Welder options????

   / Welder options???? #51  
My opinion may be little help to you, but i was in your shoes in the past.
Trying to find an all in one machine, and the answer is, there just isn't one.
CC/CV power supplies that do AC Tig just aren't common. (mller made one in the past, but everybody i talked to that had one pointed me in the direction of multiple machines.)
I ended up with a well equipped shop over time. saved some money by buying a couple used machines etc.
If i was in your shoes again i would start with a good AC/DC Tig and a 250amp inverter mig that was spoolgun ready. it is my opinion your MIG will always be your goto, so get a nice one first, and shop around for a good deal on a TIG.
I ended up with.
Lincoln Powermate 140
Miller Thunderbolt 225
Miller Millermatic 252 w/ spoolgun
Miller Synchrowave 300
Hobart BetaMig 250
Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 152

Looking at that list there is a lot of blue, but i really don't care what color they are as long as they weld well. Most of the quick fab jobs i do in aluminum, i grab the spoolgun.
 
   / Welder options????
  • Thread Starter
#52  
bulldogshotgun said:
My opinion may be little help to you, but i was in your shoes in the past.
Trying to find an all in one machine, and the answer is, there just isn't one.
CC/CV power supplies that do AC Tig just aren't common. (mller made one in the past, but everybody i talked to that had one pointed me in the direction of multiple machines.)
I ended up with a well equipped shop over time. saved some money by buying a couple used machines etc.
If i was in your shoes again i would start with a good AC/DC Tig and a 250amp inverter mig that was spoolgun ready. it is my opinion your MIG will always be your goto, so get a nice one first, and shop around for a good deal on a TIG.
I ended up with.
Lincoln Powermate 140
Miller Thunderbolt 225
Miller Millermatic 252 w/ spoolgun
Miller Synchrowave 300
Hobart BetaMig 250
Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 152

Looking at that list there is a lot of blue, but i really don't care what color they are as long as they weld well. Most of the quick fab jobs i do in aluminum, i grab the spoolgun.
Click to expand...

Bulldogshotgun,

Thanks I really do appreciate your input. Everything you said makes allot of sense. I'm not a fab shop I do this more for my own enjoyment. I do weld stuff for my company from time to time. So far I have gotten by the past 11 or 12 years with a http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o1318f_mil.pdf Millermatic Challenger 172. It has been flawless. That is why I'm thinking for a welder in my 2nd shop the Multimatic will be nice it's more powerful than the Challenger 172 and is what looks to be the most portable welder I've ever seen. It will weld up to 1/4" aluminum with the spoil gun. I'm still debating but here is what I think I will do. Buy the Multimatic without the tig kit for $1,814.00 and look for a good Tig machine after I take the TIG class I'm going to in march. If I need a more capable mig/stick welder later on I can always add one. Again thanks for your input and you can tell me I'm crazy or wrong with my thinking if you want :thumbsup: I have thick skin :laughing:
 
   / Welder options????
  • Thread Starter
#53  
Well I ordered the Miller Multimatic 200 today with the spoolgun and the Tig contractors kit. They had to order the welder and the tig contractors kit it should be here on Wednesday. What I got while I was at airgas was welding gloves, 80cu' 75/25 gas, 7018 5/32" 5lb, 3/32" gas rod mild steel for the Tig 1lb. They threw in two roles for the spool gun. .030" 4043 aluminum and .030" 5356 aluminum. Can't wait for it to get here and try the new machine out :dance1:
 
   / Welder options???? #54  
Fordman1981 said:
Well I ordered the Miller Multimatic 200 today with the spoolgun and the Tig contractors kit. They had to order the welder and the tig contractors kit it should be here on Wednesday. What I got while I was at airgas was welding gloves, 80cu' 75/25 gas, 7018 5/32" 5lb, 3/32" gas rod mild steel for the Tig 1lb. They threw in two roles for the spool gun. .030" 4043 aluminum and .030" 5356 aluminum. Can't wait for it to get here and try the new machine out :dance1:
Click to expand...

Congrats.

Are you planning on posting a review once you get it? Hope so! Its a nice machine but it is a little bit of an unknown. I think you'll like it.

i do next to no welding of aluminum, but I think you're going to need 100% argon for that.
 
   / Welder options????
  • Thread Starter
#56  
Scooby074 said:
Congrats.

Are you planning on posting a review once you get it? Hope so! Its a nice machine but it is a little bit of an unknown. I think you'll like it.

i do next to no welding of aluminum, but I think you're going to need 100% argon for that.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'll do a review not welding aluminum for a while but I'll be using it some this weekend pics will be posted as soon as I get it unboxed.
 
   / Welder options????
  • Thread Starter
#59  
Still have some changes I'm going to make to the hinge pins but here is some if the stuff I'm doing to my old dump 1 ton.
 

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   / Welder options????
  • Thread Starter
#60  
It has arrived :) now to get time to go to the farm and try it out :)
 

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