Thermalarc Fabricator 181i ?

[stevieturbo]

Ive recently seen a guy on a forum mention one of these.

Does MIG/TIG and stick. It would be rare I'd use either the TIG or stick, but having that ability in one compact machine sounds handy. And pricing doesnt sound too bad
Cheapest Ive seen is £760, but the person who mentioned it first said they got theirs for £580.

Size isnt a big deal, as I'd mount it on a trolley for the bottle anyway. But are they any use ?

 

[GrahamGKD]

Looks like MTA do them for £599 + VAT (£718) and Rapid Welding the same. As for what they are like - I wouldn't know but maybe someone who has one will be along in a bit. Looks like it's 'lift arc' TIG - no HF start?

 

[KemppiFrog]

Sounds tempting to have an all in one, but my feeling is I prefer dedicated machines.

 

[stevieturbo]

I already have an AC/DC Tig, so this is primarily as a MIG.

The ability to run as low as 10A sounds good. The Invertor supply suggests it will weld cleaner and easier on thinner material. Which for a welding dummy can only be a good thing.

But having the secondary ability for TIG and stick ( Stick I'd never use anyway ) on the same unit for not a lot extra money just makes it that much better over a sole purpose machine.

Only downside at present, Ive a near full 15kg roll of stainless here which sure aint gona fit inside.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Only downside at present, Ive a near full 15kg roll of stainless here which sure aint gona fit inside.

On the Rapid Welding site there is a bit of spec that mentions 100mm and 200mm spools - 200mm would be a 5Kg reel wouldn't it?

 

[stevieturbo]

On the Rapid Welding site there is a bit of spec that mentions 100mm and 200mm spools - 200mm would be a 5Kg reel wouldn't it?

Yea, think so. The 15kg would be about 350mm diameter

Being used to a "big" machine on a trolley, a small unit would seem weird. I'd still need a trolley for it, largely to carry the bottle.

But the versatility of it sounds great. I see on Thermadyne's website they list a single phase 252i machine. Havent found any for sale inn the UK though

 

[pedrobedro]

You'd need two cylinders for it if you want to use the tig feature.

 

[stevieturbo]

You'd need two cylinders for it if you want to use the tig feature.

As I said, it is primarily for the MIG. And I do have two cylinder as I already have an AC/DC TIG.

That said, a friend just uses pure Argon in his MIG and it's fine. It's not like he or I are welding super critical stuff. Although he gets his gas free the git.