I am a home workshop welder with insufficient welding skills. I only have a Telwin MMA welder in my garage. My biggest problem is consistency. I can do a really good weld immediately followed by a totally crap one.
I am currently doing a welding course at night to improve my skills. I am getting to try different processes with industrial grade machines. Nice.
I really like TIG welding. It is slower and more difficult but I can see that it is more versatile than MIG or MMA. I am finding it easier than stick welding because I have an unobstructed view of the puddle.
I am looking at getting an AC/DC TIG/MMA machine. I have looked at the multi-process machines but they are all DC and therefore can't do aluminium. For me, a TIG has the advantage of doing stick welding as well. I think it will be better to buy a AC/DC TIG/MMA and then buy a MIG welder later if needed. Although MIG is faster and easy to use, I would need to buy another gas cylinder. It would be difficult to justify the extra cost for a home workshop.
I looked at a number of options. I started with the traditional brands with local support for consumables, spares and repairs. The industrial standard machines are too expensive and the smaller home ones are all made in China.
A leading candidate is the BOC 185 AD/DC TIG. BOC used to sell rebadged Kempi but now sells Chinese made machines. It has the features I am looking for including a foot pedal.
http://www.boc.co.nz/shop/en/nz/boc-smootharc-185-hf-dc-tig-welder-boc185acdc-fc-p
Kempi machines are way too expensive here to be considered.
Another Chinese made machine that is sold here under various badge names is the Jasic 200A TIG machine. This just looks like all the other cheap Chinese machines.
http://mytools.co.nz/products/jasic-tigmma-200-amp-acdc-inverter-welder
A major issue with these machines is that the local retail price is 2.5x more than the cost of directly importing one myself. It would be cheaper for me to buy two welders (one plus a spare) than to buy the same machine locally.
A closer look a the companies website shows a range of new welders introduced 2014.
http://www.jasictech.com/html/en/products-solutions/product-center/jasic-inverter-welding/
These are small, light and built on a single PCB. Getting to this level of engineering requires a lot more R&D than the ordinary Chinese welder. It would appear that Jasic are aiming for the industrial market at much better prices. The components used to make a welder are now much cheaper than the used to be. It is difficult to see how the major welding companies can justify the high prices.
I don't plan to buy a welder until later in the year. I'd be interested in any ones experience with the new model Jasic machines.
I am currently doing a welding course at night to improve my skills. I am getting to try different processes with industrial grade machines. Nice.
I really like TIG welding. It is slower and more difficult but I can see that it is more versatile than MIG or MMA. I am finding it easier than stick welding because I have an unobstructed view of the puddle.
I am looking at getting an AC/DC TIG/MMA machine. I have looked at the multi-process machines but they are all DC and therefore can't do aluminium. For me, a TIG has the advantage of doing stick welding as well. I think it will be better to buy a AC/DC TIG/MMA and then buy a MIG welder later if needed. Although MIG is faster and easy to use, I would need to buy another gas cylinder. It would be difficult to justify the extra cost for a home workshop.
I looked at a number of options. I started with the traditional brands with local support for consumables, spares and repairs. The industrial standard machines are too expensive and the smaller home ones are all made in China.
A leading candidate is the BOC 185 AD/DC TIG. BOC used to sell rebadged Kempi but now sells Chinese made machines. It has the features I am looking for including a foot pedal.
http://www.boc.co.nz/shop/en/nz/boc-smootharc-185-hf-dc-tig-welder-boc185acdc-fc-p
Kempi machines are way too expensive here to be considered.
Another Chinese made machine that is sold here under various badge names is the Jasic 200A TIG machine. This just looks like all the other cheap Chinese machines.
http://mytools.co.nz/products/jasic-tigmma-200-amp-acdc-inverter-welder
A major issue with these machines is that the local retail price is 2.5x more than the cost of directly importing one myself. It would be cheaper for me to buy two welders (one plus a spare) than to buy the same machine locally.
A closer look a the companies website shows a range of new welders introduced 2014.
http://www.jasictech.com/html/en/products-solutions/product-center/jasic-inverter-welding/
These are small, light and built on a single PCB. Getting to this level of engineering requires a lot more R&D than the ordinary Chinese welder. It would appear that Jasic are aiming for the industrial market at much better prices. The components used to make a welder are now much cheaper than the used to be. It is difficult to see how the major welding companies can justify the high prices.
I don't plan to buy a welder until later in the year. I'd be interested in any ones experience with the new model Jasic machines.