machines out to people that don't seem to need warranty. I have not seen one DOA machine, and there have been a couple shipping issues, but more shipping loss not damage.

I stumbled onto a crazy deal for a Miller Syncrowave 250DX TIGRunner

I buy tons of used machinery and always felt I would find a Synrcowave along the way, but just never have. For some reason welders tend to go for more than one would think in the Bay area where I live. Some do pop up, but rarely and you have to be right on it when they do.

To be fair, it's pretty apples-to-oranges comparing an inverter to a transformer, but it's certainly interesting.

I agree, but I don't really want a transformer machine if I'm honest with myself. I feel the future is inverters and I'd really like a Dynasty or an HTP, but I like to think of Miller as being the gold standard. Being a software engineer it was always said that one couldn't get fired for buying IBM...that's changed as IBM doesn't even make many microcomputers, but I see Miller being similar. For welders you really can't get fired for buying Miller. Some irony that both a considered big blue...

There's a guy in Portland, OR who replaced a Syncrowave 250 with a Primeweld recently, his YT channel is AM Custom Fab. He's pretty young but an XLNT fabricator. Transformers are a thing of the past, IMO, but there is still nothing wrong with them if you have the power to run them.

I'm sort of confused. I was replying to the OP's comment with my experience, nothing more. If you want to tell the OP about your experience, that's great, but posting to me about how you had a negative experience is like you're debating me rather than informing the OP. No offense, but I'm not the one looking to buy a new machine so your experience with Everlast means literally nothing to me.

I'm not sure the OP cares whether you want a transformer machine or not, but I don't think that topic was posed. I just said it was an interesting comparison being able to go back and forth between the two machines.

[TraditionalToolworks]

I'm sort of confused. I was replying to the OP's comment with my experience, nothing more.

The OP was asking about knobs vs controls. My Everlast is a knobs machine as-is my Primeweld.

If you want to tell the OP about your experience, that's great, but posting to me about how you had a negative experience is like you're debating me rather than informing the OP.

I think anyone looking to buy a machine should be aware of the poor business practices and poor service and support offered by Everlast, if one of their machines is being considered.

I'm not sure the OP cares whether you want a transformer machine or not

That I'm not sure of either, but the OP was asking about the Syncrowave 210, which is an inverter. I believe you were the one that brought transformers into the conversation with the following comment. While the 250 DX is an inverter, AFAIK, your last sentence eludes to comparing inverters to transformers.

I stumbled onto a crazy deal for a Miller Syncrowave 250DX TIGRunner, then got a newer one, then an even newer one, and sold the first two and have less tied up in the newest one than the Everlast (I said, crazy deal right?). I've been doing some back and forth welding on the two machines as I'm teaching myself aluminum and the machines certainly aren't holding me back. I'm wondering if eventually I'll see more of a difference....maybe if I get good enough. To be fair, it's pretty apples-to-oranges comparing an inverter to a transformer, but it's certainly interesting.

[G-ManBart]

I'm sort of confused. I was replying to the OP's comment with my experience, nothing more.

The OP was asking about knobs vs controls. My Everlast is a knobs machine as-is my Primeweld.

If you want to tell the OP about your experience, that's great, but posting to me about how you had a negative experience is like you're debating me rather than informing the OP.

I think anyone looking to buy a machine should be aware of the poor business practices and poor service and support offered by Everlast, if one of their machines is being considered.

I'm not sure the OP cares whether you want a transformer machine or not

That I'm not sure of either, but the OP was asking about the Syncrowave 210, which is an inverter. I believe you were the one that brought transformers into the conversation with the following comment. While the 250 DX is an inverter, AFAIK, your last sentence eludes to comparing inverters to transformers.

I stumbled onto a crazy deal for a Miller Syncrowave 250DX TIGRunner, then got a newer one, then an even newer one, and sold the first two and have less tied up in the newest one than the Everlast (I said, crazy deal right?). I've been doing some back and forth welding on the two machines as I'm teaching myself aluminum and the machines certainly aren't holding me back. I'm wondering if eventually I'll see more of a difference....maybe if I get good enough. To be fair, it's pretty apples-to-oranges comparing an inverter to a transformer, but it's certainly interesting.

Again, you're starting a debate with me about my comments, rather than simply posting your experience to the OP.

My comment about transformer/inverter was just mentioning something I'm experimenting with for fun, nothing more. That's why I clearly said it was apple-to-oranges and just something that's interesting, not any sort of recommendation. It does point out one thing that may be useful to the OP....a $7,500 machine with few bells and whistles (none really) versus an $1,800 machine with many bells and whistles doesn't mean as much as operator experience.

[Poland308]

Give it a rest