Gauge's

[whiskey]

Am inquiring which are the best gauges for the Tig welder.?

 

[Maker]

Do you mean regulators or flowmeters? Name brands will be better than cheap ones but will be significantly more expensive. Two stage regulators are better than single stage but again, it's reflected in the price so it's not worthwhile (In my opinion) for a hobbyist.

 

[Richard.]

I disagree (sorry maker) with above. Spend what you have and a bit more. Regs even for the hobby user are put under the same 230bar pressure as in industrial use. A 2 stage reg is more money but will save you on gas usage so that initial layout is paid back over time. Gas flow has a massive effect on weld quality also. You can spend £3000 on a machine but if its married up with a £20 reg that doesn't perform well you're going to be getting inferior results. I'm very fanetic about gas equipment and in my experience its seen as a secondary priority by many people. Good quality reg with good fittings and good gas lens will make all the difference to what you put down on the metal and buy its self back in gas savings.

 

[dobbslc]

Interesting about how a cheap reg can cause poor welding, I've just bought a single stage twin gauge one from Weldequip, not the cheapest but not too dear either I hope these are ok.
Also a gas lens, what is a gas lens? I'm new to tig and see that they aren't always used.

 

[Appyasme]

I agree with Richard,Regulators are paramount in Argon Welding.A multi-stage reg, or 2 Stage,will save you money because, in single stage as the gas bottle empties you get what is known rising pressure characteristic where as a multi stage regulator will remain at the same pressure untill the bottle empties.As for a gas lens,if you go on to Starparts site go in to the Tig section,this will show you all the items you need.A typical part number for the Gas Lens is 45v26

 

[Appyasme]

Just thinking about my last post Richard.What about an Arc 2 Tig reg with a Flowmeter?

 

[Maker]

I've just bought a single stage twin gauge one from Weldequip, not the cheapest but not too dear either I hope these are ok.

I've got that and it's fine, I can't tell it apart from the Murex one which came with the machine, but I don't do much welding so I'm not a great judge.

I disagree (sorry maker) with above. Spend what you have and a bit more. Regs even for the hobby user are put under the same 230bar pressure as in industrial use. A 2 stage reg is more money but will save you on gas usage so that initial layout is paid back over time. Gas flow has a massive effect on weld quality also. You can spend £3000 on a machine but if its married up with a £20 reg that doesn't perform well you're going to be getting inferior results. I'm very fanetic about gas equipment and in my experience its seen as a secondary priority by many people. Good quality reg with good fittings and good gas lens will make all the difference to what you put down on the metal and buy its self back in gas savings.

Are cheaper regs more likely to not stay at the flowrate they're set to?

 

[Appyasme]

It is really not down to price when you talk about flowrate.A single stage regulator,no matter the price,will not hold the pressure as the bottle empties where as a multi stage reg will

 

[Appyasme]

If you look on the Murex site go to Gas Equipment, in the inert section you will see an Arc 2 Tig Regulator.If this is used with a flowmeter you can adjust the pressure by the adjustment device on the flowmeter.This is one way of keeping the pressure constant

 

[Appyasme]

The single stage 2 guage regulator has a contents guage and a pressure guage

 

[Maker]

If you look on the Murex site go to Gas Equipment, in the inert section you will see an Arc 2 Tig Regulator.If this is used with a flowmeter you can adjust the pressure by the adjustment device on the flowmeter.This is one way of keeping the pressure constant

Cromwell have single stage Murex regs for £80ish.

 

[Appyasme]

Are you wanting to buy a regulator or do you already have one?

 

[Richard.]

It's not always the case but I have heard of inaccurate flow rates and irregularities in flow rates from really cheap regs. I've heard of sticking diaphragms too. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get decent results but I'm a big fan of the old murex saffire range and I also really like the elga optiflow. I believe a multistage is the best way forward. Yes they will set you back twice as much and more but if your using less argon (which costs a lot) then your effectively paying for the reg and more in that saving. Flow rates with a two stage are very accurate right to the end of the cylinder.

 

[hotrodder]

Cheapnese tat aside the only type of argon/CO2 reg i'd give a wide berth to is the two gauge style where the output pressure is calibrated to read flow as they're infamously inaccurate.
FWIW until a few years ago all i ever used with TIG was preset/fixed output, single stage, single gauge Harris regs that cost about £35 and a matching flowmeter. I still use a preset single stage reg but swapped to an Elga optimator flowmeter which adds a second stage + an economiser to reduce the intial gas surge when striking an arc. While it'll eventually pay for itself in gas savings the main benefit is more accurate arc strikes but that's most noticable at really low amperages on stuuupidly thin stuff. The Elga flowmeter like any others mounted at the reg are less accurate than dirt cheap 'peashooters' used to measure flow where it matters i.e. at the torch, several meters from the reg and downstream of the gas solenoid

I'm a big fan of dual stage regs with oxy fuel where regulator creep can effect flame settings but with MIG or TIG the change in output pressure as the cylinder pressure drops is much less of a deal IMO... flow meters are calibrated for input pressure in the ball park of 30 - 50psi versus oxyfuel output pressures of a couple of psi when welding/brazing thin stuff. It's only as you reach the dregs of the cylinder that flow rates start changing noticably from minute to minute with MIG/TIG and at that stage you're playing Russian roullette with whatever you're welding anyway

 

[Appyasme]

So let`s go for the good old murex Ar-2Tig regulator (30psi)and a Bobbin Flowmeter.This reg has been on the market since I can remember.I wish that a good old pal of mine,Les Ness,could speak to you.For those on the Forum that knows Less he would have said"now guys this is how a multi stage reg works".Sorry but a lovely man

 

[Appyasme]

I agree.Multi-Stage regulators are expensive,but will save you money in the long run.There are horrible regs coming into suppliers from countries outside the UK,cheap and nasty,rip of rubbish.

 

[Maker]

dirt cheap 'peashooters'

Do you know how accurate these are? I'm always a little bit sceptical of it when I use it.

 

[Appyasme]

It it is not calibrated it is not accurate!!

 

[Maker]

It it is not calibrated it is not accurate!!

I'm confused, should I have asked if they were precise?

 

[Richard.]

They are just a flow meter but with no losses. By checking at the torch you'll get a more accurate reading than 8 Mtrs away. It's not so much the instrument that's more accurate but where the gas flow is checked.