Help me spend my money on a TIG welder!

I have never seen a red or yellow machine on a union ironworker job site or in a fab shop anywhere in the Detroit area they only buy blue.... I hate my Lincoln tig 200....
 
The vast majority of welders I see on the job sites, in CNY, NNY, VT and NH, all seem to be Lincolns, mostly the Invertec V275S and some older IdealArcs. Most of job sites, we work on don’t allow engine drives, when the building is enclosed or occupied, so it mostly inverters.


My tig machine is a Miller Dynasty 350 DX
 
I'm happy with my AHP and use it almost daily. I did buy a better pedal but that came a little later.
 
Well, I was contemplating waiting on a Miller Syncrowave to show up used, and I was contemplating the AlphaTIG because there wasn't all that much that the Vulcan offered for those couple of hundred dollars difference, but my wife decided for me. Which, in my case, is probably great, because if I didn't get one, I'd probably go for the next long time without a welder. Anyway, I've got a bunch of Horrible Fright gift cards, so I'm thinking a Vulcan is in my future.
 
Just a final plea for help here...

Is there any place on the web that will sell me an Argon bottle that is decently sized? I'm looking for a 390 cubic foot (I think) bottle, so pretty good sized, but my local welding supply places won't sell bottles that big. I know I'll be paying a bit for shipping, but I definitely don't want to be renting a bottle, and a 125 foot bottle is going to be a little small, I'm thinking. That's the biggest I can find for sale locally, and I'm not seeing anyone online who will ship anything bigger.

Thanks.
 
My general rule is save longer, buy better - I bought a used Millermatic 250 the day after it was returned to the dealer on an end-of-lease deal. Paid very little for it, a professional welder for a little less than a hobby machine.

Big argon bottles are tricky. I'd say look local at a full service shop that will refill it and recertify it for you. Never buy a bottle you haven't checked out in person first. Some guys will sell you a bottle that was 'recently certified' - 10 years past the recertification date. You might as well buy a piece of 8" tubing. It would be more useful - and more valuable.
 
Yeah, the welder itself is already decided on. I've got a stack of HF gift cards on my desk right now, waiting to be magically transformed into a welding machine.

I talked to the welding shop today, they will re-certify a bottle and fill it as long as I have proof of ownership (like a receipt), but I just need to get a bottle!

I was thinking a new bottle, or a retailer online that will show me the certification stamp, or something like that. Where do folks get them? Somebody has to sell them!
 
There are a couple of Airgas branches in Lexington I am sure would have what you need.
 
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