Help me spend my money on a TIG welder!

I meant to add that I spent probably a year trying to find a decent priced used machine and gave up. That's because good welders are like pickup trucks, old one's are nearly as useful as new ones, so they really hold their value. At the end of the day, I bought a new machine because it wasn't that much more than used, and it also removed the variable of "what's wrong with it" from the equation. My point is to prepare yourself for what it might all cost in the end :)
 

There went the budget....

I probably won't even go check this one out, but what should I look at to make sure the welder works? If I were to get a craigslist score, should I just ask the owner to run a SMAW bead and demonstrate that it turns on and works? Or just light up the TIG torch so I can see it works? Or are there more "little things" that can go wrong and mess up the deal?
 
Have them turn it on and put through the paces. If your not capable I would bring someone that knows. Bring some aluminum, and steel thick and thin. You want to check if the high frequency works I’ve heard of that going out on machines. The older transformer type are kind of bullet proof not much goes wrong with them. Definately a advantage for a water cooled torch so keep that in mind.
 
A welder is something that I would recommend that you start off frugally, then upgrade. It is one of those funny things that people get super excited about, then don't keep on track with. I think that the big deal here is aluminum. People start out thinking that they are going to weld huge amounts of aluminum. Then, they end up welding not much of anything. The first thing I'd do is take a class in a community college, which it seems like you have already done. It's a good idea to take the class with the project in it. I have a friend who teaches community college welding down the street. They have a great setup, but he tells me that 80-90% of the students lack direction and are never ever going to do any welding. They just need to take the class to find that out. Rub shoulders with these guys, find out what makes them tick, and make sure that it doesn't have anything to do with you. Then, figure out what you absolutely need to weld right now. If it is indeed aluminum, get that AC TIG welder. I'd be tempted to stick with a basket case Miller 330 AB/P off Craigslist. I saw a pristine Sync 250 at a machine shop going out of business that they were selling for $600. That would have been fantastic, but I just filled up my space with a milling machine, and I already have a DC TIG which is just great. I've had to weld aluminum twice in the past several years, and both times that was for other people. The first was a trailer, and I was able to scrounge a small MIG welder temporarily, and I got the guy to spring for a liner. I already had argon, so that did it. The second time, it was some fancy door work, and the fellow already had an AHP and I just had to teach him how to weld aluminum. By the way, that AHP worked just great, and did a nice job. No hiccups.

What do you have to weld, RIGHT NOW?
 
My AlphaTig is the only one I've used so no problem for me getting used to the pedal. I did screw it to a board which is attached to my weld bench. It works for me, but might be a case of "if your expectations are low enough, you'll never be disappointed". Our die welder at work used one and was impressed with the results for the money. He did buy a Miller when he retired, but his budget was >$500.

Bruce
 
What do you have to weld, RIGHT NOW?

Well... now that you ask... I've got a NFA Form 1 back for a silencer. Stainless there. Probably mostly machining, but I'm expecting some welding, and definitely TIG. Also need a stand for my baby milling machine (okay, adolescent mill; Rong Fu). Steel there, could be MIG or even stick. Been thinking about a CETME project too. Definitely TIG there, steel. I've always been able to borrow tools for my past projects, but there comes a time when your usage surpasses your buddies' tools. I think that time is now. I don't want to get something the equivalent of what I can borrow, I definitely want an upgrade.

As far as aluminum goes... I really just want to be able to do it. Because I've done some of it already, I know I like working with it. I've grown up around aviation (and the college job too), so a homebuilt airplane isn't out of the question. Just not this year, probably. Bigger shop first, unless my wife lets me use the living room for workspace ;) I do have a set of plans picked out, actually three that I need to decide on before I start.
 
If space in the garage isn't a concern and you're willing to be patient, craigslist can yield some real gems.

Older transformer machines tend to pop up for a good price semi regularly. I got lucky and stumbled across a guy selling a Lincoln Idealarc TIG 250. The TIG side wasn't working and he was tired of moving the thing around to clean the shop. For $75 I felt it was worth the risk. A $1.95 diode later, I had it up and running. Total investment in the machine was around $500 since it was just the unit and no cables, hose, argon tank, or regulator.

If you decide to go the older used route, make sure to get a machine with AC balance, frequency, and pulse. While my Lincoln does great on steel, steel, and more steel, the lack of other features makes it a pain.

For a new machine, I'm saving up my Ducats for an HTP Invertig. It's a little pricy at $2500 or so, but has everything a Dynasty 200 DX does. After watching numerous hours of youtube reviews, I felt this was the best out of the import bunch. It's made in Italy as opposed to China. Marinarium is not only better, but the flavor is much improved when compared to Chinesium. This Old Tony has some pretty good videos on it.
 
AHP and Everlast are apparently related- they share the same building. I've heard the customer service has improved considerably.
The Synchrowaves don't have a lot of electronics to fail in them so probably more reliable over the long run than the new inverter machines.
Personally I would take an inverter since I know a bit of electronics and could fix it out of warranty
mark
 
I have had an AHP for a few years now. Absolutely love it. Try the AHP weld site they are on sale now.
 
I’m an All Blue man myself. 220 AC/DC -mig-tig-Stick with two gases ,no cart ran over $3,400.
I went with Lotos for a plasma cutter. Doesn’t Lincoln have a low end line?
So far, the Cheap Lotos is doing the job.
$1,000, you should be able to squeak in there. The gas/tank cart and accessories add up fast.
 
Back
Top