choosing a machine for tig and mig work

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ive been looking at welders now for a while trying to learn as much as i can from the otherside of the fence. i work in NDT asa career and get to critique the welds but im no expert on making them.im going to be building some tube chassis in DOM tubing and 4130 and some aluminum work building atv parts and sand rail chassis and whatever else comes along. (220volt)im looking at multipurpose machines i would like a machine that can do mig and tig those are the important ones to me stick is just another bonusi see alot of welders that are just power units and they just hookup different components offshore so they can do all the methods with one box, but im sure these are very expensive and the power units are monsterslooking for advice on what i should look at on multiprocess welders, or am i barking up the wrong tree should i just get a seperate tig and mig machine and that would be more cost effective?i dont need to make very thick single pass welds i dont mind making multiple passes(1/2 wall thickness) but i dont want to have to upgrade this machine much after i get all the components to do what i want.i have local oxarc dealers and air gas dealers and a&l compressed gas store probably more that i dont even know of.i wont be buying this welder for atleast 6-8 months im still doing research so my budget is still open of course i want to spend the least amount but i dont want junk either i really like miller welder but damn you gotta pay for that name. i dont want to spend more then 3grand fully setupi know there are local dealers for miller, lincoln, esab and TA
Reply:you want a multi-process power supply (AC and DC capable) and all the associated hardware and accessories for TIG and MIG, for $3000 or less.Start shopping used equipment.  the XMT304 would suit your needs, but lists for $3900 new, and only includes MIG equipment.  The TIG accessories will run you at least another $750 - $1000; depending on variables like air vs water-cooled torch, # of collets, cups, gas lenses, and Ar shielding gas tank..I've used Miller's XMT, and like them alot.  But I've not used them for MIG, only stick and TIG welding.  For power efficiency and size, I suggest you look at inverter power supplies.If you're doing a lot of TIG, I suggest getting a water-cooled torch.  I've used both, and in a shop environment, a water cooled torch is a nice addition.Do you have, or have you considered that you'll need a means to cut and or bend the tubing for your projects?  This will add substantially to your equipment budget...
Reply:i have a decent amount of tools now, but plan on spending for a plasma cutter a good hydralic tubing bender and tube notcher but one step at a time. this is why i stated im still researching and if i cant get what i want for my budget ill have to adjust.i dont mind buying stuff used the bad part for me when buying used is if i dont know what im buying i usually get the short end of the stick.  and at this point without much more knowledge i dont know anything about older machines that aren't current models with spec sheets.am i headed in the wrong direction trying to get one machine to do both mig and tig? doesn't seem like alot of people go this route?
Reply:The XMT is primarily a stick and wire feed machine.   It can do tig but it doesn't come with many features common on tig machines, namely high frequency start and a gas valve.  It is dc only, so no aluminum tig with it, unless you want to weld it in dc but ac is so much better for aluminum.   The gas valve is available as a field installed option or you can order the machine with it already  installed.   I don't know how much that option costs.   It does not come with any mig welding equipment.   The feeder and torch and interconnecting cables you have to buy seperately.   I have mig, flux and stick welded with XMT 304 and it is a very smooth machine to weld with and it can go constantly without a problem.  It is an industrial duty machine.  It's also not that big or heavy, can be carried easily by two people, and it's an inverter so it it's very miserly on the power.  It can also be connected to just about any kind of power, single or 3 phase from 220v to 460v.   It can be run off a generator too.Most of the multi-process machines available are dc-only so if you're looking for an ac/dc, cc/cv, mig/tig/stick welder, good luck, especially at the price you want to pay.   I would recommend the XMT for mig and stick and a Dynasty or Syncrowave or Thermal Arc for ac/dc tig.  Another multi-process machine that you can find used if you spend some time looking, is the PowCon SMT.   I occasionaly see 400SMT's for sale on eBay.  They are old machines, but they are excellent welders.  I have the 300SM mig/stick model and I like welding with it alot.  Again, they are dc-only, like the XMT.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I went with a used XMT over a purpose built tig machine for a few reasons. First, I don't have enough bench time on tig after only one semester at school. Second, I can certainly use all the other functions offered, stick with just 2 welding leads, air arc with the proper stinger (next on the list), mig with wire feeder and gas solenoid w/cart for a bottle or 2. (However, at work, we already have an old mig.) DC tig would be a plus, but if you have immediate need for aluminum tig, you are looking at an AC machine right in the face.If I were you, and knew I wanted to do aluminum work, I might start with an AC/DC tig machine. A used machine will help to keep you under budget, but use caution, that's all.Aluminum with mig is an area I am not familiar with. Do the Lincoln multi-process inverters do AC? City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:I have had an XMT 304 for at least 5 years now- and its great for everything you need, EXCEPT aluminum.It will mig weld aluminum, but it wont tig it. (well, maybe you could DC tig, as talked about in another thread here- but its not easy, or common, and it requires helium for a sheilding gas)But for stick, mig, and most tig, the 304 kicks it.It is not a cheap welder- its a very heavy duty, well built, 300 amp industrial machine, and priced accordingly.I run mine with a S22 wire feeder, and its the nicest mig welder I have ever used.Or I hook up my XR-30 push pull unit, and I can mig weld 50 feet away, or mig weld aluminum with it. And I tig weld with it every single day- we have a HF box on it, a foot pedal, and a radiator.But add it all up, and you are north of 5 grand, easy, to both tig and mig weld with it.Thats all brand new, top of the line, miller stuff.There are shortcuts- you can lift arc tig with it, with an air cooled torch, for only a couple hundred bucks. And you can plug most any mig feeder into it.All in all, its a great machine, but it aint cheap.
Reply:You cannot get a TIG/MIG machine that does both things very well.What you really need is a Miller or Lincoln 250 syncrowave for TIG and a Lincoln,Hobart or Miller, wire feed 110V. 0R 220V wire feed.Then you can do ANYTHING very well. If you want to do wire feed aluminum that is another whole discussion.
Reply:okay well then lets say i was looking for a good ac/dc inverter tig machine and the most id ever weld thinkess with multiple passes is 1/2" im new to tig welding so i probably wouldn't use alot of fancy features but i want enough that im not wishing i had bought a better machine.ive looked at some TA machines like the 185 and the synchrowave and the dynasty welders and some esab'swhich ones gonna be easy on the new guy here ?ill start a new thread on finding me a wirefeed
Reply:On the ac/dc inverter tig question,  I'll say that I'm quite pleased with my Thermal Arc 185 ACDC.   The only thing it lacks is power for thick stuff.   In that case, they make the 300 amp version of this machine and I hear it welds just as nice as the 185.   Of course it costs more $$$, otherwise I would have bought the 300 but the 185 has been very good to me so far.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I haven't used my xmt 304 for tig yet (still waiting on one critical piece to come in) but have a total tied up in the tig portion of less than 150 bucks. I went with a 150 amp aircooled torch with a manual gas valve, and the remote I use for my wirefeeder is the same remote for tig (I made sure of that before I bought it). No need in messing with the cooler as I have a synchro 250 as well, but the xmt is much more portable and less expensive to operate. I think all of the manufacturers have ac/dc inverter tig/stick machines available (I say think because I didn't get into them very much as I was looking for a power supply for my suitcase feeders). I can't recall seeing an ac/dc cc/cv inverter when I was researching them and would bet if there is such a thing it will be mucho dinero.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:In Miller an AC/DC inverter setup would be the dynasty series. If I remember the numbers from around a month ago, a setup with a dynasty 200dx with air cooled torch ran about $3200-$3600 ballpark. VERY nice machine but about 2times what I felt I could reasonably spend for a "Portable" machine. I got my Syncro 200 with out the running gear for $1850. Probably would cover everything you seem to want to do, but its a transformer machine. Since mine would stay in the shop, I didn't see the need for the extra expence and the extra bells and whistles. It would have been nice though.