Anyone done any "AC" Tig off of a engine drive???

admin

Guys i am putting together another service rig, and was curious if anyone has done any Aluminum tig work off of a Bobcat? According to millers product guide it can be done.  I have to do various aluminum repair in the field, and in the past I had a 175 square wave setup mounted on a trailer that I just ran off of the generator on my truck.  It would be alot easier if I could just mount a tig rig to my bobcat and use it.  I am not really up to date on the tig stuff becasue I don't perform alot of it, but it would look to me that scratch start tig would be tough to do on aluminum.  Anyway any of you guys that have experience I would appreciate your thoughts.  Thanks ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:just curious 225 or 250?yeah i know it can be done with hf unit, but no remote control which brings up questions of practicalitychris
Reply:Chris, this one is an older 225.  Back in 1994 we had a flood here and Miller gave one of the suppliers over in the next town 200 to use for generators and then let them discount them and sell them.  I bought two of them with 100ft. of leads for $1800 each. They had less than 20 hrs on each one of them.  I have had one as a back up and since I am going to hire someone to help out, I am going to set it up, and was just curious  if it could be done.   You seem to be thinking along the same lines that I was as far as the practicality of it.   Looks like the little squarewave stays on the trailer after all.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:I replied on a differnt thread to a fella by the name of Robby T.   He is from near my home town and is some sort of supervisor position at a company that is in alum trailer manfac. He seems to know a lot about the alum.   I asked him this particular question, basically the fesibility.  Ill post when I get a response.   Also, I have a 225NT.   Its a good lil machine.  I personally like it.  I would assume then your using the bobcat to power the squarewave?  If so, how well does it do the job?  Can you get max amperage off the machine using the gen?  Anyway one day I plan to get a trailblazer or something.  Really wuold like a SA 200 but considering weight and issues, including fuel hrs, I think a tb or ranger 250 something like that a better deal and they will offer ac tig with remote control.  Wel good luck and take care.CHRIS
Reply:Chris, I have had no trouble at all pulling the square wave off of my bobcat.  Around the first of the year I am going to buy a larger machine.  I am leaning towards the 305, but I am still undecided as of yet. I would like a SA 200 also, but I am think in my kind of work I would be better suited with one of the multiprocess capable machines. Honestly, my two bobcats have done well, but I have never been really impressed with the weld characteristics using low hydrogen rods,  Mine just has to much tendency to stick, where as the trailblazers i have run were alot better.  Tommorrow looks like a pretty slack day, so I may play around with the tig rig on the bobcat tommorrow and let you know what I come up with.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......