thermal arc tig welder

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anyone know much about these? very lightweight and small
Reply:http://www.thermadyne.com/newsNewPro...div=tai&id=220
Reply:Supposed to be great welders and rated very highly by what seems like everyone online.  It was number tied for #1 on my list when looking for a TIG.  I ended up with the Lincoln for future repair purposes, I can drive down the street and get it repaired rather than send it out.  That was the only reason I didnt get one.
Reply:Everyone I have ever talked to about these refer to them as "the Cadillac of welders."  I know a guy that works at a local power plant.  He supervises a bunch of weldors and does some welding himself.  He says that they use these units all the time and they are really nice, but he also says that even though he makes really good money, he can't see paying the price they are asking for a home welder, so he bought a miller thunderbolt (not a tig machine, I know, not a fair comparison, but that's what he did).  Talking about the inverter models, as for repairs, the availability is not the real issue.  Most are really light, enough so that shipping it off isnt a huge expense.  The cost of service and parts, on the other hand, is...well...more than you might expect.  Transformer based welders are pretty bullet proof...but then again, so are man hole covers, and both are really heavy.  I like inverters.  I'd probably love one of these....for Christmas...maybe my wife is reading this...Last edited by smithboy; 07-22-2005 at 03:09 PM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:they have the complete package including a full bottle of gas here for around $1700.00 considering everything that you can weld with one of this things doesnt seem like a bad price.
Reply:I picked up a well used but fully functional TA 250 GTS off Ebay a couple of years ago.  DC only but does a great job with stick and lift/HF start TIG.  All kinds of pulse, slope and spot options.  First time I unpacked it I couldn't believe how small and light the thing is.  Switches and knobs a bit on the small side due to the overall small size of the unit.  I opened it up when I first got it to check out the internals and it's jam packed.  Definitely could be some DIY repair challenges in terms of component access.  Appeared to built with the great workmanship you would expect to see in any good Japanese product these days.  SanRex builds what we get here as well as other welding products that I haven't seen in the states.TinkerCentury 135GS, ThermalArc 250GTS
Reply:That's not a bad price, new.  You do see quite a few units on e-bay, though.  AC/DC in such a small package with that kind of power is very enticing.  I have had my eye on the bigger ac/dc units for a year or so now.  After the initial value drop from new to used, they really have remained pretty constant.  So, if you bought in good used condition, you could probably get pretty much what you paid for it if you decide to trade up.  Hard to beat that.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:hey smithboy nice saying at the end. i use :  if it ain't broke , fix it until it is
Reply:My dad used to say this about my attempts to fix things.  I still hear it from time to time.  When I was 11 my motorcycle was running "weak."  Not that I knew what that meant at the time.  I just new it should be faster than I could get it to go.  So, when my dad left one morning, it was running.  When he got home, it was scattered all over the car port.  When I explained I was fixing it, he said that all he knew was that if it wasnt broken it was because I wasnt really trying.  The phrase stuck like a bad nickname, so I just embraced it rather than fight it.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.