used lincoln 255 square wave vs TA-185 please help

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I am buying my first tig machine and was kind of set on a yhermal 185 and up comes a used lincoln 255 tig with a cooler for close to the same as a new ta 185. any help in deciding would be great. don't do much welding over 3/8 and only have 55amp 220 circuit.Thanks
Reply:I would get the Square wave tig because it comes with the cooler.  Price a new Square wave tig with cooler.  You will be at least 1.5 to 2X the cost of the TA 185.  I have the TA 185 and its an awesome machine.  Can't say I ever used the square wave 225, but with the cooler in the long run you may appreciate it more.  TA 185 needs 30+ amps to run full out.  I am sure the 225 needs more.  both are inverters.  One is a Lincoln.David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Get the 255 and run.  That is ALOT more machine than the T/A plus the cooler to go with it.  I have that machine as well, and have been very satisfied with it over the years.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by David RI would get the Square wave tig because it comes with the cooler.  Price a new Square wave tig with cooler.  You will be at least 1.5 to 2X the cost of the TA 185.  I have the TA 185 and its an awesome machine.  Can't say I ever used the square wave 225, but with the cooler in the long run you may appreciate it more.  TA 185 needs 30+ amps to run full out.  I am sure the 225 needs more.  both are inverters.  One is a Lincoln.David
Reply:My screw up, I was thinking Precision Tig, not Square wave (older).  TA-185 is 100% duty cycle at 100 amps.  I use it the heck out of mine, and have never had it go to thermal overload.  Full out tigging, The fan kicks into high but it keeps going.  With 55 amps available, the SW 255 will be limited, but is a totally different class machine.  Think about weight and portability.  I can carry the TA-185 in one hand......No cooler.....Limited output.....  Good luck thats the kind of problem I like to have DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Todd is right,  it will take a 100amp breaker to power the 255SW at full power.  If you are only going to be running at the mid to lower levels of the machine.  you might be able to get by with a smaller breaker.  I originally set mine up on a 70 amp breaker because i could not get my hands on a 100 at the moment.  Well anyway i never did change it.  I just never ran the machine high enough to throw the breaker.  Although I know it would have if I had been in the upper amperage of the machine, but for 1/4 inch and less material, which is the majority of what I tig, I never had a problem.  Good luck in your decision.  ~JacksonLast edited by Hammack_Welding; 07-18-2007 at 11:34 AM.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:with only a 55 amp circuit what will be my high with the lincoln 255. will I be able to get 200amps out of it? Also how many amps does the cooler usually take.Thanks for all the input.
Reply:the cooler will run 110v at about 3amp. 55a breaker would be questionable. do you only have 60a service to the garage. i have no personal experience with the ta185, so i went to their website. the 185 is 185/17.4v@30%.17.4v is kinda low on the voltage. the sw255 will be running 28-30v. which does help maintain arc at further distances.  the inverters are the way of the future,but the reliability of the old transformers is unquestionable. inverters have come along way in terms of reliability. but if something does fail, out of warranty. the parts usually cost almost as much as a new machine. if you get the ta. you can always save up alittle more and buy a used cooler on ebay. the torch is the reason why i would do it (they are tiny). a 200a aircooled torch is a little awkward at times.(big). if it was me i again would get the lincoln and look into upgrading the electrical supply to the garage.
Reply:What type of work do you see yourself doing?I have a syncro 200 which is a beast to move.  No way it will ever leave my small shop.  Performancewise I wouldn't trade it and it should last much longer than I will.On the other hand . . . there are times I wish I had something portable.  I've already been asked to weld up a boat railing that will likely not fit into my shop.  I'm still scratching my head over how to extend the torch out to it or how to manuver it inside (if that sounds weird, it's off the boat and in my yard right now).Figure out what you plan on welding and how much more power and maybe more reliability might weigh against something more portable.Favorite right now is a Miller Syncro 200.Tons of tools and I blame at least one of them when things don't go right.
Reply:yes I only have 60amp to the garage, works fine for now also have a miller 210 mig and a esab plasma cutter. I just can't run 2 tools at once for the most part. I am thinking the lincoln would be good just wanting to know where my high will be with 50 to 55 amps total. will I be able to get 150 or maybe even 200amps before breker pops.also is the air cooled torch bigger or smaller than the water cooled. I have never used a water cooled torch.Thanks
Reply:Originally Posted by rushwadeI am buying my first tig machine and was kind of set on a yhermal 185 and up comes a used lincoln 255 tig with a cooler for close to the same as a new ta 185. any help in deciding would be great. don't do much welding over 3/8 and only have 55amp 220 circuit.Thanks
Reply:Originally Posted by out in the shop i have no personal experience with the ta185, so i went to their website. the 185 is 185/17.4v@30%.17.4v is kinda low on the voltage.
Reply:your voltage is dependant on arc lenth short arc means less volts. long arc mean higher voltage. when your arc extinguishes, you have passed the voltage capabilty of that machine.
Reply:Taken from the GTAW guidbook produced by Lincoln.Arc voltage............Oh heck, its easier to take a pic.At 200 amps with a .2" arc, its less than 14 volts.Even at 300 amps, .2" arc, its less than 15 volts.If you could get the arc short enough, it would be below 10 volts.Just passing along info. David  Attached ImagesLast edited by David R; 07-18-2007 at 06:25 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Im not going to even think of myself as an expert (Im nowhere near it), but these are two very excellent machines to begin with.  Whether you want a transformer or inverter, big machine or small, and power limitations are MAJOR considerations...Inverters have been around for a LONG time, and they have proven track records for reliability.  Yes if the board dies you will want to heave, but it is VERY rare now.  Transformers are 20 year old technology, but are rugged as all get out, and parts are cheap!  From what it sounds you dont need gobs of power (like me), and many would probably steer you towards the venerable Miller Dynasty 200DX.  I sold mine for the TA185 due to it having a softer arc, better duty cycle, better warranty, cost about $1500 less, is lighter, etc...  The Dynasty sucked on 110, and really needed the 220 leading me to desire 220 only.  Also consider that TA has the best warranty (better than Miller) period.The TA185 convinced me that its a better machine for me.2 centsThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:is a water cooled torch bigger or smaller than a aircooled torchThanks
Reply:They tell me smaller, a little more flexible and easier to work with.  I don't have one yet..........David  Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:The watercooled torches are indeed small, light, and flexible.   I like the CK 20 water cooled torch I have on my Thermal Arc 185.   I got the Tigg'r watercooler from www.arc-zone.com for less than any other place I could find and it works good and doesn't take up alot of space.  I run the 185 on a 50 amp 220v circuit and it will weld at full power for long beads with no problem and the torch is still cool enough to work with without burning my hand.I agonized about buying the watercooled Dialarc HF we have at work for alot less money than the Thermal Arc, but when I figured out that the Dialarc would only get up to about 175 amps on my power circuit since it needs over 100 amps input to run full-tilt, I decided on the smaller, lighter, newer, full-featured inverter instead of the big, heavy, power-hungry, 25-yr-old, nearly feature-less monster Dialarc machine and am glad I did.   If I had 100+ amps available at the time I bought the TIG, maybe I would have opted for the Dialarc, but with only 50 amps available, the invereter made more sense.  I dont need to TIG anything over 200 amps anyways.   The way I figure it, if I do have a need for more amps on TIG in the future, I can swap out the 185 power supply for a TA300 and have basicaly the same machine I already have and am used to using, except on a large dose of steroids (and a much thinner wallet) .MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:My PT-225 running full out pulls 52 amps - that's without anything plugged into the 110v plugs of couse. It will pull 70 amps including the 20amps reserved for the 110 plugsFire!, Fire! Oh wait, that's my torch...Lincoln PT-225 TIGLincoln 175 MIG
Reply:Originally Posted by David RTig is at around 11 to 14 volts, so it will be fine in that department.  The machine is also rated at 160 amps for stick.  I put an ampmeter on mine and it will tig at 200 amps DC.  This will make the torch HOT after 5 to 10 minutes. I can't measure the AC because its not a sine wave.Good luck, I hope you are getting enough info.I love my TA-185.David
Reply:i think he is talking about installing an amp meter on the welding cable and reading the output...................I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by almusHow are you measuring It ?
Reply:I have the same Lincoln 255 in my shop and though it gets the job done, I havent been very impressed with it.    I think my old 1960's IdealArc TIG had better arc characteristics.     The pulse on the 255 is nice, but im still kind of luke warm over it.   I recently got to play with the new inverter power source Tigs from Miller and the high frequency on those are trick!!   You can run AC for aluminum and not have to ball your tungsten!   It will stay sharp, so you can concentrate your heat where you want it.    If you can get the machine cheap, its definitely a worthy investment but I cant wait to upgrade mine.   Good luck.