Starter Tig???

[Smugglers Blues]

Is there a good starter tig? I want to buy a tig but I don't know much about them. I will be welding Aluminum 1/16-3/16 and stainless of the same thickness. Is the hobart tigmate a good choice? I have $1500 to spend on one. I just want to get the best bang for the buck. Any help would be much appriated.
Thanks Chris

[villemur]

If you were doing mostly steel and stainless, with only occasional aluminum, the Tigmate would be a decent choice. However, if you want to do a lot of aluminum you should buy a squarewave machine. The Tigmate (and the Miller Econotig) are sine-wave machines, meaning that they are not very efficient when running AC.

Look for a used Miller Syncrowave or a used Lincoln Precision Tig. These are transformer based welders that can do square wave AC and they will weld aluminum nicely.

Inverter based tig machines (like the Miller Dynasty, Thermal Arc 185, and HTP Invertig) are even better at aluminum, but they will break your budget.

[Smugglers Blues]

Thanks!! Yes I want to "say" I will be using it mainly for aluminum. I have read that Miller has a problem with the dynasty. It leaves the welds looking like they were sand blasted. The thread I was reading was a old one. Do you know if this problem has been fixed? Even if I have to save up for a better one that will make nice looking welds that's what I will do. Do you think the Miller Syncrowave will leave good looking welds if welded correctly?
Thanks

[villemur]

I have a Dynasty 200 DX and I've never had any trouble welding aluminum. If there was a problem it must have been in early machines and Miller worked it out. They are a first-rate company.

The inverter machines are nice for aluminum because you can set a lot of parameters to shape the arc - for instance, you can set the AC frequency real high to make a tighter arc. Also, the inverter machines are much lighter and are more efficient. My Dynasty can run on 110 power or 220 (or 440), so it's pretty portable. I consider the Dynasty to be the Cadillac of small tig welders, but then again, I am biased.

I've never used a Syncrowave, but they've been around a long time and have a great reputation. I have used a Lincoln Precision Tig 185 quite a bit, and I thought it was a nice machine, especially for the money. It was a big, heavy beast though. The general consensus is that transformer machines should last forever, while inverters are full of circuit boards, so there's more that can go wrong. Either way, buy from a reputable company.

[Smugglers Blues]

Thanks a LOT for the info!! That REALLY helped!!

[newbie]

Get a TA 185 and you'll be happy!

[Smugglers Blues]

I went to my LWS and even though they mainly sell Miller products. The guy there said I would be super happy with the Lincoln Precision Tig 225. He has a brand new unit there he said he would give me for $2100. He also showed me a inside comparason chart with pictures of both machines guts. I have to say acording to the pictures I seen. It looks like the Lincoln is hands down a better internal machine BUT again I come to this board for advice. Can someone shed some light for me?
Thanks

[tailshaft56]

Get a TA 185 and you'll be happy!

DITTO



The TA is a great machine. It's pulsing features go way beyond that 225 Lincoln. The TA will also let you adjust the frequency of the ac cycle. The PT is fixed 60 hz and it's pulser only adjust the rep rate. IE pulses per second.

There is nothing wrong with the PT but it's a pretty basic machine.


Dennis

[Smugglers Blues]

Okay I looked the TA 185 and the Lincoln 225 up on ebay and they both are the same $$. Not haveing a lot of welding know how, I have never heard of the the TA 185 before.. Is this well known brand? I see the warranty is better than the lincoln but if there not going to be in bussiness for 5 years the warranty doesn't mean anything.. I plan on doing a lot of Aluminum welding so your sure the TA is better than the lincoln? Thanks for all the help!!

[Clay Walters]

SB,

If I were looking to getting into GTAW I'd have to strongly consider one of these: http://cgi.ebay.ca/HTP-Invertig-201-...QQcmdZViewItem

Have never TIG welded and only know that over the years the TA185 and this one seemed neck-to-neck in owner satisfaction and value for the dollar.

Good luck,

Clay

[newbie]

Okay I looked the TA 185 and the Lincoln 225 up on ebay and they both are the same $$. Not haveing a lot of welding know how, I have never heard of the the TA 185 before.. Is this well known brand? I see the warranty is better than the lincoln but if there not going to be in bussiness for 5 years the warranty doesn't mean anything.. I plan on doing a lot of Aluminum welding so your sure the TA is better than the lincoln? Thanks for all the help!!

I am not a TA salesman, but I have had mine for 6 years with no trouble. They are well known but not American. I also weld mostly Al and that is why I bought the TA. I also have not tried many other machines so I have no real knowledge to make a comparison.

[Smugglers Blues]

So your saying in your 6 years.. The Ta 185 has worked great and gives you GREAT looking Aluminum welds? I will be making control panels for airboats out of 1/8" Aluminum and the welds must look great! This is all based on the person doing the welding knows how to weld of course... I know it's the person doing it also but I just want to make sure the equipment can perform perfect welds. Thanks again for all the help!!

[newbie]

So your saying in your 6 years.. The Ta 185 has worked great and gives you GREAT looking Aluminum welds? I will be making control panels for airboats out of 1/8" Aluminum and the welds must look great! This is all based on the person doing the welding knows how to weld of course... I know it's the person doing it also but I just want to make sure the equipment can perform perfect welds. Thanks again for all the help!!

Yes the equipment can make perfect welds. However, if you are doing real production work the duty cycle will not be enough for you. I thought you were looking for a starter TIG to learn with. For production work you may need higher duty cycle (more amps) and a water cooled torch. What thickness will you be welding? You might consider a spool gun MIG set-up, too.

[villemur]

Everything I've ever heard about the TA 185 has been very positive. Initially you mentioned welding 3/16" aluminum. This is probably on the upper end for that machine - the rule of thumb is one amp per .001". And aluminum conducts heat so well is can take a little more. If you're buying the machine for lots of 1/8" aluminum, you're going to love it. If you're going to be welding thicker material, get a bigger machine. There are a couple tricks that you can do to help a small machine run thicker material (use helium gas and optimize the balance) but it's always better to have the power that you need.

How about power to feed this machine - what size circuit will you be able to run? The inverter machines take a 30 amp 220 circuit. The transformers probably require a 50 amp (or bigger) circuit. Will that be a problem?

Tom

[Smugglers Blues]

99.9% of what I do will be on 1/8" aluminum but there is always the .01% chance of doing 3/16" for a odd job or something

I have a seperate 200 amp service soley feeding my garage so power is not a problem. It is on a seperate pole and meter than the house is on. That way I can use it as a deduction on my taxes.

Just so I have this strait... Everyone thinks the TA 185 is a well made good welder and that it is better than the lincoln for welding aluminum?

Thanks in advance!