Tig welding

[Muziiz]

Going to be doing a lot of fabrication work on my ra23 with an upcoming engine conversion.

So i need a tig welder something that will do the job for a backyard mech.
I have seen a few on ebay and wandering if they are any good. Whats the best one that will suit my needs ?
What about the multi ones?

Any feedback is appreciated

Muz

[Chrisso]

Do you have much welding experience, particularly with TIG?

I ask because I find that TIG welding is a bit fidly compared to MIG, others may have different opinions. However, you do get significantly more flexibility with TIG being adaptable to non-ferrous alloys. My only experience is with the established brands, and they just seem to keep on going.

I've used a small portable multi stick/TIG and it was fine. Did the job admirably.

Regards,
Chris

[matty12]

i bought a mach equipment ac/dc pulse tig.Had it for just over a year now a done a bit with it mainly ally.So far so good.

If you only welding steel you wont need a ac one so they are a bit cheaper.Mine cost me around $1300 but then had to buy a fair bit of stuff afterwards.

Argon isnt cheap and a d size bottle doesnt get you very far.

[RAAAH23]

Id stick with a MIG.. The only place i see your going to really beneift from having a tig is possibly alloy radiator or intercooler piping.. For the money your going to spend on buying a TIG and not a MIG its seriously not worth it.

We have a BOC Industrial 190C that we picked up for $800 brand new. Its more than what we need for the 260Z resto and that involves body panels new chassis rails and cross memeber fabrication.

Go with a MIG if you're just doing backyard work and preferably buy off a retailer or one off ebay that you can pick up.

[twentyEight]

I bought a CIG brand DC TIG and it's the best investment I ever made.

I had a MIG prior to it, and the TIG shits all over it. Mine being DC it it doesn't welld Alloy or Aluminium, but I'll still never go back to a MIG.

[td42gq]

I own a tokentools ac tig welding machine and find it goes great, I have had it for around 12 months now and does heaps of work and so far not an issue. The only thing you have to watch is the purchase price you can ad about 4-500 dollars to that to get everything else you require (gas, bottle, helmet, gloves, electrodes, filler rod) unless of course you already have some of this stuff. Electrodes are cheap but you go through a fair few especially if you take a while to learn the technique. If you put it the electrode to close to the job or touch it with the filler rod you have to snap the end off and regrind it.

I personally much prefer to use it over the Mig as it provides a much nicer finish and you can do quite thin alloy if you have a HF and a/c capable machine. However the job has to be very clean and you have to be much more accurate with your cutting and building of your job. It is much harder to fill holes/gaps with a tig than with a mig.

A mig welder is definately cheaper and much easier to use and would do almost everything you need to do on your project I would think and the added cost to purchase would be heaps more than what it would cost you to get those few things done. The Mig/Tig debate as to which is better could go on all day but that's just my 2c worth.

If you decide to go for an ebay item this (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f160/c...parison-99893/) is a review I looked at just before I purchased mine, I found it quite helpful when choosing a cheaper welder. The Lincoln, miller, kemppi and whatnot are definately a better item but for the hobbiest the price is just to far out there.

all the best with your choice
Aaron

[Hen]

I bought a cheapo DC TIG from eBay ($800 from memory). It worked perfectly for me in the year and a half I had it before some prick stole it. Mainly used for intercooler piping, mounting brackets and random round the house stuff.

I'd recommend TIG for smaller, more delicate jobs (which in my experience most car stuff is). You need a bit of education and practice, but you can turn out some really nice stuff even on a cheap machine. In my experience it's a bit harder to get small things nice with a MIG.

And as Aaron says, remember to consider the price of the rest of the stuff you'll need too.

Hen

[3jcelica]

I have a ct416 they type you find on ebay, it is an inverter machine which has a plasma 40amp cutter (can cut 12mm steel), 160 amp tig and arc welder with HF start. I have used more expensive machines in dc and this does just as well, I have had it for 1.5 and it copes a hiding, no complaints for the price, would like to do aluminium but would have been twice the price.

Roger

[Muziiz]

thanks for the replies pplz. I was hoping to get a TIG that could weld aluminium too seems there is one that does and one that doesnt.

cheers

muz

[neal]

I have bought my self a Invertor arc welder which with the appropriate gun and accesories will TIG quiet happily and wont cost an arm and a leg. I have yet to TIG with it my self but a good mate of mine seems to think it craps all over MIG.

http://shop.ebay.com.au/?_from=R40&_...All-Categories
Show that you can TIG with a Invertor welder.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Tig-Torch-Eur...item27b0c3e5f5
TIG accessories

[Muziiz]

here is one that says it does Aluminium

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/200A-AC-DC-TI...item35a9d131c1

[twentyEight]

AC/DC is what you need if you're going to weld Alloy or Aluminium, so yes the one you listed will do Alloy and Aluminium.

[Muziiz]

cheers mate,
just trying to figure out if its worth the extra dollars to get one that will weld Aluminium..

[wilbo666]

I've got a cheap ebay Tig, AC/DC, over 3 years old now and I love it. It's the only TIG I've used, but I've had no issues with it

As said I find TIG really is the right tool for most car jobs (IC pipes, exhausts, small brackets, etc).

Cheers
Wilbo

[Muziiz]

thanks wilbo, I think I will spend the extra and buy the ac dc version if I dont I know Ill regret it.

cheers
Muz