Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Tig Welder

From: David Hillman <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2014 16:46:00 -0400 (EDT)

On Wed, 3 Sep 2014, Doug Braun wrote:
> The first question is : ac for steel,  or ac/dc for steel and aluminum?

    ( You got that backwards... DC is for steel, AC for aluminum. )

    And the next questions are...

* what is your budget?
* how much room do you have?
* how much power do you have?
* how thick is the thickest material you plan to weld? ( and then double that, 
because you'll always find something else to make )
* what duty cycle do you require, and do you need a water-cooled torch?

    If money, power and space are no object, just buy a Miller Dynasty 700. 
There's no downside apart from the smoking crater it will leave in your 
checking account.

    Modern inverter-based units are much smaller and more efficient than older 
transformer units, like my Miller Syncrowave 180.  Some people prefer the 
characteristics of the transformer arc, and they are much cheaper, but they are 
large ( mine is relatively small -- roughly a small dishwasher -- and 245 
pounds ) and power hungry ( mine will pop a 50 amp 240v breaker when cranked 
all the way up ).

    You can't really go wrong buying from Miller / Hobart, Lincoln, or HTP... as 
long as you make sure the unit you buy meets your requirements.
Chinese brands are much cheaper, but DOA rates are high, and you don't always 
get your money back.

    There are hundreds of threads on this very topic at weldingweb.com, but 
don't go there and ask this question ( at least, not without a lot more detail 
).  They've heard it too many times already.

--
  David Hillman
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