Which machine welder

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Hello all  I am thinking about buying a beginner level tig machine. It is going to be kept in a shop so portability isnt really an issue. I will be doing mostly hobby work with it. I have a millermatic 211 right now and love the machine. I really want to buy a tig machine because i know the beads are prettier and lay much flatter than a mig machine. The reason i want to buy the tig is because i am going to build a cage out of DOM tubing for my rhino and a few other parts for a race car and such. I know the first question most people are going to ask is what price range i want to be in...not real sure on how much to spend...i am going to say around 800-1000$...it may not be possible in the range, which i totally understand.
Reply:!st decide what materials you want to tig. Steel and Stainless can be done with DC tig. Alum requires AC tig. If you choose to do alum be aware that you will spend more money to get an AC capable machine than if you were to get a DC only machine.AC tig on alum requires more power than welding Steel/SS. Expect to need at least a 200 amp machine to do 3/16" alum. Syncrowave 200's, TA 185's and such will set you back about $2K to start and then machines go up from there. Smaller AC tigs are very limiting, usually scrificing quallity, and functions as well as power to hit a lower price point. You will want those options and power to do alum, so use $2K as a start point for a budget.DC tigs can be had for less money. Tozzi posted up his scratch start Tig that will work with any DC stick welder, though you don't get options like a pedal that can be helpful. Dedicated DC tigs are much less expensive than AC units. You can get a nice full function DC tig like the Maxstar 150 starting at about $1050 and add the tig parts as you go depending on your buget. Figure $1300 to get set up with the basics and no pedal.Used you can find all sorts of deals if you look around on CL. I've seen full tigs go for less than $600. The down side is they are older heavy industrial units that are heavy and draw a lot of power, but they will give you a solid machine you will probably not out grow..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:i would like to be able to weld aluminum and carbon steel. Exactly what is a scratch start tig? What does that mean and whats the difference?
Reply:Scratch start tig means you have to touch the tungsten to the material to start the arc almost like you do when lighting a rod for stick welding. It allows you to run basic Dc tig on steel and SS.If you want to do Alum. You need an AC capable machine with high frequency. The HF helps stabilize the arc as it switches fron DC+ to DC- and back. As I said above if you want a quality unit expect to spend $2K or more for a name brand tig that is AC/DC.Miller Diversion165 and Diversion 185 will do alum for less, but you give up a lot to only save a couple hundred. At best they max out at 1/8" alum and have a limited duty cycle since you need them close to maxed out to do so. Generally they are under powered to do alum. You give up the ability to also stick weld and the ability to make adjustments on many things. Minimum I would look at is a syncrowave from Miller. Either a used syncro 180 or syncro 200 ( if you can find one at a steal the 250's are also good). New a TA 185 or Syncrowave 200 and whatever Lincolns equivilent machines are. Top of the line would be a machine like the Dynasty 200 but thats pushing $4K.There are cheaper import machines out there. I don't care for them myself. I've gone down that road when I 1st started out and then found the issues that come with going with a brand that has no service or parts availability.. I won't start the bashing war, Read the threads on them yourself but keep in mind these guys pay for their sections and have a habit of deleting all the bad issues so no one can see them..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:I am going to strongly recomend a Miller Syncrowave 200, I have one, I love it. Great machine, was reasonably priced.
Reply:If you want a good basic TIG, without spending a lot of money, it is hard to beat a used Miller Syncrowave 180 or 200.  I have owned both, both are good.   Both have High Frequency, AC and DC, so you can weld any metal, including aluminum.  Both include stick and TIG.  The original version of the Syncrowave 180 is arguably better for beginners, as it has minimal controls, three switches and one knob, simple to use.  The  later version of the 180 (180SD) added an AC balance knob and digital displays.   The 200 has lots of bells and whistles, including pulse, which I like for thin copper.   The 180 is a little smaller, but both are relatively big and heavy, maybe 200 pounds.  Figure on at least a 50 amp 220V circuit for either welder.  I have run both on a 50 amp breaker for years, have never popped a breaker, but I don’t run it very often at 200 amps.   (I did test it at 200 amps, AC and DC, and it did not trip the breaker or burn up the TIG torch).I bought the 200 for $1300, too good a deal to pass up, and then sold my Synchrowave 180 for $1150.   The 180 price that I got was probably higher than average, and the 200 price that I paid was lower than average, so I did very well, paid only $150 to upgrade.Anyway, for somewhere between $1000 and $1500, you can buy a used Syncrowave 180 or 200, and have a welder that will probably serve all your needs for decades.   If you buy used, and you decide you need a bigger welder down the road, you can get almost all your money back when you sell it.  With TIG you can weld any thin metal, and you can stick weld any steel 1/8 inch or thicker.   I used the 180 as a stick welder for months before I got around to buying an argon bottle.  Some report that the 180 had a higher than average repair rate, but my original version 180 gave me no trouble.I am not a big fan of the Miller Diversion because it lacks stick.  Stick is what you need to weld thick steel.   The Dynasty is a great welder, but way too much money unless you have to have easy portability, or need 110V.   (Note that a 20 amp 120Volt outlet will only run a welder at very reduced power, so 110V operation is not that great an advantage).   The Miller EconoTIG looks good on paper, but a Miller factory guy said that it was not that great, that the Syncrowave 180 was a much better machine.  Lincoln makes the Square Wave 175, and Precision TIG 225, similar to the Syncrowaves, look for a used Lincoln as a possible alternative.  Most inverter welders are DC only, so you can’t TIG aluminum.  Note that many inverter welders do not come standard with a TIG torch, regulator, and foot pedal, so they are even more expensive than they look at first glance.  The Syncrowaves come with everything you need except a gas bottle.  The welder manufacturers are pushing their inverter machines, but it is hard to justify the much higher cost, especially when you can find a used Syncrowave for not much more than $1000.  They have sold a lot of Syncrowaves, so you should be able to find a used one if you look.The Syncrowave 250 is an industry classic, a great machine, but big and heavy, and more expensive.  It should probably have a 100 amp 220V circuit.  The 250 is just more welder than most folks need, unless you need to TIG 1/4 inch thick aluminum.Sculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge
Reply:If you have acces to a shop why not get a used welder..I see big old industrial tigs from the 70s etc on craigslist all the time..