Which is the better make?

[ta borom]

Hello guys, please help me make the right choice. I have decided to buy a tig inverter, most probably a new scratch start( due to ridiculously high prices for an HF model here in Malta) I have limited my options to CEA and SIP. Now, i know that they are both made in Italy, but some have told me that CEA competes with higher rated brands. As for operational features they both seem to have the same functions and are both 140A models and both are within reach for my budget.
What's your advice please?

 

[fingers99]

Do you have eBay and PayPal in Malta?

That you're considering scratch start probably means you want DC only.

Most scratch start sets are pretty basic.

You might want to look at the Rehmann 160 amp TIG or if you want one that provides Arc welding capability as well (most of the small scratch start TIGs are really Arc sets with a TIG option) the Rehmann 200 Amp TIG. Both have HF start and post flow.

Both through eBay with a 2 year guarantee the importer seems to honour.

 

[weldequip]

I would go with the CEA
weldequip

 

[ta borom]

Yes guys, I only need DC, as I will be using it for thin stainless and copper. I do use E BAY and found good prices out there, but postage cost to Malta is still pretty high. Do you think that I should manage nice welds with scratch start? By the way, I do noe need it for stick welding as I already got 2 semi professional sets of those.

 

[English Steve]

If either of your stick sets are inverter based, you may well be able to scratch start TIG with it. Post the details on here and someone will be able to tell you.

 

[ta borom]

Yes I know about converting it to TIG. That's what I did with a DECA transformer based(not inverter) stick welder. I manage to TIG weld stainless steel but with great difficulty even though I am an experienced welder. The machine does not have an anti stick circuit and the tungsten tip kept sticking to the workpeice. Apart from that, most TIG inverters can use low Amps operation(10-15) while transformer stick machines usually start in the range of 30-40 amps or even higher

 

[fingers99]

I get the bit about the carriage to Malta, but, I think the amount I paid from Germany to here was less than I'd normally pay from point to point in the UK! Wierd. But worth checking out.

 

[ta borom]

Yes I am checking out the postage for a rehmann 160 tig. It does not have constant hf but it does claim HF start!!? It seems quite appealing, and what about its transistors? are they really SIEMENS? Is this a genuine german product. If so, it should be reliable, I guess

 

[fingers99]

They are made in China -- possibly with a bit of German intervention -- certainly they don't look like any of the other Chinese kit. But a few of us have run them and, I think, only two have gone phut and been fixed. One other person managed to burn out one of the torch cables, but they also blew up a big name MIG on the same job!

I love mine -- so far I've used it on mild steel, stainless, titanium and aluminium (DC, but the weld on 4mm and above is OK, but not pretty) from 15 up to 120 or so amps.

A search for "rehmann" or "Rehmann" (or try leaving the last n off) should turn up everything.

I'm no electronics person, but the HF doesn't appear to be constant -- you hear the shriek of the HF, then the arc starts, and the shriek goes, so I guess the electronics control all that. Very definately HF start.

 

[ta borom]

Thankyou so much fingers 99,will definitely consider your advice.

 

[Wozzaaah]

They are made in China -- possibly with a bit of German intervention -- certainly they don't look like any of the other Chinese kit.

Hadn't thought of that but you're right, I can't find any other clone of my 200A DC one . Most of the chinese ones have a switch on the front for post gas, 2.5 or 5 seconds, mine has a variable control.

I'm no electronics person, but the HF doesn't appear to be constant -- you hear the shriek of the HF, then the arc starts, and the shriek goes, so I guess the electronics control all that. Very definately HF start.

Definitely HF start only, like you say, as soon as the arc is established the HF circuit cuts out.