Help me spend my money on a TIG welder!

I bought an AHP Alpha Tig 200X a couple of years ago too. I still need lots of practice on my aluminum welding, but lay pretty nice beads on stainless and CRS. Had really good luck welding 0.036" sheet steel also. But it's double your budget when you throw on a tank too. You're going to have to walk into a deal to get something with a tank for $500.

Bruce
 
Shoot it just cost me 79 bucks to fill my argon and with 2pounds of silicon bronze a easy 100 bucks gone.
I’d look at CL listing a lot of people have been upgrading to a compact multiprocessor welder so the old transformer refrigerators are really cheap. One can get a syncrowave 300 for cheap.
 
once you are at $1000, what is another $400-600. ;)
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That right there is EXACTLY what I was hoping for from you guys! What are friends for, right? My budget is what it is, but I realize that (a) you get what you pay for, and (b) there's no way I'm staying under my budget. I'm not mortgaging a house for a welding hobby, but I am okay dropping a bit on this. I drive beaters so I can afford a shop. So... give me suggestions somewhere close to (or below isn't bad) $1000, like where the HF welder is priced. And I've got a 10% coupon until the end of March... But feel free to give me suggestions a couple hundred dollars above that too.

Okay, so far....

I'm still on the HF Vulcan

Other suggestions...

The Miller and Lincoln don't have AC TIG. That right there is a deal breaker for me. Same with the cheaper HF welders.

AlphaTIG... I'm iffy on it. It just seems pretty cheesy, their info on their site, etc. If you've got experience with it, let me know, and maybe it will sway me. In what way(s) is it superior to the Vulcan? In what way(s) is it inferior? Features included or missing? Is warranty support decent? That pedal.... just looks wrong. What is the difference in the 200x on Amazon and the 201XD on their website? http://www.ahpwelds.com/product/ahp-alphatig-201xd

Don't know anything about the Everlast, will have to look it up.

What do I really need in a TIG welder? Let me know why your model is or might be better than the Vulcan, or what features you wish yours had, etc.

Reasons for going HF at the moment...
  1. Pretty inexpensive.
  2. Not the best warranty length, but I'll probably get the extended warranty. But I can go back into the store. It is a bit of a drive to get to the store, but not bad. Support seems to not be terrible.
  3. AC TIG! (Like I said, I'm getting a machine that can do both, or not getting a machine)
  4. It does have MIG capabilities. Not a deal breaker, but a plus.
  5. The Roman god of fire and forging has got to count for something!
  6. Coupons!

Thanks for the help all! Like I said, I did take that one semester class, but that was a good long while ago. I actually took that class while I was still in high school, and now I'm a regular geezer! I did have a job (off campus, not related!) while I was doing my undergrad college stuff at an exhaust shop for light aircraft. Most of the stuff we did was stainless, and I didn't do a whole lot of welding, but I did do some. All of it was TIG. But I learned absolutely nothing about the theory of welding, nothing about proper amperage for thickness, nothing about what pulsing is or square wave vs. whatever else there is, etc. The welder was already set up, all I did was sit down and push the pedal and go. Which I'm fairly good at, but now that I'm actually shopping for a welder for myself, I really know nothing. So.... thanks for the help!
 
Tink said:
Try this one and let me know your results. I've heard good and bad. Nice price for an ac tig unit . 60 % duty cycle.
I have a Miller 215 with a spool gun. Havn't had any problems but after tig welding steel I would like to try ac tig. Just having a hard time spending another 750. Should have just bought a little bigger welder with ac tig.
2018 AHP AlphaTIG 200X

2018 AHP AlphaTIG 200X 200 Amp IGBT AC DC Tig/Stick Welder with PULSE 110v 220v 3 YEARS WARRANTY - - Amazon.com

2018 AHP AlphaTIG 200X 200 Amp IGBT AC DC Tig/Stick Welder with PULSE 110v 220v 3 YEARS WARRANTY - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
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That's the one I have (2017 model) and love it. It's also a stick welder. You'd pay multiple thousands more for a red or blue one and not get nearly as many features!
 
Go do some searches on Utube. Plenty of experienced welders have done reviews with the AHP Alpha Tig and give good and bad reasons for them.
Most are positive except for the pedal. But if you really don't like it you can upgrade it for $125.
Personally I don't use mine that much, when I do I turn it around and set my foot on the top and press the pedal with my toe. That way it can't go squirting out. I also fastened it to a piece of 1x with rubber on the bottom. I use the finger trigger on mine most of the time.
The Everlast is another good budget welder with plenty of reviews of it.
 
Mauser lover said:
...The Miller and Lincoln don't have AC TIG. That right there is a deal breaker for me. Same with the cheaper HF welders.
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Yeah they do... they just cost more.

I had Miller's early "EconoTig" unit and got rid of it. What many people don't realize is that the high end units control low current better. The Econtig would cut out at something around 15-20 amps, and as a result, you couldn't weld thin wall material. Traded it in on a Syncrowave 250 and never looked back (this was back in the late 1990s). Yes it cost a lot but I never regretted it; still have it, still works great, even after building two cars from scratch with it (www.midlana.com).

Speaking of cost, if you're going to do any sustained welding, regardless of brand, you're going to want a chiller.
 
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Yeah they do... they just cost more.
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Yeah, sorry. Meant the two cheaper ones linked in post #2. I've used both Miller and Lincoln (both at the school, and Miller at the exhaust shop) so I know that they are great, but...

You know the difference between getting a welder this year and saving for another year or two? That's the difference between the HF/AlphaTIG/etc. and a Miller for me. Still might snag one on Craigslist or the book of faces, but not holding my breath on that.

I'll look at some of the videos, of all of them, but I'm torn on actually trusting the videos. Who do I trust? Which guys are just shills for Miller? Or Harbor Freight? Or AlphaTIG?

Here's a thought, has anyone had any BAD experiences with these cheaper welders?

And no, I'm not planning on doing any sustained welding. Just a semi-picky hobbyist here. Plenty of cool-down time in my shop.
 
That's funny, I was told that "Miller's for drinkin', Lincoln's for weldin'"

Although that Syncrowave 250 idea is growing on me.
 
I’d stay away from HF just don’t think the quality and durability will be there. As said the better units will have better control of settings for light gauges. Before I came across the miller dynasty through my research the next best was esab which is a top tier. I honestly was gonna get the everlast 210 I think. I remember YouTube having a comparison of all the top models miller Lincoln everlast. They show arc comparison and options. I recommend high freq. unit expectially if wanting to do lots of aluminum and stainless.
I wouldn’t rush getting one theirs a lot to learn and options are important for your use. Duty cycle matters a lot your already at the bottom end of machines so your probably on the small side of power/amperage. Meaning you’ll be undersized to start always pushing it which then the duty cycle comes into play. With a inverter type welder the control boards might not be a durable as transformer type and might let the smoke out quicker. So get the most duty cycle you can get it matters a lot.
 
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