Re: Buying a tig welder.

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Hello all- Not to hijack the thread, but im also lkg for a solid welding machine , but i prefer stick & TIG, not MIG..i've used Miller's, Lincoln's,  gas & electric machines- i just need some solid and reliable that aint gonna put me in the poor house...thx...
Reply:Hey I moved this to it's own thread so you can get answers to your question easier. After dinner I'll post up some suggestions myself when I have a bit more time to type..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:Ok 1st thing we'd  need to know is what you are looking to do, that way we know if you need an AC/DC tig or can get by with a DC only tig machine and save some money.If all you plan to do is steel and stainless and not alum, you can get by with a DC only tig. There are a number of good choices. The Thermal arcs are probably one of the best bang for your buck options available. The TA 201 would be a decent choice. Only down side that I see is the integrated remote. I'm not a huge fan of torch mounted remotes, but I'm betting you could add the pedal no problem if you wanted to go that way. Millers Maxstar 150 and Maxstar 200's would also be good choices, but a lot more money after you added in all the parts like the torch and remote. probably almost 2x the cost and up.If you wanted a mig as well, the TA 181 mentioned in the other thread would also be a good option, but you'd have to add the tig parts to do so.If you want to do alum, I'd suggest the TA 186 that is on close out many places as they transition to the Tweco branded units. Probably the best deal out there for an AC/Dc tig right now. You'd get more for your money than a similarly priced  Diversion 165 from Miller and more options than the Diversion 180 for less money. The Syncrowave 210 would also be a good option, but again more money.Don't overlook used machines. There are plenty of inexpensive dedicated tigs out there if you look a bit. The big old Miller 330's and their rebadged clones from Airco and Canox are usually very inexpensively priced, but need a fair amount of power to run and are big and heavy. A nice used Syncrowave 180, 200 or 250 can be had often for less than even one of those TA machines. Then there are used Maxstars, Idealarc tigs, Dialarc Hf's and many other options.We'd really need an idea what you want to do and what kind of budget you have to help you spend your money. Give us that info and we can narrow down the list a bit better..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:maybe an AC/DC buzzbox with a scratch start?Lincoln pro core 125 14''chop saw7 inch grinder,2-4.5 inch grinders,electric die grinder.Half inch drillAnd alot of hand tools
Reply:how much moola exactly are we talking here? 1st on WeldingWeb to have a scrolling sig! HTP Invertig 400HTP Invertig 221HTP ProPulse 300HTP ProPulse 200 x2HTP ProPulse 220MTSHTP Inverarc 200TLP HTP Microcut 875SC
Reply:thanks for the replies !  My budget is up to $800.00, and the DC Tig machine is what i need. Ive never had the opp to weld aluminum; only steel & stainless, but Ive seen it done and there seems to be a difference in puddle flow. Anyhow, im lkg for an electric machine thats portable- nothing i need a second set of hands to help me load into the truck or trailer. A Miller XMT machine would be fantastic....but they're a lil on the expen$ive side...i thank you...
Reply:Look for a used 180 SD MILLER or their 200 syncro. Is there Craig's list in your location ?
Reply:Well with only a budget of $800 its going to be tough to find something. about $175 of that will go for a bottle of argon, that don't leave you much. The AHP Alpha tig/stick welder is about $700 and at 200 amps will do AC and DC tig and stick/arc. The Harbor Freight 98233 arc/tig welder will only do DC at 165 amps $400 on sale. Maybe you will get lucky on CL and find something.www.georgesplasmacuttershop.comPlasma Cutter and Welder Sales and Repairs--Ebay storeTec.Mo. Dealer Consumables for the PT and IPT torch's
Reply:An XMT is a great machine, but quite a bit out of your price range even used. I've seen the bare power sources as low at $1000, but $1200-1600 is more common. Also most of the units that have "accessories" come set up mostly for mig or stick. The only units I've seen that had the tig parts included usually have the mig feeder with them as well, and the cost is higher by at least $500-800 over that of a bare machine. I'm also not sure I consider the XMT "portable", though it's much easier to move than say my Syncrowave 200.$800 is a bit light budget wise for a new or portable machine.  New, the TA 200 came in a bit under $1100 IIRC when I looked at what Cyberweld had things listed at. The TA 181 was cheaper, but when you added the tig parts and remote, you would be a bit over the price on the TA200.Used: I've seen Maxstar 150's in that range, but again not often with the tig parts and pedal. Add an SCC pedal and tig torch and flow meter, and you are most likely back up around $950-1100. Big advantage of the Maxstar over the TA is the Maxstar will run on 110v or 220v power. even if a unit is small and lite, if it's 220v only it's not what I truly think of as "portable" as you'll have issues powering it on location many times unless you run your own temporary line.To stay under $800 and get a good quality machine from a reliable company, I think you may have to give up portability. Old Idealarc 300's and Dialarc HF's are in that price range complete. Old Miller 330's complete can on occasion be found for as low as $400 and I've seen the Airco rebadged Millers go for stupid low money like $250.Last option as someone above mentioned would be any DC capable stick machine and a basic Scratch start tig rig. You won't have remote amp control, but that's not always required on steel and stainless. I've seen a number of guys set up with little TA 95's "stick" units where they added the scratch start tig components. Nice thing is it's small and very lite, inexpensive and runs on 110v power. Down side is you are limited to 95 amps of output and there's no option for a remote like on a dedicated tig machine. Complete with tig parts you are right about at $800 roughly. Personally I'd spend the extra $300 or so and go with the TA200 myself, but if portability and the ability to run on 110v power is important, it's an option to look at..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