OK I am buying new Tig this week. I am 90% sold on inverter machine due to lower amp requirements. My question is what are pro and cons of transformer or inverter based machines. By the way choices will be Miller Dynasty, HTP, or low budget T/A185. Thanks as all advice is appreciated.
If it was my money and I was going to get an inverter I would buy the HTP 201-because I like the color
Again if it was my money I would buy either a Miller 250 DX, or Lincoln PT275. Oh wait, as luck would have it,I got to do that last week
Why I went Traditional;
1) I wont be moving for awhile-'new' home/shop mortgage.
2) Traditional machines are fully capable of making tig welds
better than my current abilities and fully capable of welding materials I dont even know how to weld.
3)Inverters are overpriced for an 'electronic' product-Colon Cleanses are for the other guy
4)Inverters are very popular in Europe-hence can't be any good
5) I expect my transformer machine to be fully functioning when It is time to teach my daughter to weld-she's two
6) I need to compensate
7)My shop needed some wiring upgrades anyhow.
8) I pay for other peoples electricity that I dont even get to use, so bye gawd I'm going to use some.
9) Electricity costs will be re-couped , from $$ saved from costly electronic switching device replacement & or inverter upgrades when the latest and greatest comes out this fall.
10) Tig process consumes large amounts of Argon- so full sized cylinders are a must. And 50lbs just does not stablize a cylinder, like 500lbs will.
11)The sales pamphlets for traditional tig machines are like two pages, whereas sales pamphlets for Inverters are book like. So I will help save trees for more important uses like-toilet paper
12)Short sales pamphlets also are an indication of a machines simplicity (just not that much to bs about w/transformers)-I like simple-no sense making GTAW even more complicated.
13)I buy the most current for the least cash.
14)The top of the Traditional Transformer machine, will also hold more emptys-before I have to clean up- more efficient use of my jantorial limitations
That was very well written Planet X. If my life depended on which one was still working in 10 years without a failure, I would go with a transformer type.
In ten years were it to fail I would bet on not fixing the inverter as the original parts went obsolete and the replacements don't fit without a rework that costs as much or more than the machine did. Terry
very well written planet X, and good point Mike, my Lincoln tig 250 that I bought used 11 years ago is still working like a dream today. will be interesting to see how the inverter machines fair, and by the way, a transformer machine does not use much elect. My shop has a dedicated meter and I have verified that laying down over 400 inches at 130 amps (AC) used less than $10.00 of elect. (bill for the whole month, including lights was $14.00).
i would stay with a lincoln or miller machince, and save some $$$ by getting a transformer machine, have you looked at the lincoln 185, you can get one for under 2000 grand with pulse included...
Problem is transformer models such as the Lincoln 180 or Miller equivalant require somewhere over 50amp dedicated circuit. I have 60amps in total powering garage.
Originally posted by gassedup Problem is transformer models such as the Lincoln 180 or Miller equivalant require somewhere over 50amp dedicated circuit. I have 60amps in total powering garage.
If your the only one working in your shop-how would you exceed your 60amp breaker? The 180-185 transformer machines are not going to be able to draw max power for very long and how many other electical loads will you have while you are welding, lights or heating? Do you really think you will trip that breaker?
Spend your money how you want-you earned it, and even if you make a mistake with the purchase-so what, you can earn 3grand again.
If you buy the T/A185-you will have plenty of other fellow t/a owners to draw knowledge from-on this board.
If you buy the Dynasty-you will be able to sleep better at night knowing you have helped pay for this board and you have Millers service reputation in your corner.
If you buy the HTP-you will get a cool looking ferria red machine.
I have seen welds made by feature rich inverters, that still need one more button- 'good welds press here' .
In fairness a button or knob that could make quality welds would be great for any machine , inverter or other wise.
I would suggest downloading and reading the manuals for each of the welders in consideration- now be honest with yourself (its all that matters).
If you sortve have an idea what they are saying-ok, the features may be a good thing, but if it sounds like a foreign language. Do yourself a favor and go with the simpler unit- torch,foot control, and amp knob. These will serve you better than , frequency manipulations....
Here is a link to a thread, check out the welds- look at how many hours he states he has been tig welding-3 hours under the torch, hmmm
well it seems that you have awnsered your own question... if you WANT a inverter its you call and $$$ too.
the people on this post have given you some options, you can do the homemade tig for under500.00 you can do a squarewave 180 or p.t. 185 for under2000.00 or you can be a big baller and drop 3000.00 for a inverter
i have used a bunch of tig welders, and usually the older they are the nicer they are to run, a 20 yo syncrowave (i feel) will weld better then the majoritity of the gizmos they have out today
my question to you is that if you got 3000.00 + to spend on a inverter cause of your elecricty problem why not spend the money and update your breaker, i would think that it would pay off in the long run ????
question #2 how much welding have you done and how much do you plan on doing ?
The best thing the newbies can do with their inverters is ignore pulsing and sequencing for the first 6 months at least. If they are welding AL, then set the balance at 70% DCEN, frequency at 60hz and then FORGET ABOUT CHANGING IT.
Newbies need to learn how to tig weld before worrying about customizing, since these are secondary issues. It has appeared WAY too often on this board. The guys with the synchros are up and running in no time and are not posting any problems at all. Makes you wonder now doesn't it???
It's not the machine's fault, but the guy behind the torch.
i had taken a welding class at lincoln last fall, now i had heard about the pulse setting but was never fortunate to use it...
so im out there having a good time learning and trying out new machines.....and my instructor turns on the pulser.... (cheater)
now i would not knock his welding skills one bit, but i was concerned ok a little pissed that he was showing the guys who had never welded the pulse set up, so i asked him if that HINDERS a new welder and his reply was no it HELPS THEM... i think that he was just trying to move some product
i have been welding for 5 years (proffesionly) and here are these guys who had never had picked up a torch laying some NICE BEADS..
i think that pulse is a handicap for new guys(cheaters way out)
me and alot of the other guys on these boards had to learn the hard (right) way.....
and i feel that its a insult that somebody can go and throw some $$$ around and say HEY LOOK AT ME IM A TIG WELDER,
well try this go and find a old linde or hobart machine and see if you can HANG...
I think in the right setting, as you described in a class with an instructor, it may appear to 'speed' the learning curve. However, the guys on this board with the new inverters are not taking classes--so they are trying to debug their skills over the internet--which does not work well. That's why I say "Turn it off and learn like the others--without it". It will simplify the learning curve if you are teaching yourself how to tig. AND, you'll learn if and when to use pulsing , because you know how to weld without it.
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