"aluminum project" (jakeru's #3) welded with Miller Dynasty 350 vs Everlast Super200P

[jakeru]

Hey guys - At a shop I often do welding jobs for, there sits a Miller Dynasty 350 that just basically sits unused most of its life (mostly because no one there knows how to TIG weld ), but this week I got to give it a try.

Coming from an Everlast Super200P background, it's only natural for me (and I'm guessing many of you guys as well) to ask the big question: "what does spending an extra approximately ~$6k on a TIG welding machine setup get me?"

Well I might now be able to at least begin to answer the question of, what it might get you for welding sort of "average thickness" stuff, (like say 1/8"-3/16" aluminum.)

I welded the same project below (two copies of the same basic project, with only very slight differences between them) up with both machines, and am sharing a side by side comparison of the weld beads made by the different machines, below:

Attachment 2313
What do you think, any guesses as to which side was made by the Super200P and which was made by the Dynasty350?

The pieces are both approximately 1/8" thick, anodized aluminum parts that are welded together in a sort of modified Tee joint (with the anodizing removed around the weld bead area on both of the joints pictured.) I welded on both machines also with the same tungsten (3/32" 1.5% lanthanated), same filler rod (5356 aluminum), and same shielding gas (pure argon).

I'll chime in later with the answer to the above question, and share some details about what machine settings used and my observations. But I just wanted to let you guys ponder what the differences might be for a while before I give my observations.

PS - Sorry I can't share all details about what this "secret project" pictured above is; it is due to an arrangement I have with the inventor (and one of my repeat customers, who I expect to continue welding these for many more times to come...) he wants to limit what information about this is shared publicly.

But I figure sharing close-ups of the weld beads and welding technique used for the materials is fair game. (If you happen to know what it is or what is is used for, please don't say - thanks.)