TIG vs MIG for my application?

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Hi all, new to the forum.  Looking forward to learning and sharing.As  a back ground, I run a CAD drafting business and I like to play around in my shed at home, mostly on cars, rebuilding them. and also building "stuff".  Most of my welding is RHS or thinner steel, say welding 50x50x3 angle etc etc. A few times it would have been great to be able to weld stainless or ally.When I was young my grandfather taught me how to oxy weld, back then I was pretty good at it, and really enjoyed it.  Trouble was I was going through a lot of gas, you cant really weld outside, I struggled with thicker guage etc etc.  A few years back I bought a MIG welder (160A SIP).  To be honest over the years I have mixed results with it, somtimes I nail it, other times the result is pretty ordinary.  I dont do it often enough really.  As an example I recently made up a jig to hold a gearbox I am rebuilding.  Welding the mitred corners on the 50x50x2 RHS the welds were great.  When I came to butt welding the round tube to the RHS I struggled.Anyhow, I see that TIG welders are now pretty affordable.  I am just wondering what peoples thoughts are on me actually selling the MIG and instead buying a TIG, it seems to be pretty common to get one with a plasma cutter as well.  I was thinking since I understand the principles of oxy, that the transision to TUG would be OK.  Also then I have the advantage of being able to weld Ally and Stainless if I want.Interested in feed back.cheersGary
Reply:Yup- You're on the right train of thoughtEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:I'd avoid the all in one import machines that do plasma as well as stick and tig. Too many guys have issues with them and the customer support from many of the venders is almost nonexistent.Mig vs tig, all depends. for some things I like to use my stick/tig machine, for others it's my mig hands down. All depends. Sheet metal body work is definitely mig territory. Stainless and alum, it's usually tig. General fab work in steel is mostly mig, some tig and the rest stick if it's heavy stuff.Understand that tig is even less of an outdoor process than OA is. Any breeze at all will blow away your shielding gas. Also tig is generally for thinner metals, say under 3/16", though it's possible to tig heavier stuff, it's usually not as pratcial as a good 200 amp plus mig or running stick ( most but not all tigs will also stick weld). If you toss alum in the tig mix, you need to look at AC/DC machines. That usually limits you to more expensive machines.  Tig takes more skill to do well. If you can OA weld well, you are a head of the game, but it still takes more skill than mig in general..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:Welcome to the Forum! Yeah it's a tough call on the MIG/TIG thing...  You always find yourself looking at using one or the 'other' for some reason...I'm not a big fan of the Small MIG's an find they just don't get 'repeatable results', which is what you're kinda' getting so it seems...  Could also be the wire, which REALLY does make a difference in various makes of MIG welders.  If I was going to buy a MIG, it would be a Minimum 180 and most likely the Miller 211.  However, if I was doing a lot of work that required aluminum (especially plate) I would consider the 252 and a 'decent' Aluminum Spool gun.  The only reason I mention MIG at all is because of what you might be welding and MIG can save you a LOT of time when it comes to setting up and generally 'getting the job done' when talking about lot's of Steel or Aluminum.TIG on the other hand, is a totally different BEAST, but Waaaay more versatile IMO.  I would say that the 'versatility' of the TIG process is completely un-matched and even though I presently use a pretty simple machine, it is of High Quality and I can do things that the BEST of MIG'S cannot.  Being able to 'instantly join' different alloys together simply by changing filler rods is pretty amazing.  Being able to weld Aluminum, Steel, Stainless, Copper, Titanium is almost in itself pretty amazing, but joining them to 'each other' (Aluminum aside..) is really something...  Brazing with TIG using Silicon Rods (Bronze, Aluminum, Stainless) as filler adds yet another 'dimension' to the process.Not sure about the 'Car thing', but I know I can take two squares of 24ga. sheet-metal and fusion weld them end-to-end, or together on all sides (like a sandwich) with no problem at all.  My feeling is that the brazing process might work well, simply because it's low heat and you're using 'non-rustable' (don't think that's a word..) filler rod.  However, I'm not a 'body Man' so I don't know if it would work well on panels or not, but some guys here that do it 'Full-Time' might be able to tell you whether or not it works for that particular process....  I DO know that you can do subtle and delicate work with TIG that just isn't possible with MIG, but having said that, you'll also see things like Roll-Cages built almost exclusively with the TIG process as well...  Entry level TIG'S can be had for pretty low bucks (like the Diversion 180, both 120/220v) and that may be a good place to start, but in the same breath, if you need 'more control' due to the 'things' you may be working on (Autobody Panels), then a better machine is likely in the cards.Cheers and Good Luck!Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:Migs and tigs are like wine. Some are great, and some are swill. If you have a good mig, it is gold, and keep it. The next one may not treat you so well.Tigs are very very useful. A good one will be a great compliment to your mig. I too would stay away from the "multiprocess" units. It is like saying you scissors makes for a good hammer, not!!!!I have tested and set up a Miller Diversion 180 inverter tig at a local high school. There is little to figure out. Turn on and set to alum or steel, that's it. If you can gas weld, you will pick up tig easy. The teacher Wendy was pleased as punch, as she did not need a school electrician to hard wire into the building. We plugged into 115volts and had at it. The kids do thier robotics chassis using thin alum tube and can't believe it is so easy. This is one magical machine.I myself have a Miller Dynasty200 that I go mobile to restaurants and electronics labs to do thinwall stainless kitchen fixture repair and test chamber repair and modification. I would not hesitate using a Diversion 180 on the same jobs.As a CAD professional, you know your way around software, and cheap software is junk. Same with welding equipment. I would buy from an LWS that will stand behind your purchase and fight for you if something goes wrong. Mailorder is buyer-beware IMO. Besides you buy your consumables and gas from your LWS, and you want to keep them in bussiness to service you. You can get online pricing then try to negotiate that price with your LWS. They may not be able to match completely but you will have make a friend. You will definetely get a break on the consumables and gases later that will make up for the purchase.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Originally Posted by whipitHi all, new to the forum.  Looking forward to learning and sharing.RHSMIG welder (160A SIP).  TUG would be OK.  Also then I have the advantage of being able to weld Ally and Stainless if I want.Interested in feed back.cheersGary
Reply:Originally Posted by zipzitGary,     I will admit to having a tough time reading your posting.  In terms of learning and sharing on a public forum, would you consider that you communicate much better when not using unexplained abbreviations?   We all learn more when we communicate clearly.With that said, what do these abbreviations mean?RHS  (Is this really Right Hand Side?  That doesn't make any sense in the context you used )MIG welder SIP?  What's a SIP?  TUG would be okay?  (Is that a typing error for TIG?)Ally?  Is that just bad spelling for alloy?  What kind of (metal) alloy are we talking?  thanks, zip.
Reply:Originally Posted by zipzitGary,     I will admit to having a tough time reading your posting.  In terms of learning and sharing on a public forum, would you consider that you communicate much better when not using unexplained abbreviations?   We all learn more when we communicate clearly.With that said, what do these abbreviations mean?RHS  (Is this really Right Hand Side?  That doesn't make any sense in the context you used )MIG welder SIP?  What's a SIP?  TUG would be okay?  (Is that a typing error for TIG?)Ally?  Is that just bad spelling for alloy?  What kind of (metal) alloy are we talking?  thanks, zip.
Reply:Originally Posted by zipzitGary,     I will admit to having a tough time reading your posting.  In terms of learning and sharing on a public forum, would you consider that you communicate much better when not using unexplained abbreviations?   We all learn more when we communicate clearly.With that said, what do these abbreviations mean?RHS  (Is this really Right Hand Side?  That doesn't make any sense in the context you used )MIG welder SIP?  What's a SIP?  TUG would be okay?  (Is that a typing error for TIG?)Ally?  Is that just bad spelling for alloy?  What kind of (metal) alloy are we talking?  thanks, zip.
Reply:Originally Posted by whipitHi There, or should I say G'Day given as someone else has said I am not for the US, I am in fact from Australia.Many apologies for using the acronyms, its been a while since I have corresponded on a technical level with folks from the States, and I had forgotten that there are quite a few things, some subtle, some not so, that we say differently.  Hopefully I can still get my message across, but please by all means let me know if I confuse you.
Reply:Thanks to all for the responses on unexplained abbreviations.