Is a Precision Tig 275 too much machine for me?

[Tankueray]

Howdy all,

Back in March I picked up a Lincoln Precision Tig 275 (ready pak) and an LN-25 Pro at the same estate sale that I bought my Bridgeport at. I don't think they've ever been used. I'm just now getting around to figuring out what to do with them. I am new to welding and only really have experience with MIG and mild steel, and most of that is on a HF Titanium 125 flux core welder. (A teeny bit on an old Millermatic 200.) The Bridgeport rebuild is almost done, and I'm building a CNC Plasma table now. I'm going to need to weld something soon, I hope.

Although I'm not a fan of Lincoln, from what I understand the PT 275 is an awesome machine, and I'm guessing I can attach the LN-25 to have MIG capability. But I have questions:
1.) Is this too much machine for me or all the machine I'll ever need? As in, should I sell it and get separates or an MTS machine; or keep it and use it as a ploy in a, "single woman with truck, tractor, and welder seeking mid-40s man" ad? I have no idea if I'll ever do fine aluminum work, but I know I'll need to the day after I decide to sell it. The only drawback I can see from this setup is not having a "smart" MIG. I'm not opposed to saving up for a better MIG, but this isn't worse than the little 110v HF flux core, right?

2.) Is the MIG suitcase worth messing with? Is it generally the same as using any other MIG or am I going to hate it? How do I connect it to the PT 275? Lincoln doesn't have any info in the manuals for connecting either to the other (specifically). I do believe the stick terminals on the PT can be made hot to run the LN-25, and the LN has a CC/CV switch.

3.) The most important question - If I keep it, am I going to get machine envy and want to buy something more shiny or will I be okay as long as I stay out of aircraft and ship building facilities?

My usage is mainly going to be welding things in the garage - tube steel for furniture, things I cut on the plasma (up to 5/8" capable), etc. Some of them may be big (I'm thinking about a tractor grappler) but most probably won't. Occasionally, I'm going to need to weld on things outside of the garage (hopefully no less than 20ft away), tractor bits, trailers, random fix-its my friends bribe me to do, etc. Friends may come out of the woodwork to build roll cages and for car mods, they're already asking about the Bridgeport every few weeks, I need to look into a dollar-bill feeder. It's all hobby-level now, but when I retire in a few years, I want to have the skills and capability to make it a business if I feel like it.

That's about the extent of sounding like I know what I'm talking about, so now for the embarrassingly stupid questions:
3.) I'll need bottles no matter which way I go. Is there a go-to Ar/CO2 mix or should I just get a bottle of each? If I weld something maybe two weekends a month, how big should I get?
4.) I have two, unused but expired, CO2 cylinders (5lb maybe?). Will the supply house take them for filled trade-out cylinders? As in, is it illegal or they can if they want to?
5.) I really want to learn to TIG (everything), what add-ons, accessories, etc. can I just not live without? I've been eyeing the flexible torches and glass cups for a while; is a tungsten grinder worth the money?
6.) Any ladies (or husbands) out there with recommendations for gear that's particularly awesome for us? (Lincoln ladies' gear is crap.)

Thanks,
Mandy

 

[DavidR8]

Hi Mandy, I'll chip in with few observations from a newbie on both MIG and TIG.
I have zero experience with your machines so can't offer any comments there.

I have two 125 cu ft bottles; one pure argon for TIG and one 75/25 argon & CO2 mix for MIG. You must use pure argon for TIG. I went with the biggest bottles I can manage by myself.
My local welding supply took in a used 75/25 cylinder and gave me a new one without batting an eye. Individual stores are likely going to have their own policies.
I find TIG uses more gas for the same amount of welding simply because TIG is a slower process.
I have a CK Worldwide 17 flexhead torch which is rated to 150 amps. I changed out the standard alumina cups and collets for stubby cups and gas lenses primarily for better gas coverage which can reduce gas consumption.

 

[Tankueray]

I have a CK Worldwide 17 flexhead torch which is rated to 150 amps. I changed out the standard alumina cups and collets for stubby cups and gas lenses primarily for better gas coverage which can reduce gas consumption.

Thanks David, that's exactly the torch I've been looking at. So the stubby kit gives better gas coverage? I was thinking about it just because it makes the torch smaller and I have tiny hands, but that sounds like a bonus.

 

[pontiac428]

You can buy separate gas cylinders and mix your own gas. I have pre-set gas mixers for 75/25 and for tri-mix. A company called Smith makes a proportional mixer that you can dial your balance on the fly with. You just need the plumbing and discrete regulators instead of flow meters. The mixer is just a box with threaded ports in it, you run the tanks to the mixer, and the mixer to the welder. That's all there is to it. I'd recommend most people should just buy pre-mix, but if you're a tank collector like me, mixers make sense.

The 17 series torch is really small. With a stubby tungsten and end cap, plus the stubby gas cup, it makes a very compact setup. Small hands should not make a difference in TIG. You can hold the torch like a pencil, or like a hammer, or anything in between. TIG makes for delicate work, so there's nothing to apply brute force to.

 

[Tankueray]

The 17 series torch is really small. With a stubby tungsten and end cap, plus the stubby gas cup, it makes a very compact setup. Small hands should not make a difference in TIG. You can hold the torch like a pencil, or like a hammer, or anything in between. TIG makes for delicate work, so there's nothing to apply brute force to.

Mixers - yes, that was what I was thinking. I'll probably get a pre-mix first, and add the Argon on later since I know my first planned projects are going to be MIG. I know YouTube isn't going to teach me TIG, I'll have to go hang around friend's shops and use up their gas for a while.

I was holding onto a bigger torch with a long nozzle the other day, and it was basically too tall for me to rest my pinky or the edge of my hand high enough to stabilize it in order to do a smooth movement. Otherwise I was floating in the air and mirroring the same bobbing motion that the wire hand was. My friend mentioned that I needed a stubby kit while laughing at me, and I'm not allowed to use a hot machine until I can figure out the hand movements. (I don't blame him, I'm very particular with my tools too.)

 

[DavidR8]

I’ve watched hours of videos by Jody Collier (Welding Tips and Tricks) to understand the fundamentals. But there is no substitute for hood time.
I try to get an hour a week and more in when I can


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[lis2323]

Your 275 is gonna need around a 100 amp breaker I think.

It’s an awesome machine. I sold mine last year.

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[Tankueray]

Your 275 is gonna need around a 100 amp breaker I think.

Good to know, a 100A breaker for my panel is only $50, but that does change my decision to run the plug to the other wall. There's a perfectly fine 220V outlet box directly under the panel that's going to get repurposed. (And of course I already have two brand new boxes of 50 and 60A breakers. Like 20 of them, and outlets and plugs to match, I just haven't bought the wire yet.) Of course, I'm sure I can get by with the 60A that's already there since I'm not planning to AC TIG aluminum for possibly ever. Ugh, now I have to rearrange the garage floorplan.

Did yours have the water cooler? Mine's in one of the drawers underneath.

 

[lis2323]

Did yours have the water cooler? Mine's in one of the drawers underneath.

No water cooler. The previous owner only used the machine for thin walled aluminum tubing.


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[ericc]

I'm on a tight budget, so I'd lean toward using those CO2 tanks. You can do MIG with them. There's a bit more spatter, but it's cheap. If you are welding two weekends a month, almost any sized tank will do. You will not be filling all that often. Those 5 lb tanks will do a lot of MIG welding. I am not really in to MIG welding. I have one MIG welder in my garage, and I never use it. I have an oxyacetylene torch, and I've used it twice. My go to welders are stick and TIG, and I use these a lot. I have two argon tanks, in case I run out on a weekend. That Lincoln TIG welder looks really nice, and it's good you are starting with that instead of a silly Harbor Freight 120V flux core welder that many beginners fall in to. Don't worry about a tungsten grinder. Instead, buy one pack of tungstens and sharpen each one. Then, every time you contaminate your tungsten, put in the next one. If you are using a stubby torch, you will have to break up a lot of tungstens when you are starting. I started out with a long back cap. You don't need the stubby if you are just running stringer beads, which is what you'll be doing a lot of in the beginning.