What's bad about it.

[Jim Davey]

That's reminded me
The gas connection on the front of mine is a pita too. Tiny little rectus fitting which always needs to be changed when buying a torch. Why they couldn't just go with the all common rectus 21 is beyond me. Crap.

It stops dummies mixing water and gas lines by mistake. Imagine breaking the set down for transport, and connecting it a up again on site, then switching it on and lo and behold! Water peeing out the end of your torch accross the floor at 2-lpm!
Different fittings on water and gas are there to help you.

 

[Richard.]

It stops dummies mixing water and gas lines by mistake. Imagine breaking the set down for transport, and connecting it a up again on site, then switching it on and lo and behold! Water peeing out the end of your torch accross the floor at 2-lpm!
Different fittings on water and gas are there to help you.

Just because your absolutely right doesn't mean I have to like it or admit it (sulking)

 

[Jim Davey]

Lol, I know because I've done it. Think back to the days when TIG machines mostly had a 3/8" connector for everything.
I've made more than one puddle over the years

 

[Richard.]

Lol, I know because I've done it. Think back to the days when TIG machines mostly had a 3/8" connector for everything.
I've made more than one puddle over the years

Ha ha ha. Yes I did that the first day I connected the first mw2000 up. They were all 3/8 threads and torch was just 3 black lines. Puddle on the bench.

 

[Jim Davey]

I used to blow down them while listening to the head to figure gas, then I could tell water and power cord apart. Those were the days...

 

[Maker]

IFL 200HF
Only downsides are the menu can be bit awkward to navigate and the weirdly shaped plastic case is a bit of a pain to put back together. HF start doesn't always work but I think its just because its old.

That is being really picky though, I honestly think its great. I'm sure someone more experienced than I would tell me the arc is unstable or something but it's not something I've noticed.

Oh, and I quite like the power switch on the back.

 

[Jim Davey]

Mains cables come in at the back, pretty much the first thing it needs to go to is the switch. The most efficient use of cable and space is to put the switch there. That's why most do.

 

[Richard.]

Mains cables come in at the back, pretty much the first thing it needs to go to is the switch. The most efficient use of cable and space is to put the switch there. That's why most do.

Will you behave.
They can't hear you, you know

 

[Jim Davey]

It's where I'd put it too, waste offends me lol

 

[Hood]

Gas comes in at the back

 

[matt1978]

I'd say from a welders point of view, that it's about time all of the manufacturers got together and agreed a "standard" connection regarding tig torches. In all of these years still nothing exists like the Euro fitting as with mig machines.

Manufacturer to manufacturer and even model to model have different fittings.

 

[Pete.]

Lincoln V205. The fan blows a small gale straight out the front. It means that I have to watch where I park my welding bench or the fan blows the gas shield away.

 

[Richard.]

Lincoln V205. The fan blows a small gale straight out the front. It means that I have to watch where I park my welding bench or the fan blows the gas shield away.

Better out the front Pete blowing your grinding dust away than sucking it in away from you.
I'm starting to sound like you Jim now.

 

[Pete.]

Oh I'm not complaining about the way it works, it does a great job of keeping the internals cool and clean just that I can't set up a welding job in the middle of my floor unless I hang a cloth over the front to diffuse it.

 

[Jim Davey]

I don't like the recessed terminals and sockets on the invertec machines, makes it hard to fit the torch and earth leads as they are al competing for space with the control plug, gas line or foot pedal if using one.

 

[Hood]

As said the faults I have mentioned are niggles rather than deal breakers. Switch at the back on the R-Tech I have is really more placement on the back rather than it actually being on the back that is the problem. I had a MMA inverter years ago and it was on the back but it was at the top and was actually a MCB so was easily reached . The R-Tech is halfway down the back of the machine and awkward to reach if the machine is under a bench or sitting in a cradle on the wall.

 

[Richard.]

I don't like the recessed terminals and sockets on the invertec machines, makes it hard to fit the torch and earth leads as they are al competing for space with the control plug, gas line or foot pedal if using one.

That's the problem with mine but a blessing in the other sense.
They have made it so small and light that things like access to the front connections is the trade off.
But then for what I do I wouldn't change that as its a mobile unit.
There has to be a sacrifice for owning the smallest lightest 200 amp acdc on the market. I'm yet to see one smaller atm.

 

[Richard.]

Oh I'm not complaining about the way it works, it does a great job of keeping the internals cool and clean just that I can't set up a welding job in the middle of my floor unless I hang a cloth over the front to diffuse it.

Is it Fan on demand Pete.
I wouldn't hang anything over the vents on it to defuse it. Point it in another direction. Let it breathe mate.

 

[Pete.]

No it's noisy fan on all the time

I think the later ones were on-demand, I don't mind the noise so much it reminds me to turn it off.

I didn't cover the vent, just hung a cloth in front so no restriction.

 

[Jim Davey]

My pet hate is when you turn a dinse plug you skin your knuckles on the adjacent Amphenol plug.