Which TIG welder
 

I've convinced the wifey to allow me to spend more on a welder than expected. I'm going to get a TIG so I can weld up my aluminum charge pipe and weld a cage in my car. Those are my immediate goals. I'm sure it will be used for more than that later down the road. I'll probably build another turbo kit for a t6 build. I've found a ESAB Heliarc 161 which looks like it meets the immediate goals. I can't seem to find any reviews on their equipment though.

If anyone could lend some advice that would be appreciated.

get a miller. i have a sincrowave 180 at work and it been good.

Can't go wrong with a syncrowave. Get one with the capability to do DC+ DC- AC with High frequency, CC/CV And with the right add ons you can do any type of welding you want. Dont let them sell you the water cooler unless you plan to use it for 10 hours continuoius at a time. Get a spool gun attachment so you can Mig Or FC, get a stinger so you can stick, and get a field rig and some 2% and Pure tungenstone and your coverd ffrom sheetmetal, aluminum from 1/16 to 1" thick plate..........

get a miller dynasty it has all the bells n whistles if u know how to use them

Thats a good machine as well but its more bare bones, and you have to buy alot more "add ons" in order to do it all...

I'm limiting myself to 1500. I'm trying to find a good used unit, but no one seems to be selling any. That Miller Dynasty is way out of my price range

i got a miller syncrowave 200 a few years back and it would work great for anything you want to weld. it is 220 though but thats what the most of them are.

P.S. you still need that cylinder?

Sounds Expensive.

I'm going to get a 220 unit and make an extension cord to use the dryer plug in. So that way I don't limit myself to a machine that can't do much.

I went to Praxair and they said they sell them filled for less than 200. That sounds really reasonable to me.

yeah that aint bad. i can sell you this one for like 65 and it dont cost that much to fill i think somewhere around 45-60

As long as they will fill it, that will work. Still need to find a welder to use it with :hysterical:

Really need to know what you plan to weld.

Example:

A syncrowave has a pulser, if setup properly even a novice could weld thin material's togather with ease, alumimum,stainless , carbon ... no problem. I was at an AWS Fabtech show and saw it used to put two needles togather with GTAW (tig)

A dynasty doesn't have a pulser, its a fine welder capable of multiprocess uses but doesn't have all the fine tuning that a syncrowave does.

Now theres also miller's XMT 100 200 300 or maxstar series with switching power supplies (you can run them off of 110 or 220) but they also dont have extremely fine controls and require add ons to weld alumimum but they'll weld stainless and carbon fine.

The syncrowave looks to be the best option, I just can't find one in my price range

From the first post :bigthumb:

I'm going to get a TIG so I can weld up my aluminum charge pipe and weld a cage in my car. Those are my immediate goals. I'm sure it will be used for more than that later down the road. I'll probably build another turbo kit for a t6 build. I've found a ESAB Heliarc 161 which looks like it meets the immediate goals. I can't seem to find any reviews on their equipment though.

I'll never recomend a lincon for an electric welder, I've had some bad experiences with their electric products in the past, but then again I'm involved in alot of welding that requires x-rays and ultrasounds.

you wolnt find a better gas or diesel welder than a lincon their far superior when it comes to arc stability than a miller diesel or gas machine.

esab is a lincon with a sticker on it. if alumimum is your plan you need high frequency and a pulser would make it easier to make astheticly pleasing welds

I was wondering where you were going with that lincoln talk. I thought ESAB was an entirely different company.

I guess the next question is where would you go to buy from? I'd like to find a used one if at all possible. Is there a welder repair facility that may have some used or refurbished units?

I have a contact with praxair, I do alot of buisness with him so i may be able to help you out... Lemme look into it monday.

I also have some buddies in Appleton WI at miller's reasearch facility. I've gotten a refurb xmt 304 sent to me for right at 300$.

You can look it up on their site.

That would be awesome.

That xmt 304, isn't that a DC unit so it wouldn't be able to do Aluminum?

Not without the add on, you can buy a high freq box with a converter that will let you do it but thats more $$

I'm not looking to necessarily cheap out here. I'd like to get a quality unit for what I spend. If I can save money, then sure that would be nice, but if I have to spend all the money I have set aside, then so be it.