Just pulled the trigger on a welder

admin

Well, took some self persuading, but I did it. Ordered an AHP Alpha TIG 200. Should be here by end of week. Need to try to get to the LWS for a bottle of argon tomorrow. Not really news worthy or ground breaking I know, but hey. It's like having a new baby - you got to tell every one, even if they don't care lol.Really curious as to how this thing is going to do on aluminum. Never used an inverter on aluminum. But from what I've seen/read it should be a real treat.So yea, obligatory machine and weld pictures to come. Won't be on 220v for a bit, but I'll see how it does on 110v  :-)Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:Congrats! Let's see some welds. Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:That's all I got for now. (done at work on a sync 200 with a jumbo gas lens #12)I know, you meant with the new rig. LolSent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:That makes 2 of us! I ordered a Millermatic 252 last night. I am very happy, thats 2 years of saving! Next up: Miller 625 plasma cutter.  Should be getting that about May/June.
Reply:Im also about to pull the trigger on one of these AHP Alpha TIG units.  I have not heard of one single bad review on them!
Reply:Well, I'll let you guys know when it shows up. Although per the weather channel, all h#ll is going to break loose here the day before scheduled delivery. So that may postpone delivery... I hate winter.But as a plus, I was able to snag some square tube from a jobsite I'm working on. It's 3" tube 1/8" wall. I've got 5 pcs 10' long and a bunch of 4-ish footers. Looks like a table in the making  :-)Stl have to get the rest Monday - if there isn't 9" of ice on the roads.Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:Cool ! Weather sucks all over right now. It's great obtaining goodies from work. You got your running shoes on ? Gotta make it home before all hell breaks loose huh ?
Reply:Well, it's 50° here now (calm before the storm) and my welder arrived in little rock last night just before midnight.... Almost like a race now. Lol oh well gives me a good day to have the kids clean out the work truck. Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:Let us know how that AlphaTig performs, Looks like a solid welder.Lets here a full review.~John
Reply:AWESOME. I'm happy for you. I was over in your neck of the woods this morning and wonderin how ya been. On our way home going down 540 we saw a UPS truck wreck and saw a welder just like yours fly out the back and break into one million pieces. We stopped to see if the driver was ok and he was. He said he left Little Rock this morning and was headed to BV. He said he felt bad because this was the last welder they had in stock and it would take 7 months to get the poor owner another one.
Reply:Well that sucks!Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:Originally Posted by AR. HillbillyAWESOME. I'm happy for you. I was over in your neck of the woods this morning and wonderin how ya been. On our way home going down 540 we saw a UPS truck wreck and saw a welder just like yours fly out the back and break into one million pieces. We stopped to see if the driver was ok and he was. He said he left Little Rock this morning and was headed to BV. He said he felt bad because this was the last welder they had in stock and it would take 7 months to get the poor owner another one.
Reply:On lighter news... Looks like I'll be running on 220 volts right away. Comparison will be done as well. 50 amp breaker, 50 female plug, big "old work" gang box (for 2 regular sized outlets),50 amp male plug, and 10' of 6-2 write with ground. This plug is going to be installed about 18" directly below the breaker box in the garage. Simple install, and no pain in the neck wire runs. I have some 8-2 write at work for an extension cord if I need it. Rather run extra write outside of the wall than deal with it internal.Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by dcoffmanjrIs that the same accident that left a Carroll county man hog tied in the bed of his own truck? Lol  Yea, it does. it'll take them forever to untie that guySent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by dcoffmanjrIs that the same accident that left a Carroll county man hog tied in the bed of his own truck? Lol  Yea, it does. it'll take them forever to untie that guySent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by dubl_tThat there smells like shades of Deliverance!  You Arkinsaw boys sure know how to partyJust kiddin' D', looking forward to your review.
Reply:Pics of it already!!!
Reply:Originally Posted by TSCGG13Pics of it already!!!
Reply:CRAP!Stupid weather. Work has been canceled for tomorrow and, I probably won't be able to get out due to the weather. So either the welder doesn't show tomorrow and I'm stuck at home all day, or it does come tomorrow and I'm stuck at home all day with no argon and no rods....CRAP!*end rant*
Reply:I'm still trying to understand why you need 10 feet of wire to go 18 " even given  say 2 feet of excess to make it to the farthest point in the panel. Are you using "new math"?.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI'm still trying to understand why you need 10 feet of wire to go 18 " even given  say 2 feet of excess to make it to the farthest point in the panel. Are you using "new math"?
Reply:Originally Posted by dcoffmanjrCRAP!*end rant*
Reply:Originally Posted by dubl_tDamb D'!  I feel for ya, anticipation's a killer!!!!  So close yet so far....Hey, don't wine to loud about the weather though, or you'll get someone like Burp' or one of them Aussies saying "yea, temp dropped here to .....from 79* to 73*! Times are hard!"
Reply:Originally Posted by dcoffmanjr Sick.of.winterSent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by dcoffmanjrLol living in Arkansas allots me the right to complain about the weather. It can literally go from 70* and sunny, then the very next day be snowing and 25*Crazy in these parts. But UPS just updated saying possible delays due to weather conditions.... Sick.of.winterSent from my SGH-T989 using TapatalkPut a negative in front of that 25, and consider me a hermit for the rest of my life. Don't know how some guys do it, but I cannot function in anything near that cold. As a former Pennsylvanian, I've had my share of cold days, and as well being down here have had several -10 nights. But when you start going that far on the other side of the thermometer, I say "screw that" and go hide under a mountain of blankets in front of a heater.
Reply:What gets me is the negative 25 on March 3 broke the low record by 15 degrees. I think we had 2 or 3 days where it got above freezing since mid November. Our average low is supposed to be 30-35 degrees right now. So much for global warming. Good luck with the new machine.Miller xmt304,  Miller S22 p12, Miier Maxstar SD, Miller 252 w 30A, Miller super32p12, Lincoln Ranger 9, Thermal Arc 181I with spoolgun, Hypertherm 10000 ,Smith torches. Esab 161lts miniarc.
Reply:So did it get delivered today?  Wheres the pics man?
Reply:Originally Posted by RodneyPierceSo did it get delivered today?  Wheres the pics man?
Reply:I just picked one up last night.  Cant wait for it to get here.  Will be my first TIG.  I have yet to read a single negative review of them.  (granted I know its an offshore unit, but its all I need for home shop use).
Reply:Originally Posted by RodneyPierceI just picked one up last night.  Cant wait for it to get here.  Will be my first TIG.  I have yet to read a single negative review of them.  (granted I know its an offshore unit, but its all I need for home shop use).
Reply:Alright, here's some pictures for y'all. FYI, this unit is A LOT bigger than I had expected. Threw me for a loop when I went to pick the box up. And little helper was more than happy to lend a hand
Reply:Little plastic thing is the insulator for the connection into the machine - it should have been put on BEFORE the torch and sleeve..... oh wellEl Cheapo regulator/flow meter. I have no way (yet) to verify it's accuracy, but seems alright for what I'm doingTorch connection. While a very visibly cheap (quality) power hose, it is extremely flexible and feels good when maneuvering.  wraps nicely around the forearm and is almost not noticable. The torch (while I hate fixed heads) is also rather petite for a 17 series and feels very light to move aroundWith the cover removed. Not a fan of the cloth sewn on cover so I'll probably leave it off.
Reply:Ground clamp - cheap stamped tin, but the wire going to it feels very solid and more than adequate for the needs of this rigStick stinger - not too bad. Plastic feels a little cheap, but it's got one heck of a spring in it and the contacts are as solid as the one on my Miller Maxstar 150 field rigThis thing needs to go away. I learned and use daily the Miller foot pedal.... This thing is a bit wierd to get used to. Once I've got everything setup, I want to look into adapting a miller pedal onto this thing.Dinse connectors for both stinger and ground - yet not for the TIG ?
Reply:Hey, slide the black plastic "nut/cover" over the fitting ON THE MACHINE with the knurled portion facing the outside.  Then place your hose inside and use the fitting to attach it to the machine maybe?  I bet that cover will still cover your "live" connection?  (sorry, hard to explain what Im picturing in my head)Last edited by RodneyPierce; 03-04-2014 at 09:49 PM.
Reply:Alright - I WELD BETTER THAN THIS - now that that has been said:All I have right now is some used metal flower bed edging. Really didn't want to waste a lot of time cleaning just to throw down some test beads. Arc is incredibly stable on this thing. The HF start is nothing like Miller. Lights off almost immediately with out any sort of  buzzing noise that I'm used to hearing from the synchro at work.I will be grabbing some aluminum from work tomorrow to check out how she does in AC mode. I tried playing with pop cans, but I will not post them up. The balance knob is a lot more exaggerated than that of the synchro. So that will take a few trials to get the hang of. Currently I am only on 110v power, and the machine hits a max of 150 amps with this input. I am basing my opinions off of running either a Sychrowave 200 at the shop or a Maxstar 150STL in the field.The first time I ran my maxstar on 220v I was absolutely blown away with how nice it ran. I have a suspicion this little unit is going to do the same thing. While the arc is very stable and crisp on 110v, i think 220v is just going to be awesome. So from tonight's little play time session, this unit is completely worth the $800 price I paid. This weekend, work permitting, I will begin building a table so that I can really get into doing work.Oh one last thing to add about this machine if you are looking to buy one - Get a longer gas hose.... It's only like 3' or 4' long. I took the wife's DSLR out to the garage to take some pics. Once I can get them onto the computer, I'll upload them. Nice high-rez photos.
Reply:I'd imagine if your Wells look OK on crap metal, they stand a good chance of looking better on clean steel.  ; )Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:Originally Posted by Robert HallI'd imagine if your Wells look OK on crap metal, they stand a good chance of looking better on clean steel.  ; )
Reply:man I cant wait for mine to get here!!!  Good work!!
Reply:Thanks. I hope yours arrives on time and not delayed from this winter crap like mine LOL.
Reply:Mine is scheduled for delivery next week sometime.  Should have it by next weekend.
Reply:And please keep me posted on the pedal deal.  I will more then likely want to replace mine as well!
Reply:Originally Posted by RodneyPierceAnd please keep me posted on the pedal deal.  I will more then likely want to replace mine as well!
Reply:No worries!!  Ill see what I can come up with as well.
Reply:Coffman I'm seriously very happy for you on your welder purchase. Is there any chance you could build me a stainless water pan for my smoker some time this summer? I've never welded stainless. I hope to take tig classes in the next year or so.
Reply:Originally Posted by AR. HillbillyCoffman I'm seriously very happy for you on your welder purchase. Is there any chance you could build me a stainless water pan for my smoker some time this summer? I've never welded stainless. I hope to take tig classes in the next year or so.
Reply:Nice D', glad it all came together.Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....
Reply:I also pulled the trigger on the AHP AlphaTIG 200X. Can't wait! How did it do with aluminum.
Reply:Hey man, dont want to derail the thread, but got mine this week, and finally got gas today!  Ran a few beads on plate with some .040 thick metal I had laying around.  Its def not easy, but not bad for never using a TIG?  IDK.  Anyways, few pics then Ill go make my own thread Then I tried some filler, but Im not near consistent enough for that yet.
Reply:Cool. Shiny!  Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler