Monday, March 5, 2012

What Tig welder? - MIG Welding Forum

I'm a bit biassed as I have an R-Tech machine and I love it. Had it about a year now.

For your budget, you could buy an AC machine, but it'll be one of the the pure Chinese machines from a box shifter, and they tend to be unreliable machines where support can be a bit of a faff.

Better would be to go for a DC, which will be fine for everything except aluminium. R-Tech do a 160 A machine that retails at £360, the remainder you could spend on gas, some rods, helmet and gloves. Add a flowmeter too, it'll pay for itself in no time.

That would be the new route, alternatively, you could go second hand, and AC may be a feature that can be added within the budget if you find the right machine. Transformer machines (older, more robust, but larger and demanding more of your power supply arrangements) are likely to be the one's to go for here. Inverter machines can be (are?) more fragile, if buying one of these second hand make sure you know it works.

You'll still need gas! Be aware this is the largest cost with TIG, I'm getting round to thinking that the 9l hobby weld cylinders (137 Bar fill) are a total false economy, so get a 10-20L 220 Bar filled one, that'll give you as a minimum enought welding practice to be worthwhile.

Hope this helps!

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