Finally took the plunge

[MikeBs]

After much searching, I have finally found a used RTech 161 that I like and have agreed to buy. Hopefully picking up on Saturday Morning.
I am sure I will have a few questions to ask after I start, but here are the first couple.
It doesn’t have a pedal.
Will it need or be advantageous to have a foot pedal for mild and stainless?
Am I better off practicing on thin or thick sheets?
I will be starting with some mild and stainless steel to try to develop some muscle memory and get an eye in on how to hold an arc and speed of travel before I try aluminium.
That will do for now. When I have it set up I will post some pics of it and first attempts.

 

[addjunkie]

Learn without a pedal….especially on steel.

 

[BrokenBiker]

you dont need a pedal for steel. i use a pedal and on steel its just flat to the mat for the whole weld apart from tapering off at the end, but that can be achieved just the same with downslope. you dont need a pedal for stainless either if you get the technique and gas covereage down. ally is where the pedal comes into its own, that stuff'll run away from you in the time it takes to blink if you arent able to control your heat properly or weld fast enough the heat cant chase you down. that said it can be done, ironically some of my best welds on ally were before i got a pedal, although i can weld longer joints with the pedal and do finer stuff like thin cast repairs that i probably wouldnt be able to acheive with a torch switch.

 

[MikeBs]

Learn without a pedal….especially on steel.

I won’t bother with a pedal then for the moment.

you dont need a pedal for steel. i use a pedal and on steel its just flat to the mat for the whole weld apart from tapering off at the end, but that can be achieved just the same with downslope.

As above. I’ll keep an eye on eBay/marketplace and here for a used one cropping up.

I’m looking forward to getting it set up.
I had the chance of a R-Tech 172 which looks as though it’s the digital version of the R-Tech 161.
I’ve got a R-Tech 181 for MIG and always seem to have it on manual mode and adjust it based on the look of the weld and sometimes the sound while it’s arcing.
Hence I went with the non-digital version.

 

[Barking Mat]

Thick is easier to learn on than thin in my experience.

But not too thick, start at 2 or 3 mms thick.