newbie alert

[nwallace]

Hi to all, just joined the forum, been mig welding for a good few years now, but i am now moving on to stainless projects and looking to do some aluminium stuff as well.

So, it seems tig welding is the way forward, done alot of reading up on it so far, watching you tube vids and the tutorials on here, which have been very helpful indeed. And then i read some more after that.

So i need a welder now, have a limit of about a grand, been looking on ebay but am very wary of ending up with a crappy, chinese made thing.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. cheers

Niall.

 

[dickie bell]

for a grand you should be able to get a decent wee machine, if you look on weldequip site
you will see the fusion machines, i have heard good things about them so maybe give him a call and he will probably advise you on your options, good luck!

 

[chunkolini]

Welcome aboard, as said at that budget you should be able to get a quality welder.
This the place for advice on this one.
But a 'wee machine'? is that some kind of gaming device?
Chunko'.

 

[wellyweld]

Have you considered either Redline 150 or BritArc 161 machines?

Redline is about the same level quality as the Clarke. BritArc is a bit more expensive but there's a large step-up in quality regarding the components and they're made in Britain.

 

[cornishwelding]

The Tecarc TIG206i AC/DC is a decent machine. To look at, it is very similar to a lot of others, ie the old Butters, the SWP, and a few others.
But these machines are built to a higher standard, and are fully tested by Tecarc to make sure the output is as it should be etc.

I had at leat 15 Butters ones that were either DOA, or not putting out more than 120 amps or so.

The Tecarc also pre-displays selected amps, although it will vary slightly once you strike an arc, the PCB's are repairable too, which is something to take into consideration, and with a duty cycle of 180 Amps & 60%.

Foot pedals sre also good value for them in the region of £160 ish.

Just some food for thought..

Cheers

Darrin

 

[PTvor]

So i need a welder now, have a limit of about a grand, been looking on ebay but am very wary of ending up with a crappy, chinese made thing.

I'd think twice before spending any serious money on a new welder from ebay. You just might have one or two difficulties if anything goes wrong with it. There are lots of specialist suppliers about who are probably cheaper and much more likely to give satisfaction if anything goes wrong.

 

[wellyweld]

Apologies for earlier reply, seems we misread it. So here goes with a correct response.

Yes I would look at the TecArc range if have that sort of money available. There are 2 ranges on offer, one made in China one made in York. The Chinese range is slightly cheaper and there is a 166i or a bigger 206i. Inverter based but good back up & good duty cycles, the problem with all inverters is that if they do go wrong normally a bit pricey on repairs. The second range is built here using conventional design technology & I would suggest a longer product life with good reliability. You would need however a 32A 240v supply to run the 180A model & a 40A supply to run the 220A model.
The Chinese 166i will run from a 13A fuse whilst the 206i only requires a 16A fuse.

If you don't mind the extra weight of a conventional design & you have the power I would go with conventional but if power or weight is a restriction then the Chinese TecArc are OK.

 

[nwallace]

very much appreciate all the responses, very helpful.

i have 3 phase power, so no problems there, still not quite ready to buy, so going to give this serious thought, ultimately i want a good welder that is going to last, i'd rather pay a little bit more for the peace of mind.

Thanks again

Niall.

 

[wellyweld]

Final thought & it would be a bit more than a grand but a cracking piece of kit would be either an Esab Caddytig 2200 AC/DC or Murex Tradestig 220. Actually same machine just branded yellow or red. two different versions, one with pulse, one without. For my money basic version will do 99.9% of all welding jobs likely to arise.

List price way more than you want but look on web sites for lower prices.Nice modern inverter design from a respected global player plus a 2 year warranty.

 

[nwallace]

Just to further pick some experienced brains, im now thinking along the lines of buying a second hand tig, but from a bigger trusted name like some of the above mentioned ones, just missed out on a murex and am watching several more on ebay at the moment.

I realise this carries more risks etc, but i might get more for my money (and indeed i may end up with a welder that doesnt work.

Any one know anything about hitachi welders/thermal arc/cebora/miller dynasty and an esab sinewave 250 ac/dc

Any further info, especially on the esab (as it is means the least driving to pick it up) would be very much appreciated.

Niall.

 

[wellyweld]

Do not recognise Esab Sinewave & been selling Esab for 25 years, are you sure about the model? Miller Dynasty excellent as is Esab generally. In fact all makes OK but a lot depends on age & spec etc. Also older models will tend to be 3 phase & need a thumping 415v supply. If not they will be inverter based & if old will be expensive to repair should something go wrong.
Find out as much as you can about the various machines, model refs & people here will help. Be cautious before you buy second hand Tig, not simple stuff to put right like the Migs.