Welding Tips and Tricks

I've got a question for the more experienced people here. I just received a new AHP 200DX tig welder.
It has the cheaper gauge only argon regulator. When setting the flow, do you adjust the pressure with the
gas valve open and gas flowing? Or adjust the pressure to what you want, without flow. I noticed that the reading
on the gauge drops from 20 cfh to near zero with flow. I sure wish it had come with a ball flow meter.
Are these accurate enough, or do I just buy a new regulator?

You need to set it with the gas flowing. I have the same welder, and I bought one of the flow meters from HTP. I now use about half the gas I did before. The one with my welder must not have been very accurate.

Thanks TxBigRed, I thought it would be similar to Oxy-Acetylene. As you know the manual that comes with the
AHP alphatig has very little in it. I did notice a very large drop in reading when flow starts with this regulator.
I guess I will be shopping for a real flow meter regulator. So since you have the same machine, what do you think of it?

Always make adjustments with gas flowing regardless of type of reg/flow meter. I'm using a cheap gauge atm and it's been workin fine. The diff between a gauge and a flow meter is the gauge drops to a true reading when gas is flowing. The flow meter will show true when flowing and the ball will drop when it's not.

rich5724 wrote:Thanks TxBigRed, So since you have the same machine, what do you think of it?

So far I like it. I wish it had adjustable frequency though.

TxBigRed wrote:

rich5724 wrote:Thanks TxBigRed, So since you have the same machine, what do you think of it?

So far I like it. I wish it had adjustable frequency though.

Get that thought out of your head. I kept thinking the same thing when I had an Eastwood AC/DC tig welder. That very same thought forced me to spend $3,000+ for a dual-voltage water-cooled HTP Invertig221! AHHH! it's madness I tell you!

Your probably right. Well, I wish I at least knew someone with one I could play around to see if it was worth it. There is some one at work with a Lincoln 225 tig, maybe I could try his. I'm in the radio department and he is in heavy repair.