Topic: Cheap tig welder. need hands on advice from you nogs (Read 27109 times)

ratcityrex · « **Reply #30 on:** April 03, 2015, 08:59:34 AM »

I can see why your shop would kill a cheap tig. So 1 week at your shop is going to be comparable to 1 year in my garage....lol

So these AHP alphatig 200x aren't going to be in stock for another 2 weeks. So until then I'm going to keep looking on craigslist. If nothing pops up in 2 weeks then I'll probably pull the trigger on the china unit. I would love a miller or a Lincoln, but nobody has anything for sale. I'm looking all over the state up to about 200 miles from me. And there ain't shit except for a 3 phase thermal arc.

92CXyD · « **Reply #31 on:** April 03, 2015, 09:59:47 AM »

If you have a Gases Plus or Norco or some other welding supply store near a technical college or school, every semester when school starts, you can pickup a used good welder for half cost or less.

Some tech schools have semester start every 8 or 9 weeks.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #32 on:** April 05, 2015, 03:34:11 PM »

I want to buy this but the dude won't respond to me....

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tls/4964753420.html

JohnHandcock · « **Reply #33 on:** April 05, 2015, 05:25:11 PM »

Thats a good deal and with tanks...just hold out for decent machine

ratcityrex · « **Reply #34 on:** April 05, 2015, 05:50:01 PM »

MOTHER FUCKER!!!! I HATE CRAIGSLIST!!!!! He never responded to my emails and then all of a sudden he emails saying it's sold. For those who didn't see it, it was a miller syncrowave 200 with a bottle of helium and argon for $1200

highroller54 · « **Reply #35 on:** April 05, 2015, 11:14:23 PM »

So close!!

ratcityrex · « **Reply #36 on:** April 06, 2015, 12:10:07 AM »

I'm still kinda butt hurt about the deal.

highroller54 · « **Reply #37 on:** April 06, 2015, 12:58:58 AM »

I bet!!

turbob16hatch · « **Reply #38 on:** April 06, 2015, 03:58:29 AM »

Damn that would have been a deal.

Local heavy construction company just posted up 10 Miller 250 dialarcs for $300 /e might need to pick up one of the old things to beat on. Spare my syncro 200.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #39 on:** April 15, 2015, 01:38:37 AM »

What do u guys think of this? http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/tls/4979346141.html

ratcityrex · « **Reply #40 on:** April 15, 2015, 02:10:37 AM »

Duty cycle is pretty weak on the 175. Probably offer $800 and see if they bite.

turbob16hatch · « **Reply #41 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:52:37 AM »

Not a bad machine for the price. The duty cycle aspect probably won't be a huge deal for hobby work. The only negatives I see are lack of shielding gas control adjustment, and no aluminum adjustment. But those are a given on entry-level machines.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #42 on:** April 15, 2015, 10:21:21 AM »

Idk, this might not be the deal I'm hoping for. Some chick is selling it for her husband and the whole thing seems off.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #43 on:** April 15, 2015, 03:22:52 PM »

Ok, so this whole thing is kinda sour...lol she told me last night that her husband is a master welder and that he won't be around tomorrow to show me that it fires up and runs. So I know that area that she lives in real well and I know someone in that area that is a "master welder" so I ask her if his name is Darwin (guy I know that's a "master welder") she said no, his name is david. Then I ask her today why she is selling it and she tells me because he passed away. So wtf? If she will take $800 I would do it. But not for 1200. I asked her if she's open to offers and she said she would take 1150.

So unless she changes her mind on the price, I'm gonna pass.

Avistar23 · « **Reply #44 on:** April 16, 2015, 08:08:21 PM »

if i were you right now i would look at the htp tig at usaweld.com, ive been welding alot more tig recently and im woried my everlast will go poof, it hasnt had a problem yet, besdies the amp display shows crazy numbers. it hasnt missed a beat welding wise, and the AHP is a subsidiary of everlast. the htp has purely positive reviews online and dealing with usa weld for my consumables has proven to be the best customer service ive ever gotten. it is almost the price of dynasty tho is you get the dual voltage.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #45 on:** April 16, 2015, 11:28:39 PM »

I've really been looking into the ahp. Heard nothing but great things about them. But I might be able to jew something here soon of a used American made one. We will see.

Have a line on a Lincoln precision 225, but it's 3 phase. I know on some of the older machines you can just change some wires around inside and your good to go. I don't know about the newer ones like this. So I'm gonna call my local welding store and see what they know about all that.

Avistar23 · « **Reply #46 on:** April 18, 2015, 04:15:07 PM »

a few of the old millers you could re arrange the taps etc theres a well documented log on practical machinest forums, i dont know about the lincoln or any of the new inverters at all, but if you get the ahp id love to know how it goes, id buy one to have as backup but im getting over the cheap chinese welder phase of life right now, i hate feeling like on my next bead itll go pop.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #47 on:** April 18, 2015, 10:00:16 PM »

So my local welding shop directed me to a welding repair shop in seattle. So I talked to them and from what he told me is that lincoln hasn't built a 3 phase only machine since the early 90s. Pretty much it's just unhook ing 1 lug inside and capping it off. Now with that said, I was looking in the manual for online and it looks like there is a few different models that have different power voltage. So I'm gonna call lincoln on monday ad see what they have to say. Hopefully I can pick all 4 tig welders up for dirt cheap and then I can rewire them and flip them for some cash.

2 of them are precision 225 with miller 3 water cooler and water cooled torch.
the other 2 are Lincoln square wave 275 with miller 3 water cooler and water cooled torch.

Avistar23 · « **Reply #48 on:** April 19, 2015, 10:49:14 AM »

i could be interested in one for the right price, depends on how much it would cost to ship to miami, cause id have to get it to miami then to me.

Avistar23 · « **Reply #49 on:** April 19, 2015, 10:57:58 AM »

i noticed the percision 225 is listed as single phase but 460 or 575 volts, but i see the 275 can be rewired for 240 volts, i dont know if they all can be, or if even the manual i found covers the units you found

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/servicenavigator-public/lincoln3/im609.pdf

ratcityrex · « **Reply #50 on:** April 19, 2015, 01:42:36 PM »

Right, I've noticed that too. But on page 10 I think it list different models with differ voltages. So idk. I'm gonna call lincoln tomorrow and see what they have to say.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #51 on:** April 20, 2015, 02:09:55 PM »

Well, after talking to lincoln, it sounds like they are all single phase. But I won't be picking up the square wave 275's. He said that you will need a 125amp service just to that welder. Said it draws almost 60 amps at idle.....lol so I'm gonna try to snag both the precision 225's and flip one, or hell" maybe both. And go buy a brand new syncrowave or just flip one of them.

Avistar23 · « **Reply #52 on:** April 20, 2015, 08:08:31 PM »

wow thats alot, i cant imagine how that is possible to draw that much at idle, for full power i know they are hogs.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #53 on:** April 20, 2015, 10:57:19 PM »

Quote from: Avistar23 on April 20, 2015, 08:08:31 PM

wow thats alot, i cant imagine how that is possible to draw that much at idle, for full power i know they are hogs.

That's what I thought but fuck, I was talking to the rep. Not that all reps know there shit, but this dude seemed pretty on point.

ratcityrex · « **Reply #54 on:** April 20, 2015, 11:01:53 PM »

Just downloaded the manual for the 275. @ 230v it draws 110 amps, at 460v it only draws 55amps.

Avistar23 · « **Reply #55 on:** April 22, 2015, 09:51:08 AM »

yeh as voltage goes up current goes down p = vi . p is a constant so as v increases i decreases. p = watts i = current v = volts

ratcityrex · « **Reply #56 on:** April 22, 2015, 09:59:44 AM »

Yeah, I just don't have the power for all that. And I don't know if it's worth even bidding on as most other people won't have the power either. But I am going to try to win both precision 225's.

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Author Topic: Cheap tig welder. need hands on advice from you nogs (Read 27109 times)