Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi Everyone,

I am trying to finalize my welder purchase and are not sure which way to go. I have an old Lincoln arc welder that I got from my dad, it works great especially for heavy stuff. I want to learn how to weld lighter gauge things like motorcycle gas tanks, Aluminium, and Stainless. A friend has a lincoln easy Mig 180 and it does a pretty darn good job with steel (he has never used it for other things). After doing a lot of research, I also ran across Mr Tig's videos and corresponding website. He offers a repackaged Everlast 200 that includes some improved items located here;

http://tigdepot.net/cart-products-miste ... undle-4495

I also like the Millermatic 200, but I see it can't TIG Aluminum AND it costs a lot more money. I find the more I research, the higher my price tag jumps. I want to weld just for hobby use, speed is not important. Price is as is reliability. I APPRECIATE your thoughts!

THANKS!

Rob

In my opinion, Mr Tigs endorsement makes absolutely sweet FA improvement on that machine, This Everlast machines are good, and I see some CK stuff, which is good. But from what I have seen of his videos, (I deliberately don't watch them anymore, because he offers nothing to any real world leaner, even if he could weld, ) so maybe its a good package, but I wouldn't buy it.

Mick

JMHO but the added $330 bones is a bit rich for the improvements.

I bought a 200DX a few years back straight from Everlast and it's been stellar.

Now I did add a WP-9 torch, some gas lenses and a flow meter in CFH for a lot
less but I had to do the shopping myself.

rake wrote:JMHO but the added $330 bones is a bit rich for the improvements.

I bought a 200DX a few years back straight from Everlast and it's been stellar.

Now I did add a WP-9 torch, some gas lenses and a flow meter in CFH for a lot
less but I had to do the shopping myself.

THANKS for the tip, I have no desire to line his pockets unnecessarily! If you had it to do all over again, would you have still bought the Everlast? Would you still have gone TIG over MIG?

Best not to compare one over the other. Look at jobs you may want to do, and choose the process best suited for them. (steel fabbing, farm repair, heavy materials =mig.... Alum or odd materials, thinner or high quality (appearance) work =tig. Or buy both Lol. PS I own a EVERLAST power arc 200, and I believe you will have no trouble with the actual brand it's self, there warranty is top notch I hear. They sell migs too.

I don't mind those bottles, though I'm off the rum. All my teeth are falling out

I'd buy from other companies before everlast.

I'm not biased against import machines in general though, here are a couple of good ones.

Thermal Arc 186
http://store.cyberweld.com/tharc186acti.html

HTP invertig 221
http://www.usaweld.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=597

Lincoln Precision Tig 175
http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/l ... oCg4bw_wcB

https://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/einst ... :X:K1478-5

Hi Bigfoot! Personally, I am a ‘blue’ guy. I have owned Lincoln, Hobart and other less well known brands of stick machines; a lot of them! TIG and MIG machines that I personally owned (for my own business) were all Miller Blue. I have used other brands when working for different companies, but I always keep coming back to Blue.

I had two Miller 251 machines, and one spool gun for aluminum. Miller now has the 252, which I have used extensively in the class room, and I have found that the 252 is a quality and durable machine.

I think you can get into a 252, with an extended 12’ or 15’ whip, for about $2,200. Now, that might sound like a lot of money, but that machine is indestructible. Your grand-kids will use it. It will weld very thick metal. Sales people will try to tell you that for ‘home use’ you won’t need two weld anything over 1/8” or 3/16” – until you need to – then if your machine isn’t up to the task, you are screwed.

My philosophy is to get the most machine that I can, within reason. I don’t want to limit the thickness of material I can weld, because I wouldn’t spend an extra $800. If I don’t have the $$$, and I do understand that is an issue, I will wait until I do. I feel like spending $1,000 on a machine that only does half of what I need it to do is a waste, as opposed to spending 2K on a machine that does EVERYTHING I need it to do and more.

Anyway, those are my thoughts! For what little they are worth!

agree Boomer63
OLD ADAGE "some is good,more is better, too much just about right" grow skills(job ability) into size of machine, not out of.

Two things in life I've never regretted:

1> Buying equipment with more capability than I may need at the present. I've always eventually needed it.

2> Spending a bit extra for high quality tools and equipment. Cheap tools and equipment generally costs you at least three times; Once when you buy it, again when you have to repair or replace the work you damaged when the tool broke and once more when you replace it with a quality tool.

LDB

Oh Jeeze! "If it ain't Red or Blue, it just won't fucking do"!

Bigfoot, I have personally been beating the dog snot out of an Everlast Powertig 200DX for 3 years now.
(dual voltage units weren't available yet)
It still works flawlessly.
I do some part time work for a local machine shop. (he had a Dynasty)
We ran both machines on a job and neither of us saw any appreciable difference.

Some bash processes, others bash case colors.

[quote]Some bash processes, others bash case colors.[/quote

"Bashing", the next Olympic sport to be recognized?

rick9345 wrote:

Some bash processes, others bash case colors.[/quote

"Bashing", the next Olympic sport to be recognized?

No, but look for it in the next "X Games"...
Expect Whiskey to be considered a "performance enhancing drug".



Steve S

"Otto Nobedder"
Expect Whiskey to be considered a "performance enhancing drug".



Steve S

Only if it's the corn type

I've looked at the Mr tig package ahp alpha tig, and the everlast 250ex.

For the price...... one could buy from amazon, do their home work, buy quality accessories (torch, remote, flowmeter) and still be cheaper than than the Mr tig package.

And not feel dirty for helping the consumerist juggernaut.