Thread: TIG Welder advice please

Hi David
Do you have a MIG on the farm?
if not you may be better to go for a inverter MIG TIG Stick unit.
I have a old STRATA unit which was made by POWCOM in the USA. It was used by uncle sams services I am told particularly on board ships because of portability and reliability.
Also told special units were made for underground rail authorities to run off the UG rail voltage.

I had a 250 amp single phase unit over 20 years ago but it got stolen. Bought current 350 amp unit at auction some years ago. It is 3 phase and single phase. (Switch over jumpers inside). Naturally your amperage drops on single phase but being an inverter it is very good to weld with and on power use, nut humming along a big transformer. I also have the Plasma cutter unit that uses the welder as the power source. I run a small TIG torch on it and it is scratch start. On the mig side it has a seperate wire feed that will alse clip on top of the power unit.
On MIG and stick it will weld all you can throw at it.
The advantage of inverter powersource is weight and power use. There are not many 350 amp welders that one man can lift.

I was at the mans toyshop the other day and saw a UNIMIG unit that was fully controlable / adjustable Pulse unit for $1900. I think it has about 8 to 10 controls and AC/DC. Not sure if on their site www.amanstoyshop.com

If you need serious TIG you need a water cooled torch with foot control unit.
Mind you if portability is not necessary you will pick up solid older units at auction for a bargain price. Go for quality over price or you pay later.

Yep - I already have a 250A CIGWELD MIG for black steel, and it does a pretty good job. Pity the operator isn't so expert!

I was outbid on one of the TokenTools TIGs last night (on eBay) by $25 so back to square one. It went for around $1500.

I want to keep to single phase machines, as it is reasonably expensive to wire up 3 phase in the shed and also I can't just take it elsewhere to use it. Quite a few people have 15A sockets but not many have 3 phase.

The little Kemppi unit only weighs 15Kg, so they have come down in size a lot since the early days of inverters.

I'll go and check out that man's toolshop link.
Thanks