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I've done a little welding, using the really nice TIG setup at my work's machine shop. I've contemplated getting a cheap TIG setup for home, but was wary that t

by asteli 9y ago

I've done a little welding, using the really nice TIG setup at my work's machine shop. I've contemplated getting a cheap TIG setup for home, but was wary that they'd be unusable compared to a nice unit. Sort of like soldering irons, where the <$40 ones are typically trash, the $40~$100 ones are probably fine for home use, and the ones that I bought for work start around $500 (JBC btw, I've convinced our entire engineering lab that they're the best). When you go really cheap on soldering gear, overall power, tip temperature regulation, tip plating quality, and iron longevity are all reduced, sometimes to the point of unusability. What do you lose when you go cheap on TIG machines?

convolvatron 9y ago
not too much really. power. 200A gets you pretty far, but 100 isn't enough for some things. if you don't get AC you can't weld aluminum. without a water cooler you have to make sure not to run the head too long without a break, but for personal use its not too bad. if you get one without the argon valve and control its a pain, but its usable (you have to stopcock open the argon before use and turn it off, so you go through more gas). cheaper ones might not have the HF start so you need to scratch start, which is a pain, but livable. the only thing to really be wary about with the cheaper deals is that they often don't include the head, sleeve, controls, ground clamp, argon fittings and regulator. so those might add some hidden cost. regardless you need to budget another ~$300 for a tank and gas. but the difference between low end and low end professional is alot of money, so I would definitely recommend skimping a little. since the tips are consumed there isn't much of a wear issue really. a super cheap option is a used stick machine with a tig head if you can live with all of the above limitations. if you upgrade you can carry forward the tank, regulator and head.
- TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
  This comment does a pretty good job of covering the important things. My work has an AC TIG so I'm covered for aluminium welding if I need it. I think the only other thing I've noticed about the cheap DC TIG I've got is the build quality is, well, cheap, but if you handle it with a bit of care they seem durable enough. I've accidentally dropped one of the name-brand ones from 6' up a ladder and it just bounded and kept going. Not convinced I'd want to do that with my ~$200 unit. Probably a good idea to let the unit run for a good 5 minutes after you've finished welding to make sure it has a chance to cool down. I had a MOSFET blow out on the first one I bought, I think because I was switching it off immediately after doing quite a bit of welding and the fan didn't have a chance to blow away the heat build up. But even after buying two of them I'm still a good ~$1000 in front of a high end unit.

by asteli 9y ago

convolvatron 9y ago

not too much really. power. 200A gets you pretty far, but 100 isn't enough for some things. if you don't get AC you can't weld aluminum. without a water cooler you have to make sure not to run the head too long without a break, but for personal use its not too bad. if you get one without the argon valve and control its a pain, but its usable (you have to stopcock open the argon before use and turn it off, so you go through more gas). cheaper ones might not have the HF start so you need to scratch start, which is a pain, but livable. the only thing to really be wary about with the cheaper deals is that they often don't include the head, sleeve, controls, ground clamp, argon fittings and regulator. so those might add some hidden cost. regardless you need to budget another ~$300 for a tank and gas. but the difference between low end and low end professional is alot of money, so I would definitely recommend skimping a little. since the tips are consumed there isn't much of a wear issue really. a super cheap option is a used stick machine with a tig head if you can live with all of the above limitations. if you upgrade you can carry forward the tank, regulator and head.

TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
This comment does a pretty good job of covering the important things. My work has an AC TIG so I'm covered for aluminium welding if I need it. I think the only other thing I've noticed about the cheap DC TIG I've got is the build quality is, well, cheap, but if you handle it with a bit of care they seem durable enough. I've accidentally dropped one of the name-brand ones from 6' up a ladder and it just bounded and kept going. Not convinced I'd want to do that with my ~$200 unit. Probably a good idea to let the unit run for a good 5 minutes after you've finished welding to make sure it has a chance to cool down. I had a MOSFET blow out on the first one I bought, I think because I was switching it off immediately after doing quite a bit of welding and the fan didn't have a chance to blow away the heat build up. But even after buying two of them I'm still a good ~$1000 in front of a high end unit.