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Tig rig recommendations

whiskeymakin

whiskeymakin

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For the do it yourselfers what is the best bang for the buck on a tig setup.
Im happy with my current mig setup so im not really looking for a multi process setup. Just a dedicated tig machine.
I have zero experience with these, but hopefully i can get setup and learn it.
 
I just went through the same a while back.I would say the AHP 201xd. It is a very solid machine that will make high quality welds. I bought one and have been very pleased.

AHP AlphaTIG 201XD | AHP Tools Inc.

ahpwelds.com ahpwelds.com
If i had not gotten it I was going to get an Everlast 255 EXT.

PowerTIG 255EXT - TIG Welders | Everlast Generators

If you are looking to take your shop or business to the next level in TIG welding capability, the digital inverter-based PowerTIG 255EXT delivers exceptional power and performance at a budget friendly price. In fact, the PowerTIG 255EXT not only has a long list of competitive features but also...
www.everlastgenerators.com www.everlastgenerators.com
In my opinion at leat a 200 amps is a must. Heat is more time than anything so being able to throw some amps and get moving usually makes better welds and puts less heat into the parts. I don't weld thick metal but max it out all the time especially getting going. AC Pulse is also an absolute must for me. I wanted to be able to weld aluminum and the pulse makes everything easier/better for me for ac and dc.
I might at some point wish I had gotten the 255 but not yet. Don't forget to figure in cost for a nice hood, some good cups and a variety of consumables.
 
Can you tell us what you anticipate welding so we can narrow down a decent reccomendation?

I own a mobile welding service and I have 5 or 6 TIG machines for different types of work. I have a pretty nice Dynasty machine that I wouldn't take on a sanitary tube job and I have a Miller Maxstar that I wouldn't take on an aluminum job.
 
I thought i mentioned it earlier, but im thinking aluminum would be the majority of what it would be used for.
I need to educate myslef a little more on it really.
I have no clue what advantage the pulse gives...
No idea how different a setup would be to tig carbon steel vs. Aluminum etc...
 
Another vote for AHP from me. I have a friend that tigs aluminum pretty much exclusively all day. Maybe he was just being nice but he thought my machine ran surprisingly well. It's no Miller but also doesn't come with the price tag. I figured I wanted something affordable to learn on and would upgrade if I got the hang of it but at this point, it still does everything I ask of it.
 
I like that the AHP has all the knobs right there on the face, rather than digital settings you have to scroll through menus and multiple button clicks to access.

I think it would be easier to learn on (pulse/back, because most of the settings you'll be messing with are more by "feel" than a real number.

I've been looking for a TIG rig for home also, the Dynasty I use at work is way more $ than I want to spend.
 
I don't have experience with one but I have been looking and like the Hobart. Looks very simple to use and since Miller makes it I figure it is a well built machine, especially for a home/hobby machine.
 
I'd look hard at Everlast, PrimeWeld and AHP for the home shop on a budget.

I've told several people lately that if I wanted a single machine for home use it would for sure be the Miller Multimatic 220. It will do nearly everything a guy would need to do at home as long as you aren't TIG welding thick aluminum.
 
@whiskeymakin if you have no tig experience look into the Lincoln Square wave 200. While the othe options are good it will be much easier to learn when your not chasing other settings such as AC freq, balance etc. etc. It will be a much easier machine to learn on.
 
I started learning Tig years ago with older comercial Miller machines. It seemed like any little contamination would kill the bead and was generally very finicky. Some of the newer inverter machines are definitely the way to go unless you have years of experience with the older style. The AC balance cleaning action, pulse heat control and so on make them much more forgiving.
I looked at all the machines out there and good used ones. However I always came back to AHP and Everlast for the money. Both are used commercially quite a bit and are very reliable with all the latest features for much less than a Miller as a budget option. I have a Miller Mig and plasma but couldn't justify a new Dynasty.
If you weld on any rigs make sure the welder is 2t 4t capable so you can use a finger switch. Getting a pedal certain places can be about impossible.
I planned on using mine mainly for aluminum but that changed pretty soon after getting it. I now use it on steel quite a bit. I even welded my buddies stainless airplane exhaust the other day.
 
Like everyone says, HTP or Everlast.

I have a Miller Dynasty but am not good enough of a welder to make any kind of difference between it and my friends Everlast. I've used both without issues.
 
Probably hard to tell but this Green machine blew up right out of the box. Plugged it in and smoke started rolling out of it. 2nd time we got it back it wouldn't trigger the argon. 3rd time it was a good. I have been using it daily for the last 2 months and it has been good. I also have 2 other tig welders so if it shits the bed its not a huge deal as this is supposed to be a extra machine to move around the shop instead of moving a monster Lincoln 300.
 

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Ok, so i do like the auto-like settings of the Lincoln square wave but dang the price! Maybe a black Friday deal will pop up on one
For a beginner that is cheating a little bit because its doing alot of the unknown behind the scenes, but i dont care. Easier the better.
 
A Miller will make a beginner welder good quickly and a good welder great. Best, most stable arc in the business. Saying all that I bought the big AC/DC Vulcan ProTIG 205 from Harbor Freight and its awesome. I had the Everlast multi-process rig before that, that was a plasma, stick and AC/DC TIG. I burned up the power supply, which was my fault for working it WAY passed it's duty cycle.
 
@yankster How many amps was your Everlast model? And is the TIG performance between Everlast & Vulcan a wide margin?

I am having trouble in deciding between:
Everlast PowerPro 205Si (200 amp TIG) & Vulcan ProTIG205 + Separate Plasma

Worth mentioning that the Everlast PowerPro 256Si (250 amp TIG) is only $140 more than the 205Si
 
I have the vulcan protig 205, it's better than I am. I bought it 2 years ago, and hadn't done any tig for 30 years. I also like the ability to stick weld with it also.
 
I have had an Everlast 205si for about 5 years. I love the way it welds no complaints at all there,
well maybe more amps 250 would be plenty for anything I do.
I do regret getting a multiprocess machine. If I replaced it I would get a separate tig machine and plasma. Probably a cheap plasma at that.
There is only one gas inlet for the 205si so you have to disconnect the argon and conenct compressed air to use the plasma.
 

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