TEC-ARC 186i AC/DC TIG welder

[Photog Keith]

TEC-ARC 206i AC/DC TIG welder

Could not find a thread in the Welder section relating to the TEC-ARC company, so posting here instead.

Have any members got this welder or have any experience of it?

I'm new to welding (see my gallery) but require a welder capable of welding thin sheet plus aluminium and want to spend less than £1k. The TEC-ARC 186i seems good value with a minimum current of 5amps and a pulse frequency from .5 to 300Hz.

Any advice on this welder or any other you think suitable would be great.

Keith

 

[gavuk]

There are a few members that have tec-arc without any issues as far as i can remember,i think we get more posts about r-tech units which are the competition ,good support etc and worth comparing the tec-arc to...use the search button above to find info

 

[weldequip]

The 186i model is DC only so no good for aluminium, 206i is the AC/DC version
Further info here

 

[Photog Keith]

My bad - copied the wrong number! I meant the 206i.

I searched the forums earlier and there was no qualitative info on the 206i, hence asking here. The Tec-Arc seems higher spec than the nearest priced equivalent R-Tech.

It's quite a bit of money to be spending, so don't want to make the wrong choice!

 

[hotrodder]

I've not used either but spec wise it's swings and roundabouts between 'em imo. The TEC ARC offers more useful pulse capabilities (upto 300Hz as opposed to 25Hz for the Rtech IIRC) whereas the Rtech offers adjustable AC frequency

Pulse is most useful on thin, heat sensitive materials like stainless for example. The ability to be able pulse into hundreds of Hz allows for some arc shaping in that high frequencies tighten and stiffen the arc improving focus and stability. It's not something that will magically improve a machines capabilities rather something that makes some jobs a bit easier and/or faster. The last job i used pulse for was 0.3mm stainless. Job would've have been perfectly doable without pulse (at around 11 - 14A) but would've taken a little longer and been a little bit more difficult in that pulsing made distortion less of an issue and at 175Hz the weldpool was more constricted

Adjustable AC frequency is used to shape the arc too with higher AC frequencies constricting the arc. As with the pulse example it makes some jobs a bit easier/faster and allows weld size to be fine tuned for example increasing the frequency is useful for a fillet weld on thin aluminium

 

[Photog Keith]

Thanks hotrodder. Difficult decision isn't it! I keep returning to the Tec-Arc for some reason but I'm so new to it all that I am worried about making the wrong decision! Although I want AC capability it is not the most important aspect. A greater pulsed DC capability would be more useful to me, I am sure, as I want to make thin walled stainless tanks and boxes.

I'll print the spec sheets out to take to college and see what opinion there is and report back.