Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey,
I'll retire soon but need advice on a cheap TIG welder for small home projects. Maybe some of you have some similar needs.
Quick search came up with 200A stick/TIG for under $200 (ug can you say China?).

I can get away with 100A, dont need no pedal, but HF start is really desirable (I'm a machinist, not a welder dammit) AC and balance I'd like but aluminum doesn't like me too much.
If you feel shame answering this, PM me. I understand.

Also, what's the smallest argon tank you've seen?

Thanks for your time!

The advice you're asking for is for recommendations for TIG welder? As in what brands?? Seems like you found one suited for your budget, or is that not the case? As you've already found out for yourself, for <$200 you're looking at very cheap overseas machines with very limited features, and many of them come from the same factory, just wearing different clothes. So if I have that right, recommendations on "brands" is not a good use of anyone's time IMO; they're all gonna be very very very similar at that price point. Once you get into the $600+ range, then you start to get more features. Don't worry, you won't get "shamed" as I think most people here are into giving genuine advice, from their own perspective of course.

The smallest tank I've seen is coincidentally the most expensive; as a beginner you're waste so much doing short tacks/beads, you'll use up a tiny tank in one weekend. Then when you go to your welding gas supplier you're gonna find out it would have been much more economical to get a larger one in the first place.

Thanks Oscar,
I'm not really a beginner, welding is just a small bit of my time at work. It'd be great to find USA made, but I'm sure they're way pricey.
I do have an Everlast which has treated me well at work. Maybe I'll just have to spend $$$.

"Too good to be true" has bitten me in the ass more times than I'm proud of.

I am new to TIG welding I will only reply to the smallest tank. I bought an 80 cubic ft. tank it only lasted a week. When I went back for more gas and I asked about upgrading to a larger tank I was told that there is no exchange to a larger tank. I did buy the tank but I was hoping that there would be some credit for the tank, it was the same welding supply store I bought it from. In short don't buy a small tank. My opinion. I am now trying to learn to weld aluminum and going through gas even faster. Good luck with your adventure.

80CF tank is handy. You can get them refilled as an “exchange” anywhere you have an “account”.

For around $900, the best value TIG on the market is the PrimeWeld 225. Sure, it’s more than your $200 find, but it is highly rated, has 3 year warranty, and for your stated use, would be an outstanding machine. Only has HF start though. And it does do AC in case you overcome your ally fears.

nelson wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 5:29 pm Hey,
I'll retire soon but need advice on a cheap TIG welder for small home projects. Maybe some of you have some similar needs.
Quick search came up with 200A stick/TIG for under $200 (ug can you say China?).

I can get away with 100A, dont need no pedal, but HF start is really desirable (I'm a machinist, not a welder dammit) AC and balance I'd like but aluminum doesn't like me too much.
If you feel shame answering this, PM me. I understand.

Also, what's the smallest argon tank you've seen?

Thanks for your time!

Do you use cheap Chinese micrometers or do you buy Starretts? Kind of the same thing with welders.

Harry wrote:I am new to TIG welding I will only reply to the smallest tank. I bought an 80 cubic ft. tank it only lasted a week. When I went back for more gas and I asked about upgrading to a larger tank I was told that there is no exchange to a larger tank. I did buy the tank but I was hoping that there would be some credit for the tank, it was the same welding supply store I bought it from. In short don't buy a small tank. My opinion. I am now trying to learn to weld aluminum and going through gas even faster. Good luck with your adventure.

Keep the small one filled up and tucked away as a 'oh no' bottle you can use in a pinch if things need to get done and say the LWS is closed or there's no time for the drive back and forth.

Just my two cents though.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

My opinion on it is, of you got the space for one is to find a well loved transformer machine that somebody is replacing for a modern inverter.

Can get all your bells and whistles with the right one and not break the bank usually

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

Thanks guys. My aching back tells me to get an inverter.
I'm thinking to forget aluminum and get a small DC machine.
I have a s#!tload of 316 rings from a product we stopped making and want to do a deco project with them. About 80 amps, blast a fusion weld.
I got some FC SS wire and tried it at home, but I would spend my life grinding them. Fusion is the only way for this ...
Unless I use the FC welder PS and rig it with a tig torch somehow.

nelson wrote: ↑Sat Feb 19, 2022 1:12 pm Unless I use the FC welder PS and rig it with a tig torch somehow.

Unless your wire-feed welder has an option for constant-current output, it is a constant-voltage power source. TIG needs a CC power source.

Thanks Oscar, and all...
I decided to get a green one again.
I'm a musician as well... with music gear I have GAS (gear acquisition syndrome)
I guess I have it for welding as well.
I ordered an AC/DC midrange Everlast.
Now, if Airgas will exchange my nitrogen tank from beer brewing for an argon tank I'm set!