GTAW/SMAW machine for college student

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i'm looking to finally get a machine for the house that I can use to practice and maybe do some projects around the house. i'm just looking for some suggestions on what machines to look for. I want an inverter machine to tig on aluminum but I also don't want to pay 3000 foot a new miller or Lincoln. I've looked at the everlast powertig 200 is that a good machine? any others? thanks
Reply:Well the Everlast power TIG 200 is DC only from what I just read on it. Your gonna need AC to TIG AluminumEastwood TIG 200NAPA 83-315 MIG
Reply:Miller 211 now and a dedicated tig later.  Baby steps....Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:The Powertig 200 DX is what you probably mean? It's only 956 bux on Amazon. I believe that's the same machine Jody from weldingtipsandtricks.com uses.Eastwood TIG 200NAPA 83-315 MIG
Reply:Originally Posted by emeraldbisonThe Powertig 200 DX is what you probably mean? It's only 956 bux on Amazon. I believe that's the same machine Jody from weldingtipsandtricks.com uses.
Reply:yeah the dx is the one I meant. do you guys know how everlast does their leasing?
Reply:They have their own forum section. Ask there..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:what about the lotos tig 200. on Amazon they are 800 I think. comes with pedal and a cheap mask. I know this is a cheaper brand but does anyone have any reviews on this machine
Reply:Originally Posted by m_martin53what about the lotos tig 200. on Amazon they are 800 I think. comes with pedal and a cheap mask. I know this is a cheaper brand but does anyone have any reviews on this machine
Reply:My suggestion would be to buy a cheap DC only MMA welder and get a scratch start tig torch. Learn how to stick and TIG weld with that setup on steel.For projects around the house I doubt you will have lots of aluminium to weld anyway.If you want to weld aluminium then I would suggest you skip the cheap stuff and go directly to the expensive inverters you are trying to avoid.
Reply:I wouldn't touch anything Everlast and longevity with a ten foot pole. They cover up their tracks when customers complain, just so you cant see the actual problems they have. They get people like Jody to show the unit like 3 or 4 times, never using consistently to really push the machine. So it always seems pristine when they do use it those 3 or 4 times.Eyeball a used Miller XMT 304 or a Miller Maxstar, maybe even a Miller CST 280. Those units sell cheap sometimes and they will run much longer than the chinese stuff will ever run.Miller Maxstar 200 SDPiperliner #10 Gold
Reply:Originally Posted by smilexelectricEyeball a used Miller XMT 304 or a Miller Maxstar, maybe even a Miller CST 280. Those units sell cheap sometimes and they will run much longer than the chinese stuff will ever run.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWAll very nice machines, but the OP is looking for an AC capable tig to do alum.If anything I'd be looking at a used TA 185 or one of the newer TA 186's if he wants a less expensive AC/DC inverter tig.
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, around 200 pounds.  Figure on at least a 50 amp 220V circuit for either welder, which is what I use.  Some recommend a 60 amp 220V breaker. 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 or fancier welder down the road, you can get almost all your money back when you sell it.  You will take a big depreciation hit if you buy a new welder and sell it later.  With these Syncrowaves you can TIG weld any thin metal up to about 3/16 inch, 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.  Many if not most inverter welders are DC only, so you can’t TIG aluminum.  (Examples:  Multimatic 200, XMT series, Maxstar series, the new Thermal Arc multi-process welders, Lincoln V350 and C300, etc.)Note that many inverter welders, such as the Dynasty or Invertec series, 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.Just for comparison, a new Syncrowave 200 retails for $2900, a new Dynasty 200DX with torch, regulator, foot pedal, etc., retails for $4680.   On the used market, the Dynasty 200 welders are hard to find, and priced around $3000.   The Syncrowaves are easier to find used, and priced right.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, especially if you want to get full power out of it.  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:Most new hobby tig welders rarely, if ever need to weld aluminum. It just doesnt happen as often as one would think. That means you would only require a dc only machine which will save you a bunch of $$.Is there a reason why you require an inverter only machine? Transformer welders are very hardy and as history dictates generaly have less problems and cost much less than inverters. Yes, transformers use a little more power to run. You can pick up a used transformer ac/dc stick welder, dc tig welder like a miller dial arc 250 or Lincoln idealarc 250 for $500. These machines will last forever and perfoem flawlessly in stick mode and scratch start dc tig mode.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:TA 186 with foot pedal $1,600.http://www.weldersupply.com/productd...s&ID=2&pID=776"USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Originally Posted by OldendumTA 186 with foot pedal $1,600.
Reply:I'm sure others can give you good advice on torches.  Our cooler was a used/refurb from Sutton-Garten, about $300. delivered."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder