Help with a new welder! Is it too much? (1 Viewer)

[tmblwed]

I've been running a Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 for a few years now and it seems to do most of what I need.. I did however learn on this welder so I don't know anything else, I've never even used another welder..

So I just did a trade deal and ended up with a Miller Syncwave 250! Okay this is a 600 pound monster that I'm starting to think is WAY more then I can deal with.. I know nothing of Tig welding and while I'm not scared to learn I started thinking I would just be better of trading it for a Millermatic.. So what would you do? Should I just learn the damn thing or trade it in for something smaller? I don't know what I may weld in the future but I do want something I can grow into and this seems like it will do the job there.. The guy I got it from said it was tripping his 50amp breaker and it was just too big for his house.. I can give it more power but this machin is a beast.. So any education you can offer would be a huge help!!

 

[cody c]

ive never used tig, but from what ive heard, once you learn you wont want to go back to arc or mig. plus its supposed to be the shizznit for aluminum or stainless.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

That machine is FAR TOO DANGEROUS to keep at your home.

Fortunately, I have the facilities to make sure it stays safe. I am so concerned about you and your family, I will even pay the shipping. I'll PM my address.






That's awesome, actually. You probably should take some classes at the local CC and learn how to use that machine. TIG makes those really beautiful welds you see on high end stuff. COngrats-what did you give him in return?

 

[fj40charles]

I have to agree with Andrew.. It just too big for your home and would work well at my shop......

 

[honk]

That's quite a jump.

Tig makes nice welds, but it's slower than mig and more demanding in terms of prep and cleanliness.

Have you done much gas welding? Oxygen/acetyline gas welding with a torch? That's probably the best background you could have in learning to tig weld because the two hand coordination is a lot the same. Plus add a foot with that welder.

a good thing is that the welder you have is often the welder used in welding class. If you want to learn to use it look into a community welding class and if you go tell the instructor what you have and that you want to drive it.

 

[theo]

That machine requires at least a 70 amp circuit, which I didn't have either. So I bought the invertor-based Dynasty 200. If you have enough current in your shop by all means keep it. Remember, you can stick weld with it too. Read the manuals, fire it up, play with it. It will last you a lifetime.

 

[Velocity2]

I would love to have a machine like that. A nice inverter squarewave TIG machine like that is great for welding. It is very hard, but being proficent at TIG is I think much better than MIG. A good TIG welder can weld all your common metals. With MIG you can only do steel,stainless and aluminum only with a spoolgun. TIG you can do all that and a bag of chips.

With that said, I have a ESAB migmaster compact 250. Great machine. I got it dirt cheap and personally I like it more than a Millermatic 250.

I do want a TIG unit like that. Those are badarse!

 

[Velocity2]

A TIG welder can produce (with the right weldor) one of the strongest welds available @ 70,000 PSI tensile. You can do that with a MIG but it is much harder IMO.

 

[tmblwed]

I'm scared!!

Okay, I feel like I may be in over my head with tig but don't wanna sell it just because I'm chicken to learn something new.. The worry I have is trying to weld with both hands and a foot seems a lot tougher then pushing a button.. I'm sure it is, but I don't know, I guess I'm being a girlie man here so I'll shut up.. I was thinking of selling it for a millermatic but I guess that would be stupid?

Now as a side note maybe I'm just not educated enough.. I know if I'm gonna weld two cans together I use tig and mig will blow them apart.. What about if I'm going to weld my axle, build a trailer or something like that.. If I keep this thing I'll have Mig, Tig and Stick so I will have everything covered.. Just sounds like Tig welding isn't for building a crawler..

Oh yeah, I noticed today that is has a HUGE cooler under it!

 

[RavenTai]

If you are keeping you MIG keep then defiantly keep the monster also and learn how to use it, like you said all bases covered, later on you can upgrade your MIG when you find a good deal on one.

TIG may not be the fastest way to build a crawler but the quality will be excellent.

 

["N8"]

Learn it nothin welds nicer than a tig!
or you can dump it off at my house!!!

 

[theo]

Okay, I feel like I may be in over my head with tig

Nonsense. Bubba workin' down at Starvin' Marvins Auto Repair can tune a carb like nobody's business, and machine a longblock, and work the computerized alignment rack like a wiz kid. WTF makes you think you're dumber than Bubba? Learn it slow, take a hundred dollar welding class at the high school, and quit your whining.

 

[Mace]

Trade it in on a higher powered mig. Honestly..

Tig can give you amazing results. But they take a LOT of time. to make the same length of welds.

I can't even imagine how long it would take to weld together a trailer with a tig machine..

Trade it for a really good mig and enjoy your free time