Car guy wanting a Tig Welder

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Hello Forum people, My first time to this site and I hope not my last (Besides checking for a responce to this thread)Well, My eyes hurt from searching and not finding the direct answer that i'm looking for.Well, I do  a lot of car work, and i'm looking to learn to Fab my own parts being that depending on other people blows.Well, i'm looking for a welder that will be able to weld Intercooler Grade pipe. Mostly Aluminum(sp) So, in other words, a Tig welder. I won't be Welding anything more then 1/4'' thick being that it's a hobbits thing for me. Mostly pipe about 1/8 of a inch thick.I don't want to spend a crap load of money on a Tig welder that I won't use it for what it's made for, I.E. Welding up to 1/2in thick knowing i won't weld anything that thick.So if you would please suggest a decent welder that will suit me best and the a place i can get one them from.Thank you.
Reply:well...in the first place do you know how to tig?and whats involved in doing aluminum??and the cost of this that and the other thing??we can go many diffrent ways with this...more info is needed...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Sounds like maybe a Miller Econotig might be what you're looking for?  Probably one of the least expensive AC/DC TIG's on the market.  AC/DC, 160 amps, runs on 230v and 460v single-phase.   Search for 'Econotig' on Ebay to find the best prices, usually from places like Indiana Oxygen and BR Welding Supply.
Reply:Zapster, thanks for not answering my question what so ever. That was one useless post. Please if your looking to gain a large post count not here.Thanks.Desertrider, Thanks for answering my question. I will look into Ebay for that particular Welder that you have mentioned.
Reply:I think the zapola is just looking for a bit more information, such as how much $$$ you are looking to spend. The question is a bit open-ended otherwise.That being said, I'm a newcomer that just bought a HTP Invertig, and I'm very happy with it. It is a 200 amp ac/dc machine, base price around $2300 with torch and foot pedal. And yeah that's kindof a crapload of money in my book, but I want to be done buying welders for the foreseeable future !
Reply:Na Runchman, He wasn't looking for more info. Just kicking someone that don't know much as him..Desertride answered my question without the nonsence, it's all i asked for.I just know NO BODY on this forum just woke up one day knowing how to weld.Anywho, Thanks for u'r Input but that is out my range for a welder.. More so for the amount of times I will be using it.What you think about the Sincrowave 180SD?
Reply:Can't comment on the syncrowave 180, as I don't know jack sh*t about it. I'm not the guy to ask for a specific welder recommendation. I will say though, if you are looking for aluminum ability, that stuff sucks up the heat like no tomorrow and you need a lot of current to be able to weld it.But I've run like < 10 beads on aluminum so I'm not the one to ask !- John
Reply:When welding aluminum, power is king.  250 amps minimum.  Nothing more aggravating than needing just a little more power.  I've had great luck with my Miller 330 ab/p.  You probably can get a good used machine for 750 to a thousand dollars.  Good luck.
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33Sounds like maybe a Miller Econotig might be what you're looking for?  Probably one of the least expensive AC/DC TIG's on the market.  AC/DC, 160 amps, runs on 230v and 460v single-phase.   Search for 'Econotig' on Ebay to find the best prices, usually from places like Indiana Oxygen and BR Welding Supply.
Reply:Hello,I think you misunderstood Zaps questions completely. He is always offering helpful advice, you will find very little "rock throwing " going on in this forum. If you wanted a point and shoot answer you received that from another respondent. The points Zap raised are absolutely valid and deserve a better response than you submitted. That being said, Riley's answer was as correct as you will get, with the limited info you supplied. Some of us have been doing this work for more than a few days and are willing to help when asked, just don't punch the respondent in the nose because you don't like the answer. Reading through some of the other responses I must say I've never seen a 460V single ph. welder, try to buy one. One very important area that no one suggested is that you should be sure to purchase a welder that will serve your needs today and into the future. So a 250amp. machine is the minimum you should consider given the material you described. Aluminum is a thief of heat and unlike steel you will need a machine that has the reserve power to weld the material you described and operate in it's mid range of power, not at it's upper limits. If the machine is operating in the upper end of it's amp range then it is also running up against a shorter duty cycle and that will cost you more then necessary to operate. You should consider what you will be welding in the future when you choose a machine so that you don't end up with a machine that is doing what you require today but when the next job you decide to do will either max out your machine or simply be too small. Always error on the side of buying a machine that will also meet your future needs as well as what you are doing today.You will also find that being sure to buy a machine that will easily accept a water cooled torch is very important so that you can continue to work long after a air cooled torch has gotten too hot to handle. There is a lot more info that you might find useful just ask.Good luck,ric
Reply:Hello,I think you misunderstood Zaps questions completely. He is always offering helpful advice, you will find very little "rock throwing " going on in this forum. If you wanted a point and shoot answer you received that from another respondent. The points Zap raised are absolutely valid and deserve a better response than you submitted
Reply:The EconoTIG is crap....that's news to me! By far it is the best bang for the buck TIG. I think most times some of you forget you work FOR someone or have the ability to buy the best equipment. Not everyone falls under these two catagories. Zapster is straight forward, don't be mislead by his short post.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Zapster, I've been on car forum another years and have over 3000post bla bla.. I know a post whore when I see one.We delete post like u'rs now cause it has NOTHING to do with the Topic.It's weird how u will come on and give me ****, and other will come on and just answer the question.. That is the diffrence im getting that.. OH really? you can weld circles around me? Wonder y???U got 2 post counts out of this so far..Lets go for 3Thanks for everyone else reply.
Reply:I'm glad I wasn't the one who asked what the budget was...   Are you looking for a used deal, or something new with a warranty?  If new, an EconoTIG (or Hobart's TIGmate) will certainly get the job done, but you can often find a Syncrowave 200 for not that much more money and it may be worth it to you.  Exactly how much DO you want to spend?  The type of work you want to do will certainly be easier and easier as you spend more and more for the equipment, to a point.I think 1/4" would be pushing it for an EconoTIG, even with a Helium mix.
Reply:[QUOTE=MicroZone]The EconoTIG is crap....that's news to me! By far it is the best bang for the buck TIG. I think most times some of you forget you work FOR someone or have the ability to buy the best equipment. Not everyone falls under these two catagories. i will agree with you on the money part ,but he ask for a tig that could do 1/4 aluminum that would kill the E-tig, yes the 205 is $1,204 moreChuckASME Pressure Vessel welder
Reply:I haven't done a lot of research on prices but it seems to me that there is not a whole lot of difference in price between a lower power and a higher power machine.Many years ago I was agonizing over a miller 330 ab/p and a dialarc.  I sprung for an extra 300 dollars for the 330 and a buddy of mine bought the dialarc.  I ended up doing some heavier aluminum for him that he couldn't handle with his machine.  He has always regretted not getting  the more powerful machine.  If I remember correctly, the dialarc was a 200 or 250 amp machine.I say buy the more powerful machine even if it hurts you financially. You won't be sorry.
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldMadnessZapster, I've been on car forum another years and have over 3000post bla bla.. I know a post whore when I see one.We delete post like u'rs now cause it has NOTHING to do with the Topic.It's weird how u will come on and give me ****, and other will come on and just answer the question.. That is the diffrence im getting that.. OH really? you can weld circles around me? Wonder y???U got 2 post counts out of this so far..Lets go for 3Thanks for everyone else reply.
Reply:And he's darn humble, too!   Seriously, I think a small misunderstanding got way outta hand with the imputing of motives.  Can we go back to talking about machines again?
Reply:And he's darn humble, too!  Seriously, I think a small misunderstanding got way outta hand with the imputing of motives.
Reply:I have to pull to Zaps side on this one.  Weldmadness jumped his backside just a little too quick.  If he's posted over 3000 times somewhere else then maybe it's time for 3001 and get your answer there.  Most everyone on this board is helpful and supportive.  Zap asked good questions which I am going to re-iterate.  HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU WANT TO SPEND or HAVE TO SPEND.  Without an answer to that basic question all responses to your original question are pointless.  Tigging is not easy and it cost's more than the other methods and it takes more of an investment.  Your not going to find what you need to do 1/4 inch for under $1,800 and if that is OK then start looking at what price point you need to buy at.  You basically have Lincoln, Miller, HTP, ESAB, Hobart, and Thermal Dynamics (may have that one wrong) to choose from.  Lincoln and Miller will cost you the most but they are on the top of the list.  The Hobart and Thermal ???? get good reviews by these guys and may have an offering that is less expensive but at the cost of duty cycle.Why don't you get the chip off of your shoulder and have a dialog with this bunch....the only person looking to raise their post count seems to be you.
Reply:No point on asking a question with a question when i made it CLEAR what i was looking for.thanks for the Related Info Bigblock. I have a guy near me that might sell me his Tig welder that I seening in action today which i might pick up.And i've learn Post count mean NOTHING when it comes to knowledge..But also take note everyone that is saying something on this thread is leaving with related info on the topic but him.... So what's the poing of posting?
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldMadnessNo point on asking a question with a question when i made it CLEAR what i was looking for.thanks for the Related Info Bigblock. I have a guy near me that might sell me his Tig welder that I seening in action today which i might pick up.And i've learn Post count mean NOTHING when it comes to knowledge..But also take note everyone that is saying something on this thread is leaving with related info on the topic but him.... So what's the poing of posting?
Reply:Hi, I've never posted before, I've just watched and learned but i've got too say that I give full power to the Zap. He does nothing but good in this forum OK He maybe a bit short, but that's the beauty of him, keep on giving your advice Zap , we need itJock
Reply:Originally Posted by jocmacHi, I've never posted before, I've just watched and learned but i've got too say that I give full power to the Zap. He does nothing but good in this forum OK He maybe a bit short, but that's the beauty of him, keep on giving your advice Zap , we need itJock
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterAnd your very welcome!!thanks.....zap!Sorry mate ,by saying you're a bit short I wasn't referring to your height ( which I don't know ) perhaps I should have said "abrupt"no offence jock
Reply:no offence taken at all mate!i'm 6 feet tall f.y.i....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Weldmadness, you need to grow a skin. This forum has been a resource for everyone on it, we don't flame on here. We're respectful to each other, and if you are gonna jump to like that, maybe take your posting back to car forum and blah blah blah to your hearts content. We weld here.  If you want to talk serious, behave yourself, we can all read disrespect in your postings so far. And Zap, still looking forward to after the holidays, thanks for the offer.If you don't have the time to do it right, then you definitely don't have the time to do it over.
Reply:And Zap, still looking forward to after the holidays, thanks for the offer.
Reply:By the way Zap you look like a DALEK (you're avatar) I know it's not, but there you go ( do you know what a dalek is , Doctor Who etc) , maybe it's just all in my brain, I'm frae scotland ken!
Reply:my avitar is an intake manifold for a 427 ford..ooooooook  ...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:How about if weldmadness, as his first tig project, weld's up a c*ck ring and shows us all what an impressive diameter it has?Ok so it's late and I've had a little too much Michael Collins whisky. Just kidding, weldmadness.- John
Reply:Yeah new guy, just relax a bit leave the e-thuggin' at the Honda forum.    Really, this place is helpful and no one has any attitudes.  I think you'll like it, so stick around.  Back on topic...I'm a car guy and new to TIGging.  In fact, I'm probably doing a lot of the same stuff you're going to do: intercooler pipes, endtanks, other non-structural stuff that's aluminum, light structural with steel.  I just sat down with my TIG machine for the second time last night.  The first time was when I got the thing and played around and learned that I needed more supplies, tungstens, cups, argon, etc...  So armed with those things, I tried it again last night with aluminum, and while it started off kinda rough, I DID IT.  I can weld aluminum now, and with more practice it's going to look great and be stronger, too.  I wanted something that wasn't too expensive, and was looking at a Miller Syncrowave 180SD.  I could find one locally, but I DID run across a Hobart Tigmate for $900.  It's really a repackaged Miller Econotig, so I felt like I was still staying with the Miller stuff (my Miller TIG has been great).  It WILL do intercooler pipes and thinner aluminum.  I was practicing on 1/8" aluminum, and while the machine was turned way up, it DID do it, and the results were very pleasing to me.  I have not done stainless with it, but check out here:   http://www.rcdon.com/html/gr-7_turbo...e_project.html  to see what it can do in skilled hands.  That guy is GOOD.  I think most of the guys on here do pretty heavy duty stuff, so a TIGMate or Econotig wouldn't cut the mustard for them.  But I'm very happy with mine, and I think I'll be able to do what I want with it for a long time.
Reply:gotta put my 2 cents in,and will say up front dont know **** about tig welding.But I doknow I have lurked around at quite afew welding sites,and this is the only one that I have came across that everyone trys to be very helpfull.especally the ones with tons of experence,they help and give respect.and to zapster and ALL the rest I thank you all very much.rember the only stupid question is the one not asked.
Reply:DIdn't think this was still Open thread.. Purchased a Tig welder.. Thanks for those who chimed in and to hell to those who didn't know SH!T by not chiming in on the topic... HOLLAMOD Close this.. Oh, No way this place have MOd with sh!t like this going on.. lolPEACE
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldMadness.. HOLLAPEACE
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldMadnessDIdn't think this was still Open thread.. Purchased a Tig welder.. Thanks for those who chimed in and to hell to those who didn't know SH!T by not chiming in on the topic... HOLLAMOD Close this.. Oh, No way this place have MOd with sh!t like this going on.. lolPEACE