Need Info On a Lincoln 175

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Howdy all.I'm planning to upgrade from the 'toy' I have now, to a 'real' machine ....  without putting too large a dent in the bank account.Lately I've been looking at a (new) Lincoln Square Wave 175 TIG/Stick, and considering the fact that I'm still fairly inexperienced in welding, I need some input as to the real-world capabilities of the machine.I'll need to be able to do some occasional heavy duty work, and if you would, please tell me what the actual limits of the machine would be .... as to maximum sizes of material that can be welded with it. Any opinions or info i.e. pros/cons, possible alternative choices (around $1,500) would be great.Thanks,Steve
Reply:Just ran across a few older posts that addressed most of my concerns on the 175.I think I'll be looking for a different machine.
Reply:I have the original SW Tig 175 and I'd buy more power if you can. It's a nice machine and it welds well (though it has virtually no "options/features" on it), but I think you can do better (precision tig 225, Synchrowave 200, though I'd like more power than the 200 offers) and there are others out there to consider too.On the other hand, I bought mine used and got a decent deal. I didn't know how to tig when I bought it (and many will tell you that I still don't...lol), but it's given me a machine to learn on and it's done a fine job of that. If you can steal a used one, you might consider it (I paid $700 for mine in really good condition, with a small bottle). For full retail price, I'd keep looking or start looking for a used Synchrowave 250 or similar.KevinHobart Handler 210Tweco Fabricator 181iLincoln Squarewave Tig 175