Which one?

[Utukku]

I've decided to buy myself a welder, I'm a returnee to welding, but mainly from stick, but I want to learn TIG for steel and Aluminum. This will be a spare time hobby for me to learn and practice.

After reading some of the comments here, I was sold on a
TIG Welder 160AMP AC/DC 240V from R-Tech, but I only want to make this purchase once. So would I be better off buying the R-Tech TIG Welder 240V AC/DC 200amp in the long run?

Jon

 

[BrokenBiker]

depends on what you want to weld. If you aren't likely to welding anything heavier than 3-4mm the 160 will be fine. If you want to weld thicker stuff get the 200

 

[Robotstar5]

Also, what power supply do you have?, the 160A model will run from a 13A plug, but the 200A model needs a 32A supply.

I liked the handbook...

Be sure the torch and earth leads rubber coverings are free from cuts and cracks that allow welding power leakage

Can imagine amps leaking out all over the welding bench

 

[BrokenBiker]

haha, electrons flowing all over your boots

 

[Utukku]

Robotstar5, glad you asked that! obviously at home I have the normal house 240v How would I find the amperage? At work its no problem at all.

 

[BrokenBiker]

do you mean find the amperage of your existing circuits? that's easy, if its a normal 3 pin socket, its 13amp, if its a round blue 'caravan' type socket, its either 16 or 32 in a house, obviously there can be bigger but not usually

to find the amperage required by the machine, it will have it written on a data plate on the machine

 

[Utukku]

Thanks for that, is there an easy way to find out what the house amperage is?

 

[BrokenBiker]

yeah, look on the mcb in the consumer unit. for a ring main it will be 32 amp and on a radial it will be lower. but that is irrelevant as you have to use a 13amp plug in order to use the domestic supply so you are always going to be limited to 13amps, unless you have a 16amp ceeform socket fitted, or 32 depending on requirements

 

[Utukku]

ok got you.. thanks.