If I Buy A Tig Welder Can I Pitch My Mig Welder?

Ulma Doctor said:
Mig & tig can weld a lot of the same metals.
tig is the process for strange alloys, deepest penetration, precision welding- the process is slow and takes lots of practice to become proficient
mig can weld aluminum, stainless, & other steels, the penetration is reduced in comparison to tig, but it's a faster-easier process to learn and use and takes a lot less time become proficient at.

tig is my favorite process, albeit slow
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I'm fine with slow, I found MIG is so fast you have to be perfect on the first try, that's fine if you are welding a stand for your mill or a trailer where perfect doesn't really matter. Way too fast for any kind of artistic work. I think its interesting that others above say MIG has more penetration than TIG and you are of the opposite opinion.
 
Coolidge: Not trying to hijack your thread, but I have been thinking of getting a welder because there are times when I need it. But...this is for gunsmithing. Need good quality welds that look good and don't leave pits while doing small work in stainless, 4140, aluminum and other gun metals. Don't know if you can weld titanium, but I do work with that as well.

I'm thinking TIG?
 
No worries Bill, I think you are on the right track with TIG I now of no other type of welding that produces TIG quality welds. Where I will defer to others is, welding anything gun related that may wind up blowing up in your face right.
 
coolidge said:
No worries Bill, I think you are on the right track with TIG I now of no other type of welding that produces TIG quality welds. Where I will defer to others is, welding anything gun related that may wind up blowing up in your face right.
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So what's a decent TIG cost that will run off a 240/30A circuit?
 
Be careful of the prices listed on Miller's site and others, they are frequently just for the base unit no torches or accessories those are additional costs. Here's a site I use when price shopping that has the entire kit for $1,907 which is $549 off list. I would also browse some top welding forums on the particular brand/model you are considering. I have noticed even Millar has hatched some lemons or poor designs to avoid. One negative review isn't significant, a pattern of negative reviews from different people all noting the same issues is. Take your time, do the research. I would have to do quite a bit of digging into TIG welding to understand the various machines features and which ones I might need and which ones I don't. I see frequent mention of torch coolers so I'll be looking into that, both air and water. Again may not apply to what I'm doing but I could see being annoyed having to stop what I'm doing to wait for a torch to cool off.

http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/miller-diversion-180-ac-dc-tig-welder-complete-907627
 
Tony Wells said:
I have that little Eastwood. No complaints.
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Thanks Tony,

What I will end up doing is very short duration runs so I don't believe I require a high-dollar commercial unit. I will investigate further.
 
In my experience you only need a cooler if you are using a lot of amps for extended periods. On my TA TSW 185 I can Tig for quite some time without getting a hot hand. It has a boat load of features, is inverter machine, has never had an issue and is an awesome stick welder to boot. With a footswitch and bottle of gas you can do some pretty fine work, and pick it up with one hand. Its not made in China and if you have an issue most any reputable shop can work on it. You are suppose to run it on 50 amp circuit. I run it on a 30 amp with no problem, although I don't think I have ever tried to max it out.

michael
 
I have a Lincoln Precision TIG 225, and it's been a great machine. I have welded aluminum an steel, and it does a great job. I bought it several years ago, and it was a good deal at the time. It will also do stick, if you buy the cable and clamp, which was an additional $60 or so. I also have a small MIG welder, and I have on occasion thought about upgrading it to a larger one. The TIG is great for precise work that is easy to get to, but for building a stand, truck sideboards, or other large, bulky items the MIG is much easier to use. Of course, stick could be used on these, but I prefer the MIG to the stick for that type of stuff.
 
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