Welders mig/tig
Sat, 2010-05-08 15:18
mig/tig, and brand what are your thoughts?
I am Looking at buying a shop welder that is either mig, tig or both. I have no brand preferance and was looking between lincoln and miller. As For welding experience, I am pretty good with a mig, and dont have much time with a tig.
Thanx
Tue, 2010-05-11 06:04
#2
Just my opinion
Hello Everyone
I started welding with gas many moons ago. I bought a Hobart Handler 210 which was good bang for the buck. It also handled a reasonably priced spool gun fairly well. I sold it when I was practically given a Thermal Arc 250 which is a much larger machine with a longer duty cycle which in my case makes no difference; however, the arc was more stable with the Thermal Dynamics machine. If cost was not a factor I would buy the Millermatic 252 with a spool gun. In my opinion, it is easy to set up and a very good machine.
As far as a TIG goes, I have an HTP 210 Invertig that is water cooled. It seems to be a very good machine at a great value. It will also stick weld. Support on my HTP machine has been excellent. HTP's Mig machines look pretty good also. I have an 600 amp HTP plasma cutter that also works well. HTP machines are made in Italy Spain; however, consumables and parts have never been a problem from HTP. All the circuitry is modular so it is easily repaired by the owner. I other words, of you fry a board, you replace one small board rather than the whole mother board. I have never had a problem with either.
As mentioned in either this thread or a similar one, stay away from the chinkinese machines. The Harbor Freight models just don't get there.
From my experience from friends that weld a lot more that I do and are much better welders, I find the Miller products are excellent, expensive, but worth the money.
If I were to buy a new Mig today and felt flush it would be the Millermatic 252 rigged with a spool gun. If my budget were a little tighter, I would buy the HTP and save a lot of money. Their web address is www.htpweld.com.
I like my HTP TIG and have no reason to change. The Miller equivalent is a grand more.
I have found welding is like machine work. You have ten percent theory and ninety percent practice. I think the same can be applied to many disciplines, body work, painting, fishing, hunting, and I cannot put women in that category. In my case, theory or practice seems to make no difference. Rules change by the hour.
In my opinion there are many good machines on the market. Find one that meets your needs and budget. You can save a lot of money buying new machines on eBay. As far a power goes, figure out what you need and go a step or two higher. It is a lot better to have it and not need it and need it and not have it.
Good Luck,
Grits
Sun, 2010-05-09 00:51
#3
mig/tig, and brand what are your thoughts?
I'd go with either but definately not one that does both. MIG and stick are OK as are TIG and stick machines. I haven't heard anything about the machines that also do plasma cutting but my feeling is they'll not work like the other 3 in 1 machines of the past have.
A wire feed on a TIG would make it a MIG and not be the precise and extremely controled TIG welding is. MIG weld seams tend to be hard where TIG welds are soft and easy to work with. This is very desireable when welding body pannels as they can be worked much easier than a MIG weld when sanding, grinding, forming, and shaping. Not to mention the amount of heat introduced to the pannel will be less causing less warpage.
Thu, 2010-05-13 20:02
#4
side question.
why isnt there an auto feed gun for tig like mig? or have I not found it yet?
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Thanx for the responses guys. I am really trying to get a handle on a hobby machine for body work as well as odd job work. I am am Leaning more towards a TiG.