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I am a hobbyist welder and am looking for a Tig. I want to learn the skill and will do mostly motor-sports type welding (when I get good enough) usually no more then 1/4 to 3/8 thickness both steel and aluminum. My question is what size machine will fit my needs and if I had to do 1/2 inch what size would handle that in multiple passes? I am looking at 200, 225 and 250 Amp inverter type single phase 220 welders.Thanks Ray Mc
Reply:If you want to do 3/8" alum you'll need at least a 250amp class AC/DC tig. If you want a decent inverter in this range get your wallet out. A Dynasty 350 new will set you back at least $9K and a Syncrowave 250 new will set you back almost $6K when you add in torch, cooler, cyl etc.. Even used expect to spend between $3K-6K. These are NOT "hobby class" machines. They are serious industrial machines. If you back it down to say 3/16"-1/4" alum you can do it with a 200 amp class AC/DC tig instead. A Sync 200  or TA 185 with the air cooled torch will set you back about a bit over $2K new, and the Dynasty 200 will set you back about $4K. If you do much heavy alum you'll want to spend the extra bucks for the water cooled torch and cooler so add in maybe another $700-1000 or so. These are more on line with what the serious hobbyist would usually need..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 don't know what area you are in. In my area there are allot of slightly older machines such as the dialarc HF and 330 a/bp that are going cheap just keep an eye on Craiglist and you might just get luckyHope this helpsRyan_______________________OF COURSE I DON'T LOOK BUSY... I DID IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME