Which TIG to buy?

H-top · Post by **H-top** » Mon May 16, 2011 8:37 pm

G'day,

I am looking at getting a tig and learning to make stuff

I'm skilled on a MIG welder but have not used tig.

When buying a tig, what am I looking for?
What types can I get away with?

I want to weld intercooler piping, upto 3mm plate and
brackets.

What am I looking for? Brand, amp, style and price?
Anything available around $1000-1200, or lower?

Second hand or new?

Cheers

D3V1L · Post by **D3V1L** » Mon May 16, 2011 8:40 pm

kempii and lincoln are my choice, but prolly a bit out of your price range.

u get what u pay for hahaha

boc also have some own brand welders that are quite good

davo

H-top · Post by **H-top** » Mon May 16, 2011 9:22 pm

I've heard of those 2

too pricey

boc?
Anyone have any specifics on what will suit
my application?

D3V1L · Post by **D3V1L** » Mon May 16, 2011 9:26 pm

if its teaching urself, any single phase tig will do, the bigger u get, the more u can weld, and you wont have to upgrade sooner hahaha. got a mate with a transtig, and it does the job at hand

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Mon May 16, 2011 10:01 pm

Cigweld do a very nice unit for about $1000, High frequency TIG (trigger start) or lift arc (strike the arc on the work, a bit trickier) and Stick welder in one. Inverter power supply (can plug into wall socket) will do everything you could want to do. Also can be connected to a wire feed and turned into a MIG power supply I think. Sorry I don't have a specific model name/number, but I think they go up to around 200 amps.

TIG welding is a bit more tricky than MIG, needs more practice but once you get the hang of it you can do some great looking welds. Getting the right power setting is important. Also you'll need a bench grinder or similar to grind the tungsten electrodes to a point, when you're just starting you will melt the tip of the electrode alot