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Miller syncrowave 250 Tig welder hekp

TTMotorsports

Red Skull Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2021
Member Number
3315
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1,438
Loc
Lucerne Valley, CA
Ok so I picked up a used Miller syncrowave 250 welder. It was hooked up for stock welding. I want to use it for Tig welding. I have a pedal, water cooler and new ck torch. I can't get it to work with the pedal at all. Pedal doesn't make it change at all and it has a strange buzz sound to it when it's turned on. Was working as a stick welder when I got it. Works when I scratch start it but pedal isn't working to adjust amperage or turn the gas flow on. What should I check into first in this thing.

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  • PXL_20230901_225535912.mp4
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Middle center switches with "remote 14" under them. Try switching the one on the left down. From the dial icon to the "a"

Also you can plug the sn into millers site and get a PDF of the original manual
 
I’ve welded a lot with a 250 and it worked great. I went and bought a Miller 375 plasma cutter. I figured it was the best. I used it three times in ten years and went to use it a couple days ago. No work. Took it to the Miller service center and they say the circuit board is bad. That is opsolete. So basically I should buy a new one.

lowered my opinion of Miller quite a bit.

I know, no help to you, I just needed to vent.
 
Ok switched everything like cj3a machine and still nothing from pedal no gas flow or anything. Gonna try another pedal I have to see if it's a bad pedal or something. Switch pedals and no change. Something ain't right with this machine so I'm gonna call welder repair shop tomorrow and see if I can bring it in. Either something stupid simple or a circuit board which isn't cheap.

Also cj3a does your machine sound like my machine when it's just sitting on?
 
TTMotorsports said:
Ok switched everything like cj3a machine and still nothing from pedal no gas flow or anything. Gonna try another pedal I have to see if it's a bad pedal or something. Switch pedals and no change. Something ain't right with this machine so I'm gonna call welder repair shop tomorrow and see if I can bring it in. Either something stupid simple or a circuit board which isn't cheap.

Also cj3a does your machine sound like my machine when it's just sitting on?
Click to expand...
Is the 15 amp circuit breaker below the pedal plug tripped by any chance?
 
noise sounds like the HF start circuit operating, turn that off and I'd bet the noise stops

your water line to the torch power lead isn't hooked up, so it might be burnt and open circuit, too

ETA: very specifically, the two toggle switches above the analog ammeter
those need to be down to "remote"
that is the gist of the picture, if you missed that detail in the pic...
 
flip that remote switch down
the toggle right above AMPERAGE

edit: as evidently posted right above me :grinpimp:

These are nice machines, I ran one for a few years

and edit edit
set your amperage to your max that you want on your pedal when it is maxed out, right now you are going to see about 25A
 
 
WaterH said:
I’ve welded a lot with a 250 and it worked great. I went and bought a Miller 375 plasma cutter. I figured it was the best. I used it three times in ten years and went to use it a couple days ago. No work. Took it to the Miller service center and they say the circuit board is bad. That is opsolete. So basically I should buy a new one.

lowered my opinion of Miller quite a bit.

I know, no help to you, I just needed to vent.
Click to expand...
Google around, you may be able to find some place to have that circuit board fixed or exchange it. I had the same thing happen with my 250 MIG, there was a shop near me that was able to fix it. IIRC it's Brian's Welder Repair in Garden City Mi, IDK... maybe he can help you. That's basically all he does is Miller equipment, everything I seen was blue.
 
Gdogg said:
Google around, you may be able to find some place to have that circuit board fixed or exchange it. I had the same thing happen with my 250 MIG, there was a shop near me that was able to fix it. IIRC it's Brian's Welder Repair in Garden City Mi, IDK... maybe he can help you. That's basically all he does is Miller equipment, everything I seen was blue.
Click to expand...
The service center I took it to was basically just a guy with a big garage. It was full of blue boxes. He was interesting to talk to. Of course, he was not an electronics guy. I was thinking there might be someone who could test things on the board. Hardly any people like that anymore.
 
Yeah you can send boards out. It's getting easier to get them fixed. More people do it now

Op do you have a multimeter?
 
Quite a few years ago I had an L-tec Tig. IIRC, it developed an issue with not wanting to arc when I depressed the pedal. It had an air gap that had to be readjusted. Once I did that, the machine worked like a champ.
I do not know if your Miller has the same components, but the symptoms are similar. It may be something to look into.
Random internet picture showing what I am referring to.
1693952215988.png
 
WaterH said:
I’ve welded a lot with a 250 and it worked great. I went and bought a Miller 375 plasma cutter. I figured it was the best. I used it three times in ten years and went to use it a couple days ago. No work. Took it to the Miller service center and they say the circuit board is bad. That is opsolete. So basically I should buy a new one.

lowered my opinion of Miller quite a bit.

I know, no help to you, I just needed to vent.
Click to expand...
Get SN and board ID# and call these guys or email. Be warned that are old school as hell but they probably have 4 of the board you are looking for, might not be cheap either...
I'd also check eBay.

Applied Equipment Inc
(214) 630-9353

Applied Equipment Inc - Google Search
 
72Pstroke said:
Quite a few years ago I had an L-tec Tig. IIRC, it developed an issue with not wanting to arc when I depressed the pedal. It had an air gap that had to be readjusted. Once I did that, the machine worked like a champ.
I do not know if your Miller has the same components, but the symptoms are similar. It may be something to look into.
Random internet picture showing what I am referring to.
1693952215988.png
Click to expand...
It should have a adjustable arc gap too.
Something to check.
 
TTMotorsports said:
I do and both pedal tests good.
Click to expand...
Are you using OEM Miller pedals, guessing using another machine? Sometimes when they fail, they may activate the arc/HF (microswitch) but have no amperage adjustment, or vice versa. Could you get another video of it with the switches on remote? The noise is a little weird, mine's about 10 years older than yours and am pretty sure it's silent other than some transformer hum.
 
Welded alot of alum with these old syncros. Maintenance never took care of them and we ran them to duty cycle constantly.
 
Pedal is the one that came with the used machine. Also hooked the pedal up from my other welder that works and it didn't change anything. Tool to repair shop and he said the remote toggle switch fails sometimes, which wouldn't give power to part of machine that pedal triggers the HF and the gas solenoid.
 
72Pstroke said:
Quite a few years ago I had an L-tec Tig. IIRC, it developed an issue with not wanting to arc when I depressed the pedal. It had an air gap that had to be readjusted. Once I did that, the machine worked like a champ.
I do not know if your Miller has the same components, but the symptoms are similar. It may be something to look into.
Random internet picture showing what I am referring to.
1693952215988.png
Click to expand...
I have always heard them referred to as points
but that was in my Lincoln, maybe that is a thing

every once in a while you have to tip those pedals on it side and smack the shop crumbles out of the electronic gizmos in there, that always solved my dead spot in the pedal
 
WESTOF7 said:
I like that they actually work. Can't say the same for the Dynastys.
Click to expand...

Yes. For some reason, personally enjoyed welding aluminum with the syncrows over the dynasty. Simple mentality, the dynasty did good, you just had to finger the buttons correctly.

We also let the smoke out on one.
 
Gravy said:
Yes. For some reason, personally enjoyed welding aluminum with the syncrows over the dynasty. Simple mentality, the dynasty did good, you just had to finger the buttons correctly.

We also let the smoke out on one.
Click to expand...
Worked in a shop with I think 7 dynasty’s. From 200/300/350s. I think at one point there were always 2 or so out for repair. One time there were 2 out and both needed 1 or 2 circuit boards. Repair bill would have been 3500 bucks EACH. New machine was 7000 at the time.
I’ve used both transformer machines and dynasty’s and honestly the transformer ones would be my preference.

There are places that rebuild circuit boards. I was looking for one for a buddy when the Lincoln 175 tig he inherited had a fried board but he didn’t want to spend the money for it to get fixed. I’d get the part number for the plasma cutter board that’s bad and start searching from there

Edit: also turn that post flow timer to 5.
 
TTMotorsports said:
OK guys I got the machine fixed. It was wired internally for 480V. Changed that and everything works perfectly. I didn't even think that the syncrowave 250 could be wired for 480V
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That's awesome. About the cheapest fix you can have, short of realizing you forgot to turn the machine on.

I'm happy for you. I don't have that kind of luck but it's good to hear when someone actually does.
 
Yeah and I had to pay the 1hr minimum for the shop to diagnose and fix this so they tested output amperage and checked everything on the machine, blew out the ammeter with air to get that to working perfectly too. Was frustrating that it didn't work from step 1 but it worked out for the best since the shop had it for less and 1 week.
 
TTMotorsports said:
Yeah and I had to pay the 1hr minimum for the shop to diagnose and fix this so they tested output amperage and checked everything on the machine, blew out the ammeter with air to get that to working perfectly too. Was frustrating that it didn't work from step 1 but it worked out for the best since the shop had it for less and 1 week.
Click to expand...
I never would have thought to check that for a home machine but good thing it wasn’t something stupid expensive. Just two nuts and moving a plate over.
 
Yeah I know how its done since that's what I have to do on my syncrowave 350 but i didn't know it was an option. There isn't a little easy access panel on the back like the other machine with voltage diagram on it.
 
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