Need TIG machine purchase advice

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I need your experienced advise of which TIG brand & series welder I should purchase also any accessories such as water cooled torch if needed. I operate an auto a/c shop & will be using the TIG to weld a/c aluminum tubing/lines mostly, not much heavier work, maybe a few cold air intakes for tuner shops but have no experience with any TIG machine. All the advice will be greatly appreciated.
Reply:Originally Posted by HIGHESTGRADEI need your experienced advise of which TIG brand & series welder I should purchase also any accessories such as water cooled torch if needed. I operate an auto a/c shop & will be using the TIG to weld a/c aluminum tubing/lines mostly, not much heavier work, maybe a few cold air intakes for tuner shops but have no experience with any TIG machine. All the advice will be greatly appreciated.
Reply:We presently use oxygen/acetylene to weld aluminum lines. Sometimes we have to modify the A/C lines to build them over such as in the case of a leaking discharge line, weld splices on the ends. Will the TIG be able to handle this easier with stronger smoother welds while introducing less heat?
Reply:Weld or braze? There's a big difference between the two. In general I haven't found all that many people who are truely skilled in OA WELDING alum, but a fair number who can braze.The big difference between the two is you never melt the tube when brazing. With welding you melt the base material, in brazing the base material stays solid and the filler bonds to the base. You need a lot more control  when the base material needs to melt and fuse with the filler and 2nd piece..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:Buy a quality, but simple American made tig. You don't need aircooled, as the thicknesses are small. I recommend maybe the Miller Diversion 180, as they are stupid simple to learn, and you can sell when you find out you suck at tig.AC line welding is some of the toughest. Especially when you are welding over a braze joint.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:[QUOTE=shovelon;1331041]Buy a quality, but simple American made tig. You don't need aircooled, as the thicknesses are small. Don't you mean watercooled?Just wondering....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:What actually makes TIG preferable to a good OA joint in these applications? Is OA more tolerant?If the OP is already very good at OA Al welding, why switch?
Reply:Originally Posted by HIGHESTGRADEI need your experienced advise of which TIG brand & series welder I should purchase also any accessories such as water cooled torch if needed. I operate an auto a/c shop & will be using the TIG to weld a/c aluminum tubing/lines mostly, not much heavier work, maybe a few cold air intakes for tuner shops but have no experience with any TIG machine. All the advice will be greatly appreciated.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonBuy a quality, but simple American made tig. You don't need aircooled, as the thicknesses are small. I recommend maybe the Miller Diversion 180, as they are stupid simple to learn, and you can sell when you find out you suck at tig.AC line welding is some of the toughest. Especially when you are welding over a braze joint.
Reply:[quote=zapster;1331061] Originally Posted by shovelonBuy a quality, but simple American made tig. You don't need aircooled, as the thicknesses are small. Don't you mean watercooled?Just wondering....zap!
Reply:On car a/c lines, I always use oxy/acet with some low temperature aluminum brazing rod and flux.  Takes two minutes to make solid repairs and no risk of blowing a hole in the line.  Try to fix a hole in the finned area of an aluminum condenser with tig and you'll see the value of brazing.Miller Syncrowave 350Millermatic 252/ 30A spoolgunMiller Bobcat 225g w/ 3545 spoolgunLincoln PowerArc4000Lincoln 175 Mig  Lincoln 135 Mig Everlast 250EX TigCentury ac/dc 230 amp stickVictor O/AHypertherm 1000 plasma
Reply:There is one set of ethics that applies when you're a fairly experienced welder and you want to learn to weld Al for your own sometime projects. There is a completely different set of ethics when someone is actually paying you, as a presumed professional. Economically speaking there's a reason business that specialize in TIG welding exist. That's because it's rarely practical for non-specialized companies to do it themselves in-house. It's too difficult and time consuming, takes too much time to learn, and the equipment is too expensive.