110 Volt tig

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New guy here. Looking to get into tig welding. I am limited to 110 volt power in my garage. Looking for a 110 volt machine that is capable of welding exhaust, maybe some roll cage tubing. Found a machine online : http://www.tig-welder.com/Qstore/p003769.htm.  Anyone have experience with this machine? Any good for a beginner? Can anyone recommend an alternative machine? This is not a machine I will use everydaym just looking for a decent machine to get started. Also can anyone recommend a good place to buy online? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike
Reply:First off, welcome to the forum!  I am a relatively new member here as well, but have been lurking for some time.  There is a wealth of knowledge to be found by just reading the posts of some of the more experienced, full time guys.  Just a word of warning to start out with... roll cages are a fickle and unforgiving animal, make sure you know what you are doing before you trust your life (or someone elses!) to your welds. Stick with the exhaust until you are sure of your skills.  Ok enough with the boring stuff...I am not familiar with the particular machine you posted, but have had lots of folks say good things about its big brother the V205.  What is your price range?  Since you're new, you probably don't have a preference of Red vs Blue which is good because for what you want, up to a 200 amp inverter from either company will run on 110-120V input no problem.  That would be the Invertec you linked to, its bigger brother the V205, or on the Miller side, the Maxstar 200 or 150 (discontinued, but can be picked up on Ebay for 600-800 usually) and the Dynasty 200.  I have personally welded with both the Maxstar and Dyansty machines hooked up to a standard 15 amp 120V outlet and they are both great welders.  The newer Maxstars ( as well as the V205 and Dynasty) have the ability to hook up a foot or hand control, which are great to help you get better control of your weld arc, especially starting out.You'll notice a big price jump up to the V 205 and the Dynasty due to their ability to do AC as well as DC welding. which you'll need if you plan on getting into aluminum welding at all.  But, if you see yourself staying with steel for now, the V155 or Maxstar would be an excellent choice for a first machine.  A look at Ebay shows these newer machines hold their value extremely well, so when its time to upgrade you won't lose your shirt.Well... I hope I helped and answered at least a couple of your questions.  As to where to buy equipment, your local Craig's List is often a great resource (thats where I got my Aerowave, and got a great deal).  As far as online places... lots of people have said good things about buying from Indiana Oxygen (they are a big ebay seller), and i've always had good luck with Cyberweld.  The other place to check out would be your Local Welding Supply (LWS), such as Airgas, Arccet, Holox (though they are mostly Airgas now...) etc.  You're going to need to go there eventually for your Argon, so you might as well get to know the guys, they can often be very helpful and sometimes have used gear that folks have traded in for bigger and better toys.One last thought, you may be able to get 240V into your garage easier than you think if your electrical panel is nearby (are you a renter or owner?) and that opens up another whole world of machines that can often be had for very cheap used compared to retail.  Just a thought.Anyway, thats it for tonight, gotta get to work at 6....If it doesn't fit, you aren't hitting it hard enough!Miller AerowaveMiller Radiator 1A4.5" DeWalt (with the paddle switch!)Jackson NexGen Helmet
Reply:Just an FYI, the Lincoln Invertec V205 comes in two 'flavors'.  V205T-DC and V205T-AC/DC.  You can pretty much tell what the difference is between them.  Those Invertecs (and some of the other inverter TIG machines in the same general 'class') are nice in that they are able to run on either 230V or 120V, among other things.  They can usually output more amps when run on 230V than on 120V.IIRC, David R runs (ran/used/has) an Invertec that he uses/used for some portable stick use.  I think he called it the lunchbox welder, because it's the size of a lunchbox.  One of the strengths/pluses of TIG welding is usually that you can adjust the welding amperage on-the-fly with a hand or foot control (amptrol, fingertip or pedal).  Mash the pedal to get started, taper off on the pedal as the piece warms up and the puddle has been established, taper off at the end of the weld to not leave a crater.  The V155S can't do that, no remote control. The V160T-DC and the V205T (both 'flavors') can do remote amperage control ( in the torch or via a pedal amptrol).Also, you have to decide if you want to be able to do aluminum TIG.  If so, that pretty much means an AC capable machine.You have to decide what you want and what you 'need'.  And how much you can or will spend.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:I would go for the Miller Maxstar 150 STL/STH or the Lincoln V160T.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I have that machine and if you do  a search under Lincoln in these forums you will find a review.  I also have the V160-S which does have a plug for the remote.  On a good 110 circuit you will get about 80 to 100 amps for TIG and less for stick.   Both are good stick welders too.  Both will run on 220.I call the V155-S a Fischer Price welder, but it WILL do a lot more than its size and more than Lincoln claims as far as duty cycle.  On 110 your only limit as far as duty cycle is the circuit.You can do exhaust and maybe roll cages but make sure you are competent with the machine before you start doing roll cages.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Thanks for the replies. As far as welding a cage, I wouldn't even think about attempting it for a long time, but was just looking to give a range of what kind of welding the machine would be used for. I appreciate the feedback. I looked at the Miller online and really like it, but the lincoln is more in my price range at the moment. I might just hold off til I can afford the one I want.Thanks again for the info. Great site here, Alot of knowledge here tooMike
Reply:Has anyone tried TIG with a Lincoln Invertec V100S?  I had one in my hands this past weekend but never got around to using it.  I will have it again next weekend and try it out.Most of my TIG welds typically are run on 1/8" or thinner parts.Jamie WebbWelder & InspectorBusiness and HobbyLincoln Pro-Mig 180 with Spool Gun and Lincoln AC225
Reply:A V100-S should tig just like the V155-S on 110 volt.  The V155 is a sweet tig machine especially right down to 5 amps.  Also like the V155 it probably doesn't have a plug for a remote.  I can deal with that, but.....David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Yep, no plug for the remote.  I learned to TIG on a Miller Thundebolt DC/AC so no remote is not really a problem, even though I would like to try it and see how it works for me.Jamie WebbWelder & InspectorBusiness and HobbyLincoln Pro-Mig 180 with Spool Gun and Lincoln AC225