Is there a TIG worth having for under $1000

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I have an HTP 200 mig welder and a two stage oxy aectelene torch and I would like to add a TIG welder to my tools.   Mostly thin steel but aluminium would be a plus.  I work primarily on cars.  There is that HF one which is suspect.  I would think if one of the known companies would come out with a usable machine for (don't laugh) $600 that the world would beat a path to their door.  Everything I see is $1400 no pulse or $2000+ .  Do they really cost that much to make?  I will pay it if I have to.... any recommendations for low cost tig?
Reply:I had the harbor freight tig for about 2 weeks before I returned it. My observations:1. the lift-arc system was a bit sketchy, I frequently stuck the tungsten to the work. nowhere near as nice as a high-freq start2. the tungstens that came with it are really sad. I didn't know this until I got some REAL tungstens with my invertig.3. My neighbor has his own electronics business, has about 25 patents to his name. He specializes in low-cost power supplies, so he knows his sh*t. He opened up the welder and checked out all the components, and says it really isn't a badly designed unit. The IGBT output part (according to him) is a very quality part.4. You gotta work harbor freight - shelf price was $299, they matched an older sale price of $199, as well as honored some random 20% off coupon I'd found on the web. So in the end it was under 200 bucks.5. I shouldn't have numbered these items.6. If the decision is 'harbor freight at $200' vs. not doing tig at all because it is too expensive, I'd definitely get the harbor freight unit. Sure it can't do A/C, pulsing, etc, but it's also 10x cheaper than my invertig. a long winded way to say, the hf tig isn't bad for the money. It makes nice welds on steel - it's not a total piece of junk that you'll be hating.- JohnEdit: and you won't miss having a pedal TOO much, at least not until you've used one and seen the beauty of it
Reply:I just picked up a Miller Maxstar 140 (newer 150 is cool!) for about $475.  It is lift start (not scratch) and works amazingly well.  No AC, but worth it for steel.
Reply:When I lived in the Dallas area, there was a place that sold new and used welding equipment.  You could pick up a nice used tig machine for about half the price of a new machine.  I bet there is a similar place close to you.  Some welding shops take trade ins too.  You can get some kind of guantee that way.Then there are auctions sometimes when a place goes out of business.I suggest getting at least 250 amps.
Reply:I'd sell my Econotig for 1/2 the price of a new one and include some tungstens, cups, and filler rods. Just add your argon, and plug it in. It's still looks mint, and works mint. Since it weighs 150 # it would be expensive shipping. I'm in eastern MA.Last edited by alanaker; 11-16-2006 at 07:35 AM.
Reply:Thanks, I am still trying to figure out what is important and what is not.for examplefoot or torch control (people here seem to prefer the foot)square wavepulse touch start (when welding around electronic equipt)A weldor where I work said make sure you get the square wave if you are working on cars, reason being that if you are welding a intake manifold the square wave 'cleans the weld' ahead of you with porus intake castings.
Reply:A weldor where I work said make sure you get the square wave if you are working on cars, reason being that if you are welding a intake manifold the square wave 'cleans the weld' ahead of you with porus intake castings.
Reply:A weldor where I work said make sure you get the square wave if you are working on cars, reason being that if you are welding a intake manifold the square wave 'cleans the weld' ahead of you with porus intake castings.
Reply:sorry about the double post..i did'nt know i could do that.......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:back to the original question..i got my hobart off e-bay for 600$i went and picked it up myself..no watercooled torch but a watercooled machine with the footpedal..its rather large and heavy but i know a good machine when i use it..look around they're out there.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I just picked up my Hobart Tigmate for $900.  Had I known then that I would want the footpedal and not the hand control, I would have lowballed a bit harder, but I'm really pretty happy with it so far.  Since I'm learning how to TIG on this, I sometimes get things to click, and the work comes out really nice.  That tells me that the machine can do the work I want, but I just need practice.  So far, I'm loving it though!Also, it's funny you mentioned welding the intake.  On the EFI 2.3 Ford intakes, it's pretty common to add material to the outside of the casting so you can safely open it up from the inside.  I TRIED to do that last night, and I think it was pushing the limits of the machine, since I did get it to go into it's overload/shutdown mode.  I may have been doing something wrong, but I'll try it again when I feel more comfortable with the machine (and as always, adive is welcome!).
Reply:If you don't mind a DC-only machine, the PowCon inverter welders show up on Ebay sometimes.   Some of them are multi-process, multi-voltage, run on both single and 3-phase power and dont pull alot of amps for their output, and their output is high too, 300 or 400 amps depending on the model.  Look for a 300- or 400- ST or SMT.   I have a PowCon 300SM I got for cheap when my company decided to get rid of some welding equipment we weren't using anymore.  I wish it was the SMT so I could do TIG with it too.  I use it for stick and mig with a seperate wire feeder.  It's a cool little machine.
Reply:The older sine wave tigs can be a good bargin...I have seen some go for a few hundred in perfect working condition.  They don't have all the newer goodies, but they get the job done.  Now that there are 300 amp air cooled torches available, you dont even need a cooler (they are nice, but not absolutely necessary).Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:any of you guys tried one of those Dragster 85 from Thermal Arc?? I am considering one of those. what'cha think???
Reply:Check with EBAY, I have seen good Miller Syncrowaves (250 or 350) for well under $1000.00.  These are fine machines.  When you  buy a TIG machine get one with the Hi Frequency unit.  That way, you can weld all metals including Aluminium.  You don't want to scratch start Aluminium, since it will foul your tungsten.  I found a used Lincoln 300/300TIG Idealarc for $500.00.  It is an older machine (very heavy) but does a fine job.  A foot switch is great for most welding but a torch switch is needed if you are welding in odd positions, such as a race car cage.   Hope this helps with your question.
Reply:All the replies have been helpful and I think I am getting a better understanding of what is available and the process involved.  In short I am learning about tig welding from this forum.
Reply:A TIG for under 1000 dollars is easy if you don't need a brand new one. I bought a miller econotig in 06 for $650 and it works good. I require the welding of aluminum not just steel. It's not as nice as the new Millers but it works much better than super glue. I used Ebay to find mine. It was close to me so I could pick it up and not pay the sometimes very expensive shipping. And I could talk to the guy that welded with it.Lincoln AC Tombstone   Lincoln AC\DC   Miller TIG   OxyAcet   Many Many Tools