New Member with China TIG Questions

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Just ordered a LOTOS WS-200 TIG welder with pedal and wonder what to expect from this chinese masterpiece.  I've been running a blue point MIG but wanted to get my feet wet in TIG so for 299 shipped, figured it was worth the gamble to get used to TIG with mild steel tubing...any experiences with this one?Thanks in advance and a very informative site here!
Reply:I'll be the first to kick it off - You're doing your reseach AFTER buying the machine?Did you do that for the bike in your avitar?MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:No I've been reading up on it for about a week and with the budget it was that or a harbor freight which is lift start, no pedalSent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2ThermalArc 181i | Lotos WS200
Reply:I was just curious and that said I admit I can't offer any input on the LOTUS other than expect the worst and hope for the best and with any luck it'll fall somewhere in between.This is from a site often referenced here on WW:http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/...ck-welder.htmlJody is a talented weldor who has proven to be objective in his assessments of welding equipment which has included some manufactured in China.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Actually the Harbor Freight 98233 tig machine does have HF start, it is not advertized or even mentioned in the owners manual.Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power.
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55I was just curious and that said I admit I can't offer any input on the LOTUS other than expect the worst and hope for the best and with any luck it'll fall somewhere in between.This is from a site often referenced here on WW:http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/...ck-welder.htmlJody is a talented weldor who has proven to be objective in his assessments of welding equipment which has included some manufactured in China.
Reply:This is the welder I'm referring to:http://www.ebay.com/itm/200A-LOTOS-T...39500685445971
Reply:2% lanthanated works well for any inverter tigTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Does it come with the tig torch?Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power.
Reply:I'm holdin out for a Miller AB/P 330 for that price on Craigslist. I've seen em that price beforeSafety 3rdGump
Reply:Yes sirThermalArc 181i | Lotos WS200
Reply:To answer your question....that I imagined in my head that you askedIt seems like the cheap machines do more to deter people from TIG than anything else. Because if it is not working right, how do you know? Most beginners have a really hard time troubleshooting what the problems are. Is it you, is it your shaky hand, is it the length of the arc, is it the wrong shielding gas, is the metal dirty, is your tungsten contaminated, are you in DCEP and need DCEN, are you in AC and the waveform is unbalanced? Just a few things that popped in my head. But I am sure you get the idea. So, when a chinese unit is not working right it can be hard to diagnose the issue if you don't know what the heck you are supposed to be experiencing. The one thing you can do is get PLENTY of seat time under the hood.Last edited by Joker11; 08-25-2012 at 01:30 AM.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:that^ is exactly why I decided to buy my dynasty. I really needed to learn to tig and I really wanted to be able to tig weld good, and I knew if I tried hard enough and learned enough and practiced enough and dedicated enough effort to it I would eventually be able to do it, but until then, as a beginner I really didn't want to have to second guess my equipment. I didn't even know how to weld, how the heck would I know if somethings a little off with my equipment?. same reason why I was afraid to even buy used at first,  I wanted to know for sure that the reason why my welds sucked was only because I sucked. that's the only way I could learn how to not suck. I decided that with a new high quality machine I had absolutely no excuse to not learn how to tig weld well and make sure I wasn't adding any obstacles with my equiptment You've got a lot of challenges in learning how to tig weld well, your equipment should not be one of them.now, after a few hundred hours of welding and prepping and welding and prepping and running into all the obstacles and flaws in my techniques and overcoming them and welding many things, now I could use any misc machine and most likey be able to know whats up and if everything is ok with it, and if it is, then I'd be able to just weld with it, but as a beginner you have no baseline or experience, and yes, a welder that is "off" can destroy your chances or hopes of ever really learning well.I see so many guys that say they don't want to spend a lot because they don't know if there going to like it, or don't know if there going to be able to do it, or aren't going to be doing too much with it, it's just a hobby.... blah blah,, that's all negative approaches and the majority of those guys are the ones that a year later the welder is in some dark corner somewhere. what there really saying is they don't want it bad enoughbeing able to afford it is all a matter of priorities, many guys who say they can't afford it are really saying they don't want it bad enough to invest what it takes. many could afford a good machine if it was a high enough priority for you and if you really wanted it bad enough and if you were really dedicated enough, it will take a lot of dedication if you really want to learn to weld reasonably well. I would sell my car and get a cheaper one to buy a good machine if I wanted it bad enough, affording it is relative to how much of yourself your willing to invest into learning how to tig weld well... half assed low budget low effort is almost garanteed failure, just sayin' miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Yes, but anybody can Tig weld with a Dynasty! My Dynasty is light years ahead of my 330A/BP. Only problem with a Dynasty is it's less than stellar performance with SMAW!Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Well said Turbo.Much of what you said mirrors my approach to tig when I wanted to learn, other than the fact I "cheaped out" and opted for  a new  Syncrowave 200 rather than the Dynasty.Just learning tig itself is a commitment to a great deal of time and practice. I doubt many really understand how long it will take for them to really get decent if they apply themselves. If you aren't serious and just want to dabble, chances are you really won't get good..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:Yea,  Thats the guy I would buy my tig welder from  started selling on ebay a little over 3 months ago www.georgesplasmacuttershop.comPlasma Cutter and Welder Sales and Repairs--Ebay storeTec.Mo. Dealer Consumables for the PT and IPT torch's
Reply:It looks like you will have to let us know what kind of machine it is. Just do as much studying on the process of tig welding as you can, ask a lot of questions, & practice as much as you can, once you get setup. Maybe you can find someone that will let you use one of the name brand machines & give you some pointers. Of course you won't be able to weld like a pro without a lot of practice, but if you keep at it & correct any mistakes you are making,you will eventually. Do you have everything else you need, like argon, flow meter, tungsten, filler etc, ? My cheap chinese tig welder holds a good smooth arc & does a good job as a stick welder, the rest is up to the skill of the operator. I looked for over a year before I bought it, but could never find a good deal on a used name brand welder. I know a lot of people will put these machines down without ever having used one. Once you use it you can compare it to others, until then all you can do is guess. Please let us know what your experience is, & good luck!Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power.