TIG welder options

[Locoweed]

I am interested in learning TIG welding. I am just a hobbyist. I have a Lincoln 210MP that I could buy all the stuff I need to make it TIG capable. The price to buy their stuff is a bit over the top IMHO. Other folks make kits to convert the 210 to TIG capable, but I知 not sure of the quality of these other kit brands.

The other option is a Chinese welder. I am not overly interested in supporting China at the moment, but the cost benefit analysis may take me there anyway. If I had any plans to get a lot of use from the TIG it would be different. This will mainly be a adventure in learning & a small amount of use doing thin stuff after that.

If anyone else has been down this road & would like to share their experience, it would be appreciated.

 

[yomax4]

I am interested in learning TIG welding. I am just a hobbyist. I have a Lincoln 210MP that I could buy all the stuff I need to make it TIG capable. The price to buy their stuff is a bit over the top IMHO. Other folks make kits to convert the 210 to TIG capable, but I知 not sure of the quality of these other kit brands.

The other option is a Chinese welder. I am not overly interested in supporting China at the moment, but the cost benefit analysis may take me there anyway. If I had any plans to get a lot of use from the TIG it would be different. This will mainly be a adventure in learning & a small amount of use doing thin stuff after that.

If anyone else has been down this road & would like to share their experience, it would be appreciated.

All you should need is a Tig torch. You ca get one to fit the MP for $60 online.

 

[Gary Fowler]

IF you have a DC machine then all you need is a bottle of argon, a flowmeter, a short length of hose and a TIG torch and some TIG wire of the type to match the material your want to weld. ER70s-6 works for mild steel. A high frequency attachment is nice but a scratch start TIG is all I ever had when I welded pressure piping.
I do love my new Everlast 206 SI Plasma/TIG/ Stick machine with high frequency start . It came with everything but the Argon bottle and Tungsten.

 

[dstig1]

A foot pedal is also handy. Makes life easier, IMO. Hi Freq is nice, but maybe it can do lift arc also? I don't know this machine to say either way.

 

[Gary Fowler]

IF you have a DC machine then all you need is a bottle of argon, a flowmeter, a short length of hose and a TIG torch and some TIG wire of the type to match the material your want to weld. ER70s-6 works for mild steel. A high frequency attachment is nice but a scratch start TIG is all I ever had when I welded pressure piping.
I do love my new Everlast 206 SI Plasma/TIG/ Stick machine with high frequency start . It came with everything but the Argon bottle and Tungsten.

 

[dragoneggs]

This is an interesting thread for me. At some point I will get a TIG set up. I want to do more thin steel and learn aluminum. Look forward to the advice here.

 

[yomax4]

Before all of the little DC tig/stick machines started to filter into the market, We converted the Lincoln SP100 Mig machines to do scratch start Tig. It worked ok but slightly over 1/8" was the top end and the duty cycle was fairly low. The 115v machines worked best for this because they would turn down much lower than the 230v units. So any 115v Mig machine can be converted to scratch Tig for the cost of a torch and a 105Z57 power block. All for under $75. Still I would recommend saving for a 200 AC/DC full featured machine.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I am interested in learning TIG welding. I am just a hobbyist. I have a Lincoln 210MP that I could buy all the stuff I need to make it TIG capable. The price to buy their stuff is a bit over the top IMHO. Other folks make kits to convert the 210 to TIG capable, but I知 not sure of the quality of these other kit brands.

The other option is a Chinese welder. I am not overly interested in supporting China at the moment, but the cost benefit analysis may take me there anyway. If I had any plans to get a lot of use from the TIG it would be different. This will mainly be a adventure in learning & a small amount of use doing thin stuff after that.

If anyone else has been down this road & would like to share their experience, it would be appreciated.

The Lincoln 210mp is a mexican made unit with a high content of chinese components. But the NOVA kit for the unit has a higher rated pedal than the SCC built kit, which is the OEM lincoln one. The OEM lincoln one is rated for 1 million cycles and uses a mexican built potentiometer. The Nova kit uses a Japanese built potentiometer that is rated for 2 million cycles but the pedal itself and kit is built in China. This kit has few issues and is very popular in lieu of the Lincoln sold one.