I have searched all the tig welder posts I found on here, but I can not find what I need in a tig welder. I am asking a lot out of it hopefully, for little money. lol I know that never works but I am optomistic! What I need it to do. 1. weld sub frames 2. weld sheet metal for patch work/ chopping tops 3. weld stainless rod for making grills 4. hopefully weld aluminum (just small stuff for car accents and hobby stuff.) I do have 220 in my shop. What my limitations are. 1. I have 1000-1500 max to spend. 2. I have no clue how to tig weld I can weld with my mig well not perfect but I have no real reason to doubt my ability to pick it up, I plan on taking night classes at the tech school just to get started. I would buy used but I don't know how to check if it works well, or even what I am looking at. My local paper and craigs list dosent have anything, so that leves ebay. I checked my weld shops, and they dont have any used units. when I asked about new ones they handed me a stack of papers on specs that I dont get. any help or links would help me more that you can imagine. Thank you for your time ...Tom
Lincoln and Miller have an air cooled setup that will cost you about $1600. I have used the Lincoln ....check out their web-site. Anyways, that's the route I would go. you will have to buy a bottle of Argon or Tri-Mix sheilding gas which depending on size would be around $150. -jones-
I bought my first tig welder years ago off eBay.It had been in service at some plant paid 500 bucks for it .Worked well I learned how to tig with it .Old units are usually a safe way to go as far as cheap is concerned.My 2 cents
if you wanna weld aluminum make sure to get one with a high frequency start some of those tig/stick combos are scratch start only
used, you always get a better deal. Just because the units are older doesn't mean they are junk. Just try out first to make sure they work. It helps to have a working knowledge of AC parameters and gas flow for aluminum because not knowing those could be the reason someone is selling the unit. Look for a college getting new welders,etc. If you only have that much money, used is the only way to go. Unfortunately, you need to know someone as you have already found out that the internet sites are not helping.
how about you take those night classes first and learn how to tig weld and than you'll know what you need. I think your going about it kinda backwards, you dont buy a car to learn to drive, take driving classes and get your license first! just an example and not trying to be a dick but take the classes first and also ask your instructor to check out some of that paperwork for you and explain. thats my opinion.. Anthony
Yep,youre right.I have been worked about 18 years with welding machines and welding consumables in store which sell only those things.And i have seen many many cases that people dont know what they need,and what they want.First they buy expensive machine and said its machines fault,because stitching looks terrible.After that people heard how shitty this and this machine is,dont buy it In 99% cases there has totally wrong pulse parameters,wrong tactics,cables are in wrong positions,wrong electrode and maybe even wrong gas etc.. So,take a few lessons with your pro friend,uncle,mom or whatever,the point is she/he know what to do with machine,i think its a easiest way to go with tig
If you want to learn tig welding, then learning gas welding first would help out alot. I learned that way,and it helped out alot. It took me countless hours and years of class to get good. But once you put in your time,you can do aluminum and stainless. Tig welding is very different from mig,but i say go for it! For your welder, I like the huge old millers. but if u can get ur hands on a new miller, than it will weld aluminum,stainless,whatever u want. They have a digitial guage and the one i used ran on 220 and went up to 200 amps. Try craigslist,or check with ur local welding stores and see if they have ones that have been exchanged for new machines... if u need any welding advice let me know if i can help,and for tig welding make everything especially aluminum CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!
My motto,"2 things in a shop you can never have too much of Air and amps" Buy used is a great place to start and insist on a 250 or better machine. You can turn it down for the thin stuff but you will be frustrated to no end when you cant weld something bigger.I have two tig welders now bolth 350s,one lincon and one older syncrowave.The lincon i got 18 years ago for 750 with a watercooler at a machine auction.The miller i bought from a welding shop that was downsizing for 2000.The miller had EVERY option at the time it was offered and a water cooler.Both look like new. Get some time behind a torch so when you go to buy the thing you can try it out and know how it should work. The larger older machines are transformer tech.so to hurt them other than the high frequency they pretty much have to be hit by lightning. With a 250 you will be able to weld 1/4 to 3/16 alluminum safely,some will say different but welding long plate you can only preheat so much and a corner weld uses some big amps.350 you can safely go to 1/4 aluminum. As your ability grows so will the prodjects that you will take on. When you do get a large machine make one of your first prodjects a dolly of sorts so it becomes mobil. My tig get wheeled all over my shop and im thankfull for it daily. Good luck......Gary
Look for a nice used machine if your lucky youll find a good deal a buddy of mine just picked up a nearly new syncrowave 200 for 1200.00 with extras
look for a used miller dial arc 250 hf. usually around800-1100 with cooler and water torch, cheap to repair and are rugged as can be. my buddy and i both bought one years ago. neither of us has been unhappy or have done any repair to them
I am also interested in this TIG machine topic and have started taking a TIG class at a technical college. There they have Millers with the high frequency start ( I forget the model of the machine), and the HF foot pedal, in my opinion, is a must-have feature because it starts the arc so easy. Now MY question: If someone will be doing some heavy chassis work using steel up to 3/8 inch thick, how many amps to you need to have available in a TIG unit to weld steel that thick? The machines at the tech school don't seem to have that capability. Or is 3/8" steel something that has to be arc welded?
I agree with most here. Go used. I buy most everything used because the dollar goes so much further. Also buy a name brands like Miller or Lincoln. I bought my Miller matic 250 mig in 1987, still runs like a clock and work great. If I need parts, they have them. In 2000 I got into tig welding and bought a Miller 250 syncrowave. Great machine, very reliable and , again, parts and tech info available at my local welding shop/Miller dealer should I need it. Good luck and best to you in your decision. Steve <DIR>Hosting 11th annual Pontiac Heaven, show, swap, drags, party and all around good time. Saturday April 4, 2009 at Speedworld near Phoenix, Az Also hosting- 7th annual Nostalgic Show and Go! and swap coming Sunday April 5, 2009 to Speedworld. Phoenix, Az </DIR>
I have an older Hobart 300 watercooled and a new Miller 180 sync air cooled. The Miller is My main chioce for most the welding (automotive) I do. Anything above 1/8th alum I use the Hobart. I have HW 20 (smaller) torches on both. The miller will start to get warm at the torch welding alum. But its alot easier to roll around the shop for the steel jobs. Got the miller from a kid that watched Monster garage and was gonna start building Choppers just like JJ. He gave up was to hard for Him, had nowhere to go for help. Look for a used one. FEDER
Go here: http://www.govliquidation.com/ and look for one. There's a decent looking Linde at Ft. Riley in Kansas, probably another one at a government location near you.
That price range you mentioned is not really going to get you anywhere with what you need TIG wise. Maybe a good used unit after you take it on a test run. If you don't know TIG, be sure to have someone who does know.....test run the used machine for you. The shop I'm in rebuilds alot of machines.....so word of advise is go for a little older model thats 220.....and does NOT have a digital face on the machine. Once the digital boards go.....the replacement parts are so high that it pretty much junks a machine. Stick with a little older model.....and any parts can be purchased & the machine can be kept in running order or fixed relatively cheaply. Carl Hagan
I would personally recommend a miller synrowave 250. It is an awesome machine, will weld anything that you will ever need, and can be found used very reasonably. I have seen several of these units on craigslist for 800 up to 1600. I recommend this machine over a lincoln, simply because of the control over your arc. I work in a machine shop, and tig with .020" filler all day long with the miller. I think that tig welding is the easiest to learn, but that is my opinion. Remember that you have to be very stable to lay a nice bead, and you will be using both hands and a foot to weld. Keep the torch as close to your work as possible (approx. an 1/8th inch) and start with a low power setting. Learn to pool with the torch before adding filler, so you know what you are looking for, for penetration. Use 95% argon, or 100%, 75/25 out of a mig will not work as well. If you have any questions, you can pm me.
Thank you all. I really appreciate the help. Looks like I have to go used. What should I look for as far as a bad machine. Are there warning signs to look for other than obvious signs of ware.
check out the new miller 165 diverison, i just bough one a couple of weekes ago,an i love it , i payed $1300 for it . it does steel , stainless and aluminum its 220v . it should be perfict for what your looking to do
miller 165 diverison I cant find what that welder is limited to ie... thickness and duty cycle. Would that do all frame work or not? As that will be the main test of strength.
i have welded 1/4 with no problem, here is some info Specifications Input Power 230 V, 1-Phase Power Rated Output DC: 150 A at 16 VDC, 20% Duty Cycle AC: 150 A at 16 VAC, 20% Duty Cycle Welding Amperage Range 10 - 165 A Max. Open-Circuit voltage 80 Weight 50 lb (23 kg)
When you are Tig welding heavy material,you will want a backing plate of some kind or a back purge.And then you will run multiple passes until the weld is full.Take time to clean andallow for full fusion interpass.
Looky here; http://desmoines.craigslist.org/tls/999690731.html I emailed them sounds like a decent machine. I'm working on one closer to home.
Well if I don't go used I think that is a good option. If not, please some one tell me why. other wise that is what I am leaning towards.
anyones square wave with a pulse if you want to do aluminum. Any tig can weld steel just fine. You really don't need a cooler unless you are welding for hours at a time.
I use a Miller synchrowave 250 and it does an excellent job. But if you are going to do heavy welding (1/4" or more) I would recommend getting a stick attachment. It can get pretty expensive burning Argon for multiple passes on heavy frame welding with a Tig. I also back V8Fords recommendation to learn gas welding first. Its a lot cheaper and gets you the basics for Tig. Plus, you get the added benefit of learning how to metal work all the warped sheet metal you practice on... An A/C D/C option (for steel or alloy) and high frequency start are *really* nice to have. But unless you are doing a lot of stainless or aluminum, theres not much a Tig can do that cant be done with Mig/gas/stick (just my experience YMMV) Good luck!
An A/C D/C option (for steel or alloy) and high frequency start are *really* nice to have. But unless you are doing a lot of stainless or aluminum, theres not much a Tig can do that cant be done with Mig/gas/stick (just my experience YMMV) Good luck![/quote] I want to do ss and aluminum, Other wise I have a mig that can handle every thing else. I just want to be able to make my frames look good. ... You know after years of practice. lol
One thing that I didn't see mentioned is you're electric service. If you are in a house garage that has to share electric service with the home you could be in trouble. Some of those older machines need some pretty heavy duty amps to run them at full tilt. I looked at a few and realizes I didn't have the amps coming into the garage to run one . I had to opt for an inverter machine. Thermal arc 185 . Great machine in my opinion, but that doesn't mean much.
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