Guys,
Experience makes me this way. Mike, and Ray will probably feel this way as well. There's a LOT going on inside the units. More parts, sharing responsibility equals more things to go wrong. IF something goes wrong, then you LOOSE use of BOTH while it is being repaired. There are things that don't come on par with the 250 EX or the PowerPlasma 60 when lumped together. Duty cycle is a main one, but if you compare the specs that count, you will see that (if I remember right) the amp draw is lower on the 256. That means somewhere something is being given up in performance. Yes, amps are amps, but somewhere there is a sacrifice. Does it weld great? Yes? Does it cut good? Yes. But if you have your hands on an individual unit, you'll see for yourself.