maker of things wrote:If I'm thinking about this right, having a water cooled torch and a decent size argon bottle makes many of the welders equally portable. You pretty much need a cart to move the setup, so how much more portable is a dynasty than a synchro at that point?
A great deal actually. You can throw a Dynasty in the trunk or backseat of your car. Not doing that with a SynchroWave. A small bottle of Argon, Dynasty, torches and cables will all fit in nearly any car, boot or seat. Not saying that its the reason to buy it, but it is an advantage of it.
There have been times I've carted my Dynasty 200dx by car with my small bottle to help a buddy out on a small TIG project. I have a handful of plug adapters to mate to a long heavy extension cord so I can plug into their Dryer socket, Genie, whatever and get 220+ power.
The greatest decider for me would be future value. An inverter-based TIG box, especially a Dynasty, will hold its value for a long time. They are nearly bullet-proof boxes. I use daily a unit built in 2005 and the only thing I've done to it is have a relay replaced for $150. I wish it would die, so I could justify buying a new 210/280dx
But even if you look at used prices for 200dx or 300dx units, they are more than 1/2 the cost of a new unit. Because they retain their value and keep cranking clean, stable arcs. You may not use the advanced Wave Forms if you don't have them, but having them permits you to use them if you encounter a project that benefits from them. Even Jody Collier continues to discover advantages from features in his Dynasty (and other welders). But they are more expensive to buy and that is a valid consideration. Amortized over 10 years, they pay back their purchase price pretty quickly in my book.