Buying a TIG welder - help?

[steviec_lj]

Right,

Looked at multi process machines, they're not bad, but I'm always concerned that should one part go wrong and can't be fixed then I'd be sat with 2/3's of a working machine, and no doubt it would be the part I used most that broke.

So, I've now been looking at single process machines, mainly because I've got an ARC, a SIP Weldmate 140, and a sub-entry level MIG but I know how to use it, a Siegen MiniMig 130.

Being able to TIG stainless and potentially copper etc together would open up both job opportunities and projects at home.

So, the question is, what to look for?

I see terms like;

Lift Tig
Scratch Tig
HF Start
Pulsed Current

Then we get on to foot pedals, etc.

Having trouble searching on my phone for anything informative or useful to be honest.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[daleyd]

If you're serious about TIG then HF start is the way to go. Scratch is fairly basic, lift is better but HF is best as you don't touch the tungsten to the workpiece thus reducing the potential for contaminating it.

Don't know much about pulsed current, as mine doesn't have that but I'm sure someone will be along to enlighten you.

If you want to TIG aluminium then you ideally need to look at AC machines, you can do mild & stainless with DC.

Foot pedals allow you to control the current throughout the process, so make it more controllable. Not essential but handy to have if you are doing a lot of TIG.

 

[waddycall]

I had a thermal arc 175 se stick welder and bought a tig torch for it and learnt some basic tig that way. I got frustrated by the scratch start and ended up buying the tig version (175 te) which has hf start and downslope control. I find it much better in terms of arc starting but otherwise no different to the scratch start set up.