Welding Tips and Tricks

Was wondering if anyone could recommend a tig welder that's good for some repair work but mostly fab work in a garage? I do have a 220v plug installed already

what metals do you need to weld

If you "ONLY" need DC capability,
The Everlast PowerArc 160 or 200 would be a good choice

2 cents

John

Aluminum stainless and steel

How thick of aluminum? That is the deal maker/breaker for amperage.

Probably nothing thicker than 1/4" if that

Actually 1/8"

Look into the Thermal Arc 186

Everlast PowerTig 185 Micro

http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Power ... 10-pd.html

5 year warranty too!

Zach_T wrote:Was wondering if anyone could recommend a tig welder that's good for some repair work but mostly fab work in a garage? I do have a 220v plug installed already

you need a welding machine for a garage? are you sure you need a tig machine to weld body panels or a new floor in the chevy? you didn't say what kind of garage but if it's a repair shop
maybe all you need is a good 110v mig machine? unless you're building race cars. you were kinda vague in your op

The PowerPro 205 comes with a Tig torch, 50 amp Plasma cutter and Stick holder.
It also comes with the foot pedal, flow gauges, spare consumables, regulators, etc.
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Power ... 79-pd.html
My main reason for choosing the 205 over the 256 was because I didn't have to rewire the garage.
The standard 240v-30amp breaker works fine. The duty cycle is very reasonable.

jwmacawful wrote:

Zach_T wrote:Was wondering if anyone could recommend a tig welder that's good for some repair work but mostly fab work in a garage? I do have a 220v plug installed already

you need a welding machine for a garage? are you sure you need a tig machine to weld body panels or a new floor in the chevy? you didn't say what kind of garage but if it's a repair shop
maybe all you need is a good 110v mig machine? unless you're building race cars. you were kinda vague in your op

Sorry meant for garage at the house just general fab use

Used is not a bad thing. I've got a monster tig/stick welder and have $250 in it. (My avatar)

High quality with 470 amp top end - so 100% duty cycle where I normally weld at.

Works great and I would not hesitate to use it every day if I had enough work for it.

I like it enough that if I ever burn it out I'll buy another just like it.

Many people like the new small inverters - just not for me for my general use (I do have a portable maxstar 150 stick though).

Zach_T wrote:

jwmacawful wrote:

Zach_T wrote:Was wondering if anyone could recommend a tig welder that's good for some repair work but mostly fab work in a garage? I do have a 220v plug installed already

you need a welding machine for a garage? are you sure you need a tig machine to weld body panels or a new floor in the chevy? you didn't say what kind of garage but if it's a repair shop
maybe all you need is a good 110v mig machine? unless you're building race cars. you were kinda vague in your op

Sorry meant for garage at the house just general fab use

since your only going go to be working with 1/8 max material, one of the tig/stick inverter's mentioned earlier would serve you well. The everlast 185 micro is a good little welder And it runs on 110 and two twenty. happy hunting

rake wrote:Everlast PowerTig 185 Micro

http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Power ... 10-pd.html

5 year warranty too!

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/tig ... -demo.html

Jody's video on it

Zach_T wrote:

jwmacawful wrote:

Zach_T wrote:Was wondering if anyone could recommend a tig welder that's good for some repair work but mostly fab work in a garage? I do have a 220v plug installed already

you need a welding machine for a garage? are you sure you need a tig machine to weld body panels or a new floor in the chevy? you didn't say what kind of garage but if it's a repair shop
maybe all you need is a good 110v mig machine? unless you're building race cars. you were kinda vague in your op

Sorry meant for garage at the house just general fab use

my mistake. sorry zach

Look for a used Lincoln Squarewave TIG 175. I love mine. Excellent low end start for the thin stuff.

If I missed it sorry, but you did not say how deep your pockets are.

250 amp minimum. Everyone I know that has bought a smaller machine wishes they had bought a larger one. Most handicap themselves with a budget as the say all. 6 months goes by and they could have saved a larger budget. In my experience, smaller machines limits the learning curve over all. If the machine will do more, so will you.

I bought a used, 300 amp Miller A/BP. It's a dinosaur but it kicks aluminum's ass and kicks it quietly. I've never really been limited welding about anything I can fit in the yard that is not too big to irk the neighbors. I did build a full rigged flybridge for a 40 something foot Bertram. That got them talking for a spell.

The hardest part about these questions is trying to find that fine line between hobbyist and someone that has the potential to be serious about welding. To me, there is no real middle ground. Welding is one of those things, in my opinion, that you should just do all the way, which is pretty much the way I address these questions.

TamJeff wrote:250 amp minimum. Everyone I know that has bought a smaller machine wishes they had bought a larger one. Most handicap themselves with a budget as the say all. 6 months goes by and they could have saved a larger budget. In my experience, smaller machines limits the learning curve over all. If the machine will do more, so will you.

I bought a used, 300 amp Miller A/BP. It's a dinosaur but it kicks aluminum's ass and kicks it quietly. I've never really been limited welding about anything I can fit in the yard that is not too big to irk the neighbors. I did build a full rigged flybridge for a 40 something foot Bertram. That got them talking for a spell.

The hardest part about these questions is trying to find that fine line between hobbyist and someone that has the potential to be serious about welding. To me, there is no real middle ground. Welding is one of those things, in my opinion, that you should just do all the way, which is pretty much the way I address these questions.

Yep, 250 amps minimum. 200 amp machine has too low duty cycle for aluminum.

TamJeff's miller is the same as my Airco (miller made the Airco) and they are also awesome stick welders as a bonus