i am looking to buy a tig welder but i wont be useing it every day so i wanted to get a cheaper one. i was wondering if anyone has some insight on which ones might be best. i will just be using it for sheet metal, and possible aluminum and would prefer a foot control. any help would be greatly appreciated.
If your going to be welding aluminum, you need a water cooled unit, and I dont think you can get into that cheap. Whats your idea of cheap.??
Dont go cheap, get a good welder that will last your lifetime for all your car project needs...just my .2
30 year old miller dialarc with hf... laying beads for $1200 once i bought the welder, argon bottle, water cooler... make sure you get one with foot pedal torch and all dont try and piece it together... here is how mine came for $580
Depending on the thickness of the material you are welding (which means amperage) depends if you need a water cooled unit. Miller makes the Diversion 165 and 180 Tig. I have the 165. Its both an AC and DC unit so it will do Aluminum. The 180 you can get for around $1800-1900 depending where you shop. Comes with a food pedal. For an entry level unit that'll to the basics from a quality manufacturer I don't think you can go wrong with a Diversion unit. Keeping in mind if you buy an older tig that is a transformer unit vs a newer one that is inverter that your power consumption is vastly different. Any cost savings buying an older cheaper unit will get eaten up eventually with enough use of the unit in electricity costs.
this is true... i just checked my bill spread sheet and going back this year to last the my electric bill has gone up $83 total this year compared to last year... so over several years it will pay for itself.. but could be that my wife keeps the A/C colder when im not there in the summer.. i come home and raise it up!!!...
I am a welder repair tech by trade and i would have to agree that the Diversion welders are great for hobby. I have a Syncrowave 250 at home and it will draw the better part of 100 amps on 230 volts input! Thermal arc also makes a small inverter welder for the money. The only thing to remember with one of the inverter welders is if it happens to blow an igbt or scr it will take out the control pc board as well as the interconnect boards and if this happens out of warranty you might as well toss it in the dumpster. With a transformer machine they are heavy and they do take a lot of current to use them but for hobby use even an old Dialarc HF will last more than your life time. Just my 2 cents worth from a tech or repair point of view Rod
Bought my Square Wave Tig 300 for $750, looked pretty rough when I bought it, but looks like B/N now ... works like new as well...built my water cooler for about $200( don't even bother with aluminum without a water cooled torch ), had to buy a foot pedal...$150 , a torch $150... Soooo right around $1250 ... plus you will need an argon bottle, flow meter/ reg, power cord, breaker etc etc... Keep an eye on C-list... there's always good deals available...
For a long time I had a Miller Dialarc 250. I remember it was 90 Amps single phase. A plug and receptacle for that much current is really expensive so I went with ones intended for 50 amps max. I eventually burned those up welding at high currents. Apparently those ratings actually do mean something. We ended up wiring it directly to a disconnect with a long cord.
Check out some of the videos on welding tips and tricks .com No BS , No PHDs, it might help you make your mind on what to buy. The guys here are telling you right . I just bought a fresh Miller Dynasty DX with all the bells and whistles I paid half price for it and I know it's history as it belonged to a weldors weldor, he passed away recently. Good quality equipment is cheaper in the long run.
I am no amazing welder myself. But i can tell you, me and my buddy used a Harbor Freight Welder for like 2 years and just figured WE Sucked at welding. A couple weeks ago he borrowed a neighbors Lincoln Welder and it was mind blowing how smooth we were laying beads almost instantly. Save up for at least a decent one. That's what i am doing.
I'm a Miller man, myself...But, I still love how smooth them 'ol Lincoln's are...Especially, on Aluminum...Very forgiving...DialArc 250 W/Hf...Got one, a little rough...Got a Hobart TR W/Sq wave attachment...Will do thinner Al with an air cooled torch...I have a Miller Sincrowave...Tits...My Miller Delta 450 Mig is still the "work horse"...I'd look in to an older machine, their cheap in price and there all over...And it's probably all you'll need, $500 to a $1000 is all I'd fork over...Don't forget the Lincoln...
LOL, yes those H/F "mig" welders are junk... However..... I have a little Everlast 140 stick/lift tig welder and it welds just as smooth as red or blue welders, even the coveted Dynasty. For less than $300...
One mistake many people make when buying a TIG welder is to look at only the maximum thickness of metal that the machines are rated to weld. Generally speaking, most people will spend most of their time welding thin metal and it takes a good machine to weld the really thin stuff. Kevin47 is right, the better machines are easier to weld with than the "el cheapo" machines. The inverter welders are nice if floor space is tight. A used welder can be a good buy as long as the welder didn't come out of a "production shop" where it was being used 8 hours a day. I bought a Miller Syncrowave 350 with all the "bells and whistles" from sign shop. The sign shop bought the welder originally and decided it was too slow for their needs and replaced it with a MIG welder coupled with a spool gun. The welder had less than 5 hours on the hour meter when I bought it. Don't be in a hurry and shop around till you know what is a "good deal". There are a lot of good deals on welders. If you don't know how to TIG weld, find someone who does to check the machine before you buy it.
My advice would be to stay away from HF and the other Cheap machines, As for the most part they are a Bad joke! find a used Miller or Lincoln, forney etc, Your a little far away, But I have a Nice miller econo tig that has less than 30 hours on it with cart and bottle, torch and pedal (ready to weld) that I might part with, PM me if your interested. Or watch the local sites and buy one, If you do not get in a hurry the right deal will come along.
You dont need a water cooled torch for most hobby/garage welding. I bought a Diversion 165 for my home welder and have run the snot out of it for three years with no issues. At full output I believe it draws around 25amps.. weighs around 50lbs and doesnt take up much room. I found mine on line new for $1250 and bought an after market foot control for around $150. I couldnt be happier
I completely agree. I've welded aluminum with mine just fine. It welds steel nicely and I'm no welder. However if you've never tig welded before I recommend taking a beginners tig course if possible. My local Tech college offered one and I took it. I learned a lot from it.
Check out the InverTig 221 from HTP i did a bunch of research and although i was sold on a 200 Dynasty DX the invetig is comparable and comes in at 1000 bucks cheaper after buying a pedal and torch and ground( comes with HTP unit). It does every thing I need it to do , aluminum, sheet metal,and stainless It has a hook up to add a cooler later. Its worth at least checking into.
I bought a big assed Hobart with everything included for 1,400 off of the HAMB classifieds a couple years ago....gotta watch, they pop up.
I bought a Diversion 165, aftermarket metal foot control & like it. The Miller foot control is plastic.http://www.ssccontrols.com/homepage-TIGweldingcontrols.htm
I was able to buy my Miller Syncro 200 for $1200 I believe. I bought it from a shop that only used it once, so as far as I'm concerned it was brand new. Came with consumables, cart, thumb control. I bought an aftermarket foot control, but the thumb control is nice for tight places like roll cages, etc.
I also am looking for one I found this one, just don't know if it is a good deal or not. It looks clean and comes with extra tips and ceramics. I have read good and bad about them. I know that I will mainly us it on metal under 1/4 inch. </FIGURE><SECTION id=postingbody>Miller Syncwave 180 SD Tig Welder With extra Collets, Tips, And Tungstons....$1500
I bought the same machine new in 06 for 1400 plus a deal on the argon bottle. Dollar is worth less but I think that is a little high for a used machine. I love the machine however, I wish I could see better.
I bought the one from Eastwood just before Christmas. $100 off and free shipping. Just need a bottle of Argon and some rods and off I go. It was the best deal I could find that was 110V. Steel, Stainless and Aluminum.
bought a Miller Synchrowave 300 TIG, older model, i was laying beads for a grand. its bad ass and can weld ANYTHING. http://www.mitchelltannahill.blogspot.com
I have a Miller Diverson 180..... Had it for over two years and tig the shit out of it!.....dial on the torch and or pedal feed.....we use the Dynasty 300 / 350? (CRS Disease right now!) and 200s at work.....really like the 180 for the 1700 I paid for it!
I am with you on the seeing part! I go to the Dollar Store and buy 3.0 or 3.25 magnifying glasses and depending on what amperage i am welding at i use one of them. I also mounted a HF baseball cap flash light on my welding hood so i can see the weld joint before i start welding! Works like a champ. also for guys learning to tig, Miller Electric has a welding calculator that you can either download on your computer or for your smart phone. here is a link http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/calculators/tig_amperage_calculator.php Rod
PS.....Forgot to mention that in the Denver Craigslist there is an old L-Tec Heli-Arc ac/dc machine with foot control and Argon bottle right now for $500.00
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